Roofing lead intake: 12 questions for the first call

Why roofing intake is different

A roofing lead can be a ceiling stain after last night's storm, a 25-year-old roof the homeowner wants replaced before selling, or a hail claim the insurer has already opened. Each needs a different person, a different appointment length and a different conversation. A good intake call sorts the lead in under five minutes and sets an inspection your estimator can win.

Storm work makes this harder. Insurance data show wind and hail caused the largest share of homeowners claims from 2018 to 2022, at 2.8% of insured homes, followed by water damage and freezing at 1.6%^[1]. After a big hail day, your phones fill with all three kinds of call at once, and the intake questions are what keep the schedule sane.

The three lanes

The 12 questions

1. 01

   1. Is water coming into the house right now?

   If yes, this is a leak call. Ask where it is coming in and whether it is near light fixtures or outlets; if so, tell them to keep clear of that area and switch off that circuit only if they can do it safely. Offer the fastest repair or tarp visit you have.

2. 02

   2. What is the property address and ZIP code?

   Confirm your service area and check for previous visits or a warranty on file.

3. 03

   3. What made you call today?

   Leak, storm damage, roof age, a home sale or inspection report, an insurance letter, or a neighbor's new roof. The answer decides the lane.

4. 04

   4. Was there a recent storm? Which day?

   Note the date. Insurers and homeowners both care about when damage occurred, and the date helps your estimator check storm reports.

5. 05

   5. Have you filed, or do you plan to file, an insurance claim?

   If filed, get the insurer, claim number and adjuster appointment date. Offer to have your estimator inspect before or at the adjuster visit if your company does that.

6. 06

   6. Roughly how old is the roof, and has it been repaired or replaced before?

   An approximate year is fine. Prior repairs and a roof-over (a second layer) change the scope and the price.

7. 07

   7. What is the roof made of?

   Asphalt shingle, metal, tile, flat or low-slope, wood shake or slate. Some crews do not do every material; route accordingly.

8. 08

   8. How many stories, and is the roof steep?

   Height and pitch change safety equipment, crew size and the time the inspection takes.

9. 09

   9. Is the home in an HOA or historic district?

   Color, material and permit approvals can add weeks. Ask for the HOA's name so the estimator can check rules.

10. 10

    10. Who makes the decision, and can they be there?

    Replacement estimates go better when all owners hear the same options. Book a time that suits everyone.

11. 11

    11. Can you send photos from the ground or from inside?

    Interior stains, the attic if it is easy to reach, and the roof from the yard or street. Make it clear: please do not climb onto the roof.

12. 12

    12. Anything we should know about access?

    Gate codes, dogs, parking for a truck and ladder, skylights, solar panels or satellite dishes on the roof.

Setting the inspection appointment

1. Offer two specific times. For replacements, include an evening or Saturday option so decision makers can attend.
2. Say how long it will take: a repair look may take 30 minutes; a full replacement inspection with measurements and photos takes longer.
3. Explain what they will get: photos of what the estimator found, written options and, for replacements, material choices.
4. Confirm any inspection or trip fee and whether it is credited to the work.
5. Send a confirmation with the estimator's name and how they will contact the homeowner on arrival.

For insurance leads, be careful with promises. Do not tell homeowners their insurer will pay, and do not offer to negotiate the claim on their behalf; several states restrict contractors from acting as public adjusters, so check your state's rules and keep the call focused on the inspection.

Storm surges and seasonality

Hail is a steady source of roofing work. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center reported 5,432 hail events in 2025, up from 5,373 in 2024, with Texas and Kansas recording the most^[3]. In coastal states, hurricane season adds another surge window from June 1 to November 30^[4].

Surges create two problems on the phone. First, volume: a single storm can bring a month of calls in a week. Second, triage: active leaks need to jump ahead of replacement estimates, even if the replacement lead looks more profitable. Keep question 1 first even when the call starts with “I need a quote.”

• Prepare a storm-day script variant with a shorter question set and a callback promise for estimates.
• Keep a list of tarp and temporary-repair slots separate from inspection slots.
• Log storm date and ZIP for every call so estimators can route by neighborhood.

Safety on the first call

Homeowners want to help, and some will offer to go up and take pictures. Say no, clearly. OSHA notes that falls are the leading cause of death in construction: 389 of 1,034 construction fatalities in 2024 were falls to a lower level^[2]. If trained roofers fall, homeowners on a wet roof with a phone in one hand are at greater risk. Ground and interior photos are enough to set the appointment.

Example: one storm-day lead

Example: the morning after a fictional hailstorm, a caller says her neighbor's insurer approved a new roof and she wants an inspection. Question 1 reveals a small stain on the upstairs ceiling, so the CSR books a same-day leak check first and a full inspection for Saturday, when both owners are home. She has not filed a claim. The roof is about 14 years old, asphalt shingle, two stories, no HOA. She sends three photos from the yard. The estimator arrives with the storm date, the stain location and the roof details already in the job.

Turning answers into a better estimate visit

The intake answers are only useful if the estimator sees them before arriving. Put them in the job record in a fixed order, with the lane and the reason for the call at the top. A few habits make the difference between a visit that closes and one that starts from scratch.

• Flag roof-overs and prior repairs so the estimator brings the right tools to check layers and decking.
• Attach the homeowner's photos and the storm date, and note whether the adjuster visit has been scheduled.
• Record who will be present, so the estimator presents options once to every decision maker.
• Note anything the caller is worried about, such as cost, timing before a sale, or noise for a baby. Estimators who address the worry first build trust faster.

Review a handful of lost estimates each month against their intake notes. If many lost jobs share a missing detail, add that question to the call.

Who should answer roofing calls

Roofing companies are small and seasonal. In 2023, 65.3% of US roofing contractor establishments had fewer than five employees^[5], and in many of them the owner is also the estimator. When the owner is on a roof, the phone goes to voicemail, and a storm-day caller simply moves on to the next company.

Write the 12 questions into whatever answers your phone when you cannot: an office manager, an answering service or an AI employee. Make sure the backup can book a real inspection rather than only taking a message. If you also handle other trades or want to compare approaches, see the electrical call script and the pest control inbound script.