The Roofer Show

Hosted by Dave Sullivan

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511

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Aug 2026

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If you’re a Roofing Contractor looking to grow your business, make more money, and have more free time this is the podcast for you. Your host Dave Sullivan has been a successful roofing contractor for over 30 years and he shares the good, bad, and the ugly of his experience in contracting. Each week Dave interviews the industry’s top experts to pull out their best business tips and strategies that you can use to take your business to the next level. Get the answers to the questions you have to the day to day problems you face in the “real world of construction” from those that have been there and done it. Whether you have a shop of 1 or 100 there’s something here for you.

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September 4, 202630 min

494: Your Roofing Company Made Money. Can You Trust the Numbers?

An eight-figure roofing company is busy and completing plenty of work, but the profit is not what the owner expects. Dave Sullivan and construction accounting expert Diane Gilson explain how the timing of income and job costs can distort a roofing company’s monthly profit. DESCRIPTION How can an eight-figure roofing company stay busy, complete plenty of work, and still wonder where the money went? The owner’s accountant recommends cash-basis accounting. Other successful roofing contractors are telling him cash basis is completely wrong for a company his size. So who is right? Possibly both of them. The accounting method used to prepare a company’s tax return may not provide the information an owner needs to manage the business. In this episode, Dave revisits an important conversation with construction accounting expert Diane Gilson. They explain why a roofing company can appear highly profitable one month and lose money the next, even when its pricing and production have not substantially changed. Diane calls this the gross profit roller coaster. ROOFING BUSINESS HEALTH CHECK Are you busy but still wondering where the money is going? The Roofing Business Health Check examines your financials, sales and marketing, operations, leadership, and systems. Dave identifies the real problems and the three things you should fix first. Learn more and talk with Dave: https://theroofercoach.com/health-check/ IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN: The difference between cash and accrual accounting Why tax accounting and management accounting serve different purposes How the timing of customer payments and job costs distorts gross profit Why accrual accounting alone may not completely solve the problem How percentage-of-completion adjustments match income with job costs Why accurate estimates and job costing are essential What roofing owners should ask their accountants How to determine whether your financial statements are telling the truth This is not an accounting class. You do not need to become a bookkeeper or CPA. But as the owner, you need to understand enough to know whether your roofing company is actually making money. ABOUT DIANE GILSON Diane Gilson specializes in construction accounting, job costing, management reporting, and helping contractors understand their numbers. https://buildyournumbers.com/ TRUSTED AND VETTED SPONSORS SMA SUPPORT Get roofing-trained support for lead intake, follow-up, appointment setting, CRM management, rehash, reviews, and administrative work. https://theroofercoach.com/smasupport PROLINE Manage leads, automate follow-up, schedule appointments, send proposals, and see what is happening throughout your sales pipeline. https://theroofercoach.com/proline Use promo code DAVE50. CONNECT WITH DAVE The Roofer Coach: https://theroofercoach.com/ The Roofer Show helps roofing contractors build more profitable businesses, develop dependable systems, understand their numbers, and reclaim their time.

