Gary A. Cohen, Executive Vice President, Certified Contractors Network (CCN)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has long been the buzz of tech circles but it’s no longer reserved for Silicon Valley. Today, it has found a home in the roofing industry and here at Certified Contractors Network (CCN), we have embraced AI with open arms. From automating inspections and optimizing scheduling to boosting marketing performance and predicting customer needs, AI is giving roofing contractors an edge in a rapidly changing market.
This is excellent news, as the roofing industry is more competitive than ever. We are experiencing rising material costs, labor shortages and shifting customer expectations. This puts pressure on roofing contractors to work smarter and more efficiently. Roofing companies that have adopted AI in their business are seeing improvements in their sales performance, operating efficiencies and in customer satisfaction. Frankly, if you are not utilizing AI in your business today, you are at risk of falling behind.
At Certified Contractors Network, we are putting a strong emphasis on leveraging AI in what we call, the 6 Pillars of Success for Roofing Contractors – Marketing, Sales, Sales Management, Production, Business Operations and Managing by the Numbers (data-driven decision making). We have built strong partnerships with top companies leveraging AI in every area of a roofing business, enabling roofing contractors to seamlessly integrate AI into every area of their businesses. Let’s break down how roofing companies across the country are successfully using AI today and how you can too.
AI is revolutionizing how roofers find and convert leads. Traditional marketing efforts – direct mail, canvassing or relying on storms are fine but they can be unpredictable. Many AI-powered marketing platforms now utilize predictive algorithms to identify homeowners who will most likely need roofing repair or replacement. This is based on data that includes a home’s age, weather history in that geographic area and more.
This is a great tool for tweaking your advertising campaigns across your chosen digital and social media platforms to maximize your return on ad spend and your cost per lead. AI can do this for you in real time, optimizing marketing efficiency.
Some systems even use machine learning to write ad copy or landing pages that outperform what humans might create, freeing up contractors to focus on closing deals instead of guessing what message will resonate.
Bottom line: Contractors using AI marketing tools are reducing cost per lead, increasing conversion rates and gaining a competitive edge in crowded markets.
Sales is still a people business but even the best roofing sales reps can benefit from AI-enhanced tools that make estimating faster and more accurate. Modern
roofing CRMs now integrate AI to help with:
■ Predicting close rates for each lead.
■ Recommending ideal pricing based on past jobs, materials and market trends.
■ Surfacing upsell opportunities that will increase average job size.
■ Analyzing sales rep performance and suggesting coaching opportunities.
AI doesn’t just make estimates faster, it makes them smarter. That means fewer surprises during production, fewer change orders and more jobs sold at or above target margins.
Bonus tip: AI-powered proposal software can also automatically generate polished digital presentations, helping sales reps close deals faster and look more professional in front of the homeowner.
In many roofing businesses, job scheduling and production planning are still managed through spreadsheets or whiteboards. But with labor shortages and tight project timelines, inefficient scheduling can cost contractors thousands each month. AI-powered project management tools now help companies:
■ Schedule jobs based on crew availability, location proximity and real-time weather forecasts.
■ Predict supply delays and suggest backup vendors.
■ Optimize routing to reduce fuel costs and time between jobs.
Some software platforms have added features that will automatically adjust schedules if the weather changes or if delivery issues arise. This will maximize the productivity of your crews, meaning you should see better crew utilization, fewer delays and happier customers.
AI also enhances how roofing companies interact with their customers. There are numerous virtual assistants and chatbots available that can handle incoming
inquiries, qualify leads, schedule appointments and even answer FAQs. In 2025, homeowners expect fast, digital-first communication and AI will deliver that without overwhelming your team.
There are AI tools that will analyze customer feedback, detect issues in call transcripts and alert managers to potential issues before they escalate further. This enables a proactive approach to follow-up and service recovery. This is a game changer for your reputation management.
Result: Creating a smoother, more satisfying customer journey and this leads to more five-star reviews and referrals.
One of the latest applications of AI in roofing is predictive service planning. AI can analyze data on a roof’s age, the roofing materials that were used, any prior
roofing repair data and historical local weather information to forecast when a roof is likely to need repair or replacement.
Now you will have the tools to contact your past customers with timely service reminders, inspections or maintenance plans. This will help build loyalty and trust and should increase your repeat and referral business.
Think beyond your installation: AI will help you stay in touch with past clients and extend lifetime customer value.
AI might sound intimidating but you don’t need to hire a data scientist to get started. Many of the industry’s top tools already come with AI baked in. The key is to:
■ Identify your biggest bottlenecks. Is it lead quality? Job costing? Customer response time?
■ Explore tools that solve that problem. Many CRMs, drone platforms and marketing tools now offer built-in AI features.
■ Train your team. Even the best AI system is useless if your team doesn’t know how to use it.
■ Track performance. Monitor ROI, track KPIs and refine as needed.
The goal isn’t to replace people. It’s to empower your people with smarter tools that help them win more often and work more efficiently.
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a luxury; it’s a strategic advantage. Roofing contractors that embrace AI today will be the ones dominating their markets tomorrow. Whether you’re trying to generate more leads, improve estimating, streamline production or deliver a better homeowner experience, AI is ready to help.
As the saying goes, work smarter, not harder. With AI in your toolbox, you can do both and build a more scalable, more profitable and more future-ready roofing company.
Gary A. Cohen is Executive Vice President of Certified Contractors Network (CCN), North America’s leading training, coaching and networking organization for home improvement contractors. With over 30 years of industry experience and a background in business education, Gary specializes in helping contractors
achieve scalable growth through proven systems and processes. He can be reached at gary@contractors.net.
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