How to get more roofing jobs
In South Florida a roof almost never gets replaced because the owner feels like it: it gets replaced because the insurer demands it, because the house is selling, or because it aged out. Those three are the doors the work comes through, and none of them opens with advertising. They open with realtors, inspectors, adjusters, and being nearby when something happens.
Updated 2026-08-16
The three real reasons someone calls you
**Insurance.** Insurers here won't renew policies on old roofs, and past a certain age they require replacement or inspection. Every non-renewal letter is a customer who has to act fast.
**The home sale.** The buyer's inspection surfaces the roof's age and condition, and the buyer won't close without resolving it. There's a deadline, which is the best thing that can happen to a quote.
**A hurricane or a leak.** That's the urgent work, and it's where all the out-of-town competition appears.
Understanding this changes where you look: you're not looking for homeowners, you're looking for the people standing next to the homeowner when one of those three things happens.
1. Realtors and inspectors, the steadiest door
An active realtor has several houses a month where the roof is the closing problem. They need somebody who inspects fast, gives a number in writing, and can do the work before the date.
Introduce yourself to ten realtors and five inspectors in your area. What to offer, in these words, is inspection inside 48 hours and a written quote the same day. Speed matters more than price in that context, because there's a closing waiting.
It's the work that doesn't depend on weather or season.
2. Insurance work, done properly
This is where the volume is, and also where the trade's bad reputation comes from.
What works long term: document with photos and dates, write the estimate with the detail the insurer expects, and explain clearly to the owner what's covered and what isn't before anything is signed.
What burns the business: promising insurance will pay for everything, offering to "cover the deductible," which is illegal in Florida, or having owners sign contracts they don't understand. A customer who feels tricked leaves a review that costs you twenty jobs.
3. Your edge against the post-hurricane crews
After a storm, out-of-state crews show up, knock doors, take deposits and disappear. Everybody here knows somebody it happened to.
Your edge is being local and being able to prove it: physical address, Florida license, years working the area, reviews from neighbors with names, and photos of roofs on streets the person knows.
Say it directly, on the page and in conversation. "We're here year-round and we'll be here when the warranty needs us" is the argument that wins that sale.
4. The Google profile and reviews
Category "Roofing contractor," service area with your cities, license number visible.
In roofing, reviews carry more weight than in almost any trade, because the job costs thousands and the owner can't judge the quality by looking. All they have is what other people say.
Ask for a review at the end of every roof, with before-and-after photos.
5. What to charge in South Florida
| Job | What it pays |
|---|---|
| Roof inspection | $150 to $400, sometimes free if hired |
| Leak repair | $400 to $1,500 |
| Asphalt shingle roof, average house | $9,000 to $18,000 |
| Tile roof | $20,000 to $45,000 |
| Flat / membrane roof | $8,000 to $20,000 |
| Roof certification for insurance | $75 to $200 |
Ranges move a lot with size and pitch. What shouldn't move is that the quote goes in writing, with materials, labor, permit and debris removal listed separately.
6. Permits and the license
In Florida roofing requires a state roofing contractor license, and a county permit is mandatory on replacements. Miami-Dade adds its own approved-product requirements.
This isn't only compliance: it's a selling point. An owner who got burned once asks about license and permit, and whoever answers with the number ready closes.
7. A site that shows work and the license
Photos of your roofs on recognizable streets, the license number visible, your cities and the phone up top. In this trade the site also does the opposite of selling: it lets the owner verify you actually exist before letting you on the roof.
If you want a reference, look at the roofing page.
doubts
What people usually ask
Is knocking doors after a storm worth it?
It works and everyone does it, so the winner is whoever stands out: identify yourself as local, leave something with your license on it, and don't ask for any deposit at the door.
Should I work with public adjusters?
They can bring volume, but the work is theirs and not yours: if the customer belongs to the adjuster, you're not building your own book. Use them as a supplement, not a base.
How do I compete with much lower prices?
By showing what yours includes. The cheap one usually skips the permit, skips debris removal, or uses material without Miami-Dade approval. Put it in writing side by side and the owner works it out themselves.
Does roof certification bring work?
It's one of the best doors there is: it pays little, insurers ask for it constantly, and you end up being the one who already knows that roof when it's time to replace it.
Is paid advertising worth it?
Only with the Google profile, the reviews and the site in place. Roofing has a long, expensive cycle, so without reviews the ad sends people somewhere nobody trusts.