August 30, 202619 min

493: Stop Guessing What’s Wrong With Your Roofing Business

A $4 million roofing contractor is busy and short on cash. He thinks he needs more leads. But once we examine the whole business, the real problems are somewhere else. A roofing contractor calls me and says: Dave, we’re doing $4 million a year. We’re busy, but there’s never enough cash. I think we need more leads. Maybe he does. But what if leads aren’t the problem? What if spending more money on marketing actually makes things worse? In this episode, I walk through a fictional $4 million roofing company using the same whole-business approach behind my new Roofing Business Health Check. We examine all three legs of a healthy roofing business: • Sell Work • Do Work • Keep Score The owner thinks he needs more leads, but we find missed calls, estimates nobody followed up on and old opportunities sitting untouched in the CRM. Then we look at production. Sales promises aren’t making it into the job package, change orders aren’t always collected and completed jobs aren’t being properly job-costed. Finally, we examine the numbers. Gross profit is slipping, overhead is growing and the owner is running a $4 million company without a clear financial scorecard. More leads won’t fix those problems. They could make them worse. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why revenue doesn’t tell you whether your business is healthy How poor follow-up wastes leads you already paid for Why more sales can make a weak production system worse How a seven-point gross profit drop can cost a $4 million company $280,000 Why leadership, ownership and accountability matter How to use the Two-Week Vacation test The three priorities I would give this contractor Why you need to diagnose the real problem before deciding on the solution ROOFING BUSINESS HEALTH CHECK The Roofing Business Health Check is a whole-business examination with me, Dave Sullivan. We’ll look at: Financial Health Sales and Marketing Operations Leadership Systems We’ll spend up to two hours looking at the business. I’ll identify the three things I believe should be addressed first. Within two business days, the contractor will receive a personalized Roofing Business Health Record and written 90-Day Action Plan. Financial statements are strongly recommended, but they are not required. The cost is $495. This isn’t a big program, a long-term commitment or a promise to 10X the business. It’s about finding the real problems, getting the basics right and building a strong foundation to grow on. Go to TheRooferCoach.com , click on Roofing Business Health Check and book a quick 15-minute call with me. There is no obligation. We’ll discuss what is happening in the business, answer any questions and decide whether the Health Check makes sense. LINKS Roofing Business Health Check: https://theroofercoach.com/health-check/ ProLine CRM: https://theroofercoach.com/proline SMA Support: https://theroofercoach.com/smasupport Linked Episodes #489: Is Your Roofing Business Healthy? #490: Why Your Roofing Company Has Plenty of Work But No Money #491: Sell Work with John DeLaurier of ProLine #492: Do Work with Chris Diroll of SMA Support

August 21, 202647 min

492: Why More Roofing Leads Won’t Fix a Broken Sales Process with Chris Diroll

Chris Diroll of SMA Support explains why roofing contractors may not need more leads—they may need better follow-up, clearer processes and someone responsible for consistent implementation. Show Notes: Most roofing contractors believe more leads will solve their sales problems. But what if the real problem is that the leads they already paid for are slipping through the cracks? In this third installment of the Roofing Business Health Check series, Dave Sullivan is joined by Chris Diroll of SMA Support to discuss the missing implementation piece behind a healthy roofing business. Financial statements and CRM dashboards give you the lab work, but they only provide a snapshot. Before you can make an accurate diagnosis and decide what to fix, someone must keep the information accurate, maintain the CRM and make sure the processes are followed consistently. Chris shares how he once believed he needed more leads. Instead, he followed up with approximately 200 open estimates in only 22 minutes—and had two or three signed the following morning. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why more leads may be the wrong prescription Where opportunities leak out of the sales process Why your CRM needs one clearly responsible owner The difference between hiring a VA and installing a managed process Why recruiting, role fit, training and accountability matter How missed calls and inconsistent follow-up waste marketing dollars Why accurate information must be maintained consistently How back-office support can free the owner for higher-value work Why job costing and accurate bookkeeping complete the Health Check The goal is not simply to add more software, employees or leads. It is to diagnose the real constraint, assign ownership and consistently implement the right process. RESOURCES Roofing Business Health Check: https://theroofercoach.com/health-check/ Learn more about SMA Support: https://theroofercoach.com/smasupport Learn more about ProLine: https://theroofercoach.com/proline Episode 490 — Financial Health: https://theroofercoach.com/490 Episode 491 — Sales Health with John DeLaurier: https://theroofercoach.com/491 Schedule a call with Dave: https://davesullivan.as.me/consulting-call Keep an eye out for the upcoming live Roofing Business Health Check webinar with Dave Sullivan, Chris Diroll and John DeLaurier.

