By Matt Ellis | Founder, The Roofing Agency More than 10 years of roofing-industry experience • Involved in more than 1,000 roofing projects

Buying a new roof is one of the largest home-improvement decisions many homeowners will ever make.

And yet, when the time comes to make that decision, most homeowners are largely left to figure it out on their own.

Think about some of the other major decisions we make in life.

When we sell a home, we often hire a Realtor to help us understand the market, evaluate offers, negotiate the transaction and get us to closing.

When we need insurance, we can work with an insurance agent who helps us understand coverage, policies and options.

When we plan for retirement, many of us turn to a financial advisor because we don't expect ourselves to suddenly become experts in investments, taxes and long-term financial planning.

But then your roof starts leaking.

A hailstorm comes through.

Or you're preparing to sell your house and someone tells you the roof may need to be replaced.

What are homeowners usually told?

"Get three or four roofing estimates."

Okay.

Then what?

The Homeowner Is Expected to Figure It Out

Now you have three or four roofing companies looking at the same house and telling you slightly different things.

One contractor recommends one shingle. Another recommends something completely different.

One proposal is $17,000.

Another is $21,000.

Another is $25,000.

One includes some decking replacement. Another doesn't.

One talks about a 50-year warranty. Another says "lifetime warranty."

One wants to change the ventilation system. Another plans to leave it alone.

One proposal clearly explains flashing, penetrations and accessories. Another gives you a total price and a few lines of description.

Everyone has great reviews.

Everyone tells you they do quality work.

Everyone says you can trust them.

And somehow you — the homeowner who may purchase one or two roofs in your entire lifetime — are expected to determine who is right.

"The contractor does this every day. The homeowner doesn't."

That never made much sense to me.

And that is one of the reasons I created The Roofing Agency.

I Have Seen Roofing From the Inside

Before roofing, I was a teacher and a coach.

That part of my life shaped the way I approach people today more than I realized at the time.

A good teacher doesn't simply give someone an answer.

They help them understand.

A good coach doesn't run the race for the athlete.

They prepare them, teach them, give them information and help them make good decisions when the moment comes.

That same philosophy eventually became part of the foundation for The Roofing Agency.

For more than 10 years, I have worked in the roofing industry and have been involved in more than 1,000 roofing projects. I have also owned a roofing company myself.

I've worked with homeowners, installers, suppliers, manufacturers, salespeople and contractors.

I've seen how roofing companies operate.

I've seen how roofs are priced.

I've seen how crews are managed.

I've seen how proposals are built.

And I've seen some outstanding roofing contractors.

There are companies and installers in this industry who genuinely care about their customers, take tremendous pride in their work and deserve the opportunity to earn a homeowner's business.

But I've also seen the other side.

I've seen homeowners feel pressured.

I've seen people confused by products and warranties they didn't understand.

I've seen homeowners choose a contractor largely because they liked the salesperson.

I've seen proposals where important parts of the project weren't clearly defined.

I've seen homeowners discover after work began that something they assumed was included wasn't included at all.

And I've seen what can happen when a homeowner puts their trust in the wrong contractor.

The lesson wasn't that roofers are bad.

Far from it.

The problem is that the homeowner and the roofing contractor enter the conversation with completely different levels of information.

One side works in roofing every day.

The other usually doesn't.

What If We Changed the Starting Point?

Traditional roofing sales usually begin with the contractor.

The contractor looks at the roof.

The contractor recommends a roofing system.

The contractor establishes the scope.

The contractor provides the price.

Then the contractor explains why its company is the right one to build it.

There is nothing inherently wrong with that.

But every roofing company is naturally presenting its own solution.

We wanted to change the order.

At The Roofing Agency, we believe the conversation should begin with the homeowner.

What are you trying to accomplish?

Do you actually need a complete roof replacement?

Are you repairing a home you plan to keep?

Are you preparing the property for sale?

Do you expect to live there another 20 years?

Is long-term performance important?

Impact resistance?

