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10 Tips for Roofers on Working With Homeowners

A roof is a product that homeowners may purchase once, or maybe twice, in their lifetimes. Because this “big ticket” item means a huge investment for the consumer, roofer Trent Lovewell offers others in the roofing industry tips on maximizing the relationship with the buyer.

“I’ve been meeting with homeowners and selling roofs for almost 20 years,” says Lovewell, head of John Higgins Weatherguard, Inc. in Omaha, Neb. “Through thousands of homeowner meetings I’ve identified the 10 key elements to making the entire process go smoother for both the consumer and for ourselves.”

During a recent podcast on Roofers’ Coffee Shop, Lovewell and Aaron Adams with DaVinci Roofscapes, shared these 10 tips for roofers to consider when working with homeowners.

10 Tips For Roofers to Consider When Working With Homeowners

Weatherguard roofing composite shake

  • Tip #1: Start by finding out why the homeowner needs a new roof. Was their roof damaged in a storm? Is the roof old, worn out and leaking? Are they looking to add curb appeal to the home? Is the home being put up for sale? Finding out their motivation helps you get ready to offer roofing solutions tailored to their needs.
  • Tip #2: Take their “emotional temperature.” Are they upset due to storm damage and working with insurance adjusters? Do they seem to be relaxed and involved in researching their roofing options themselves? Are they befuddled by the entire process and need your professional guidance?
  • Tip #3: Be ready to explain local building codes and how compliance is mandatory. Most people need to be educated on changing codes and what they mean to their reroofing project.
  • Tip #4: Stay calm and professional. A reroofing decision may be emotional for homeowners, especially if they have roof damage and need to deal with insurance companies. Understand your role is to get them through this process. Those roofers that come across as calm, intelligent and knowledgeable are going to win jobs and get the insurance claims taken care of smoothly.
  • Tip #5: If there’s an insurance claim involved, help the homeowner understand the actual cash value, deductibles, and maximum input from the insurance company. Help the homeowner understand insurance as it relates to their choice … for example, shakes may not be insurable, metal roofing may have an aesthetic waiver requirement, etc. Be their advisor and advocate in this process.
  • Tip #6: In the roofing selection process, homeowners may not know what they want or what’s truly available in the marketplace. Educate them. Take time to talk about both aesthetics and performance. Offer online resources they can use for themselves, such as the free DaVinci Roofscapes Top Down Color Visualizer, ebooks dedicated to selecting the right roofing products and colors for their home, and one-on-one color advice from industry experts.
  • Tip #7: Sell value. Show a homeowner how to make the jump to a performance product like composite slate or shake roofing tiles. Instead of repairing an old roof, recommend that the homeowner uses insurance monies to invest in a higher performance roof, like DaVinci. Their return-on-investment is saving on repeated deductibles and reroofing hassles when upgrading to a reliable high-performance composite roofing product.
  • Tip #8: Make the decision easier for the homeowner. Offer a line item and a price for every line item. This way the homeowner can look at your proposal on just one or two pages. Then, when they look at the bottom line it’s easier to understand and make a decision.
  • Tip #9: Once you have secured the job, tell them what to expect and talk about their lifestyle. Recognize that a noisy roof installation is an interruption in the homeowner’s lives, especially if they have a home office, teach children at home or use the home for other major activities. Lay out expectations as you explain the roofing process from start-to-finish.
  • Tip #10: Determine what’s important to the homeowner in the daily installation process. Are covering shrubs and plants a key issue for them? Are family pets in their kennel during the project and children kept away from the work area? Think ahead to make the entire process easier for your customer.