August 16, 20261 hr 0 min

491: Your Roofing Closing Rate Is Wrong with John DeLaurier | Roofing Business Health Check

Most roofing contractors believe they know their closing rate. The problem is that they are usually calculating it incorrectly—or relying on gut feeling instead of accurate numbers. In this episode, Dave is joined by former Roofer Show co-host John DeLaurier from ProLine to examine the sales leg of the Roofing Business Health Check. They explain why “we need more leads” is often the wrong diagnosis, what a CRM should actually do for a roofing contractor and which numbers belong on a useful sales dashboard. You’ll learn: Why most contractors don’t know their true closing rate The difference between an inquiry, qualified lead and presented proposal Why open quotes make closing rates misleading How missed calls and slow follow-up waste marketing dollars Why every opportunity needs a clearly documented next step What a properly configured CRM should automate Which sales numbers should appear on the owner’s dashboard Why a low closing rate may indicate bad leads, poor follow-up, weak sales skills or incorrect pricing Why an unusually high closing rate can also signal a problem How average job size, sales cycle and conversion rates help forecast future revenue Why accurate sales numbers are essential to the Roofing Business Health Check The takeaway is simple: You cannot accurately diagnose a sales or marketing problem until you can trust the numbers in your CRM. LINKS AND RESOURCES: Roofing Business Health Check: https://theroofercoach.com/health-check Learn more about ProLine and use code DAVE50: https://theroofercoach.com/proline Learn more about SMA Support: https://theroofercoach.com/smasupport Schedule a strategy call with Dave: https://davesullivan.as.me/consulting-call About The Roofer Show The Roofer Show Podcast helps roofing contractors grow their businesses, make more money, and have more free time. Hosted by Dave Sullivan, The Roofer Coach, the show shares practical advice on roofing sales, marketing, operations, leadership, and financial management.

August 10, 202623 min

490: Why Your Roofing Company Has Plenty of Work—but No Money

How can a roofing company have plenty of work—and still have no money? The phones are ringing, salespeople are selling, crews are busy, and revenue may even be growing. But the owner is putting money into the company, credit-card balances are increasing, and every dollar that comes in seems to disappear. Most contractors assume the answer is more sales. But more sales don’t solve bad math—they multiply it. In this episode, Dave explains why financial health must be the first part of a Roofing Business Health Check and why the financial statements many contractors rely on may be incomplete, outdated, or set up incorrectly. SHOW NOTES In this episode, you’ll learn: Why revenue, money in the bank, and being busy do not prove that a roofing company is profitable The five financial vital signs every roofing contractor should understand Why QuickBooks must be set up specifically for a construction business The difference between the bookkeeper’s job, the CPA’s job, and the owner’s responsibility How to recognize the gross-profit roller coaster Why bad financial information leads to bad estimates and pricing Why selling more work can make a cash problem worse How the Roofing Business Health Check identifies the real problem before prescribing a solution You don’t need to become an accountant. But you do need to understand the scoreboard well enough to know whether your company is winning or losing. Before making decisions about hiring, pricing, marketing, borrowing, or growth, ask two questions: What do the numbers say? And are they telling the truth? RESOURCES Roofing Business Health Check: https://theroofercoach.com/health-check/ Episode 489 — Is Your Roofing Business Healthy? https://theroofercoach.com/489 SPONSORS ProLine CRM helps roofing contractors follow up consistently, manage their sales process, and prevent leads from falling through the cracks. Learn more: https://theroofercoach.com/proline Use code DAVE50. SMA Support provides trained virtual assistants and support teams who can help answer phones, follow up with leads, rehash old opportunities, request reviews, manage the CRM, and keep routine work from falling back onto the owner. Learn more: https://theroofercoach.com/smasupport CONNECT WITH DAVE Learn more about The Roofer Coach: https://theroofercoach.com/ Subscribe to The Roofer Show wherever you listen to podcasts. If the show has helped you build a more profitable roofing business, please leave a review. About The Roofer Show The Roofer Show Podcast helps roofing contractors grow their businesses, make more money, and have more free time. Hosted by Dave Sullivan, The Roofer Coach, the show shares practical advice on roofing sales, marketing, operations, leadership, and financial management.

