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Roofing commission

How roofing companies pay sales reps

Roofing plans fall into four families in the sources we checked, and insurance work and retail work favor different ones. Below, the main plans run on the same roof so you can compare the checks.
See the plansCommission calculator

Pay models

The plans roofers use, run on one roof.

The first four examples share one hypothetical roof: a $25,000 contract with $15,000 in materials and labor. Change the numbers to your own in the commission calculator.
Commission calculator
  1. 01

    Percent of contract

    A fixed percentage of the contract price. JobNimbus found 10% of gross the most common plan; AccuLynx describes 7-12% of contract, or 30-50% of profit.

    Fits
    Retail roofing with a set price list, and owners who want a plan reps understand on day one.
    Watch for
    It pays the same on a job sold too cheap. Add a price floor, and watch total commission. Jessica Stahl's benchmark: Under 12% of gross.
    The example roof at 10% of contractExample
    Contract
    $25,000
    Commission at 10%
    $2,500
    Share of the job
    10%

    The same check whether the job made money or not.

    Round hypothetical numbers to show the mechanics. Not a benchmark.

  2. 02

    Percent of collected

    Commission on what the homeowner or insurer actually paid. Adam Bensman suggests 7-12% of collected, rising with how much of the job the rep handles.

    Fits
    Owners who want reps to stay with the job until the check clears.
    Watch for
    Insurance money arrives in stages. Say which payment triggers commission, or reps will ask every week.
    The example roof, short-paidExample
    Contract
    $25,000
    Credit after a punch-list dispute
    -$1,000
    Collected
    $24,000
    Commission at 9% of collected
    $2,160

    The rep shares the cost of a short pay, so they care about the finish.

    Round hypothetical numbers to show the mechanics. Not a benchmark.

  3. 03

    10/50/50 split

    Ten percent of the job comes off the top for overhead, then the profit after materials and labor is split 50/50 with the rep. On insurance work it averages 10-20% of the job. See the 10/50/50 split.

    Fits
    Insurance and storm work, where supplements and adjuster meetings are part of the rep's job.
    Watch for
    Adam Bensman advises owners against giving away half the profit, and the Hook Agency author says it suits storm work more than retail. Define overhead and job cost in writing.
    The example roof on 10/50/50Example
    Contract
    $25,000
    Overhead, 10% off the top
    $2,500
    Materials and labor
    $15,000
    Profit
    $7,500
    Rep's half
    $3,750
    Share of the job
    15%

    That share is above Jessica Stahl's benchmark for total commission (Under 12% of gross).

    Round hypothetical numbers to show the mechanics. Not a benchmark.

  4. 04

    Percent of profit

    Dallas Werner's alternative pays the rep 40% of profit, figured on margin after overhead. JobNimbus's survey found a percent of profit the main alternative to a percent of gross.

    Fits
    Owners who like profit-based pay but want to keep more than half.
    Watch for
    Werner also suggests capping job profitability so customers aren't overcharged. Write the margin formula into the plan.
    The example roof at 40% of profitExample
    Profit after overhead and job cost
    $7,500
    Rep at 40%
    $3,000
    Share of the job
    12%

    $750 less than the 50/50 split on the same roof, and still paid on profit.

    Round hypothetical numbers to show the mechanics. Not a benchmark.

  5. 05

    Rookie rate with a draw

    New reps start lower. The author of Hook Agency's commission guide suggests 7% for rookies; some owners add a draw for the first months.

    Fits
    New reps, and experienced reps new to your market.
    Watch for
    A draw with no end date turns into a salary nobody agreed to.
    A rookie's first two monthsExample
    Draw against 7% of contract
    $3,000/mo
    Month 1: $30,000 sold, commission
    $2,100
    Shortfall carried forward
    $900
    Month 2: $60,000 sold, commission
    $4,200
    Paid in month 2, after repaying
    $3,300

    Set the date the draw ends before the rep starts.

    Round hypothetical numbers to show the mechanics. Not a benchmark.

Pitfalls

Where roofing pay plans go wrong.

  • 10/50/50 on retail work

    The author of Hook Agency's commission guide says 10/50/50 suits storm work more than retail. If most of your book is retail, start from a percent of contract and add a price floor.

  • Paying before the insurance money lands

    Insurance jobs pay in stages, and supplements can take weeks. Tie commission to collected funds, or say exactly which payment triggers it.

  • Paying more for crossing a legal line

    Florida bans inducements such as gift cards, rebates and deductible waivers under §489.147 (penalty: Up to $10,000 per violation). In Texas a contractor can't act as a public adjuster on its own job (No public adjusting). Make sure no part of the plan rewards either.

  • Overhead nobody defined

    If overhead and job cost aren't written down, every profit-based check turns into an argument. Put the formula and one worked job in the plan.

How to choose

Which plan fits your book of work.

Which roofing commission plan fits which situation
If this is youConsiderWhy
Mostly retail, with a set price listPercent of contract, with a price floorEasy to run, and the floor protects margin.
Mostly insurance and storm work10/50/50 or a percent of profit, paid on collectedPays for the supplement and adjuster work a good storm rep does.
A mixed bookSeparate rates for retail and insurance jobsOne rate rarely fits both kinds of job.
A new repRookie rate plus a draw with an end dateCovers the ramp without a permanent base.

Put your own ticket, close rate and lead count into a plan before you write it into an offer.

Open the calculator

Keep reading

All commission structures

FAQ

Questions owners ask about pay plans.

  • What is the most common roofing sales commission?

    In JobNimbus's survey the most common plan is 10% of gross, with a percent of profit the main alternative. AccuLynx describes ranges of 7-12% of contract, or 30-50% of profit.

  • How does a 10/50/50 split work?

    Ten percent of the job comes off the top for overhead, then the profit after materials and labor is split 50/50 between the company and the rep. On insurance jobs it averages 10-20% of the job of the job, per Adam Bensman.

  • Should roofing commission be paid on the contract or on what's collected?

    Paying on collected means the rep shares the risk of a short pay or a denied supplement, so they stay with the job. Adam Bensman's range is 7-12% of collected. Paying on the contract is simpler but leaves the company carrying that risk.

  • What commission should a rookie roofing rep get?

    7% is the starting rate the author of Hook Agency's commission guide suggests, and Adam Bensman's percent-of-collected range starts near the same level for a rep with fewer responsibilities.

  • How soon should a roofing rep get paid after a sale?

    Sooner than many plans allow. In our experience, commission that only arrives at final collection, sometimes months after signing, is one of the main reasons good reps leave. An illustrative fix, not a client case: split the same total into milestones, half when the first payment or insurance check comes in and half at completion. The rep's cash flow steadies, and every payout is still tied to money you've actually collected.

Worked examples use round hypothetical numbers. Last updated Oct 20, 2026.

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