Role · Roofing sales
A roofing sales rep inspects the roof, measures it, presents the replacement and signs the homeowner, on retail work, insurance-claim work or both.
On retail jobs the homeowner pays, so the rep sells product, warranty and financing. On storm work the insurer pays, so the rep has to know the claim process and the rules around it. Same title, same ladder, different sale.
Also called
Roofing
Owner-made titles
In a 2017 sample of contractors, job titles split 80% / 7% / 3% between Sales Representative, Project Manager and Estimator. Owners described a 'stigma attached to the title', which is why invented titles show up. If your rep prices as much as they sell, see sales estimator.
A day in the job
Morning
Confirms the day's inspections. Some came from the office, some from canvassers, some from past customers and their neighbors.
On the roof
Inspects, photographs and measures. On a claim, documents the damage the way an adjuster will want to see it. On retail, notes age, ventilation and what failed.
At the table
Retail: shingle lines and colors, good/better/best, financing. Insurance: what the policy covers, the deductible, what happens next. Either way, a signed contract or a firm next step.
Afternoon
Meets an adjuster on a claim filed last week. Writes a supplement for items the first estimate missed.
Evening
Updates the CRM, sends photos and measurements to production, and follows up with homeowners still deciding.
Scorecard
KPI
What good looks like
Who checks it
Close-rate history: inspections to signed contracts
Ask for it split by retail and insurance, and how they count an inspection that found no damage.
Verified by Level
Pay history
Commission statements or W-2s, matched to what they say they sold.
Verified by Level
Collected revenue
Signed isn't collected. On a percent-of-collected plan, this is the number that pays them.
You check
Supplement value
On claims, what they recovered for items missing from the first estimate.
You check
Self-gen share
How much of their pipeline they found themselves. Matters most if you don't feed many leads.
You check
Cancels
Signed jobs that fell through before install, and why.
You check
Level verifies close-rate history and pay history (commission statements or W-2s), and runs reference checks, before you meet a candidate. Everything marked “You check” is yours to ask about.
Rules to know
Pay models
A share of the contract price. JobNimbus found 10% of gross the most common plan. Jessica Stahl of Ignite Results sets a ceiling for total commission: Under 12% of gross.
A share of what's left after materials and labor, so the rep cares about margin. AccuLynx describes ranges of 7-12% of contract, or 30-50% of profit.
Ten percent off the top for overhead, then the profit split between company and rep. On insurance jobs it averages 10-20% of the job, per Adam Bensman in Hook Agency. A separate Hook Agency article argues it suits storm work better than retail.
A smaller base with a lower rate. Use it to bring on newer reps or to steady pay through slow months.
Annual wage · BLS · May 2025
Sales reps at roofing, siding & exterior contractors
NAICS 2381
Median $69,990
How it compares
| Compared on | Retail rep | Storm / insurance rep | Canvasser |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who pays | The homeowner, often with financing | The insurer, minus the deductible | Nobody yet: they book the inspection |
| What they sell | Product, warranty, good/better/best | The claim process and the contractor | A time on the calendar |
| Pay you'll see | Percent of gross or of profit | 10/50/50 or percent of profit | Per appointment, per sale, or hourly plus bonus |
| Season | Year-round, slower in winter | Follows hail and wind; Hail Alley runs March to August | Follows the closers |
| Rules to know | Contract and cooling-off rules | Claim rules such as Texas HB 2103 and Florida §489.147 | Solicitation rules such as Florida §489.147 |
The full breakdown is in retail vs storm roofing sales. For the door-knocking side, see canvasser.
Our view
They sell on product, financing and trust, often from company leads, over a longer sales cycle. Their key skill is building value against a cheaper quote.
They knock doors after hail or wind, meet adjusters and write supplements. They're used to high volume and to pay plans like 10/50/50.
A storm rep who has never sold retail can struggle with price objections when no claim is paying. A retail rep can get lost in an insurance claim.
Texas and Florida both restrict how contractors handle claims. A rep who knows the rules protects your license and your reviews.
Our judgment from headhunting for this role.