August 1, 202610 min

Podcast 489: Is Your Roofing Business Healthy? The Silent Problems That Hurt Profits Before You Even Know They’re There

Every healthy roofing business is built on a strong foundation. In this episode, Dave shares why the smartest contractors inspect their business just as carefully as they inspect every roof. EPISODE DESCRIPTION Is your roofing business healthy? Most roofing contractors know exactly what's happening on every roof they're working on—but very few know the true health of the business they're building. The biggest business problems usually don't happen overnight. Just like high blood pressure, they often develop quietly over time until they become expensive and difficult to fix. In this solo episode, Dave Sullivan introduces a different way of looking at your business. Instead of chasing the latest marketing tactic or trying to "10X" your company, Dave explains why building a healthy business starts with understanding your financials, your systems, and your foundation. In this episode you'll learn: Why most contractors treat symptoms instead of the real problem The "Three-Legged Stool" framework: Sell Work • Do Work • Keep Score Why revenue alone doesn't tell you if your business is healthy The silent warning signs every roofing contractor should recognize Why diagnosis should always come before advice Whether you're doing $500,000 or $10 million in annual sales, this episode will help you step back, evaluate your business differently, and focus on what really matters. Resources Mentioned The Roofing Business Health Check™ A personalized one-on-one evaluation of your roofing business designed to help you identify strengths, uncover hidden profit leaks, and build a healthier, more profitable company. Learn more or schedule a consultation: https://theroofercoach.com/health-check/ Sponsors SMA Support Need help answering phones, following up with leads, scheduling appointments, or handling administrative work? SMA Support provides trained virtual team members who specialize in the roofing industry, helping contractors free up their time and focus on growing their business. Learn more at: https://theroofercoach.com/sma ProLine If you're serious about knowing the health of your business, you need accurate information. ProLine helps roofing contractors manage sales, production, job costing, and financial reporting—all in one place—so you can make better business decisions with confidence. Learn more at: https://theroofercoach.com/proline Use promo code: DAVE50 Connect with Dave 🌐 Website https://TheRooferCoach.com 🎙 Podcast The Roofer Show 📅 Schedule a Strategy Call https://davesullivan.as.me/free-strategy-call About The Roofer Show The Roofer Show Podcast helps roofing contractors grow their businesses, make more money, and have more free time. Hosted by Dave Sullivan, The Roofer Coach, the show shares practical advice on roofing sales, marketing, operations, leadership, and financial management.

