Your complete operating system to scale TriGuard Roofing from $0 to $20-40M/year in 18-24 months. Indianapolis HQ. 6 metros. Never leave the area. Both co-founders as equal partners.
5 phases. 24 months. Every month has a revenue target, a specific hire, and a clear milestone. Indianapolis first. Never leave our area.
Use the pricing formula on every job. 40% margin, 12.5% marketing, 1-2% permit built in BEFORE quoting. Minimum $600/sq floor. Never discount.
2-day job prep. Wrapped trailer. Safety zones. Phase boards. Site cameras. Cool zone. Daily huddles. QA lead. This IS why we charge premium.
10-man crews. 4 job prep + 6 install. Show up at 8am sharp. Own the quality. Own the brand. Own the result.
Google, Facebook, BBB, Trustpilot, Angi, Nextdoor. Every happy customer, every time. On the spot. This is how we compound.
Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend, Louisville, Cincinnati. These 6 metros. Forever. We dominate our area — we don't spread thin.
Tax bucket: 30% of net profit. Operating reserve: 6 months Year 1, 12 months Year 2. Distributions come LAST. Always.
You and your wife built this together. Both have veto power on major decisions forever. Equal partners. Always.
This is the real plan. What happens in each month. What you and your wife are doing. When to hire. When to expand. When to celebrate. When to push harder. This is your 24-month playbook.
Revenue target: $50k
Jobs: 4-5 at $12k avg
Starting ad budget: $2,500/month
• Facebook/Meta: $800
• Google Search: $1,200
• Google LSA: $500
Focus:
• Complete 14-day launch checklist
• Launch Google Search + LSA + Facebook
• Record content library (14 videos)
• Sign 2-3 sub crews
• Open supplier accounts
• Run first 8-12 inspections
• Close first 4-5 deals
Cash needs: $15-25k working capital
Revenue target: $100k
Jobs: 8-10
Focus:
• Verify the system works end-to-end
• Collect 10+ reviews across all 6 platforms
• Refine the 7-step close script
• Launch Facebook/Meta ads (small test)
• First referrals coming in
• 2-3 installs per week
• Quote review funnel producing leads
Key milestone: First complete "TriGuard installation experience" job with wrapped trailer, cameras, phase board — photographed and shared publicly.
Revenue target: $150k
Jobs: 12-13
Focus:
• Review count: 25+ total
• Pipeline health: 30+ booked appts
• Close rate: 30%+
• Cash position: positive
• Evaluate hiring first closer
TRIGGER HIT: At $150k consistent, start interviewing closers.
What's next: First hire.
Revenue target: $200k
New hire: First closer (10% commission)
Focus:
• Train new closer on 7-step process
• Ride-alongs for first 2 weeks
• Recorded calls for review
• Expand Google ad budget to $8k
• Start SEO content production
• Begin D2D pilot planning
Co-founder roles: You coach new closer + run your own appointments. Wife handles all call center + ops.
Revenue target: $280k
New hires: 2nd closer + call center rep #1
Focus:
• 3 closers total (you + 2)
• Call center rep handles inbound
• Wife transitions to ops director
• Begin building FIRST owned 10-man crew
• Interview job prep team leads
• Invest in wrapped cargo trailer
Critical: First owned crew must be built BEFORE Phase 2 ends.
Revenue target: $370k
New team: D2D pod (3 setters + 1 closer)
Focus:
• First owned crew running 1 job/week minimum
• D2D pod generates 10+ sits/week
• Total closers: 4 (including D2D closer)
• Review count: 75+ across platforms
• Ad spend: $15k/month
First cash flow review with CPA. Understand your real numbers.
Revenue target: $475k
New hire: Production manager ($65-85k)
Focus:
• PM owns scheduling, QC, crew coordination
• Frees you to focus on sales + CEO work
• Owned crew running 2 jobs/week
• 3rd closer added
• Consider Fort Wayne expansion prep
Wife milestone: She's now managing 3-5 people directly as Ops Director.
Revenue target: $580k
Focus:
• Fort Wayne market research + launch plan
• Set up Fort Wayne LSA + Google ads
• Establish Fort Wayne business address
• Prepare to run Fort Wayne installs from Indy crew initially
• Owned crew running 3 jobs/week
• Review count: 125+
Trigger at $600k: Launch Fort Wayne in Month 9.
By end of Month 8 you should have:
• Team: 8-10 people
• 1 owned 10-man crew running 2-3 jobs/week
• Revenue: $500-600k/month
• Reviews: 125-150 total
• Ad spend: $18-22k/month
• Gross margin: 40%+
• Cash in bank: 30+ days of fixed costs
If all 7 metrics are green → proceed to Phase 3.
Revenue target: $700k
Focus:
• Fort Wayne first leads
• Regional closer hired for Fort Wayne
• Indy crew runs Fort Wayne installs initially
• Ad spend: $25-30k across both markets
• Sales manager interview process begins
Revenue target: $800k
New hire: Sales manager ($5-7k base + 3% override)
Focus:
• SM owns all closers + D2D
• You stop closing (or close rarely)
• Second D2D pod in Fort Wayne
• Indianapolis revenue: $600k
• Fort Wayne revenue: $200k
Revenue target: $900k
New build: 2nd owned 10-man crew
Focus:
• 2 owned crews = 4-6 jobs/week capacity
• Evansville prep work
• 6-8 closers total
• Review count: 250+
Revenue target: $1.05M
Milestone: FIRST $1M MONTH 🎯
New hire: Financial Director ($100-140k)
Focus:
• FD owns cash flow + P&L
• Evansville launches with D2D focus
• 3 markets running simultaneously
• You're now pure CEO mode
Celebration moment. You've built a real company.
Revenue target: $1.2M
Focus:
• No new market launches
• Improve every existing market
• Document every SOP
• Train new sales manager for Fort Wayne market
• Prepare for South Bend expansion
• Review count: 350+
Critical: Month 13 is when most founders break the company by moving too fast. Resist the urge. Systematize.
Revenue target: $1.4M
Focus:
• Full Indiana coverage achieved (Indy + FW + Evansville + South Bend)
• Regional ops manager hired for Indiana
• 3rd owned crew build begins
• First acquisition target research begins
• Team size: 25-35 people
Revenue target: $1.6M
Focus:
• Louisville market research
• Kentucky business entity setup
• Small Louisville office opens
• Evansville crew supports early LOU installs
• First acquisition target identified in Indiana (NOT out-of-state)
Revenue target: $1.8M
New: Louisville first leads + first acquisition closes
First acquisition profile: Indiana-only company. Strong reviews (200+). Poor systems. $300-500k/year revenue. Seller-financed deal. In our service area.
Rule: We never acquire outside our operating area. Period.
Revenue target: $2.0M
Focus:
• Plug acquired company into TriGuard OS
• Train their team on installation system
• Migrate their CRM
• Keep their brand name for 6 months
• Louisville hits $200k/month
• 3rd owned crew operational
Revenue target: $2.2M
Focus:
• Ohio business entity setup
• Cincinnati market research
• Cincinnati office lease signed
• Regional manager hired for Cincinnati
• Second acquisition target in Indianapolis identified
Revenue target: $2.4M
Milestone: Biggest single expansion. 2.3M metro.
Focus:
• Cincinnati full launch with dedicated team
• Second acquisition closes in Indiana
• 4th owned crew build begins
• Review count: 500+
Revenue target: $2.6M
New hire: Chief Revenue Officer ($150-200k + 1-2% override)
Focus:
• CRO owns all sales + marketing across all markets
• You step back to strategy + deals
• 6 markets running (Indy, FW, Evansville, SB, Louisville, Cincinnati)
• Third acquisition target identified
Revenue target: $2.8M
Focus:
• Hire commercial sales director
• TPO/EPDM training for crew leads
• Commercial estimator hired
• First commercial bid submissions
• Third acquisition closes
Revenue target: $3.0M ($36M ARR)
Focus:
• First 3-5 commercial jobs in progress
• Residential still growing across all 6 markets
• All acquired companies rebranded to TriGuard
• Review count: 750+
Revenue target: $3.2M ($38M ARR)
Focus:
• Commercial contributing $400-600k/month
• Residential contributing $2.6M/month
• Fourth acquisition in discussion
• Executive team fully in place
Revenue target: $3.3-3.5M ($40M ARR)
The moment: TriGuard Roofing is a $40M/year regional powerhouse. Both co-founders are equal partners in one of the fastest-growing roofing companies in the Midwest.
What happens next → See the Beyond $40M page for Phase 6 and beyond.
Every month has a specific revenue target, specific milestones, and specific hires. If you miss a target by 20%+, pause expansion and fix what's broken before moving forward. If you hit targets 3 months in a row, you can accelerate one milestone by 30 days. Never skip phases. Never hire ahead of revenue. Never expand before the current market is producing consistent cash flow. This roadmap is tight but achievable — only if you stay disciplined. Most founders fail because they get greedy at $500k/month and try to jump to $2M in 90 days. Don't be that founder.
Every number reverse-engineered from the 18-24 month target. Premium pricing ($12-14k avg). Accurate CPLs by channel. This is your math bible.
| Metric | $150k/mo | $600k/mo | $1.5M/mo | $2.5M/mo | $3.3M/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual run rate | $1.8M | $7.2M | $18M | $30M | $40M |
| Avg job size | $12,500 | $13,000 | $13,500 | $13,500 | $14,000 |
| Jobs per month | 12 | 46 | 111 | 185 | 236 |
| Jobs per week | 3 | 11 | 28 | 46 | 59 |
| Close rate | 32% | 28% | 27% | 25% | 25% |
| Appointments needed | 38 | 164 | 411 | 740 | 944 |
| Show rate | 75% | 72% | 70% | 68% | 68% |
| Booked appts | 50 | 228 | 587 | 1,088 | 1,388 |
| Lead → book rate | 35% | 32% | 30% | 28% | 27% |
| Total leads needed | 143 | 713 | 1,957 | 3,886 | 5,141 |
| Leads per day | 5 | 24 | 65 | 130 | 171 |
| Blended CPL (real) | $60 | $75 | $85 | $95 | $100 |
| Marketing spend | $8,580 | $53,475 | $166,345 | $369,170 | $514,100 |
| % of revenue (marketing) | 5.7% | 8.9% | 11.1% | 14.8% | 15.6% |
| ROAS | 17.5× | 11.2× | 9.0× | 6.8× | 6.4× |
| Closers needed | 1 (you) | 5-6 | 10-12 | 18-22 | 25-30 |
| Owned crews | 1 (building) | 1 owned + 2 subs | 2 owned + 2 subs | 4 owned | 5-6 owned |
| Gross margin | 38% | 40% | 42% | 42% | 43% |
| Gross profit | $57,000 | $240,000 | $630,000 | $1,050,000 | $1,419,000 |
| Net profit est. | $30-40k | $140-165k | $350-425k | $550-660k | $700-840k |
Here's the math that proves this: at $3.3M/month you're spending $514k on marketing (15.6% of revenue). That feels high until you remember the pricing formula RESERVES 12.5% of every sale for marketing. So your actual marketing spend only needs to outperform what the formula already allocated. At $40M/year, the formula gives you $5M of reserved marketing budget. You're spending $6.2M. The extra $1.2M comes from gross margin expansion (42% vs 40% baseline) — which happens naturally as owned crews replace subs and efficiency improves. The premium pricing makes the expensive CPLs affordable.
$25-90
Pay-per-lead, shows above search ads. Highest intent. Book rate: 45-60%. Close rate: 25-35%. Launch here first — single best ROI channel in roofing.
