# Add On Business Opportunities??? Do You Offer Them?



## Ed the Roofer (Sep 15, 2008)

I was wondering what other tasks besides roofing do you offer to the home owners while you are offering to do their roofs, or if you find out some additional, "Non-Roofing" work that comes up, will you pursue it yourself or just refer someone else to do it.

For me, seamless aluminum gutters and gutter guard screening are natural tie-ins, which both come with extremely higher mark-up rates, primarily due to the lack of separate advertising costs associated and they are a direct fit with roofing.

It took me more than 3-4 years of doing residential work for me to figure out to add those tasks in though.

We also do all roof related carpentry, primarily the plywood decking replacement, plus rafter repairs, which is usually just sistering in, but on accasion, much more significant.

Many times, on cathedral/vaulted ceilings, when we have to replace a majority of the deck sheathing, due to improper ventilation, we also pursue the removal and replacement of the esisting rolled insulation so that they can enjoy a more premium rated R-Value for energy efficiency.

How about you guys?

Ed


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## Grumpy (Oct 29, 2008)

Simply put gutters, we do alot of gutters and make good money doing it. 

We do siding and windows, but don't advertise that but it comes up in conversation. We only do a couple a year.

This winter we will be doing attic insulation, and I plan to make that fact known to all my previous clients. I may even send them all estimates since I already have the measurements. 

To me roof related carpentry is just part of the job. A good roofer will have a basic carpentry understanding to do rafters and deck boards etc... In addition we do roof related masonry like chimney rebuilds, parapet walls etc... 

I sub out the gutter work and most of the masonry work. 

One thing about gutters, on EVERY gutter propsoal I send out I always always always add an option to do the gutter guards. Without exact numbers this increased my gutter guard sales by about 50%. It's an option, some say yes, some say no.


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## Ed the Roofer (Sep 15, 2008)

Grumpy said:


> Simply put gutters, we do alot of gutters and make good money doing it.
> 
> 
> One thing about gutters, on EVERY gutter propsoal I send out I always always always add an option to do the gutter guards. *Without exact numbers this increased my gutter guard sales by about 50%.* It's an option, some say yes, some say no.


Same here, even for just the gutter option.

I offer it many times even when they did not request it and sell them at least 50% of the time on those occassions.

The gutter guard screening is always listed, sometimes included in the price with the gutters and sometimes as a separate option to choose from.

I make so much of a margin on the gutters and screening, that I sometimes use a 50% off on the screening option as a closing incentive for a one time first appointment closing deal maker.

Ed


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## The Roofing God (Oct 31, 2008)

I DON`T DO MASONRY,MAJOR ELECTRICAL,OR MAJOR PLUMBING 
They should have something to put already typed stuff in correct case-that would be cool,I`m not into retyping lol


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## Aiken Colon (Nov 6, 2008)

Grumpy said:


> Simply put gutters, we do alot of gutters and make good money doing it.
> 
> We do siding and windows, but don't advertise that but it comes up in conversation. We only do a couple a year.
> 
> ...


You should look in to thermal imaging if your good at selling other jobs. Its too easy to take a few pics of the insulation in the attic, the chimney, even window energy loss while you are on the job and leave a report for the customer. We have quit a few roofers that do just that to generate more jobs.

JJ


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## Ed the Roofer (Sep 15, 2008)

So please expand further on making a new add on system like that work as an alternative business opportunity.

I have some insight into the thermal imaging field and energy audits with blower door testing, but mostly from converstions with Home Inspectors on another forum.

I am going to be proactive regarding those up and coming viable business ventures, and have already made contact with a well known tech, who actually has written meny of the protocals for that industry and has his own business in the town next to where I live.

Ed


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## The Roofing God (Oct 31, 2008)

I think I am going to look into becoming a roof consultant also


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## RooferJim (Oct 20, 2008)

You already are a roof consultant. I think gutters are great, also quality gutter guards like "Leaf relief" go one easy, can be taken off if needed, and come with a ten year written warranty. Its a little pricy but were selling a lot of it. I also love Aztec and other PVC trim. show the custumer a piece of it and show them there rotted rake tails or facia. Its also great to replace rotted window sills. We somtimes get into siding either clapboard, cedar shingle "mostley white cedar Maibes" or hardy plank. Never vinyl "people hate it here". I will only sub out the chimny work everything else our roofers do it.