How Level vets
Close-rate history from inspection to signed contract. The retail and insurance split is yours to ask for, and the first interview tip below shows how.
Pay history from commission statements or W-2s. A rep paid on collected revenue should have statements that show collected revenue.
Reference checks. We confirm the history and track record a candidate gives us with their references, before you meet them.
Ride-alongs and role-plays are yours to run. If you want to see them on a roof, the tips below are how we'd use that day.
Roofing Sales Rep
Roofing · retail · 5 yrs · Tampa Bay
Looking for: Retail replacement, financing offered, no storm chasing.
Example card, not a real candidate. Verified means checked against pay records, close-rate history or references.
Yours to run
Level doesn’t run these. The tips further down are what we’d look for.
Candidate pools
Most roofing sales teams are small, 4 or fewer reps, so a strong rep is often the whole department somewhere else. Sell them on lead flow and production quality, not just the rate.
Reps tired of following storms are often open to a retail seat with steadier leads. Check they can sell when there's no claim doing half the work.
Both run in-home presentations with financing. Solar closers have been moving since the 25D credit ended for systems placed in service after 31 Dec 2025.
A canvasser who books well and wants to close is worth a shot on inspections, paired with a senior rep at first.
“Our read” marks our own judgment from the market, not sourced data.
Level starts where the track records are. The best reps are usually employed and doing well, so they aren’t scrolling job boards. We headhunt top performers at the strongest companies in your trade and market, and show them why your seat is a better move. The other pools are worth knowing if you’re hiring yourself.
Interview tips
Ask for close rate on each, separately, and what share of their year was storm work. A great storm closer can be an average retail one.
Ask them to explain a recent claim from inspection to final supplement. If they offer to 'handle the adjuster' for the homeowner in Texas, treat it as a red flag: HB 2103 bars contractors from acting as public adjusters on property they work on.
Play a homeowner with an old roof, no leak and a lower bid from another roofer. Watch how they sell the difference without trashing the competitor.
Watch them on the roof and at the table. Their photos, measurements and the way they talk to the homeowner tell you most of what you need.
This is our advice for your own hiring process. Level doesn’t run interviews, ride-alongs or role-plays.
Salespeople are good at interviews. It’s part of the job. Here’s how we’d tell the difference in your seat.
Specifics, not adjectives
A real roofing closer talks about last month in numbers: inspections run, contracts signed, the split between retail and insurance, the average job and what was actually collected. Someone who mainly interviews well talks in adjectives instead.
Listen for
Red flags
When a candidate quotes a close rate
Close rate has no agreed definition in home improvement (No standard, per Pro Remodeler), so the same number can mean very different things. Five questions make it comparable:
Job description
Roofing Sales Rep
We're hiring a roofing sales rep to inspect roofs, present replacements and sign homeowners. You'll run company leads and build your own, on retail work and insurance claims.
FAQ
A roofing sales rep inspects and measures the roof, presents the replacement and signs the homeowner. On insurance work they also guide the homeowner through the claim, meet adjusters and write supplements.
Mostly on commission. JobNimbus found 10% of gross the most common plan. Others pay a share of profit, or 10/50/50, which averages 10-20% of the job on insurance jobs. See roofing commission structures.
That's your call, made with your accountant. For context, 93% of roofing sales leaders in a 2024 Leap survey said they had moved reps from 1099 to W-2.
The rep can meet the adjuster and present the damage, but the rules on representing the homeowner vary by state. In Texas, HB 2103 bars a contractor from acting as a public adjuster on property it is working on. In Florida, §489.147 bans inducements such as deductible waivers. Fines: Up to $10,000 per violation. Check your state with counsel.
Before the season, not during it. Hail Alley's season runs March to August. In Leap's survey, most successful sales leaders aimed to hire 1-3 reps a month.
We verify close-rate history from inspection to signed contract and pay history from commission statements or W-2s, and check references, before you meet them. Ride-alongs and role-plays are yours to run.
Tell us the seat. We headhunt proven closers who already sell in your trade and check their close rate, pay history and references before you meet them. You pay only when you hire.