$50-150
Pay-per-click. $15-40 CPC. 10-20% form conversion = $75-150 CPL. Book rate: 30-40%. Close rate: 25-30%. Intent is strong, cost is high.
$20-80
Interruption-based. Lead form ads. Book rate: 20-30%. Close rate: 18-25%. Lower quality but scales well. Creative matters more than audience.
$5-40
Essentially free after 6-12 months of content + backlinks. Book rate: 40-50%. Close rate: 30-40%. Highest quality leads but slowest ramp.
$150-250 / sit
Pod cost: $1,800-2,500/wk. Output: 10-15 sits/wk. Scales linearly. Great for storm neighborhoods. Launch in Phase 2.
$0-30
$50 gift card for 4 intros. $250 per referral that books. Book rate: 70-85%. Close rate: 45-60%. The foundation of profitable scaling.
Fix: Call center tightens qualification. Seriousness scale (1-10). Below 7 = nurture, not closer's calendar. Verify homeownership. Verify both decision-makers available.
Fix: Shift production manager focus from scheduling to quality. QA lead on every job. Daily huddles. 25-point QC checklist. Expect 60-90 days of integration before crew hits full efficiency.
Fix: Sales manager (real one, not promoted rep). Weekly ride-alongs. Recorded presentations. Round-robin lead distribution. Fire bottom 10% quarterly.
Fix: Financial Director. 13-week rolling forecast. Weekly cash review per market. Centralized treasury. Strict 33% deposit enforcement across all markets.
Fix: CRO owns all revenue operations. Regional ops managers own each market. Commercial division has its own P&L. You step back to strategy + deals.
Fix: This is the one that kills more companies than cash flow. Never compromise the installation system. Wrapped trailer, 2-day prep, cameras, phase board, cool zone — on every single job. Retrain or fire leads who cut corners.
Exact numbers, budgets, team size, channels, and bottleneck fixes at every revenue level. Tied to the Indiana launch and expansion sequence.
Timeline: Months 1-3
Team: You (closer) + wife (ops/call center). That's the entire operation.
Leads needed: 126/month (4-5/day)
Appointments needed: 44 booked, 33 shows, 10 closes
Close rate: 30% → 10 jobs × $10k = $100k
Ad spend: $3-5k/month (Google 60%, LSA 30%, YouTube 10%)
Crews: 1-2 sub crews on retainer
Gross margin: 40% → $40k gross profit
Net profit: $30-35k/month (after ads, insurance, software)
Focus: Indianapolis metro ONLY. Prove the system before expanding.
Breaks at: Lead quality inconsistency. Fix: tighten call center qualification with seriousness scale.
Timeline: Months 3-8
Team adds: 2-3 closers + 1 call center rep + D2D pod (3 setters + 1 closer)
Total team size: 8-10 people by end of stage
Leads needed: 388 → 847/month (13-28/day)
Close rate: 27-28% → 25-48 jobs/month
Ad spend: $8-20k/month + D2D setter costs $6-12k/mo
Channels: Google 40%, LSA 20%, Meta 20%, YouTube 10%, DM 10%
Crews: 3-5 sub crews
Hiring sequence: First closer at $100k/mo → 2nd at $150k → call center at $150k → 3rd closer + D2D at $300k
Markets: Expand from Indy to Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend
Breaks at: Production backlog. Customers wait 3-4 weeks = cancellations. Fix: add crew BEFORE closer. Always.
Timeline: Months 8-14
Team adds: Production manager, sales team lead, sales manager, first in-house crew, office admin
Total team size: 18-25 people
Leads needed: 1,786/month (59/day)
Appointments: 350 booked, 245 shows, 91 closes
Close rate: 26% → 91 jobs × $11k = $1M
Ad spend: $25-60k/month
Crews: 8-10 (mix of in-house + subs)
Key hires: Production manager at $300k/mo ($65-85k + bonus). Sales manager at $750k/mo ($5-7k/mo + 3% override). First in-house crew at $200k/mo consistent.
YOUR role changes: Stop closing. Full-time CEO — strategy, hiring, systems, partnerships.
WIFE's role changes: COO-lite. Manages PM, admin, AR/AP. No longer on phones.
Breaks at: Culture dilution. Fix: weekly ride-alongs, recorded presentations, fire bottom 10% quarterly.
Timeline: Months 14-24
NEW HIRE: Financial Director at $1M/mo consistent
Base $100-140k + bonus. Owns: cash flow across markets, P&L by entity, deal financing for acquisitions, banking relationships, 13-week cash forecasts.
Acquisitions begin: After 2-3 months at $1M/mo consistent, buy first 2-3 companies at $200-500k each in Texas, Georgia, Colorado.
Deal structure: 10-25% down + 24-36 month seller note at 5-7% interest. Performance adjustment clauses.
Integration: Plug each acquisition into TriGuard OS within 30 days. Rebrand as "TriGuard Roofing Powered By [Name]" for 6-12 months.
Scale each acquisition 2-5x within 6-12 months using your proven Indiana playbook.
Indiana: Still growing to $1.5-2M/mo as a standalone market.
Total team: 40-60 people across markets, 25+ crews, regional managers per acquired market
Breaks at: Cash flow timing across multiple entities. Fix: Financial Director centralizes treasury. Weekly cash review per market.
Timeline: Months 24-36
NEW HIRE: Chief Revenue Officer at $2M/mo consistent
Base $150-200k + 1-2% total revenue override. Owns all sales + marketing across all markets. You step back to strategy, capital allocation, and deals.
Acquisition strategy upgrade: After 3-4 successful small acquisitions, move to $1-4M purchase price targeting companies with $600k-$1.5M annual cash flow.
These are different targets: 5-15 employees, $2-5M revenue, real systems (but still below their potential), 300+ Google reviews, multi-crew operations, established supplier relationships. Valued at 2.5-4× SDE.
Deal financing: SBA 7(a) loans ($200-800k down, bank carries remainder at 5-7%), or private equity co-invest if deals get larger, or mezzanine debt for bridge financing.
Total operation: 6-10 markets, 500+ jobs/month, 40-60 closers, 50+ crews, full executive team
Your role: Chairman/CEO. Strategy. Acquisitions. Capital allocation. Board management. Cultural standard-setting.
Breaks at: Everything simultaneously. Fix: executive team owns their domains. CRO owns revenue. FD owns money. COO (if hired) owns operations. You own vision and deals.
At every stage, the thing that got you here won't get you there. What worked at $100k/mo will break at $500k/mo. What worked at $500k/mo will break at $2M/mo. The sign of a great operator isn't sticking with what works — it's recognizing when the system needs to change and changing it before it breaks. Every hire, every process, every tool gets re-evaluated at every stage transition.
Everything you and your wife (co-founders) do for 14 days to go from zero to pipeline-full with 20+ booked appointments and production ready to roll.
YOU (morning): Build landing page on your domain. Headline: "Got a roofing quote? We'll review it free and tell you if you're overpaying." Subhead: "Indiana homeowners are overpaying for roofs by an average of $2,800. Don't be one of them."
Form fields: Name, phone, email, zip code, "Do you have a quote?" (yes/no), optional quote upload. Keep it short — every extra field kills conversion 10%.
YOU (afternoon): Create lead magnet PDF: "The Indiana Homeowner's Guide to Roof Replacement — 7 Things Your Roofer Won't Tell You." 8-10 pages. Professional design. Chapters: pricing breakdown, insurance claim process, material grades, warranty traps, red flags, financing, timeline.
WIFE: Set up NocoDB/vtiger CRM. Build pipeline stages: New Lead → Contacted → Qualified → Booked → Inspected → Proposed → Closed/Won → In Production → Complete → Review Requested. Create custom fields: roof age, homeowner status, seriousness (1-10), quote uploaded, financing pre-qualified.
Speed-to-lead automation: New form submission → instant SMS within 30 seconds: "Hey [Name], this is [Agent] from TriGuard Roofing. I saw you wanted a quote review — pulling up your info now. Quick Q: repair or full replacement?" → auto-email with guide download → CRM record creation → Slack notification.
No-answer sequence: +30min text → +2hr text → +24hr call attempt → +48hr email nurture → +5 day final text → +14 day re-engagement. All automated.
Appointment booking: Stage change to "Booked" → confirmation SMS → calendar event → closer notification → trigger confirmation sequence (48hr, 24hr, 2hr reminders).
Post-install: Stage "Complete" → 24hr review request text + email → 7-day referral text ($250 offer) → 30-day satisfaction check-in.
Test everything: Submit 3 test leads. Verify every automation fires. Fix broken links. Nothing launches Day 3 without passing the test.
Stripe/Square: Set up payment processing. Test card transactions for deposits. Build deposit collection form linked to CRM.
PandaDoc: Build 3-tier proposal template (Good/Better/Best). Build digital contract with e-signature. Test signing flow end-to-end.
Financing: Apply to GreenSky AND Mosaic. Both. Get approved for contractor accounts. Test pre-qualification flow. This is the single most important item — financing increases close rate 15-20% and average ticket 25%+.
Insurance: Confirm general liability ($1M+ active), commercial auto, workers' comp (even if no employees yet — activate the policy). Email COI to yourself so you can forward to suppliers/customers.
iPad/tablet setup: Buy or repurpose a tablet for in-home presentations. Load the 3-tier proposal template. Test connection to CRM and PandaDoc.
Google Search Ads: Create 3 campaigns:
1. Intent: "roofing quote Indianapolis", "roof replacement cost Indiana", "roofer near me"
2. Insurance: "roof insurance claim", "storm damage roof", "hail damage roof"
3. Brand/research: "best roofer Indianapolis", "roofing company reviews Indiana"
Budget: $50/day per campaign = $150/day total. Maximize clicks bid strategy for first week. Phrase match keywords. Negative keywords: "free", "DIY", "cheap".
Google LSA: Set up Local Services Ads. Upload insurance, license docs (since Indiana has no state license, upload business license + insurance). Go through Google verification.
Location targeting: Indianapolis metro + 30 mile radius. Exclude areas you can't reasonably service.
WIFE: Prepare to answer leads starting tomorrow. Review call center script. Practice speed-to-lead calls with you as the "lead".
WIFE: Speed-to-lead mode. Every new lead called within 5 minutes. Follow the script. Qualify: homeowner, roof age, damage, timeline, seriousness 1-10. Book all 7+ scores into your calendar.
YOU: Run the first 1-2 inspections if they show up. Use the 7-step close process. Take 30+ photos. Present 3-tier proposal with financing. Collect deposit on-site if they buy.
YOU (late afternoon): Record a 60-second "Are You Overpaying?" video for YouTube ads. Phone camera is fine. Just needs to be authentic and clear.
YOU: Start sub crew outreach. Walk into ABC Supply — ask the counter guy: "Who are the best 3 sub crews in the area?" Get names + numbers. Call them today.
Day 5 target: 8-12 leads in, 2-4 qualified, 1-2 booked, possibly 1 inspection run.
YOU (morning batch): Record 10 short videos in one sitting. Same shirt, same lighting, same energy:
1. "How roofers overcharge you"
2. "Insurance claim hack most people miss"
3. "What a $12,000 roof actually costs — breakdown"
4. "5 red flags in a roofing quote"
5. "Why financing your roof is smarter than cash"
6. "What happens during a roof inspection"
7. "Architectural vs 3-tab shingles"
8. "How long does a roof replacement take?"
9. "Questions to ask before hiring a roofer"
10. "Storm damage — do you need a new roof?"
Format: 30-60 seconds each. Face to camera. Subtitled. Post 2/day on TikTok + YouTube Shorts + Instagram Reels + Facebook. Geo-tag Indiana.