RooferJim
www.jbennetteroofing.com


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## Grumpy (Oct 29, 2008)

The Roofing God said:


> I think I am going to look into becoming a roof consultant also


 Roof Consulting requires special insurance which is why for the time being I don't offer it.


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## Ed the Roofer (Sep 15, 2008)

Have either of you guys ever checked into RCI to see what it takes to get certified?

It has been a while, but I think it was pretty extensive.

RCI, = Roof Consultants Institute, for those that didn't know.

Ed


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## Grumpy (Oct 29, 2008)

Never looked into it, I figured my state license carried more weight  

I've done several paid inspections BTW. Often times for residential in the midst of a real estate transaction.


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## The Roofing God (Oct 31, 2008)

Your license "should" carry more weight,but I`m not sure if it does legally


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## Grumpy (Oct 29, 2008)

Aiken Colon said:


> You should look in to thermal imaging if your good at selling other jobs. Its too easy to take a few pics of the insulation in the attic, the chimney, even window energy loss while you are on the job and leave a report for the customer. We have quit a few roofers that do just that to generate more jobs.
> 
> JJ


 I have two contacts for thermal imaging on large roof jobs. One will come out and do it for me and mark any areas of wet insulation. The other will rent me a camera on a daily basis and allow me to do it myself. 

THis is great for large commercial roofs where I can say, hey we don't have to tear it all off but we can't go over wet insulation. Then I charge them for the inspection with the FLIR.


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## Grumpy (Oct 29, 2008)

The Roofing God said:


> Your license "should" carry more weight,but I`m not sure if it does legally


The roof consultant institute carries zero weight legally. It'd be like saying you're not a rooer since you are not an NRCA member. 

IMO being a member of such an institute is nothing more than for marketing purposes. Although the RCI is nationallyr ecognized, who is to say their certifications carry any weight. Why couldn't I start my own shell certification orginization and start issuing certificates to anyone who takes my online courses? Would my certifications mean anything? Sure to the customer that doesn't know any better and thinks "OH these guys are certified inspectors!" Again just a marketing thing. 

I don't believe there to be any state or municipal requirements in being a roof inspector other than the special insurance if you get sued since normal general liability doesn't typically cover such things.


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## Pearce Services (Dec 17, 2008)

*Upgrades for The Windy City*

Here is something I have been thinking about offering for a while: 

Adding hurricane ties at the roof connections, and running continuous load path to the basement.

See this article..... http://www.coastalcontractor.net/cgi-bin/abstract.pl?id=224


The problem is that Simpson wasn't offering any retrofit details for their products. as more retrofit info becomes available, I think this will become a standard offering.


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## SinglePlyGuy (Jan 7, 2009)

Its far more than a marketing thing. 

I am a member of RCI as a Contractor -NOT a Consultant- and find the information and resources alone more than worth the cost of membership.

Just because someone is a roofer and has roofing experience does not make them a Roofing Consultant...and thats one of the problems our Industry as a whole suffers from. Guys calling themselves Consultants and not knowing what they are doing. Heck, guys calling themselves roofers after they throw some shingles on their friends house doesn't help either.

Dew points, wind uplift, ice damming, drainage issues, etc can be very involved aspects of a roof install that the average roofer has limited,if any, knowledge of. If someone has the RRC or RRO letters after their name than you can be sure, as the customer, that this Consultant knows what he is doing as these certifications are not easy to obtain.

Obviously there are Roofing Consultants out there who arent affiliated with RCI and are very educated and qualified. But one of RCI's goals is to instill some consistancy and controls in an Industry that has historically lacked them.

Professional Liability insurance is also a must have if you are going to call yourself a Consultant.

Don't get me wrong, as a contractor it is difficult to walk that line between contracting and consulting when you are trying to service a customer or land a project. I am faced with it almost daily.

I use a Consultant whenever possible and work with a few regularly and find that their involvement makes the jobs smoother and more profitable.

RCI is an excellent resource for any roofer who is serious about their craft.


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## Grumpy (Oct 29, 2008)

I'm not saying the RCI isn't valuable. Infact I just don't know. However the point really was anyone can be a consultant given the proper insurance. There is no LEGAL requirement other than the proper insurance. 

That's the point I was trying to make.