July 27, 202625 min

Podcast 488: More Roofing Leads Won’t Fix a Broken Sales System—with Ryan Groth

Most roofing contractors don’t have a lead problem—they have a sales-system problem. In this episode, Dave Sullivan sits down with sales expert Ryan Groth to explain how roofing contractors can build a sales organization that converts leads consistently, even when the owner isn’t personally involved in every sale. EPISODE DESCRIPTION Hiring salespeople doesn’t automatically fix your sales problems. Without a defined process, training, accountability, and consistent follow-up, adding salespeople can create even more chaos. Dave Sullivan and Ryan Groth break down what roofing contractors need to build a predictable sales organization. They discuss speed-to-lead, booking rates, consultative selling, sales meetings, coaching, and the key performance indicators every contractor should track. Ryan explains why many salespeople rely on “quote and hope” instead of following a repeatable process. Dave shares how he managed his own sales organization, used reports to stay informed while away from the business, and held his team accountable without becoming involved in every sale. The message is simple: before you spend more money generating leads, make sure you have a system that converts the leads you already have. This conversation was originally published in October 2025. We’re bringing it back because contractors are paying more than ever for leads, making sales conversion and follow-up even more important today. YOU’LL LEARN Why more leads won’t fix a broken sales process How speed-to-lead affects your booking rate Why salespeople need a defined, repeatable process The difference between consultative selling and “quote and hope” How to set realistic individual and team sales goals Which sales KPIs every roofing contractor should track How to structure an effective weekly sales meeting Why ongoing coaching and role-playing matter When the owner should manage sales—and when to delegate it How better follow-up increases sales without lowering your price RESOURCES Ready to Find Out Where Your Business Is Losing Money? Schedule a free Roofing Business Review with Dave Sullivan. We’ll look at where your company is today, where you want it to go, and the problems that may be holding it back. Book your free Roofing Business Review: https://davesullivan.as.me/free-strategy-call LINKS The Roofer Coach: https://theroofercoach.com Sales Transformation Group: https://salestransformationgroup.com TRUSTED & VETTED SPONSORS ProLine CRM Automate your follow-up, improve speed-to-lead, and close more of the opportunities you already have. Save 50% off your first month with promo code DAVE50. https://theroofercoach.com/proline SMA Support Get roofing-trained support for lead intake, follow-up, scheduling, estimating assistance, customer communication, and the administrative work that keeps your business moving. https://theroofercoach.com/sma GUEST Ryan Groth Sales Transformation Group https://salestransformationgroup.com HOST Dave Sullivan The Roofer Coach Dave helps roofing contractors grow more profitable businesses, build dependable systems, understand their numbers, and reclaim their time. https://theroofercoach.com About The Roofer Show The Roofer Show Podcast helps roofing contractors grow their businesses, make more money, and have more free time. Hosted by Dave Sullivan, The Roofer Coach, the show shares practical advice on roofing sales, marketing, operations, leadership, and financial management.

July 17, 202618 min

487: Before You Try to Grow Your Roofing Company, Answer This One Question

How to build the right roofing business instead of chasing someone else's roadmap. Episode Description Every roofing owner wants to grow. But before you spend another dollar on marketing, hire another salesperson, or invest in a new CRM, there's one question you need to answer. What are you really trying to build? In this solo episode, Dave Sullivan shares the exact process he uses before working with a new coaching client. Instead of jumping straight to marketing or sales, he starts by understanding the owner's goals, diagnosing the business, and identifying the real constraint that's holding the company back. You'll learn why the problem you think you have is often just a symptom—and how defining the right destination leads to better decisions, better systems, and more profitable growth. In This Episode: Why the problem you call about is rarely the real problem Why every roofing business needs a different roadmap The first things Dave reviews before meeting a new client How your website and Google reviews reveal hidden opportunities Why "Sell Work • Do Work • Keep Score" is the foundation of every roofing business The numbers every owner should understand How to identify the biggest constraint in your business Why profit and freedom often matter more than growth Free Resource Download Dave's FREE One-Page Business Plan. Before you worry about more leads, get clear on your destination, your ideal customer, and the business you're trying to build. 👉 https://theroofercoach.com/1-page-plan/ Sponsors SMA Support Need help building systems without adding more to your plate? SMA Support provides trained virtual team members for roofing contractors, including inside sales, customer service, production support, bookkeeping, and administrative assistance. Learn more. ProLine Once you know where you're going, you need the systems to get there. ProLine helps roofing contractors manage leads, estimates, follow-up, customer communication, production, and reporting—all in one place. Check out ProLine. Connect with Dave 🌐 https://theroofercoach.com 📅 Schedule a Roofing Business Review https://davesullivan.as.me/consulting-call About The Roofer Show The Roofer Show Podcast helps roofing contractors grow their businesses, make more money, and have more free time. Hosted by Dave Sullivan, The Roofer Coach, the show shares practical advice on roofing sales, marketing, operations, leadership, and financial management.

July 10, 20261 hr 4 min

486: Can Your Roofing Website Pass the 5-Second Test?