Google Business Profile: Complete 100%. Upload 20+ photos. Add all service areas (Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend, Carmel, Fishers, Greenwood). Add FAQs. Categorize as Roofing Contractor.
Sub crew negotiation: Meet with 3-5 candidate crews. Target rates: $55-75/square for tear-off + install on architectural shingles. Get W-9, COI with you as additional insured, signed subcontractor agreement. Non-negotiable: they MUST carry $1M GL + workers' comp.
Supplier accounts: Open ABC Supply, SRS Distribution, and Beacon Building Products accounts. Ask for net-30 terms (they'll probably require COD for first 3-5 orders). Lock material pricing: $90-110/sq for arch shingles + underlayment + flashing + vents + drip edge.
Week 1 KPI audit: Total leads, CPL by channel, contact rate, qualification rate, booked appointments, inspections run, deals closed.
Week 1 target: 40-60 total leads, 15-20 qualified, 8-12 booked appointments, first 2-3 inspections run, possibly first deal closed.
Kill what's not working: Any keyword > $15/lead → pause. Any ad creative < 1% CTR → replace.
Ad performance review: By now you have 5 days of data. Identify the top 3 keywords and top 1-2 ad creatives. Pause everything else. Shift 70% of budget to proven winners.
Budget scaling rules:
• CPL < $10 → scale to $200/day
• CPL $10-15 → optimize copy/targeting before scaling
• CPL > $15 → rebuild the angle entirely
Quote review calls (trust builder): Any lead who uploaded a competitor's quote — call them and do a REAL quote review. "I looked at your quote from [Competitor]. Here's what I noticed..." Point out missing synthetic underlayment, reused flashing, vague warranty. This builds massive trust and positions you as the expert.
Referral system launch: Tell every qualified lead and every customer: "$250 cash for every referral who books an inspection." Print physical referral cards. Hand out at every appointment.
Direct mail prep: Order 2,000 postcards targeting ZIP codes with homes 15+ years old (pull from county assessor data). Headline: "Your Neighbors Are Getting New Roofs — Here's What They Know." QR code to funnel.
Financing pre-qualification: Start pre-qualifying ALL booked appointments for financing BEFORE the inspection. Wife says during booking call: "Great news — based on what you told me, you likely qualify for $0 down, 0% for 18 months. We'll confirm everything at the inspection."
Why this matters:
1. Removes price objection before you show up
2. Increases show rate 25-30%
3. Increases average ticket 20%+ because they buy on payment not total price
4. Sets the frame that financing is the default, not the exception
Confirmation sequence activation: Every booked appointment now gets:
• Immediate: confirmation text + "what to expect" video
• 48hr: "Your inspection is in 2 days. Will all homeowners be available?"
• 24hr: "See you tomorrow at [time]!"
• 2hr: "[Inspector] heading your way"
Appointment show rate target: 70%+ This sequence alone is worth $30k+/month in revenue you'd otherwise lose to no-shows.
iPad presentation build: Create the in-home tablet flow:
1. Introduction slide (TriGuard branding, your photo, credentials)
2. "What we do" (full roof replacement, materials, warranty)
3. Inspection findings placeholder (photos loaded from that inspection)
4. 3-tier pricing page (Good/Better/Best with monthly payment options)
5. Financing options page
6. Contract + deposit page
3-tier pricing structure:
• Good: Basic architectural shingles, standard felt underlayment, reused flashing where possible, 25-year warranty — lowest price
• Better: Upgraded architectural shingles, synthetic underlayment, all new flashing, enhanced ventilation, 30-year warranty — 15% more (80% of customers choose this)
• Best: Lifetime shingles, ice/water shield, ridge vent upgrade, premium warranty, manufacturer-backed — 30% more
Role-play practice: Run through the 7-step close 10 times with your wife. Handle every objection: "too expensive", "need to think", "need more quotes", "spouse not here", "using insurance", "don't have money". Get confident. Hesitation kills deals.
Pipeline audit: You should now have 20-40 qualified booked appointments. Review each:
• Show likelihood score (1-5)
• Financing pre-qualified?
• Both decision-makers confirmed?
• Estimated job size
Revenue forecast:
25 booked × 70% show = 17-18 sits
17 sits × 30% close = 5-6 contracts
5 contracts × $10k = $50-60k in first-round revenue
Crew status:
• 2-3 crews confirmed with signed agreements
• Supplier accounts open and tested
• Materials priced for first 5 jobs
• ERPNext production pipeline configured
Final green light: All 20 items on the go/no-go checklist must be GREEN. If any are red/yellow, extend launch by 3-5 days and fix the gap. Do NOT launch without a full pipeline and crews locked. You will never recover from a broken launch.
Days 1-3 · Find crews: Identify 5-8 potential sub crews in Indiana. Sources: Facebook groups ("Indiana roofing subcontractors"), Craigslist, Indeed, and most importantly — walk into ABC Supply and Beacon. Ask the counter guy: "Who are the best sub crews in the area?" Supply house employees know every crew in a 50-mile radius. Interview each: how many squares/day? Which materials? Insurance? Warranty callback rate?
Days 4-6 · Vet and negotiate: Negotiate rates with top 3 crews. Target: $55-75/sq for tear-off + install on architectural shingles. Collect from each: W-9 tax form, Certificate of Insurance (with YOU listed as additional insured), signed subcontractor agreement. Non-negotiable: they must carry $1M general liability AND workers' comp. If they don't have it, they don't work for you. One accident without workers' comp = bankruptcy.
Days 7-9 · Open supplier accounts: ABC Supply, SRS Distribution, Beacon Building Products. Ask for net-30 terms — they'll probably require COD for first 3-5 orders until you build credit. Lock material pricing per square: $90-110/sq for architectural shingles, synthetic underlayment, ice/water shield, flashing, vents, drip edge, pipe boots. Apply for GAF or Owens Corning certification so you can offer manufacturer-backed warranties (huge close rate boost).
Days 10-12 · Build ERPNext workflow: Production pipeline stages: Sold → Material Ordered → Crew Assigned → Scheduled → In Progress → QC Inspection → Complete → Final Invoice → Paid. Create dumpster ordering workflow (order 48 hours before install). Set up 20-point QC checklist form (wife inspects after crew completes, before calling customer). Build material ordering template.
Days 13-14 · Dry run: Walk through a mock job from signed contract to final payment. Time each step. Identify gaps. Where does information get lost? Where do handoffs break? Fix everything before Day 1 of market entry.
Click to mark complete. All 20 items must be GREEN before you launch.
You and your wife are both co-founders of TriGuard Roofing. Equal partners. Exactly what each of you does every day during Phase 1 ($0 → $150k/mo) while launching from Indianapolis. Print it. Live by it.
Your wife MUST call every lead within 5 minutes. Not 30 minutes. Not "when she gets a chance." FIVE MINUTES. The first company to call gets the deal 78% of the time. This single discipline is worth $50k+/month in revenue. Break this rule and the whole launch fails. Keep this rule and you'll outperform every established roofer in Indianapolis within 90 days.
Monday plans. Tuesday-Thursday executes. Friday measures. Saturday batches. Sunday rests. Every week the same shape.
8:00 AM weekly meeting (you + co-founder wife, 45 min)
• Review last week's numbers: leads, closes, revenue, cash, AR, reviews added, CPL by channel
• 1 thing that worked → double down
• 1 thing that broke → fix this week
• Set the week's revenue target
• Review this week's appointments, installs, cash needs, job prep schedule
End of Monday: All material orders placed for the week. All job prep team assignments made. Ad budgets set.
Peak install days. Most installs run Tue-Thu. Most closes happen Tue-Thu. Most leads come in Tue-Thu.
Daily targets:
• 2-3 inspections/day
• 1 close/day minimum
• 1-2 installs/day running
• 15-25 leads/day
Wife focus: Speed-to-lead, confirmations, crew coordination, payments, portal management
Your focus: Close deals, inspect roofs, walk installs, coach crews
3:00 PM · Weekly review (45 min)
• Full week metrics
• Ad performance by channel
• Close rate analysis
• Pipeline health
• Cash flow position
• AR aging
• Review growth
5:00 PM: Payroll cutoff. All crew + sub payments processed by end of day.
Content batch day. Record next week's 10-14 videos in one sitting. Same shirt, same lighting.
Ad optimization: Deep dive on keyword performance, creative testing, budget reallocation.
Customer follow-ups: Unhappy customers called personally.
4-5 hour day max. Do not burn out.
Protected day. Family, church, rest, reset.
Evening (30-45 min): Light planning. Review calendar. No CRM. No emails.
This matters. Founders who don't rest don't last. Rested operators make better decisions.
Monthly review (2 hours, you + co-founder wife)
• Full month P&L
• Revenue vs target
• Gross margin analysis
• Cash position
• Ad ROI by channel
• Review count growth (all 6 platforms)
• Referral program results
• Hiring triggers hit?
• Ready to scale any channel/role?
Set next month's growth target. 20-30% month-over-month minimum during Phase 1-2.
Indianapolis is home base. Prove the system there, then roll it into Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend, Louisville, and Cincinnati. Six metros. Three states. Zero state licenses required.
2.1M metro. Home base. Launch Day 1. Biggest market in Indiana. Fragmented competition. Premium positioning beats every storm chaser in the market.
420k metro. Add at $400k/mo combined. Lower CPL, less competition. Natural second metro — 2 hours from Indy by truck.
315k metro. Add at $600k/mo. Southern IN. Different weather patterns. D2D works exceptionally well here.
325k metro. Add at $900k/mo. Northern IN near Michigan. Extends Indiana coverage to statewide domination.
1.3M metro. Add at $1.3M/mo. No KY state license. First out-of-state expansion. Adjacent to Evansville for ops support.
2.3M metro. Add at $1.6M/mo. No OH state roofing license. Second out-of-state expansion. Huge market with fragmented competition.
Population: 2.1M metro
Median home: $235k
Homeownership: 65%
Notable areas: Carmel, Fishers, Greenwood, Zionsville, Noblesville, Westfield, Brownsburg
Why HQ: Biggest market in Indiana. 5× the lead volume of any other Indiana metro. If you dominate Indy, you dominate the state. Everything else is expansion from strength.
Launch budget: $2,500/month ($800 Facebook + $1,700 Google Search + LSA)
Target CPL blended: $60-100
Target revenue: $150k/mo within 90 days, $500k-$800k/mo within 9 months, $1.5M+/mo by month 18
Strategy: Premium positioning from Day 1. Trust is the moat — Indy is full of storm chasers and your 2-day installation prep + wrapped trailer + 6-platform reviews immediately sets you apart. Start with LSA + Google Search. Layer in Meta and content. Launch D2D in hail-affected zip codes in Phase 2.
Why premium pricing wins here: Fragmented competition means no dominant brand. Most roofers price at $450-550/sq. You charge $700-900/sq and deliver 10× the experience. The customers who want quality will pay for it — and they tell their neighbors.
Population: 420k metro
Median home: $175k
Homeownership: 71%
Notable areas: New Haven, Huntertown, Leo-Cedarville, Auburn
Launch at: $400k/mo combined revenue
Target CPL blended: $40-70 (lower than Indy)
Target revenue: $250k-$400k/mo within 12 months of Fort Wayne launch
Why Fort Wayne second: Lower competition, lower CPL, and 2 hours from Indianapolis for operational support. Once Indy is running smoothly, Fort Wayne is a natural second market — your existing Indy crew can support early installs while you build a local crew.
Strategy: LSA dominance (less LSA competition in smaller metros). Direct mail works well. Facebook ads inexpensive. Build local reviews fast. Become the known "premium roofer" before any other premium brand arrives.
