If you’ve been following our Technology in the Roofing Industry series, you know that a lot has changed in the last decade. (A lot’s changed in the last couple of weeks!) Ten years ago, you may have been able to measure a house without visiting the property, but it would have been expensive, and it wouldn’t have been accurate enough to build an exact bid with confidence. Now, with RoofSnap, you can build a precise estimate, and send it to a homeowners mailbox, or inbox, with confidence. We’ll show you how in this week’s blog.
First, We Measure
Now I’m sure some of you are saying: “How can you build an estimate without getting on the roof? How do you know how many layers there are?” I’ll discuss how to take multi-layer and other variances into account a little later. First, I want to talk about what you need to build your first remote estimate. With a software like RoofSnap, it starts with your measurements. You can use our mobile apps or web app to measure the property on HD imagery, which yields results within 1% of actual when measured correctly.
During the measuring process, you’ll need to label your roof lines correctly. This is important for building precise estimates, because your ridge cap will only be applied to your ridge lines, step flashing to your step walls, etc. You can also apply extra labels like Ice and Water Shield, Drip Edge, and other common materials to your drawing. In RoofSnap those extra labels are called “sub-line labels”
Watch this video to learn about RoofSnap’s line labels!
If all that sounds like too much work, you can always order your measurements from our trained SketchOS technicians. They’ll draw and label your roof accurately, and even apply sub-line labels if you want them applied on all of your company’s orders! Schedule a demo to learn more.
Building the Estimate
Once you’ve got the property measured, you’re ready to build your estimate. In RoofSnap, you can build your estimates from the products your company prefers to install and the prices you actually charge. In the Estimates tab of your project, select the materials your company uses to install the roof. You can include steep charges, dumpster fees, and of course all your shingles, nails, and underlayment. The measurements you did in your first step, are automatically applied to the appropriate products, so there’s no math here. Just click or tap your chosen materials and services, and your estimate is done.
As I mentioned before, you may want to take into account possible multi-layer tear-off charges or offer different systems and warranties. You can easily create multiple estimate options for your customer. You can even save your options as templates, so you don’t have to build them from scratch for each property. If you’re starting to get a feeling that RoofSnap might save you some time, you’re right. Our estimating platform can turn you into a sales machine!
Use Comparison Estimates to give your customers options!When your estimate is done, you can create a PDF document and email it to the customer who requested information from your website or mail it out in a neighborhood you wanted to canvas. Send homeowners in your market a customized estimate without worrying about appearing pushy or breaking any social-distancing rules.
Sealing the (Digital) Deal
Bidding remotely is just the beginning. When you’ve got customers that want to move forward with your estimate, you’ll need to bring some other tools into play. If you’re able to set up in-person appointments, you can continue the sales process as you normally do.
If your company or state has restrictions on gatherings currently, or your customers prefer to meet digitally, you may want to find a screen-share software like Skype or Google Hangouts to bridge the gap. When your customer is ready to sign, RoofSnap’s contract documents can be emailed to customers as well, and we’re working on bringing a remote-signing option in the near future. So, keep an eye on this blog for feature-release announcements.
We know taking your sales process online is not an easy task. At RoofSnap, we’re dedicated to providing you with tools that make your job easier, and more flexible. And in uncertain times, flexibility is key to maintaining your business’s growth and being able to provide vital services for your customers. If you have questions about anything we’ve covered today, leave us a comment below or call us at 877-766-3762. We may be working from home, but we’re still here to provide support.
Stay safe out there, and as always…
Happy Snapping!
(Need more general estimating information? Check out our Guide to Estimating/Bidding a Roofing Job.)
