Tips for Shifting Your Focus to Recession-Proof Roofing Work

As seen on RoofersCoffeeShop.com, 4 July 2020

With storm season approaching and residential work slowing, these four steps will help prepare your roofing company for storm response work.

The National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) shared in a recent members’ update that contractors are reporting a downturn in residential work, except for storm response work.

The coronavirus pandemic has pushed the United States into a recession according to the National Economic Research Center, an organization that monitors the economy. Financial website CNET reports that this is a global recession that is going to last for years.

Many remember the Great Recession that lasted from December 2007 through the end of 2009, but this coronavirus recession in the U.S. is much worse. Forbes reports that in March 2009, 800,000 jobs were eliminated and an estimated 8.6 million jobs were lost in total throughout the two-year period. Compare that to today, with more than 20 million jobs eliminated just during the month of May 2020 bringing the total to 33 million jobs lost since the start of the pandemic in the U.S.

Roofing contractors need to take the steps now to recession-proof their businesses. The loss of jobs and financial uncertainty is causing many to delay replacing or maintaining their roofs. Fortunately for the roofing industry, Mother Nature doesn’t know that there is a recession or even a virus pandemic. This means that the storms will continue to sweep across the country this summer and fall, damaging homes and buildings. Those structures will need emergency response and repairs. If you haven’t had much of a focus on storm response, now is the time to shift that focus.

These four steps will help get you started preparing your roofing company for storm and emergency response work:

1. Educate yourself. Research the insurance process in the states where you conduct business. Become an expert in how to help customers work with their insurance companies. If they prefer estimates in a specific software program, look into online training or classes to become proficient.
2. Tell everyone. Let your customer base and service areas know that you are opening a dedicated storm response division by sending a press release to your local news outlets. Be sure to include useful information for the reader such as steps to take following a storm to assess for damage.
3. Talk to insurance agents. Make some calls to insurance agents in your service area to let them know you would like to be added to their contacts as someone who can provide storm response services to their policyholders.
4. Train your team. Be sure your team is ready to respond by training them on the latest in storm response solutions. Stormseal is an innovative storm protection solution that heat shrinks to the structure, providing superior protection over flapping tarps that lead to callbacks and additional damage. Their training centers are open, following social distancing guidelines and CDC recommendation.

For information about Stormseal and how to become an installer, click here. 

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