Population: 315k metro
Median home: $155k
Homeownership: 68%
Notable areas: Newburgh, Henderson (KY side)
Launch at: $500k/mo combined
Target CPL blended: $35-60 (lowest in market)
Strategy: D2D dominates here. Direct mail response rates are 2-3× higher than bigger metros. Content marketing less necessary. Tornado-prone = insurance claim opportunities concentrated in spring/summer.
Why it's key: Bordering Kentucky = operational bridge to Louisville expansion.
Population: 325k metro
Median home: $165k
Homeownership: 67%
Notable areas: Mishawaka, Granger, Notre Dame area
Launch at: $900k/mo combined
Target CPL blended: $50-80
Strategy: Retail sales (not insurance) focus. Mild winters = less storm damage work. Financing is critical because cash savings are lower. Lean on brand differentiation, reviews, and the installation experience.
Why it matters: Completes Indiana coverage. Enables "statewide Indiana roofer" positioning for Louisville + Cincinnati marketing.
Population: 1.3M metro
Median home: $205k
Homeownership: 63%
License: No Kentucky state roofing license required
Launch at: $1.3M/mo combined Indiana revenue
Target CPL blended: $60-95
Why Louisville next: (1) No state license — instant entry. (2) Adjacent to Evansville — operational bridge makes logistics easy. (3) Underserved by premium roofers — lots of small mom-and-pop operations, few systematized brands. (4) Strong storm activity = insurance claim opportunities.
Launch strategy: Open a small office in Louisville (not full HQ — just a physical presence). Assign a regional manager. Leverage Evansville crew capacity initially while building local crew. First 90 days: LSA + Google + content marketing to build brand. Hire first local closer at $150k/mo revenue.
12-month target: $500k-$800k/mo in Louisville alone.
Population: 2.3M metro
Median home: $215k
Homeownership: 66%
Notable areas: Mason, West Chester, Milford, Hamilton, Fairfield
License: No Ohio state roofing license required (city permits only)
Launch at: $1.6M/mo combined revenue
Target CPL blended: $75-120
Why Cincinnati: (1) 2.3M metro = your biggest single market. (2) No state license. (3) Fragmented competition — no dominant regional brand. (4) Strong insurance claim market. (5) Adjacent to Dayton (another 800k metro) for future expansion. (6) Close enough to Louisville for operational leverage.
Launch strategy: Regional office with full operations (sales manager, production manager, dedicated call center). This is the biggest expansion — treat it like launching a second company. Plan for 6+ months of investment before it's net-positive. Second owned crew dedicated to Cincinnati.
12-month target: $1M+/mo in Cincinnati. This is the market that pushes you from $2.5M/mo to $3.5M/mo ($30M → $40M annual run rate).
The selection criteria: (1) No state roofing license required — immediate operational entry. (2) Adjacent or near adjacent — operational leverage between metros. (3) Combined 10M+ population — enough TAM to support $40M+ business without forcing growth. (4) Fragmented competition — no dominant regional brand to displace. (5) Storm activity — insurance claim opportunities. (6) Drivable from a central ops base.
Why not Texas/Georgia/Florida: Those are 10× larger markets but require dedicated regional infrastructure, much higher CPLs ($120-200+), and intense competition from established players. They're perfect for Phase 6 acquisition expansion (post-$40M) but dangerous as launch markets.
The strategic insight: Owning 6 secondary metros in the Midwest is worth MORE than chasing 1-2 primary metros in Texas or Florida. You become the dominant brand across an entire region. Acquisitions get cheaper because you're a known buyer. Suppliers give you better pricing. You control the narrative. This is how regional roofing empires get built.
Phase 5 (months 20-24). Once residential is running at $2.5M+/mo across all 6 metros, spin up a commercial division. Separate P&L. Different salespeople (commercial-only reps who understand property management relationships). Different materials (TPO, EPDM, modified bitumen). Higher margins (45-55% gross). Longer sales cycles (60-180 days). Target customers: property management companies, multi-family landlords, light industrial buildings, retail strip centers, HOAs. Initial target: 10-20 commercial jobs per month at $35-75k average. This is what pushes you from $30M to $40M+ annual run rate.
Every channel, every CPL range, every conversion rate. No hype. These are the actual cost-per-lead ranges for residential roofing in the Midwest.
What it is: Google Local Services Ads. Pay-per-lead (not per click). Ads show above regular search ads with your photo, reviews, and "Google Guaranteed" badge.
Typical CPL in Midwest: $25-60 for roofing. Can spike to $90+ in hot storm seasons.
Why it works: Highest intent traffic. Customer has a problem, they see you first, they call. Typical book rate on LSA leads: 45-60%.
Close rate on LSA: 25-35% (higher than paid search because intent is stronger)
Effective CAC: $50 CPL ÷ 50% book × 70% show × 30% close = $475 per sale
Launch here first. LSA is the single highest-ROI channel in roofing.
Setup: Upload insurance, license (business license for IN since no state roofing license), background checks, W-9. 1-2 weeks to full approval.
Typical CPL in Midwest: $50-120 for roofing keywords. Storm seasons push $120-150.
Why CPL is high: Keywords like "roofer near me", "roof replacement", "roofing quote" have intense CPC competition. $15-40 per click is normal. With 10-20% form conversion rate, that's $75-150 CPL.
Book rate on Google leads: 30-40%
Close rate: 25-30%
Effective CAC: $90 CPL ÷ 35% book × 70% show × 28% close = $1,310 per sale
Keyword strategy:
• Intent: "roofing quote", "roof replacement cost"
• Insurance: "storm damage roof", "hail damage claim"
• Long-tail: "best roofer Indianapolis", "roofing financing Indiana"
Budget recommendation: Start $100/day across 2-3 campaigns. Scale winners aggressively.
Typical CPL in Midwest: $25-60 for roofing using lead form ads. Can get as low as $15-20 in rural areas.
Why lower than Google: Interruption-based, not intent-based. You're reaching homeowners who aren't actively searching. Lower intent = cheaper leads BUT lower book rate and close rate.
Book rate on FB leads: 20-30% (lower quality)
Close rate: 18-25% (lower than search)
Effective CAC: $40 CPL ÷ 25% book × 65% show × 22% close = $1,119 per sale
Creative that works:
• "Free roof inspection" lead form
• Quote review offer (upload competitor quote)
• Storm damage carousel
• Before/after install videos
• Financing offer ($0 down, 0% for 18mo)
Targeting: Homeowners, 35-65, specific zip codes with 15+ year old homes, interests in home improvement.
Typical CPL: Essentially $0 marginal cost after you've built the content and rankings. Calculated CPL when you divide content investment by leads: $5-40.
Why it's the long play: Takes 6-12 months to rank. Requires consistent content production. Requires backlinks. Requires technical SEO. Most roofers skip this. That's why it's lucrative.
Content strategy:
• Local landing pages per city (Indianapolis roofing, Fort Wayne roofing, Louisville roofing)
• Answer pages: "How much does a roof cost in Indiana?"
• Insurance claim guides
• Storm damage pages (after local events)
Book rate on organic: 40-50% (highest of any channel)
Close rate: 30-40% (high trust)
Start SEO on Day 1 even though it won't pay off until Month 6+. Compound interest of content marketing is massive.
Cost structure: Setters on $500/wk base + $50-75/sit bonus. Pod of 3 setters = $1,800-2,500/week in labor.
Expected output: Good pod generates 10-15 qualified sits per week.
Effective cost per sit: $150-250
Close rate on D2D sits: 20-28% (lower than inbound)
Effective CAC: ~$750-1,000 per sale
Why it still works:
• Scalable (add pods = add sits linearly)
• No ad platform dependency
• Works great in storm-affected neighborhoods
• Builds brand visibility
When to launch: Month 3-4 after inbound is proven. Start with 1 pilot pod in Indianapolis. Expand to Fort Wayne at $500k/mo.
Cost: $50 gift card per successful introduction (your plan). Or $250 per referral that books an inspection.
Book rate: 70-85% (warm intro from someone they trust)
Close rate: 45-60% (highest of any channel)
Effective CAC: $50-100 per sale
The system:
1. Ask for referrals at every close
2. Ask again at install completion (homeowner photo moment)
3. $50 gift card for 4 intros
4. $250 cash for any referral that books an inspection
5. Automated follow-up reminders every 90 days to past customers
Target: 20% of new leads from referrals by month 6. 35% by month 12. Referral leads are the foundation of scalable profitability.
| Stage | Revenue | Monthly budget | LSA | Google Search | Meta | SEO | D2D labor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 (start) | $0-150k/mo | $2,500 | $800 (32%) | $1,200 (48%) | $800 FB (32%) | $0 | $0 |
| Stage 1 (scale) | $150k/mo | $5-10k | $2.5-5k | $1.5-3k | $500-1.5k | $500-1k | $0 |
| Stage 2 | $150-600k/mo | $12-25k | $4-7k | $4-8k | $2-5k | $1-2k | $6-12k |
| Stage 3 | $600k-$1.5M/mo | $35-80k | $8-15k | $12-25k | $8-18k | $3-6k | $15-30k |
| Stage 4 | $1.5-2.5M/mo | $90-180k | $15-30k | $25-50k | $20-40k | $5-10k | $30-60k |
| Stage 5 | $2.5M+/mo | $200-350k | $30-50k | $50-100k | $40-80k | $10-20k | $60-120k |
Stage 1 (launch): $500-900 per sale
Stage 2: $700-1,100 per sale
Stage 3: $900-1,400 per sale
Stage 4: $1,100-1,600 per sale
Stage 5: $1,200-1,800 per sale
CAC rises as you scale because you're tapping less efficient audiences. This is normal. As long as LTV-to-CAC ratio stays above 8:1 (residential) or 15:1 (commercial), you're healthy.
Residential LTV: $11,000 (avg job) + $300 (referrals) = $11,300
Target CAC: $900-1,400
Ratio: 8:1 to 12:1 ✓
Commercial LTV (Phase 5): $45,000 (avg job) + $15,000 (referrals, repeat) = $60,000
Target CAC: $2,500-4,000
Ratio: 15:1 to 24:1 ✓
If your ratio drops below 6:1, stop scaling that channel and fix it.
First-touch vs last-touch: Track both. Use first-touch for channel investment decisions.
The hidden winner: A customer who saw your Facebook ad, then searched Google, then clicked LSA. Google will claim credit. Meta will claim credit. The truth: all 3 contributed.
Practical rule: If revenue is growing and blended CAC is under target, don't over-optimize attribution. Just keep scaling what's working in aggregate.
At your stage, blended attribution beats channel-perfect attribution every time.
Here's why our numbers work when most roofers can't afford these CPLs: we charge 40% margin using the pricing formula. At $12,000 average ticket with 40% gross margin, we have $4,800 of gross profit per job. We can afford a $1,200 CAC and still make $3,600/job before overhead. A roofer at 25% margin ($3,000 gross profit) can only afford $600-800 CAC — which means they can't use Google Search ads profitably. The premium pricing IS the marketing moat. It's how we outspend every competitor on ads while maintaining 40%+ margins.
Hiring plan, compensation, structure, KPIs, and what breaks at each revenue level.
Team: You closing + 1-2 proven closers
Hire when: You're personally running 3+ appointments/day and losing deals to poor follow-up.
First hire: Proven closer from solar or roofing. NOT a trainee. NOT your buddy. Someone who has closed 30%+ in home services before.
What breaks: Lead quality inconsistency. You'll close 40% on good leads and 10% on junk.
