Roofing, an integral part of building has always got more importance in most of the developed countries of the world. Though, it comes under the services of a builder it is now viewed as a separate wing due to its improved features and complexity. A lot more inventions in the same filed have brought roofing business to this success state.
Investment Required
For entrepreneurs like you all, it is mandatory to have a stable financial source irrespective of the business you want to step in. With that context, roofing business will also need a strong financial support. Coming to the investment you need for this business, there is no standard numerical figure for it.
In a roofing business, the investment needed highly depends on the quality of your service, labour, size of your business and the quality of machines and tools you procure for providing your service. Thus, the needed finance can be estimated from the costs that are associated with the procurement of the resources for the business.
What are the equipments needed to start a roofing business company
Next vital part of this business is the resources that will support your service. While procuring the resources, a lot of firms will fail to adhere to quality considering the lesser costs. But this is something which you will have to keep in mind. Technically speaking, the roof of a house or a building accounts for almost 50% of the total value of the building. Also, makes up for almost 25% of the surface area.
Now these figures will prove you how important it is to provide a higher quality roof to your clients. Records say that as a roofer, you can extend the life of a building from 15 years to 25 years. Compromising on the quality of the resources you procure indirectly means that your service quality is also compromised. Some of the things which you need are,
- Roofing material
- Insulation
- Drip edge metal
- Ice barrier
- Tools
- Ladders
- Trucks
- Miscellaneous items
The mentioned items are again not the standard ones. The resources can vary highly from each contract. Regarding the quantity of these resources, planning for a minimum inventory will have you at the safer side. Some basic items like cement, fire sheet etc., should necessarily be procured in minimal quantities. This can greatly reduce your holding costs, also reduce the outflow of cash.
What are the different types of roofing?
Variants make your business more attractive. Like how other businesses have choices or alternatives for their customers, as a roofing business owner you can provide for a number for roofing models. This is an added point for you as it can make your clients stick to your company to a great extent. For example, if your labours cannot construct the roofs which your client demands, then the client drifts away to your competitor. But, having variants will always help in retaining the client with you.
Some of the roofing models are,
- Salt box
- Dome
- Pyramid
- Curved
- Jerkin head
- Mansard
- Gable
Now, these are just some of the variants in structure. But it is in your creativity to provide variants in the roofing material also. Though the choice of selecting the roof material lies takes your opinion and your client’s opinion, there are certain cases where your choices may not be feasible. For example, the building might be constructed of a material which will not be in a way of supporting the material of the roof. Thus, choosing the right material for the roof is also a factor deciding the life of the roof. Proper knowledge and experience are needed to achieve this. Some of the roofing materials are,
- Green roofs
- Solar tiles
- Asphalt shingles
- Metal roofing
- Stone-coated steel
- Slate
- Rubber slate
- Clay and concrete tiles
Roofing Business Opportunities
Undoubtedly, the business you want to step in is completely involved in the stream of building contracts. So, you can make a speedy progress in roofing business getting associated with builders. Coming to the opportunities concerned with services, you have three options.
- New installation
- Replacement
- Repairs
New installation
Here, you construct the entire roof at your own risk. All the necessary procedures will be followed under your control for the installation of a new roof. This is one opportunity where you will get maximum profits since the origin and the termination of the entire process will be at your presence. As the name says, new installation is for new buildings.
Replacement
There will be certain contracts mentioning only the replacement of the roof and not the installation of a new roof. Almost all the basic setup will be present and you will have to do only the replacement part. Replacement involves relatively less work and mediate level of profits. Though not that lucrative, replacement services will be needed frequently.
Repairs
Repairs will bring in more orders frequently and the work load is also less. The time taken for each repair work is just 10% of the installation process. Thus, having this service included in your company will get you a minimum of 5 orders a day.
So basically, replacement and repairs are two additional services that can be involved in your business for revenue generation.
Cost cutting ideas
For making more profits, you can wisely bring down costs instead of increasing the charges for your service. By doing this, you can retain your clients and enjoy better profit margins simultaneously. You can adopt the following ideas if feasible.
- Reduce the working capital by using the funs of your customers. As an entrepreneur, you may not always spend the money from your pocket. Any business will have debts and loans obtained for its establishment. But this scenario can be changed to some extent. While accepting contracts, you can demand for an advance payment for procuring the temporary resources for roofing. These temporary resources denote the different roofing materials, auxiliary items for an extraordinary service etc. Thus, the loan amount which you will be obtaining can be profitably used in other areas than resources.
