Insurance-work marketing basics for roofers

Why this kind of work needs its own approach

Homeowners with an open claim are anxious, unfamiliar with the process and wary of being taken advantage of. They search differently from someone planning a re-roof, and they ask different questions on the phone.

Typical worries:

• "Will my insurance pay for this?"
• "Do I need three quotes?"
• "What if the adjuster disagrees with the roofer?"
• "How long will this take?"
• "Is this roofer going to disappear after the storm?"

Your marketing can't answer the first three, because they depend on the policy and the insurer. It can answer the last two, and it can explain your part in the process so clearly that the homeowner trusts you with the rest.

Step 1: describe your role in plain steps

Write down exactly what your company does on an insurance-related job, in order. For most roofers it looks something like this:

1. Inspection. You inspect the roof and attic where accessible.
2. Documentation. You photograph and note the damage you find.
3. Written estimate. You provide an itemised estimate for the repair or replacement you recommend.
4. Sharing. At the homeowner's request, you provide those photos and the estimate so they can share them with their insurer.
5. Scheduling. Once the homeowner is ready to proceed, you schedule the work.
6. Completion. You finish the job, photograph the result and provide your warranty documents.

Then write down, just as clearly, what you don't do: decide coverage, negotiate the homeowner's settlement, interpret their policy or act on their behalf with the insurer. Put both lists on your website.

Step 2: build a "working with your insurer" page

One page, written for the homeowner, that sets expectations before they call. Structure it like this:

• Opening answer. "If your roof was damaged and you've contacted, or plan to contact, your insurer, here's how we can help and what's up to them."
• Our steps. The list from Step 1.
• Questions for your insurer. A short list the homeowner should ask the insurer rather than you, such as what their policy covers and what documentation the insurer needs.
• Fees. Whether your inspection is free or carries a fee, stated plainly.
• Timing. What you control (your schedule) and what you don't (the insurer's decisions).
• Contact. How to reach you.

Link that page from your storm-damage pages, your Business Profile services list and any insurance-related ads.

Step 3: train the phone

Whoever answers your phone needs three honest sentences. The question "Will insurance cover this?" comes up on almost every call, and a fumbled answer either over-promises or loses the job.

A script you can adapt:

"That's a decision for your insurer, and we can't speak for them. What we can do is inspect the roof, photograph what we find and give you a written estimate you can share with them. Would you like to book an inspection?"

That answer is accurate, it doesn't advise on the policy, and it moves the call toward a booked inspection.

Step 4: clean up your wording

Remove any phrase that promises an outcome you don't control or implies a relationship you don't have. Google's misrepresentation policy bans misleading statements about affiliations and claims that present unlikely results as likely. The Competition Act prohibits false or misleading representations, and the Competition Bureau can investigate them.

Search your website, Business Profile, ads, truck wraps and flyers for these:

Replace them with what you actually do: "We provide inspection photos and a written estimate you can share with your insurer."

Step 5: follow up the right way

Follow up only with homeowners who contacted you, and keep it about scheduling. Insurance-related jobs can take weeks to move, and a polite check-in is helpful. Canada's anti-spam rules apply to commercial texts and emails; the CRTC's guidance explains consent, identification and unsubscribe requirements.

A template with placeholders:

Hi [Customer first name], this is [Your name] from [Business name]. Just checking in on the roof at [Street]. If you're ready to schedule the work, reply here or call [Phone]. Reply STOP to opt out.

Don't ask about the progress of their claim or offer opinions on what the insurer said.

Step 6: let reviews do the reassuring

Nothing calms a nervous homeowner like reviews from neighbours who went through the same thing. Ask every customer for a review, including insurance-related jobs, the same way you ask everyone. Don't ask them to mention insurance, and never offer anything in return; Google's rules forbid incentives and requests for specific content.

Common mistakes

• Talking like an adjuster. "That'll definitely be covered" is a promise you can't keep.
• Hiding fees. If your inspection costs money when no work follows, say so up front.
• Copying a competitor's insurance page. Their claims may not be true, and they certainly aren't true for you by default.
• Leaving it to the crew. Crew leads get asked insurance questions on site. Give them the same three-sentence answer as the office.
• Treating every storm job as insurance work. Many homeowners pay directly. Ask; don't assume.

A quick worked example

Clear expectations can change your close rate more than any ad. Say you inspect forty insurance-related roofs a season and close twelve, a 30% close rate. If a clear "working with your insurer" page and a better phone answer stop just four homeowners a season from walking away confused, you'd close sixteen. At a $14,000 average job and 30% gross margin, those four extra jobs are worth about $16,800 in gross margin. Your numbers will differ; the method of checking them won't.

Where to go next

Insurance-related jobs often follow severe weather, so read the storm-season playbook next. If you want the pages and scripts written for you, see our insurance-work marketing service. And if you aren't sure your current wording is safe, send it to us and we'll mark it up.