Appearance?

Budget?

Monthly payment?

Have you experienced previous leaks?

Have you already had a bad experience with a contractor?

Or do you simply want someone knowledgeable to help you figure everything out?

Before asking which roofing contractor should build the roof, we first want to understand what should be built and what matters to you.

That difference is at the heart of The Roofing Agency.

Design the Project First. Then Find the Contractor.

This is one of the most important ideas behind our process.

We don't want three contractors bidding on three different interpretations of your roof.

We want to help define the project first.

That can include:

• Roof assessment and inspection findings
• Detailed roof measurements
• Existing roof conditions
• Homeowner concerns and priorities
• Roofing-system recommendations
• Product and shingle options
• Warranty considerations
• Ventilation
• Flashing
• Gutters and roof edges
• Chimney conditions
• Financing needs
• Potential additional costs or unknown conditions

Then we bring vetted roofing contractors to the table who can build the project the way it was designed.

"Design the project first. Then find the contractor."

Now the conversation changes.

Instead of:

"Here are three prices. Pick one."

We can start asking better questions.

Why is one contractor $4,000 less?

Are they actually cheaper — or are they including less?

Does one proposal include removal of two existing roofing layers while another assumes there is only one?

How much decking replacement is included?

What happens if rotten wood is discovered?

What type of hip-and-ridge material is being installed?

Is chimney flashing being replaced?

What ventilation system is being proposed?

How long is the workmanship warranty?

Who supervises the installation?

How is the installation documented?

And what happens if there's a problem six months after the roof is completed?

Price still matters.

It simply shouldn't be the only thing a homeowner understands.

HOW THE ROOFING AGENCY WORKS

Listen → Assess → Design → Compare → Decide

We learn what matters to you, assess the project, help design the roofing system around your goals and budget, bring vetted roofing contractors to the table, and help you understand and compare your options.

An Apples-to-Apples Comparison Should Actually Be Apples to Apples

"Get three bids" sounds like good advice.

But three numbers aren't particularly useful when the contractors aren't pricing the same project.

Imagine buying a truck that way.

One dealer quotes you a base model.

Another quotes a four-wheel-drive model with an upgraded engine.

A third includes a premium package and extended warranty.

Then someone hands you the three prices and asks:

"Which one is cheapest?"

You wouldn't consider that a fair comparison.

Roofing proposals can have exactly the same problem.

The differences are simply much harder for the average homeowner to recognize.

That's where we believe an experienced third party can create real value.

We organize the information.

We identify meaningful differences.

We ask questions when something doesn't line up.

And sometimes that protects the homeowner.

Sometimes it protects the contractor, too.

If a contractor accidentally misses an important part of the project and submits a price that is too low, we would rather discover that before the homeowner chooses that company.

Nobody wins when a contractor wins a project based on an incomplete price and later discovers thousands of dollars of work that wasn't accounted for.

The homeowner gets frustrated.

The contractor gets frustrated.

Trust gets damaged.

That's exactly what we're trying to prevent.

"The goal is to uncover the real price of the real project before a decision is made."

We're not trying to force the homeowner toward the lowest bid.

We're not trying to force them toward the highest bid.

We're trying to help them understand what they're actually buying.

Good Contractors Deserve a Better Comparison Too

The Roofing Agency wasn't created to fight roofing contractors.

Quite the opposite.

We want to work with good ones.

A quality roofing company shouldn't have to compete against an incomplete proposal that appears thousands of dollars cheaper simply because important work wasn't included.

A contractor who invests in experienced crews, good supervision, proper installation, homeowner communication, quality control and warranty service should have those differences understood.

That's one reason we vet the roofing contractors we bring to homeowners.

We want to understand things a homeowner may never think to ask.

How long have their primary crews worked together?

How experienced are their crew leaders?

How is the approved scope communicated to the installation crew?

Who is responsible for the project on installation day?

How is workmanship monitored while the roof is being installed?

What gets photographed before it is covered up?

