How to Start a Roofing Business?

A roof is perhaps the most important part of building anything. You can raise four walls easily. But without a proper and good roof, these four walls would be useless as a home or office or a warehouse or anything. Hence, homeowners and property owners need the services of a roofing company.

Basics of Roofing Business

Surely, you would know what’s a roofing company all about? Just in case you’re unaware, here are some basic details.

In simple words, a roofing company does what its name says. They install roofing of various types for homes and offices, storage places and other premises. We need a roof because, without one, humans and their belongings would be exposed to rain, snow and other elements of nature.

Similarly, any stuff stored in places without a roof is bound to spoil because of sunlight, rain, snow, dew and other similar things.

Actually, a roofing company creates and builds roofs to fit all sorts of weather. If you look closely, the kind of roofing in your city or state will differ a lot from roofs in another city or state.

For example, places that get a lot of snowfall generally have a very steep roof to allow the snow to slide downwards. That’s because if the snow remains on the roof, your home or office could become very chill and uncomfortable.

However, in warm places, the story is different. Roofing here is made to withstand high degrees of temperature while protecting persons inside the home or office. Hence, they have flat roofing.

This proves that creating roofing requires a lot of skills. You will require knowledge of different types of weather and various kinds of materials that would be suitable for a roof. Furthermore, the type of roofing also depends on the purpose of that specific premises. If it’s a factory, the roofing will need spaces for hot air and smoke to escape.

All these indicate that starting a roofing company isn’t really child’s play. It needs really qualified and skilled professionals in the field.

Qualifications for Roofing Business

If you want to start a roofing business, the first thing to do is get the necessary educational qualifications and some skills. Generally, any civil engineer with good knowledge of roofing and various roofing materials, climate and other such elements can easily start a roofing company.

However, if you don’t have qualifications as a civil engineer, there’s nothing to worry about. You can still open a roofing company by getting the necessary educational qualifications.

These include a Diploma in Roofing Technology and a Diploma in Roofing Materials. You might find these two-year courses at the nearest vocational training school in your area.

Ordinarily, there are no specific qualifications to become a roofer. Qualifications are very useful to get a license for yourself and the roofing business you want to start.

Various states of the US have different requirements to issue a roofer’s license and a trade license for your roofing company. You can easily check them from a local roofing company or the Department of Labor nearby.

Investment In Roofing Company

While you can get the licenses with some effort, the bigger hurdle might come when you want to invest in the roofing company. According to various sources, the investment for a small-sized roofing company in the US ranges between $50,000 and $100,000.

You might be able to raise this investment from a venture investor, crowdfunding, own savings or a business loan, where available.

At the same time, it’s worth remembering that some 96 per cent of all roofing companies fail in the first couple of years. This happens due to a lack of business and lower profits. Some roofing companies also face lawsuits if their roofs cave in or create problems for the property owners.

However, if you’re comfortable with the investments and qualifications, here are some ways to start a roofing company in the US.

How To Open A Roofing Company?

Starting a roofing company is like starting any other business. You can follow these few steps and launch your own roofing company quickly. These are simple steps, and you can follow them easily.

1. Study Your Market

The roofing industry isn’t new. Hence, you’ll find lots of small and large players in the market. These are your direct competitors. Therefore, study the market well and find where your new roofing business would fit in and survive for the first year before flourishing.

Also, get details such as the type of roofing that’s popular in the area, prices of competitors, seasons for roofing, cost of material, manpower and other essentials. Once you have a clear idea of the market, it becomes easy to position your roofing company and get some business.

2. Seek Tie Ups

Yes. Seek tie-ups with large players in the roofing business. That way, you could save a lot on investments and payroll. Generally, large roofing companies look at new players and smaller businesses for tie-ups since they wish to spread into new markets. For such large companies, no business is small.

Furthermore, with a tie-up, you will be assured of getting the material that’s a standard in the industry. They will also help with manpower. Alternatively, you can enlist the help of your own manpower and charge the large company accordingly, along with a small commission for you as their partner.

3. Decide On Suppliers

Suppliers play a key role in any business that depends on materials. Therefore, you will have to find and decide the suppliers that can provide you with various construction and roofing materials at affordable prices. Also, look for suppliers that will give you some credit for purchases of materials.

Finding suppliers isn’t a big task. However, finding the right kind of suppliers in your market could become a bother. They might charge you a higher rate compared to your competitors. Usually, large companies get better rates since they order in bulk quantities, unlike smaller and new roofing companies.

4. Register Your Business

All roofing companies are part of the broader construction industry. A roofing business also requires manpower. There are various risks involved in a roofing company that affect your workers. Therefore, the best thing is to register your roofing business and make it a legit entity.

Once you register, it’s possible to get group insurance for your workers and materials. Should the need arise, you will be covered by insurance for damages to material or injuries to workers. Medical and life insurance are almost compulsory for roofing companies. For getting these, your roofing company should be legit.

5. Advertise Your Business

The next and obvious step is to advertise your business in the area. This can be done through word-of-mouth publicity in your neighbourhood and through social circles. It’s also good business sense to advertise your roofing company locally through banners, posters, billboards and ads in local newspapers where possible.

At the same time, advertise your roofing business online using resources such as Google Ads and Facebook Business resources. These can cost some money but could help bag that first large order in your area. Normally, roofing companies don’t compete on pricing. Instead, they compete on the durability of the roof and various other factors.

Wrap Up

By following these five simple steps, you’re all ready to open the roofing industry as a roofing company. A roofing company is a good business, and the job of a roofer is quite respectable in society. You can try both.