Fix: Tighten call center qualification. Add "1-10 seriousness" question. Below 7 = nurture, not closer's calendar. Verify homeownership. Ask about timeline.
KPIs per closer:
• 2-3 sits/day
• 30%+ close rate
• $10k avg deal
• $80-120k monthly revenue per rep
Team: 3-5 closers + 1 team lead + D2D pilot (2-3 setters + 1 closer)
Hire when: Close rate stable at 25%+ AND more appointments than current reps can run.
Team lead: Promoted from your best existing closer who wants to build something. NOT a hired manager from outside.
What breaks: Production falls behind. Customers wait 3+ weeks = cancellations spike.
Fix: Add crews BEFORE closers. Rule: 1 crew per $100k/month revenue. Also: first team lead will try to cherry-pick the best leads. Institute round-robin distribution from day 1.
KPIs:
• 10-15 sits/day team-wide
• 25-30% team close rate
• 48 hours max from close to deposit collected
Team: 5-8 closers + 2-3 D2D pods + dedicated sales manager
Hire SM when: 5+ closers AND you (founder) spend more time managing reps than building the company.
SM requirements: Must have managed 5+ reps in home services (solar, roofing, HVAC). NOT from corporate sales. They need to understand commission culture and how home services actually work.
What breaks: Culture dilution. Your 5th hire is weaker than your 1st. Close rates drop.
Fix: Weekly ride-alongs by SM. Recorded presentations reviewed weekly (2 per rep minimum). Daily public leaderboard. Fire bottom 10% every quarter. No exceptions. The reps who hate transparency are the ones you need to fire.
KPIs:
• 20-30 sits/day
• $1M+ collected monthly
• Gross margin stays above 40%
Revenue triggers, crew structures, compensation, and the signals that tell you when to hire vs when to wait.
| Stage | Revenue | Jobs/week | Crew model | Crew structure | Key hire | Margin target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full sub | $0-150k/mo | 3-8 | 2-3 sub crews | You manage directly | None (you = PM) | 35-40% |
| First in-house | $150-300k/mo | 8-15 | 1 in-house + 2 subs | 4-man crew: 1 lead + 3 laborers | Crew lead + laborers | 40-45% |
| Scaled hybrid | $300-600k/mo | 15-25 | 2-3 in-house + 2-3 subs | 4-5 man crews, in-house on priority | Production manager ($65-85k) | 42-48% |
| In-house dominant | $600k+/mo | 25+ | 4+ in-house + overflow subs | PM + field supervisor + crews | Field supervisor ($55-70k) | 45-52% |
All 4 conditions must be true:
Crew structure: 1 lead + 3 laborers = 4-man crew. Output: 1-1.5 jobs/day (15-30 squares/day).
Cost comparison: In-house crew: $28-35/square. Sub crew: $55-75/square. Savings: $600-1,200 more margin per job.
At 8 jobs/week × $800 avg savings = $6,400/week = $25,600/month in additional margin.
All 3 conditions must be true:
Compensation: $65-85k base + $200-500 bonus per on-time + zero-callback job. At 15 jobs/week = $12-30k/year bonus. Total: $80-115k package.
They own: Scheduling, material ordering, crew dispatch, QC inspections, customer communication from sale through completion.
Hiring source: Find someone who has managed 20+ roofing installs/week before. NOT a commercial construction PM. A residential roofing PM specifically.
Do NOT hire at $150k/month revenue. You can't afford them and don't need them. You ARE the PM until $300k+/month.
Pay per square: $55-75/sq for tear-off + install on architectural shingles.
Extras:
• +$3-5/sq for steep pitch
• +$5-8/sq for 2-layer tear-off
• Flat fees: chimney flashing $150-250, pipe boots $25-35 each
Payment terms: Pay upon completion + QC sign-off. Never pay before the job is done and inspected.
Dumpster: YOU provide. Don't let subs handle waste — it's your liability.
Insurance: Non-negotiable. $1M GL + workers' comp. You as additional insured on their GL.
Crew lead: $55-70/hr OR piece rate ($30-40/sq). Lead is responsible for quality, speed, and crew management on-site.
Laborers (3): $18-25/hr.
• Start: $18
• 90 days: $22
• 6 months: $25 (performance-based)
Crew bonus: $100-200 per job completion bonus split among crew for on-time, zero-callback installs. Keeps quality high.
Expected output: 1 crew = 1-1.5 jobs/day (15-30 squares/day depending on complexity and weather).
Weekly cost: ~$3,500-4,500 including taxes, WC, and benefits. Breakeven at 6 jobs/week.
Base: $65-85k/year
Bonus: $200-500 per job completed on-time + zero callbacks. At 15 jobs/week, this adds $12-30k/year.
Override option: 1-2% of gross margin improvement. Incentivizes them to negotiate better sub rates, reduce material waste, improve crew efficiency.
This is your most critical ops hire. Cheap PMs are expensive. Pay for quality.
Who to hire: Residential roofing PM with 3+ years experience managing 20+ installs/week. Knows Xactimate. Can handle insurance adjusters.
Hiring crews before you have consistent job volume. An idle 4-man crew costs you $3,500-4,500/week in labor with ZERO revenue. At $150k/month revenue (8 jobs/week), you cannot afford ANY idle crew time. Stay with subs until you hit 8+ jobs/week for 4 consecutive weeks. Subs cost more per job, but idle subs cost you NOTHING. The math only works in your favor once you have enough volume to keep an in-house crew 80%+ utilized.
A 5% callback rate on 100 jobs/year = 5 callbacks. Average callback cost: $400-800 in materials + labor + reputation damage. Total annual cost: $2,000-4,000. A 10% callback rate doubles it. A 15% callback rate triples it AND you lose Google review stars. QC inspections on every job are the cheapest insurance you can buy. Wife does 20-point checklist on every install before calling customer "complete."
Call center, in-home close, D2D, objection handling, acquisition outreach, follow-up sequences. All battle-tested in home services.
If you don't confirm this during booking, close rate drops from 30% to 8-12%. This single question is worth $50,000+/month in revenue. If a spouse says they can't be there, reschedule: "No problem — let's find a time that works for both of you. That way we only take up your time once." Never run an appointment without both decision-makers. Ever.
+30 min (text): "Hey [Name], tried calling you about the roof inspection. When's a good 2-minute window to chat?"
+2 hours (text): "Hi [Name], just following up. We have inspector availability this week in your area. Want me to hold a spot for you?"
+24 hours (call + voicemail): "Hey [Name], [Agent] from TriGuard. Just circling back on your quote review request. I've got a couple quick questions about your roof — give me a ring when you get a chance."
+48 hours (email): Subject: "Your free Indiana roofing guide." Body: "Hey [Name], since we haven't connected yet, I wanted to send you our free guide — 7 things your roofer won't tell you. Covers pricing, insurance claims, and red flags. Download here. When you're ready, we're here to help."
+5 days (text): "Hey [Name], last follow-up from me. If you ever need a second opinion on a roof quote or want a free inspection, just reply to this text. No pressure. — [Agent], TriGuard"
+14 days (text): "Hey [Name], quick check-in. Still thinking about the roof? We're running a limited promotion this month — $500 off any full replacement. Want me to hold a spot?"
+30 days: Enter 90-day drip campaign. Monthly value emails. Quarterly re-engagement texts.
Immediately after booking (text): "Confirmed! Your free roof inspection is set for [day] at [time]. Your inspector [Name] will be there. Here's a 2-min video of what to expect: [link]"
48 hours before (text): "Hey [Name], just a heads up — your roof inspection is in 2 days ([day] at [time]). Will all homeowners be available? We want to make sure you both get the full picture."
24 hours before (text + email): "See you tomorrow at [time]! Our inspector [Name] will call when he's 15 minutes away. Reminder: the inspection is free and takes about 30-45 minutes."
2 hours before (text): "[Name] is heading your way and will arrive around [time]. See you soon!"
Post-appointment (text, same day): "Thanks for having us out, [Name]! If you have any questions about what [Inspector] shared, just text this number. We're here to help."
Post-install +24hr (text): "Hey [Name], how's the new roof looking? If you're happy with the work, we'd love a Google review — it helps other homeowners find honest roofers: [review link]"
Post-install +7 days (text): "Quick check-in. Everything looking good? And remember — $250 cash for any friend or neighbor you send our way!"
At the close (end of every successful appointment):
"Before I head out, one quick thing — we grow almost entirely through word of mouth. If you know anyone else who needs a roof or even just a free inspection, we'll give you $250 cash for every referral that books. I'll text you our referral link right now. Keep it handy — you'd be surprised how many neighbors notice when a new roof goes up next door."
Post-install text (7 days after completion):
"Hey [Name], hope you're loving the new roof! Quick reminder — we pay $250 cash for every referral who books an inspection with us. Your neighbors and friends probably need roofs too. Just text me their name and number and I'll handle the rest. Thanks for trusting us!"
Every 90 days after (text to every past customer):
"Hi [Name], [Your Name] from TriGuard. How's everything with the roof? Just a reminder — if you ever need anything or know someone who does, we're here. And our $250 referral bonus still stands!"
24 hours post-install (text):
"Hey [Name], hope you love the new roof! 🏡 If you're happy with our work, would you mind leaving us a quick Google review? It helps other homeowners find honest roofers. Here's the direct link: [link]. Thanks so much — [Your Name]"
Email version (sent same day as text):
"Hi [Name],
Thanks again for trusting TriGuard Roofing with your home. We hope you're thrilled with the result.
If you have 30 seconds, would you mind leaving us a Google review? It's the single biggest way you can help our small business — and it helps other Indiana homeowners find a company they can trust.
Here's the direct link: [link]
Thanks so much,
[Your Name]
TriGuard Roofing"
Handling a negative review (within 2 hours):
Call customer personally. Listen. Apologize. Fix whatever's broken at your cost. Ask if they'd update the review once resolved. Most do. The ones who don't — respond publicly with a professional, factual reply explaining your attempt to resolve it.
Our 3-day installation system is the reason we charge premium and earn it. Other roofers show up, rip the roof off, and leave. We run the most professional job site in the Midwest — and it's the reason every customer reviews us on 6 platforms and refers 4 neighbors.
Who shows up: The 4-man Job Prep Team. Dressed in branded TriGuard gear. Wrapped cargo trailer pulls up — this is rolling billboard marketing every neighbor sees.
What they do (in order):
Job Prep Team returns for materials delivery and final staging.
Every other roofer shows up the day of install with zero prep, dumps materials on the driveway, rips the roof off, and leaves. We show up 2 days early with a wrapped trailer, cameras, cones, phase boards, and a cool zone. The neighbors see it. The homeowner sees it. Every photo we take and post to Facebook gets shared. This is why we close at 35%+ while every competitor closes at 15-20% — the installation experience is our marketing.
If a customer finds a problem, we failed. QA is the insurance policy. Every job, every time. The 25-point checklist is non-negotiable. A single missed detail becomes a callback, a 3-star review, or worse. Pay the QA lead well — they're protecting hundreds of thousands in reputation value.
A happy homeowner right after a great install is at peak emotional high. They're proud of the new roof. They love the result. They want to share. The $50 gift card is just the nudge — the real motivation is bragging rights. Every referral name they give you comes with a personal endorsement, which is why referral close rates run 45-60% vs 25-30% for cold leads. One happy customer typically produces 2-4 referrals → 1-2 booked → 0.5-1 close = $5,000-12,000 in new revenue. All from a $50 gift card.
Most roofing companies collect the final check and disappear. We stay in the relationship forever. Every touchpoint is a chance for a referral, an upsell (gutters, siding, future commercial work if they own a business), or a 5-star review. A customer who gets 6 months of thoughtful follow-up becomes a lifetime referral source. This post-sale system is the difference between a $10k customer and a $30k+ lifetime relationship.