- Next idea is renting of equipment and other expensive tools. Hydraulic lifts, trucks etc can be rented whenever there is a need. Comparatively, the renting charges will be a profitable one than having own equipment. Apart from the procuring cost, maintenance cost will also be eliminated if renting is chosen.
- Coming to the quantity of resources, maintaining them at a minimal quantity is advisable. But at the same time, bulk purchasing of resources will cut down the costs of each unit. Choosing between these two is a tedious task which can give lucrative results in the end. Therefore, maintain them at an optimal level is important.
Pay scale for your roofer
In a roofing business, the person who constructs the roof is known as a roofer. As an owner of a roofing business, you should have knowledge in the area of roofing. This is to know about the charges, demand and inventions associated with a roofing business. Also, adequate knowledge will help you work efficiently without meeting any undesirable conditions in your business.
Roofers can be recruited in the needed number and the pay scale can be decided considering the pay given by your competitors. It need not be same, but can be in a way of inviting more roofers to your company. Roofers can be appointed either permanently or temporarily. Temporary roofers are the ones who are available as freelancers. They can be hired only when you need them and this can cut down the monthly salaries paid to them. According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, the average pay of a roofer is $18.54 per hour.
How to choose a right roofer?
While choosing your roofers, you will have to consider certain important factors in mind to ensure the roofing quality to your clients. Roofers should not be randomly selected since the work they do has critical activities involved in it. A roofer should have legally completed his apprenticeship, which is for 3 years.
During the period they will be taught and instructed about all the techniques of roofing practically. All the roofers of your company should be essentially, have a roofers’ license which is like a proof that they have experience and knowledge in the field of roofing.
How to calculate roofing material?
Before procuring the materials, estimation of the required quantity of those materials is important and this will reduce wastage. To calculate this, there factors are considered.
- Roof base length
- Roof base width
- Roof pitch
With the above measurement, the area to be fitted with roof is calculated and accordingly materials are procured.
Calculations for roofing charges
The amount charged for roofing is different from each contract. It highly depends on the models of roofing and the material used. Also, the area to be roofed is taken into consideration for these decisions.
Though you cannot arrive at a standard cost, certain conditions can be involved in pricing decisions. The very first thing is your competitor’s pricing. Having a keen track of it will always be beneficial for you to decide on your pricing. Other than that, the following factors should also be considered.
- Labour charges
- Installation charges
- Cleaning charges
- Transportation expenses
- Cost of roofing materials
Instead of doing these calculations manually, you can make use of technology. Technological support is highly seen in roofing business as the industry is gaining popularity and increased demand. There are many websites and applications for calculating the charges for roofing. Using these calculators will help you arrive at an accurate pricing instantly. However, there is a demerit in using these calculators. Using these calculators might not include certain important factors involved in roofing. Some of them are,
- Replacement of any damaged piece
- Cost difference in roofing material due to difference in brands
- Taxes and permits
- Location where the service has to be provided
Elite business
Having a departmental store and a supermarket is the same. But, the way they project each is different and that difference makes the difference in sales too. With that example, let me drive you to the concept of establishing your roofing business in a modern way. After the involvement of technology in all areas of business, businessmen are forced to make their best to reach the customers even during high levels of competition.
Technology makes all the businesses popular simultaneously increasing the competition. But, the same can also make huge differences in the success of your business too. To promote your roofing business, develop an application that can be downloaded by your clients. Mention in the application all the necessary details. This can considerably reduce the number of enquiries you get since the application of yours will deal with it.
Proving to be a successful service provider is yet another way of inviting new clients. Showcase all your work on your application makes a solid evidence that your work is of a great quality. In addition to all these, include few templates of roofs so that your client will have a better idea of what they want.
Conclusion
In the end, with all the details of roofing business that are provided you can make your wise decisions. As long as you have buildings, the roofing business will also exist. There is no termination for this business since it is a part of human life. Living standards have been increasing tremendously for the past few years and roofing business is one of the businesses benefitted because of it.
The business also demands some legal identities, which are to be obtained by the owner. The licenses are different for each country, thus make sure you adhere to the rules framed in the country where you start this business. In a roofing business, the roofer is always at the risk. A number of accidents have been recorded in this business and this is a matter of concern for owners like you all. Stick to safety rules to prevent your roofers from accidents. Insure your business and the roofers to stay on the safer side.
Lastly, manage your orders properly to avoid negative circumstances. Appoint a manager to have a control over all the orders, so that you finish each of it on time and as per the contract signed. Try promoting your business by giving additional services in the initial stages.