How to turn more website visitors into qualified roofing appointments with Cody Warren. Episode Summary: Most roofing contractors think they have a lead problem. In reality, many have a website conversion problem. If you’re spending money on Google Ads, SEO, referrals, or social media but your website isn’t turning visitors into appointments, you’re leaving money on the table. In this episode, Dave Sullivan sits down with Cody Warren, President of Hook Agency, to discuss what actually makes a roofing website convert. They cover the simple improvements every roofing contractor should make before spending more money on marketing. In this episode you’ll learn: The 5-second test every roofing website should pass The biggest homepage mistakes roofing contractors make Why your About page is one of your most important pages How to build trust with homeowners before you ever meet them Why your website should speak to your ideal customer—not everyone Why local city pages matter for SEO The importance of financing, mobile design, and clear calls to action Why SEO is a long-term investment, not a quick fix Free Download Download Dave’s FREE One-Page Roofing Business Plan Define your ideal customer, your unique selling proposition, and the message your website should communicate before you spend money on marketing. 👉 https://theroofercoach.com/1-page-plan/ Resources Mentioned Hook Agency Roof Quote Pro ProLine CRM SMA Support Connect with Dave 🌐 https://theroofercoach.com 📅 Schedule a Free Roofing Business Review https://davesullivan.as.me/free-strategy-call About The Roofer Show The Roofer Show Podcast helps roofing contractors grow their businesses, make more money, and have more free time. Hosted by Dave Sullivan, The Roofer Coach, the show shares practical advice on roofing sales, marketing, operations, leadership, and financial management.

July 3, 20265 min

Bonus Episode: The Real Test of Your Roofing Business

Can you leave your roofing business for two weeks and know everything will be okay? I'm recording this bonus episode while on vacation in Europe, and it reminded me of one of the biggest lessons I learned building my roofing company. The real measure of success isn't revenue. It's building a business that gives you choices. I share why taking my family to Europe every summer became one of my biggest goals, how that vision shaped the way I built my company, and why I decided to replay my conversation with my longtime business coach, Rick Dutmer. If you haven't listened to that episode yet, I hope you will. The lessons on profitability, systems, leadership, and building a business that doesn't depend on you are more relevant today than ever. SHOW NOTES For years, one of my biggest goals wasn't becoming the biggest roofing contractor. It was building a business that would allow me to spend time with my family and travel without worrying about what was happening back at the office. In this short bonus episode, recorded from Italy, I talk about why that goal changed the way I ran my business—and why it's exactly what my recent conversation with Rick Dutmer was all about. In this episode: Why freedom starts with systems—not luck. The real reason most owners can't take time away. Why profitability creates options. How building the right team changes everything. Why every contractor should ask, "Could I leave for two weeks?" If you haven't listened to Episode 485 with Rick Dutmer, go back and give it a listen. I think it's one of the most important conversations I've ever shared. 🎧 Episode 485: Replay | The Business Plan That Took My Roofing Company from Chaos to Cash-Out Resources 📥 Download my FREE One Page Business Plan: https://theroofercoach.com/resources 📅 Book a free Roofing Business Strategy Call: https://theroofercoach.com Thanks to Our Sponsors SMA Support Missed calls, poor follow-up, and stale estimates are costing roofing contractors thousands every month. SMA Support provides trained virtual assistants, inside sales support, lead follow-up, CRM management, and administrative support built specifically for roofing companies. Learn more: https://theroofercoach.com/sma ProLine ProLine helps roofing contractors streamline operations, automate follow-up, improve communication, and gain visibility into every stage of the customer journey. From lead management to production and reporting, ProLine helps contractors create the systems needed to scale. Learn more: https://theroofercoach.com/proline About The Roofer Show The Roofer Show Podcast helps roofing contractors grow their businesses, make more money, and have more free time. Hosted by Dave Sullivan, The Roofer Coach, the show shares practical advice on roofing sales, marketing, operations, leadership, and financial management.