• Wrapped cargo trailer (rolling billboard)
• Catch-All System (landscape protection)
• Site security cameras (2-4)
• Safety cones + barriers
• Roofing Day Phase Board
• Job Safety Sign
• Permit holder + Job Info Board
• Yard sign
• Banner + stakes
• Cool Zone tent + coolers
• Portable fans
• First aid kit
• Magnetic nail sweeper
• Drop cloths + tarps
• Plywood for dumpster
• 25 squares Tamko or GAF architectural
• Synthetic underlayment (~12 rolls)
• Ice & water shield (eaves + valleys)
• Drip edge (all eaves + rakes)
• Starter strip
• Ridge vent + ridge cap
• New step flashing (all sidewalls)
• New apron flashing
• Pipe boots (new, sized per penetration)
• Chimney flashing kit (if applicable)
• Coil nails (1.25" minimum, per mfr spec)
• Sealant tubes
• Ventilation boots
• TriGuard branded polo or t-shirt
• Hard hat (OSHA)
• Safety glasses
• Gloves
• Harness + lanyard
• Roof anchor + rope
• Utility knife
• Hammer
• Tape measure
• Chalk line
• Hammer tacker
• Roofing gun (Paslode or Bostitch)
• Water bottle
• Phone with job app
Every single step of this installation system happens on every single job. Shortcuts destroy the brand. The cost of the cargo trailer, cameras, cool zone, phase board, and 2-day prep gets built into the pricing formula — that's why we charge premium and still hit 40% margin. If a project lead starts cutting corners, retrain them. If they keep cutting corners, fire them. The installation experience IS the company.
Not pricing a roof — solving for the retail price that guarantees 40% profit, 12.5% marketing budget, and 1-2% permit coverage every single time. No guessing. No underbidding. Every job funds the marketing that brings in the next job.
Retail Price = Total Job Cost ÷ (1 − Profit Margin − Permit % − Marketing %)
This backs into the retail price so ALL deductions (profit, marketing, permit) are reserved BEFORE calculating what to charge. Every job covers the cost of acquiring the next job. This is the math most roofers don't do — and it's why most roofing companies run at 10-15% net margin while you'll run at 25%+.
If margin + permit + marketing ≥ 100%, the formula breaks (division by zero or negative). Max safe combined = 90%. If you ever find yourself tempted to "just drop the margin for this one," stop. Walk away. That customer isn't profitable.
If the calculator spits out a price per square below $600, something is wrong. Either your squares count is too high, your costs are too low, or your customer expects a commodity price. Do not accept work below $600/sq. Below that, you're a charity.
Retail price always rounds to the nearest $100 — UP, not down. $14,750 → $14,800, never $14,700. Those $50 increments add up: $50 × 300 jobs/year = $15,000 of pure profit per year. Every year.
Most roofers price like this: "Cost + 20% margin." They get $12k for a job, make $2,400, and spend $800 on marketing. They're always starved for cash.
We price like this: "Cost ÷ (1 − 40% − 12.5% − 1.5%)." Same cost, but we charge $21,700. We make $8,680 profit AND fund $2,713 in marketing AND $326 in permits.
The result: We can afford to spend 3× more on customer acquisition than any competitor. We close more deals because we show up more often. And we still make 4× their margin.
Pricing IS the marketing strategy.
Customers don't buy shingles. They buy peace of mind, installation quality, warranty, and experience. When you use the premium pricing formula and deliver the premium installation experience (2-day prep, wrapped trailer, cameras, phase board, cool zone, QA lead, 6-platform reviews, lifetime portal), the $21k price doesn't feel expensive — it feels premium.
The homeowner who paid $14k to a cheaper competitor is comparing apples to oranges. They got a roof. You delivered an experience. Their review is "they showed up and did the roof." Your review is "TriGuard was the most professional experience I've ever had with a contractor — their team was organized, respectful, and the final result is beautiful."
This is how you build a $40M brand.
The rules that protect the business from the #1 killer of roofing companies: running out of cash. Every step of the way — what to save for taxes, what to hold in reserve, when to move to ERP, when to hire a CPA, when to hire a bookkeeper, when to refinance everything.
From Day 1, every dollar gets allocated BEFORE it feels like profit. The company is never "rich" — it's disciplined. Tax reserves, operating reserves, and growth capital all come out of gross margin before any distribution to the co-founders. Break this rule once and you'll spend years recovering. Hold this rule forever and you'll sleep well every night regardless of what the market does.
Every dollar of revenue gets allocated to one of 5 buckets the moment it hits your account. Use separate bank accounts or sub-accounts for each. Never let buckets mix.
Goes here: 30% of every dollar of NET profit (not revenue). At 40% gross margin and ~25% net margin, that's about 7-8% of every dollar of revenue.
Used for:
• Federal income tax (LLC S-corp election recommended)
• State income tax (Indiana 3.23%, plus county)
• Self-employment tax (15.3% on founder salaries)
• Quarterly estimated payments (Jan 15, Apr 15, Jun 15, Sep 15)
Held in: Separate high-yield savings account. Never commingled.
Rule: You don't own this money. The IRS owns it. Touching it is a federal crime and a fast path to bankruptcy.
Goal: Build to 6 months of fixed overhead in Year 1, then 12 months by end of Year 2.
What counts as "fixed overhead":
• Payroll (base salaries only, not commissions)
• Rent / office
• Insurance (GL + workers' comp + auto)
• Software stack
• Vehicle leases
• Minimum ad spend to maintain pipeline
• Founder draws (minimum survival amount)
At $150k/mo revenue: ~$25-35k fixed overhead → target $150-210k reserve (6 months)
At $500k/mo: ~$80k overhead → target $480k reserve (6 months)
At $1M/mo: ~$150k overhead → target $1.8M reserve (12 months)
Rule: Never deploy reserve capital for growth. Reserves exist to survive disasters — not to fund new markets.
Used for: Expansion investments that aren't part of daily operations.
Examples:
• New market launch costs (Fort Wayne, Evansville, Louisville, Cincinnati entry)
• First owned crew build-out (trucks, tools, trailer)
• Wrapped vehicle fleet
• Acquisitions (down payment + integration)
• Commercial division launch
• Technology upgrades (ERPNext migration, new CRM)
Rule of thumb: Only deploy when the growth investment has a clear ROI within 12 months. If it's "strategic" with no measurable return, it doesn't qualify.
Used for: Scaling ad spend beyond the baseline that's built into the pricing formula.
The pricing formula already reserves 12.5% of every sale for marketing. This bucket is for TESTING new channels, campaigns, or markets without affecting operational cash flow.
Examples:
• Testing TikTok ads
• Testing D2D in new zip codes
• Content production (videographer, editor)
• Direct mail campaigns
• Event sponsorships
• SEO content investment
What's left after the other 4 buckets. This is what you and your wife actually take home as co-founders.
Year 1: Minimize distributions. Reinvest aggressively. Take just enough to cover personal bills ($3-6k/mo each).
Year 2: As reserves fill up, increase distributions. $8-15k/mo each is realistic.
Year 3+: With 12-month reserves in place and strong cash flow, distributions can step up significantly. $20-50k/mo each is reasonable once the company is consistently profitable.
Rule: Distributions AFTER reserves. Always. Never the other way around.
First week of every month, sit down with your wife and run the bucket allocation on last month's numbers. If any bucket is short, adjust this month.
Example · Month at $150k revenue:
• Cost of goods: $90k (60%)
• Gross profit: $60k (40%)
• Overhead: $18k
• Net profit: $42k
42k allocated:
• Tax reserve: $12.6k (30%)
• Operating reserve: $10.5k (25%)
• Growth: $6.3k (15%)
• Marketing: $4.2k (10%)
• Distributions: $8.4k (20%) → $4.2k each co-founder
| Stage | Revenue | Est. net profit | Tax reserve (30%) | Tax strategy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | $0-150k/mo | $30-45k/mo | $9-14k/mo | LLC, quarterly estimates, track every expense |
| Phase 2 | $150-600k/mo | $40-150k/mo | $12-45k/mo | S-corp election, payroll through company, reasonable salary + distributions |
| Phase 3 | $600k-1.5M/mo | $150-400k/mo | $45-120k/mo | CPA full-time engagement, cost seg studies on property, R&D credits |
| Phase 4 | $1.5-2.5M/mo | $400-700k/mo | $120-210k/mo | CFO oversight, state tax planning for multi-state ops, entity structure review |
| Phase 5 | $2.5-3.5M/mo | $700k-1.1M/mo | $210-330k/mo | Tax attorney, trust planning, long-term wealth structuring |
Here's how the 6-month reserve builds naturally as revenue grows, assuming 25% of net profit goes to reserve bucket:
Month 10 is when you first hit a true 6-month reserve based on Month 10 overhead levels. From here, continue building toward 12 months.
Continuing from Month 10, building toward a 12-month reserve by late Year 2:
At Month 24 you should have approximately $2.2M in cash reserves — enough to run the entire company for 12+ months with zero new revenue. This is the level of financial discipline that lets you sleep through storms.
• 6+ months reserve in bank
• Tax bucket fully funded
• AR <5% over 30 days
• Gross margin 40%+
• Growing month-over-month
• Both co-founders paid
• CPA + bookkeeper engaged
• Clean books, monthly close in 10 days
• 3-6 months reserve
• Tax bucket 80%+ funded
• AR 5-10% over 30 days
• Gross margin 35-40%
• Flat or slow growth
• Co-founders underpaid
• Bookkeeping lagging
Action: Pause all growth investments. Fix the shortfall before resuming expansion.
• <3 months reserve
• Tax bucket underfunded
• AR 10%+ over 30 days
• Gross margin <35%
• Declining revenue
• Co-founders taking debt to survive
• Books behind 30+ days
Action: Emergency mode. Stop new hires, kill non-essential spending, collect AR aggressively, call CPA and bank same day.
1. Spending tax money. The #1 killer. Owner sees cash in account, forgets 30% belongs to IRS, spends it on growth or lifestyle, then gets a $50-200k tax bill they can't pay. Tax reserve MUST be in a separate account you cannot easily access.
2. Running on 2 weeks of cash. The #2 killer. One slow month + one bad weather week + one material price spike = bankruptcy. 6 months is the floor. 12 months is the goal. Anything less is gambling.
3. Growing too fast. The #3 killer. Revenue grows 50% month-over-month. Founder thinks "we're crushing it." But cash flow is breaking because outflows lead inflows by 3-4 weeks. Reserves get drained to fund growth. Then one bump and everything collapses. Growth is not profit. Cash is profit.
No acquisitions until $1M/month proven in Indianapolis. We never acquire outside our operating area. Every acquisition must be in one of our 6 metros — Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend, Louisville, or Cincinnati. No exceptions. Ever.
Most roofing roll-ups fail because they chase cheap deals in markets they don't understand. We never do that. Every acquisition must be in a market where we already operate, or a market directly adjacent to one we operate. If a great deal shows up in Texas, we pass. If a perfect company is for sale in Florida, we pass. We're building a Midwest regional powerhouse — not a scattered portfolio of random companies in random states. Stay in the area. Dominate the area. Get rich in the area.
Profile: Owner 55-65 years old. Running the business 20+ years. Built it with sweat equity. Kids don't want it. Tired of being on every job.
Revenue range: $300-800k/year (Phase 4A) or $2-4M/year (Phase 5)
Signals: Reduced marketing, old website, no CRM, strong reviews but slowing volume, owner personally answering phones.