Who performs the final inspection?

And what happens when a homeowner calls six months or two years later with a concern?

Because a roofing company is much more than a Google rating and a salesperson.

Who Is The Roofing Agency For?

Over time, I kept coming back to three homeowners.

"I Have No Idea What I'm Doing."

Maybe this is the first roof you've ever purchased.

You don't know the difference between Class 3 and Class 4 shingles.

You don't know whether you need ridge vent, box vents or turbines.

You don't know what synthetic underlayment is.

You don't know which warranty actually matters.

And you certainly don't know whether the proposal in front of you is complete.

Here's the good news:

You shouldn't have to become a roofing expert just because your house needs a roof.

You need guidance.

That's what we're here for.

"I've Been Burned Before."

This homeowner comes into the process differently.

You've already trusted a contractor once.

Maybe calls stopped being returned.

Maybe the project cost more than promised.

Maybe the workmanship wasn't what you expected.

Maybe a warranty sounded fantastic until the day you actually needed it.

Now someone tells you that you need another major home project, and your first thought is:

"How do I know who I can trust?"

We don't believe the answer should simply be:

"Trust us."

Trust should be supported by something more substantial.

Clear information.

Documentation.

Defined scope.

Comparable proposals.

Vetted contractor options.

Warranty information.

Installation practices.

And the ability to understand why you're making the decision you're making.

You shouldn't have to rely only on your gut.

"I Simply Don't Have Time for This."

You have work.

Kids.

School.

Practice.

Dinner.

Travel.

Family.

A life.

Then someone tells you:

"You should probably get four or five roofing estimates."

Great.

Now you need to schedule multiple appointments.

Sit through multiple sales presentations.

Read several contracts.

Research roofing products.

Check contractor reviews.

Compare warranties.

Understand financing.

And somehow figure out why one company wants $6,000 more than another.

It's not that you aren't capable of doing it.

You just don't have the bandwidth.

We believe there should be an easier way.

Listen First. Educate Second. Recommend Third.

That philosophy has been at the center of The Roofing Agency from the beginning.

We don't want the first question to be:

"How do we sell this homeowner a roof?"

We want it to be:

"What does this homeowner actually need?"

Sometimes the answer may be a full roof replacement.

Sometimes it may be a repair.

Sometimes a homeowner preparing a property for sale may have completely different priorities than someone building their forever home.

There isn't one roofing system that is right for everybody.

There is a roofing system that makes sense for your home, your goals and your budget.

Our job is to help you understand what that looks like.

A Better Way to Make a Roofing Decision

The Roofing Agency was created because I believe homeowners deserve a better way to navigate roofing.

Not more sales pressure.

Not more noise.

Not five people sitting at your kitchen table telling you why they're the best roofing company in town.

Clarity.

Someone who will listen first.

Someone who can explain what you're looking at.

Someone who can help organize the project.

Someone who can bring vetted contractors to the table.

Someone who can help you understand why the proposals are different.

Someone who can help you ask the right questions before you sign a contract.

And ultimately, someone who understands that the decision is still yours.

Because our goal isn't simply to help you buy a roof.

Our goal is to help you make a confident roofing decision.

That's why The Roofing Agency exists.

And that's what we're here to do.

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Think You May Need a Roof but Aren't Sure Where to Start?

You don't have to figure it out alone.

Talk with The Roofing Agency about your home, your concerns and what you're trying to accomplish.

We'll help you understand the project, design a roofing system around your goals and budget, bring vetted roofing contractors to the table, and help you make sense of your options.

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About the Author

Matt Ellis is the founder of The Roofing Agency. With more than 10 years of roofing-industry experience and involvement in more than 1,000 roofing projects, Matt created The Roofing Agency to give homeowners an experienced resource on their side of the roofing decision.

His background as a teacher and coach influences The Roofing Agency's education-first approach: listen, explain, organize and help homeowners make confident decisions.

The Roofing Agency — Helping Homeowners Make Confident Roofing Decisions.