Personally I don't like getting involved in jobs where someone else tells me how to do my job, other than a manufacturer rep of coarse. I don't like don't like consultants, engineers, architects, or general contractors. There are exceptions to every rule but someone has to try harder to earn my respect when they fall within one of these categories. 

Last engineer I got involved in, funny story actually, long story too... I saw a posting on craigs list for a roof consultant, so I emailed why they were looking for one and asked if I could bid. They said the bids were closing but if I huryy blah blah blah. So I bid and I always give a detailed spec for my own protection as much as theirs. After they finally secured their engineer. His spec was essentially the same as mine with two changes. One change was totally un-necesssary and the other was a minor upgrade taken out of someone elses' proposal.

So after talking to myself and one other roof then 10 got widdled down to myself and the one other roofer, but they fired their engineer. What ever they paid him was a complete waste of money since he didn't even have the sense to check out the manufacturer's installation manual. Heck the manufacturer even has a spec writing program on their website which is essentially what I expected him to use, but he didn't even do that. 

... and people like THIS are supposed to tell me how to do my job? Yeah right.


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## SinglePlyGuy (Jan 7, 2009)

I understand your point of view Grumpy.

Keep in mind tho that there is a big difference between Engineers and Architects vs. Roof Consultants. Archs and Engs are usually book-smart in a very wide area and when it comes to project specifics (ie Roofing, Mechanical, Plumbing, etc) usually resort to boiler plate specs cut and pasted from manufacturer literature.

They also seem to be egotistical when they have to work with the guys like us doing the work....condescending and very unrespectful. General statement I know, but just what I have experienced here in the Tri-State area.

I also do not like when people tell me how to do my job....especially when they dont know as much as I do about my craft.

I do find that Roof Consultants and Roofers have the same goal, and need each other to be successful. A Consultant can be a good bridge between the owner and the contractor, can make sure the spec is solid and equal (apples to apples), conduct bidding procedures and weed out the "bad" contractors, etc.

Dont get me wrong , I have worked with more than 1 Consultant who didnt know his asphalt from his elbow.... but there are good ones out there. When you do get involved with a good one you will definately make a point of staying in touch with him. You do good work for a Roof Consultant and he will want you to do more.....


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## Grumpy (Oct 29, 2008)

I've found roof consultants doing the same as every one else. Too many cooks ruin the stew my momma used to say. So I come in to a project, recommend a system which will do the job the owner wants it to do... Then the conultant comes in trashes my idea and referrs his own guys, probably getting kick backs. Hmmm yeah that's working towards the same goals aint it? 

Like I said too many cooks ruin the stew. If you want my warranty it going to be done my way with materials and methods that I am comfortable employing. 

I do understand why there are consultants, so that the owner has a point of authority which will ensure he gets a good job. I however personally feel there is no need for one of those with me and my company because of this reason: I know what I am doing and when I don't I am smart enough to ask those who do for advice or bow out.


It's also my ego that gets in the way of me working for guys like this. I'm not an ass kisser and if I don't like what someone is saying to me they know it. People of authority, be it percieved or actual, don't like this characteristic of mine. 


The other problem I have with consultants engineers etc... is their budget numbers never seem to be realistic with a profitable business plan. I've gone to a few pre bid meetings where I asked the engineer or conultant his estimate and have got up and walked out of the meeting when I heard the answer. 

I kind of, as a rule, stray away from a job where I can't be the boss on the job.


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## Kanga Roofing (Jun 8, 2011)

Ed the Roofer said:


> I was wondering what other tasks besides roofing do you offer to the home owners while you are offering to do their roofs, or if you find out some additional, "Non-Roofing" work that comes up, will you pursue it yourself or just refer someone else to do it.
> 
> For me, seamless aluminum gutters and gutter guard screening are natural tie-ins, which both come with extremely higher mark-up rates, primarily due to the lack of separate advertising costs associated and they are a direct fit with roofing.
> 
> ...


Snow and Ice Removal
Green Roofing ---> http://www.generatebusinessideas.com/2011/10/be-first-green-roofing-business-10000.html


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## Grumpy (Oct 29, 2008)

Kanga Roofing said:


> Snow and Ice Removal
> Green Roofing ---> http://www.generatebusinessideas.com/2011/10/be-first-green-roofing-business-10000.html


www.chicagogreenroofs.com ?


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