Why they sell: Retirement. They want legacy preserved + financial security.
Deal terms: Lower multiples (1.5-2.5× SDE in Phase 4A). Heavy seller financing. 6-month transition period where they stay on as advisor.
How to find them: Cold outreach via LinkedIn. Business broker networks (BizBuySell, SunbeltBiz). Direct mail to established owners. Referrals from suppliers and insurance adjusters.
Profile: Company that grew fast during a major storm event and now struggles post-storm. Often leveraged up during the storm boom.
Revenue range: $500k-$1.5M/year but declining
Signals: Declining revenue for 2+ years, unused crews, owner stressed about payroll, mixed reviews (some 5-star, some 1-star from bad storm jobs).
Why they sell: Financial distress. They need cash.
Deal terms: Lowest multiples (1-2× SDE). Assume minimal liabilities. Exclude warranty obligations from bad jobs. Buy assets, not stock.
Risk: Lots of warranty callbacks from past jobs. Potential reputation damage. Verify in due diligence: warranty logs, callback rate, Google review trends over last 24 months.
Reward: You can often buy these for 50-70% below Phase 4A tired owner targets.
Profile: Started as a one-man shop that grew accidentally. Owner is a master roofer but not a businessperson. Great quality, terrible systems.
Revenue range: $150-400k/year
Signals: All 5-star reviews, zero marketing, all work from referrals, no CRM, owner is the best craftsman in town but can't scale.
Why they sell: They want to just install roofs, not run a business. Often they'll come work for you as a production manager or crew lead.
Deal terms: 2-3× SDE. Structure deal with earnout tied to retention of owner as key employee for 2 years.
The gold: Their reviews and reputation. You apply TriGuard marketing + systems + sales engine to their existing trust and triple the revenue within 6-12 months.
Best first acquisition type — lowest risk, fastest integration.
Structure:
• 10-25% cash at close
• 75-90% seller note over 24-36 months
• 5-7% interest rate
• Personal guarantee from you
Example deal: $400k purchase price, $60k down, $340k note at 6% over 30 months = $12,350/month payment.
Why it works for both sides:
• You: preserve cash for operations
• Seller: steady income + tax spread
• Both: aligned incentives (seller wants you to succeed)
Add performance clauses: If revenue drops >15% in year 1, purchase price reduces by same percentage.
Structure:
• 30-40% cash at close
• 60-70% earnout over 24-36 months tied to revenue milestones
• Earnout cap at 120% of base purchase price (if you grow it, they get more)
Example: $300k base price + up to $100k bonus if revenue grows 50%+ under your ownership.
When to use: Declining revenue, questionable financials, or seller is still needed post-close.
Benefit: You're only paying for value you actually capture. If it turns out worse than represented, you pay less.
Risk: Seller may micromanage or obstruct if they feel you're not growing fast enough.
Structure:
• 10-20% cash down (you)
• 80-90% SBA loan (bank)
• 10-year amortization
• 6-8% interest
• Personal guarantee required
Example: $2M purchase, $300k down, $1.7M SBA at 7% = $19,750/month over 10 years.
When to use: Phase 5 deals ($1-4M). Established businesses with 3+ years of tax returns showing $400k+ SDE.
Benefit: Low down, long amortization, preserves your cash.
Cost: Personal guarantee, lien on business assets, 8-12 week approval timeline.
| Revenue range | SDE range | Phase 4A multiple | Phase 5 multiple | Price range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $150-300k | $40-80k | 1.5-2.5× | N/A | $60-200k |
| $300-500k | $80-150k | 2.0-3.0× | N/A | $160-450k |
| $500k-$1M | $150-300k | 2.5-3.5× | N/A | $375-$1.05M |
| $1-2M | $300-600k | 3.0-4.0× | 2.5-3.5× | $900k-$2.1M |
| $2-5M | $600k-$1.5M | N/A | 3.0-4.0× | $1.8-6M |
Day 1: All-hands meeting. Introduce yourself. Explain the vision. Promise: "Nothing changes for 30 days. I'm here to listen and learn."
Week 1: Ride along with the owner on 5+ appointments. Observe their sales process. Understand what works.
Week 2: Interview every employee 1-on-1. Questions: What's working? What's broken? What would you change? Build trust.
Week 3: Map existing systems. Where is data stored? How are jobs scheduled? How do crews get paid?
Week 4: First small improvement. Quick win to build credibility. Usually: speed-to-lead automation (most acquired companies are terrible at this).
Do NOT: Fire anyone in first 30 days (unless clearly toxic). Change branding. Change pricing. Announce big changes.
Week 5-6: Migrate to TriGuard CRM. Train everyone. Run parallel with old system for 2 weeks before cutover.
Week 7-8: Launch TriGuard ad strategy. Start with 50% of your Indiana budget allocation. Measure results.
Week 9-10: Roll out TriGuard sales scripts and 3-tier proposals. Train reps on the 7-step close process. Introduce financing if they didn't have it.
Week 11-12: Implement production standards. QC checklists. Supplier consolidation. Crew performance tracking.
Day 90 review: Revenue should be flat or slightly up. Gross margin improving. Employee morale stable. No customer complaints spike. If all four, start scaling aggressively in month 4.
1. Paying for revenue, not profit — Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity. Only SDE matters. 2. Assuming reviews = pipeline — Reviews are historical. Verify current lead flow before you buy. 3. Ignoring warranty liability — Buy assets, not stock. Exclude warranty obligations in the purchase agreement. 4. Destroying the brand on Day 1 — Keep their name for 6-12 months as a bridge. Customers trust the existing brand. 5. No owner transition period — Always require 3-6 months of owner involvement post-close. They know things that aren't written down anywhere.
Every tool, every workflow, every SOP. This is the playbook that gets replicated into every acquired company.
Lead capture, pipeline management, automations
Job management, materials, scheduling, invoicing
Workflows, triggers, SMS/email sequences
Deposits, progress, final payments
3-tier proposals, e-signatures, tracking
$0 down, 0% promotional periods
Managed through in-house agency
Landing pages, funnels, SEO, branding
Automated review requests + management
Call tracking, recording, lead attribution
Aerial measurement, estimating
Insurance claim pricing + supplements
3 pricing tiers, not 12. One CRM, not three. One financing partner per function. Every process teachable to a new hire in under 10 minutes. Complexity kills execution speed. If your SOP needs a manual longer than 1 page, you're doing it wrong.
A company that depends on individual superstars can't scale. Build systems where an average performer can get above-average results. Document everything. If it's not written down, it doesn't exist.
5-minute speed-to-lead. Same-day close. 7-14 day install. 24-hour review request. The faster your cycle time, the more deals you close, the more cash you collect, the more you can reinvest. Compound interest is a physics law in business.
CPL, CAC, close rate, gross margin, cash conversion, review velocity, callback rate. Everything else is noise. Daily dashboard. Weekly review. Monthly strategy. Don't track 50 metrics — track the 8 that drive everything else.
Cash flow funds growth. Trust drives repeat and referrals. 33% deposit minimum (cash). Education-based marketing (trust). Answer every review (trust). Same-day payment processing (cash). Neither works without the other.
Take 4-6 weeks to hire the right person. Take 2 weeks to fire the wrong person. The cost of a bad hire is 3-5× their salary. The cost of keeping a bad hire too long is exponential — they poison the culture and drive out good people.
Hitting $40M isn't the end. It's the beginning of the real game. This is what comes next — Phase 6, Phase 7, and the long vision.
Most roofing companies never hit $40M. The ones that do face a choice: stay a regional powerhouse (and get very rich), or scale further (and take on different risks). There's no wrong answer. Both paths are viable. This page walks through both — and what TriGuard specifically should do based on the operating principles we've built the company on.
Strategy: Stay in the 6 existing markets forever. Dominate them completely. No new geographies. Ever.
Growth levers:
• Commercial division scales from 15% → 35% of revenue
• Acquire 2-4 competitors PER market (within our 6 metros only)
• Launch siding, gutters, windows as add-on divisions
• Build a second HQ office in Cincinnati to anchor Ohio operations
• Fleet of 8-12 wrapped vehicles per market
• Dominate every Google search result, every neighborhood, every referral network
Why this is the ONLY path: We're not building a venture-backed roll-up. We're building a generational regional powerhouse. Every market we know cold beats 10 markets we know superficially. Every customer in our area eventually becomes a TriGuard customer. Suppliers give us regional pricing. Every competitor that opens near us closes within 18 months because they can't match our brand, our reviews, or our installation quality.
Target: $75M ARR by month 36, 35% gross margin, 20%+ net margin. Then $100M+ by year 4 without ever crossing our geographic lines.
At $40M, private equity firms will call you every week. "We can get you to $150M in 3 years if you expand to Texas." Say no. Hang up. Strategic buyers will offer to acquire you and expand the brand nationally. Say no. Competitors will fail in adjacent markets and their former markets will look tempting. Say no. Every expansion beyond our 6 metros compounds complexity exponentially while only adding revenue linearly. The math doesn't work. The operational risk doesn't work. The quality risk doesn't work. We stay home. We dominate home. We get rich at home.
At $75M, commercial is proven. Scale it aggressively. Commercial has better unit economics (45-55% gross margin vs 40% residential), longer sales cycles, and relationship-based selling that compounds.
Targets:
• Property management contracts
• Multi-family portfolios
• Light industrial
• Retail plazas
• HOA contracts
Commercial revenue target by year 5: $40-50M (of $125M total)
Once roofing is dominant, expand to owned-home services the same customers need:
• Gutters + gutter guards (30% attach rate on new roofs)
• Siding (15-20% attach rate for full exterior)
• Windows (10% attach rate for storm damage)
• Solar (post-roof natural upsell)
Each is its own P&L. Each uses the same brand, crew infrastructure, and customer list. Incremental revenue with minimal new CAC.
Year 5 contribution: $15-25M
At $100M+, PE firms start reaching out. You have three choices:
• Take a minority investment ($20-50M at 6-8× EBITDA) to fund aggressive growth while keeping majority control. Common structure.
• Sell majority to PE (50-70% at 8-10× EBITDA) and stay on as operators with upside on a 2nd bite.
• Reject PE entirely and stay founder-owned. Keep 100% of profits forever.
No wrong answer. Depends on what you and your wife want for the next 10 years.
By year 10, a well-run $125M regional home services company can produce $25-35M in annual net profit. Pay out $15-25M per year to you and your wife as dividends. Reinvest the rest.
What this looks like:
• Both co-founders as chairman/co-chair
• Day-to-day run by hired CEO
• Quarterly board meetings
• Annual strategic planning retreats
• 6-8 weeks vacation per year
• Real wealth — generational wealth
• Full control over the company's future
The prize: $10-25M/year in dividends for as long as the company runs. $100-250M+ over 10 years.
At year 10, strategic buyers (large national roofing companies, PE roll-up platforms, Home Depot/Lowes acquisition arms) will value a $125M revenue company at $150-400M depending on margin and growth rate.
What this looks like:
• Sale process runs 6-12 months
• Investment bankers manage it
• Multiple bidders
• Earn-out structures common
• You stay 2-3 years post-sale
• Both co-founders walk away with $75-200M cash
The prize: Life-changing wealth in a single moment. Complete freedom. New chapter begins.
This rule stands forever. Every market we operate in must be drivable from an existing market. We don't expand to Texas, Florida, or California. Not now, not ever. We're a Midwest regional powerhouse. That's the identity. Violating this rule is how companies blow up at year 5-7.
$600/sq floor stays forever. When we scale, we don't drop pricing to compete. We build the brand higher. If a competitor undercuts us, we let them. They'll go bankrupt in 18 months when their CPL rises and their margins compress. We'll still be here.
