There was a time when tape measures and cameras were the standard tools for roof measurement. But like all industries, contracting has digitized, with more imprecise, variable methods being supplanted by new technology. As such, for many years now, aerial measurements have been widely adopted by roofing contractors for quick and easy estimations.
These newer technologies can provide comprehensive and affordable roof measurement reports to save roofers time and money. High-quality, current aerial imagery helps contractors quickly and easily estimate roofing jobs with ease, reducing the need to be on-site — or partake in the risky business of scaling a roof. The aerial solutions at CoreLogic were created with this in mind, combining the latest technology and property intelligence.
But choosing the right measurement can make the difference between profit and loss — as well as win opportunities to help families restore their homes. When choosing an aerial measurement service, here is where you’ll want to focus:
Consistency with Material Estimation
Construction is a thin margin profession. Roofers that win jobs are mindful of waste, keeping costs low while still making a profit. Material cost estimation is often where roofers lose money on the job. This is why consistency with material estimation is so important. An accurate estimate is a profitable estimate.
At CoreLogic, we monitor the costs of hundreds upon thousands of construction materials to ensure that the estimations always up-to-date with the latest trends. Roofing professionals must ensure their aerial measurement reports provide consistent results and estimate the right amount of material required.
Fast Fulfillment Rates and Comprehensive Coverage
It is important to select a service with maximum coverage of homes that can deliver aerial measurements quickly. Ideally, the service allows for the customer to choose between fast delivery and longer delivery, offering for a variety of pricing options tailored to the time-sensitivity of the project.
Accessible Customer Service Team
Many aerial measurement providers take a low touch, self-service approach. This often can mean there’s no one the customer can speak with directly to ask questions. With all the complexity that comes with the roofing business and aerial measurement, it is important for roofers to be able to speak to a human and have their questions answered, as soon as possible.
Flat-fee pricing
Fixed fee aerial measurement reports mean roofers can anticipate costs without any surprises. Roofing is often speculative because roofers need to first prospect an opportunity, use an aerial measurement tool to find the area, subsequently build a material list to generate an estimate and then win the job. If the pricing for aerial reports is variable, it is significantly more difficult to forecast costs, and this creates more uncertainty when prospecting. Flat-free pricing keeps the process simple, helping roofers budget and plan in advance.
Scalability for weather-event spikes in demand
When severe weather events happen, there is often a surge in requests for roof reports. If there is a significant storm in Dallas, and 12,000 roofers across the U.S. need to order roof reports, aerial measurement software needs to be able to handle the higher volume of requests.
In Conclusion
When it comes to selecting an aerial measurement solution, roofers need to make sure their solution has an accessible customer service team, flat-free pricing, consistent material estimates, fast fulfillment rates, comprehensive coverage, and scalability during surge times. With these factors in hand, roofing professionals can achieve the operational efficiency needed to identify, scope and win opportunities.
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