Roofing lead generation tips for commercial contractors

Author: Author: Lee Polevoi | September 2, 2025

Roofing lead generation is crucial for the growth of your roofing business. A "lead" is any prospective commercial customer whom you can approach for your business. Making use of consumer resources and other lead generation techniques helps ensure you have a steady supply of customers and projects for weeks and months ahead.

Here are tips on effective commercial roofing lead generation:

Brochures, samples and proposals

Back in the day, physical materials were the best way to introduce your company to potential customers. Even today, print flyers and brochures remain an effective tool for this purpose.

Brochures should be succinct and easy to read. Wherever possible, use large fonts and brief paragraphs. Bullet points or lists of features and benefits are always preferable from a user's perspective, as is ample white space around the text. Craft eye-catching headlines and subheads, and don't forget a call to action that guides prospects to take the next step. Rather than relying on stock photos, consider hiring a professional photographer for images of your business, commercial structures bearing your work and members of your roofing team.

But don't stop there. Digital flyers and brochures will appeal to many potential commercial customers, as long as online elements (QR codes, links to product descriptions, etc.) are easy to read and understand. You can share such digital materials via email marketing campaigns and social media posts, dramatically increasing the range of prospective buyers in the community and beyond.

Customers often like to "experience" the materials used in roofing projects. Offer opportunities for them to see and touch roofing materials for a better grasp of texture and quality.

Offering a project proposal is another useful strategy. Make sure the proposal includes information on the project's scope (materials, labor, pre-installation costs) and a reasonable timeline for completion. The more that prospective customers understand the time and expenses involved, the greater the likelihood they'll choose your proposal over less specific proposals from competitors.

Forge partnerships and streamline product ordering

Entering into a collaboration with businesses in a niche similar to yours can yield powerful lead generation results. Many roofing contractors work with a select group of house painters, plumbers, electricians, etc., whose own customer base often includes commercial enterprises in need of roofing repair or replacement.

Look for opportunities to co-market your services through trade shows, social media, paid advertising and other avenues. This can significantly increase the scope of potential leads for your business.

Refining your product ordering process also helps in marketing your business. Customer relationship management (CRM) software can enhance your ability to locate efficient materials at reasonable costs.

This software improves product ordering through its comprehensive record-keeping function. This way, documents pertaining to estimates, orders, pricing, customer relations and so on are stored in a single, easy-to-locate online space. This, in turn, helps your roofing crews stay on top of new customer leads and their progress through the buying journey.

Customer referrals, high-quality websites, SEO and CRM

Nothing beats word-of-mouth marketing when it comes to finding new customers. Many roofing contractors rely on referral marketing, building a structure based on references to prospects from an existing customer base.

How can you motivate customers to provide referrals? Consider offering a discount on future services or some other tangible benefit to spur action. Commercial customers are just as likely as residential customers to heed the recommendation of their friends and colleagues.

In our digital era, it's essential to have a high-quality, user-friendly roofing business website. Key elements for a successful website include:

• An eye-catching landing page
• Accurate information about your business (contact names and locations, call to action, etc.)
• Brief yet compelling content with advice and tips on roofing topics
• Relevant keywords embedded in the content, such as "roofing project," "roof repair" or "roof installation"
• Brief roofing project videos and customer testimonials
• Optimization for viewing on a mobile device

All of these elements are more effective through search engine optimization (SEO). A search-optimized website usually ranks higher in a Google search, making it easy for business owners to learn about your company.

CRM software has become indispensable for marketing purposes. General CRM programs are useful, but industry-specific software for the roofing and construction industries is more effective. Many CRM platforms incorporate marketing data so you and your team can monitor the progress of quality leads and help convert those leads into active customers. CRMs facilitate ongoing communications with both your sales team and prospective customers, as well as production of project quotes and related estimates.

Learn more about the wide range of QXO's contractor resources and ways we can help you market and grow your business.