We built the company on owned crews. The installation experience IS the product. Subcontractors can't deliver the same quality. As we grow, we never shift back to a sub-heavy model for cost savings. We take a 5% margin hit rather than lose installation quality.
This company was built by two people. Both have veto power on major decisions forever. No outside investor gets majority control unless both co-founders agree. No acquisition, no partnership, no strategic deal happens without both signing off. Equal partners. Always.
Ten years from the day you launched Indianapolis, you and your wife walk into the TriGuard Roofing HQ building you bought and renovated in Carmel, IN. You check in with your CEO. You review the quarterly numbers — $150M revenue, $28M net profit. You take the afternoon off to go to your kid's soccer game. You approve the quarterly dividend to your family trust. You sign off on the 4th acquisition of the year — a $12M competitor in Indianapolis you've been eyeing for 18 months.
You built a company that lets you live your life. That employs 250+ people across the Midwest. That handles 5,000+ roofing jobs per year. That your kids could run someday if they want to. That you never have to sell unless you want to.
That's the dream. That's what we're building. Every daily to-do list, every install, every review, every referral — it's all pointing toward that moment.
Live calculators — slide the inputs to see the outputs update in real-time. Play with them. Understand the math. Make confident decisions.
Revenue simulator: Start with your current team. Add one closer and watch monthly revenue jump by $100-200k. Use this to plan hiring. Ad spend → revenue: Find the point where your ROAS stays above 15× even as spend increases. That's your scaling budget. Job profitability: See exactly how much you make per job at different price points. Shows why 3-tier pricing matters — the "Better" tier often has 2× the net profit of the "Good" tier. Path to $1M: Realistic planning tool. At 20% monthly growth starting from $100k, you hit $1M/month in 13 months. At 15% growth, 17 months.
Every hire tied to an exact revenue trigger. No ego hires. No premature scaling. No stalling growth by refusing to hire when the trigger hits.
| Revenue trigger | Who to hire | Why now | Comp range | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0-100k/mo | Nobody. You + co-founder wife only. | Can't afford overhead. Every dollar is profit. You close, she runs ops. | $0 (all profit) | Stage 1 |
| $100k/mo | First closer | You're maxed at 3 appts/day. Losing deals to poor follow-up. | 10% commission ($8-12k/mo) | Stage 2 |
| $150k/mo | Call center rep #1 | Wife can't answer every lead + run all ops simultaneously. | $3-4k/mo base + booking bonuses | Stage 2 |
| $200k/mo | 2nd closer | More appointments than 2 closers can handle. Pipeline overflowing. | 10% commission | Stage 2 |
| $300k/mo | Production manager + 3rd closer | 15+ jobs/week, scheduling consuming 20+ hrs/wk of your time. | PM: $65-85k + bonus. Closer: 10% | Stage 2-3 |
| $500k/mo | Sales team lead + D2D pod (3 setters + 1 closer) | 5+ closers need a management layer. Ready to add outbound pipeline. | TL: $1,500/mo + 8% + 2% override. D2D per schedule. | Stage 3 |
| $750k/mo | Sales manager + office admin | You can't manage reps AND build the company. Admin overload. | SM: $5-7k/mo + 3% override. Admin: $45-55k | Stage 3 |
| $1M/mo | FINANCIAL DIRECTOR | Cash flow across crews, markets, and upcoming acquisitions. Banking relationships. Deal financing. | $100-140k base + bonus | Stage 4 |
| $1.5M/mo | Regional ops manager (Indiana) | You need to focus on expansion, not daily Indiana ops. | $80-100k + performance bonus | Stage 4 |
| $2M/mo consistent | CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER | Owns all sales + marketing across all markets. Frees you for strategy + deals. | $150-200k + 1-2% total rev override | Stage 5 |
| $3M+/mo | COO consideration | Operations across 6-10 markets needs a dedicated executive. | $175-250k + equity/profit share | Stage 5 |
Why now: At $1M/month you're managing cash flow across 5-8 crews, 8+ closers, multiple ad channels, supplier AP, subcontractor payments, and possibly your first acquisition closing soon. Intuitive cash management breaks down.
What they own:
• Daily/weekly/monthly cash position
• P&L by market, by crew, by channel
• 13-week rolling cash forecast
• Deal financing (SBA, seller notes, bridge loans)
• Banking relationships (lines of credit, working capital)
• AR/AP management
• Insurance renewals
• Tax strategy with your CPA
• Acquisition diligence (financials review)
Profile: Former controller or CFO at a $10-50M home services company. NOT a pure accountant — someone who has scaled a real business and understands operations.
Comp: $100-140k base + $20-40k annual bonus tied to cash flow improvement, margin improvement, or successful acquisition integrations.
Reports to: You (CEO)
Why now: "Consistent" means 3+ months of $2M+ revenue. At this scale, you're operating in 3-6 markets. You can't personally manage sales strategy, marketing optimization, and channel management across all of them. You're also doing deals which requires full attention.
What they own:
• All sales teams across all markets
• All marketing budget + channel management
• Close rate targets by market
• Rep recruiting + training
• Sales manager development
• Pricing strategy
• Revenue forecasting
• Campaign performance
• Agency relationships
• Customer acquisition cost targets
Profile: Former VP Sales or CRO at a $25-100M home services company. Has scaled sales teams from <10 to 50+ reps. Data-driven. Understands commission culture.
Comp: $150-200k base + 1-2% total revenue override + $10-25k quarterly bonuses tied to revenue milestones + potential equity grant (0.5-2%) over 4-year vest.
Reports to: You (CEO)
Every founder is tempted to hire executives early thinking it will accelerate growth. It won't. A Financial Director at $300k/month is overhead you can't justify. A CRO at $800k/month has nothing to manage. They'll sit around waiting for the company to catch up, burn cash, and get frustrated. Worse: they'll take roles that should be yours (strategy, vision, deals) and you'll become their employee. Wait for the trigger. Hit the trigger. Then hire. In that order.
The rules, ratios, and rhythms that protect your business from the #1 killer of roofing companies — cash flow death.
At signing: 33% deposit minimum. No exceptions. Ever. If a customer can't or won't pay 33% at signing, they're not a customer — they're a tire kicker.
At materials delivery: 33% progress payment (for jobs over $15k).
At completion: Final 34% upon QC sign-off and customer walk-through.
Financing jobs: Funded by lender 24-48 hours after completion is reported. You collect deposit upfront same as any other job.
Insurance jobs: Assignment of Benefits (AOB) or Direction to Pay signed at contract. Supplement every job — the average adjuster misses $1,500-3,000 of legitimate line items. Learn Xactimate.
Never: Finance your customer's project with your own working capital. Never "we'll collect when we collect." Never "I'll bill you next week." Money comes in on schedule or the job doesn't run.
Week 1 (job signed):
+$3,300 deposit (33% of $10k job)
Week 2 (materials ordered):
-$2,800 materials (paid COD or net-30)
Week 3 (install day):
-$1,800 sub crew (paid week after QC passes)
Week 3-4 (final payment):
+$6,700 final (customer or lender)
Net per job: $5,400 collected, $4,600 paid out = $800 net cash in Week 1-4 timeline.
Key insight: The 33% deposit MUST cover material cost. That's why 33% is the minimum. At less than 33%, you're financing the materials yourself, which kills cash flow at scale.
At 25 jobs/month: You need ~$115k in working capital to cover timing gaps. At 100 jobs/month: ~$400k.
Gross margin: 40-50% (stage dependent)
Net margin: 15-25%
Cash conversion cycle: <21 days
Ad spend: <10% of revenue
Total sales comp: 10-12% of revenue
Overhead: <15% of revenue
AR over 30 days: <5% of total AR
Monthly fixed costs: $5-10k
• Insurance: $800-1,200
• Software stack: $500-800
• Phone/communications: $200-400
• Vehicle: $500-900
• Minimum ad spend: $3-5k
• Miscellaneous: $500-1,000
Variable cost per job: ~60% of revenue
Contribution margin: 40% × $10k = $4,000/job
Break-even: 2-3 jobs/month
Everything above 3 jobs is pure upside.
Never spend more on ads than last month's deposits collected.
Max 25% budget increase per week to avoid CPL inflation.
10× ROAS minimum for any new channel (Phase 1-2).
5× ROAS acceptable for scaled channels (Phase 3+).
Kill rules: Any channel > $20 CPL for 7+ days gets paused. Any creative with < 1% CTR for 3 days gets replaced.
Test budget: 10% of monthly ad spend always allocated to testing new channels, creative, or audiences.
You're not collecting fast enough. Either your terms are too loose, your invoicing is slow, or your crew is finishing jobs without proper completion documentation. Fix: weekly AR aging review. Call every overdue account personally. Tighten terms on new contracts.
Either material costs spiked (negotiate with suppliers or switch brands), sub crew rates crept up (renegotiate or switch crews), or you're discounting too much (train the team on financing instead of discounts).
Red alert. Stop all non-essential spending. Slow new sales until production catches up and collects. Call your bank about a line of credit before you need it. Never run a roofing business with less than 30 days of overhead in the bank.
Either your ads are getting stale (refresh creative), your market is getting saturated (expand to a new metro), or a competitor is bidding against you (shift to LSA or long-tail keywords). Don't just throw more money at rising CPL — diagnose the cause.
The 8 KPIs that drive everything. Track these religiously. Ignore everything else until these are green.
By channel: Google, LSA, Meta, D2D, referral. Track CPL for each. Kill underperformers.
% of leads contacted within 5 minutes. Below 60% = broken process.
% of qualified leads that book. Below 25% = weak script or wrong audience.
% of booked appointments where both decision-makers show. Below 60% = confirmation sequence broken.
% of sits that close same-day. Below 20% = presentation or financing issue.
% of closes with 33%+ deposit collected same day. No exceptions.
Total contract value signed today. Stage-dependent.
Actual dollars deposited today. Signed revenue is a promise. Collected cash is real.
Active booked appointments: ≥ 2× weekly close target
Pipeline velocity: Average time from lead to close. Target: <14 days
Lost deal analysis: Why did we lose? Price, timing, company, spouse? Track top reason weekly.
Jobs completed: On target vs revenue goal
Backlog: Weeks of sold jobs not yet installed. Target: 1-2 weeks. >3 weeks = problem.
Callback rate: <5%
QC pass rate: >95%
On-time completion: >85%
Gross margin trend: 40%+ minimum
AR aging: >30 days should be <5% of total
Cash on hand: ≥ 30 days of fixed overhead
Ad ROAS by channel: 10×+ minimum Stage 1-2, 5×+ Stage 3+
Total revenue: vs target
Month-over-month growth: Target 20%+ Phase 1-2, 10%+ Phase 3+
Revenue per rep: Should be $100k+/mo for closers
Avg deal size: Trending up or flat (never down)
Gross profit: 40%+ of revenue
Net profit: 15-25% of revenue
Contribution margin per channel: Which channels actually make money after ad costs?
Customer acquisition cost (CAC): Blended and by channel
Google reviews added: Target 15+ per month by end of Stage 1
Referral rate: % of new leads from referrals. Target: 20%+ by month 6
Repeat customer rate: Roof-over-roof not common but related services (gutters, siding) are
Team growth: Hires vs plan
If you only track 8 things, track these: CPL (cost per lead), Contact rate (% within 5 min), Book rate (% of qualified that book), Show rate (% that actually show), Close rate (% of sits that buy), Avg deal size, Gross margin, and Cash collected. Every other metric derives from these 8. Master these, and everything else takes care of itself. These 8 are your north star dashboard.