As roofing contractors, one of the most important and laborious aspects of the job comes from accurate measurements on all aspects of a roof before a project begins.

By AccuLynx.

Knowing the area of a roof is just the beginning. Sales Reps or inspectors oftentimes need to provide detailed reports on everything from the pitched and flat areas, ridge, hip, valley lengths and make notes on chimneys or other structures before they can even produce an estimate for a potential customer.

Creating an accurate diagram and takeoff takes both time and skill. Hiring the right people, or taking the time to train rookies to perform these tasks can make all the difference when it comes to your estimates, orders and bottom line numbers.

Technology today has provided roofers with several options when it comes to alternate roofing measurement techniques, including drones and roofing measurement software. As a smaller business, you might not see the value in paying additional fees every month for these measurements, when you already pay qualified sales reps to do the job for you. However, you should consider all of the benefits that measurement companies can provide before you write off the cost as too expensive or unnecessary.

One: Increase Efficiency & Estimate Turnaround
When a storm blows through your neighborhood, it’s important to get your best guys into the field as quickly as possible to start providing estimates. A simple roof can take 15-20 minutes to measure, but you always run the risk of inaccurate numbers, handwritten notes, and unprofessional looking documentation when that rep goes to present an estimate to a potential customer.

Ordering a report can take up to 24 hours (though often far less), but what you lose in time between handing over the estimate you can gain in your field sales time between properties, and report presentation appearance. Once a report is finished, they can present a clear, better formatted and consistent proposal that both customers and office staff can read easily.

Additionally, reports can be ordered in advance, so a sales rep can be prepared when he visits a property and talks to a homeowner.

Two: More Accurate Numbers
Roof measurement reports take the guesswork out of complicated measurements. It’s not necessary to eyeball and potentially miscalculate or misjudge – you can walk into a meeting or a home visit with concrete numbers that can then be applied to material orders, and crew schedules, without the need to remeasure.

Reports that come from an independent, verified third-party source eliminates the need to question the motivation of the estimator. Insurance companies know that your employees aren’t trying to inflate the project, and customers can see that you’re not trying to pull one over when you present professional documentation.

Additionally, having that report as part of your official documentation saves time, and can be archived and referenced later, should that customer need more work done in the future.

Three: More Accurate Material Ordering and Crew Scheduling
When you have accurate numbers from the start, you can cut significant waste when it comes to ordering your materials. This creates a money-saving trickle-down effect when you apply accurate supplier ordering to material drop times, crew scheduling and downtime.

Four: Safety
Measurement reports dramatically increase the safety of your estimator or sales reps, eliminating the need for them to climb up on a roof to provide measurements and photos themselves. According to Restoration & Remediation Magazine, “In a situation where a building has been damaged, there are extreme risks involved in climbing a potentially unsafe structure…From a risk management standpoint, the reports help [contractors] be more cognizant of the dangers involved.”

Additionally, “Having the measurements, pitch, and images ahead of time helps us determine the appropriate safety gear to bring to the job.”

Five: CRM Integration
Some reporting software will automatically integrate with your company’s business management platform. Reports that automatically populate estimate fields, and save documentation with specific Job Files saves your sales reps and office staff time when it comes to producing proposals, making payments or even the necessity of having several accounts/logins for all necessary functions.

These reports also provide estimate uniformity so that your paperwork is filed correctly, professionally and that nothing can be lost in the back of a truck or left at the office.

This blog first appeared on AccuLynx’s blog and can be viewed here.

AccuLynx is designed to help contractors see their business more clearly and communicate better — there’s nothing to download or install — you just log in and get to work. Learn more at www.acculynx.com