What to say when you call a roofing lead back

Say who you are, why you're calling, ask three questions and offer two times for an inspection. That's the whole call. It should take about three minutes, and it should end with a date on the calendar.

The goal of the first call isn't to sell a roof. You can't, and you shouldn't try. The goal is to get out to the house before the next roofer does.

The opening

"Hi, is this Maria? This is Dan with [Your company]. You filled in the form on our website about your roof a few minutes ago, so I wanted to call you straight back. Is now an OK time for two minutes?"

Three things are doing the work there. Your name and company, so it's not a mystery call. The reason, so they remember asking. And the permission question, which makes people relax. If it's a bad time, ask when's better and call then.

Three questions

• "What's going on with the roof?" Let them talk. Hail, wind, a missing shingle, a stain on the ceiling, an old roof they're worried about. You'll hear what kind of job it is.
• "Is any water coming in right now?" If yes, this is the urgent one. Get there today or tell them honestly when you can, and what to do in the meantime.
• "Have you talked to your insurance company yet?" It tells you whether you're looking at a claim job, and it tells them you know how this works.

Confirm the address before you hang up. It sounds obvious. It's also the detail that gets written down wrong.

Book it

"I'd like to come out and take a proper look. I can do tomorrow at 9 or Thursday at 2. Which works better?"

Two real times beat "when's good for you?" every time. An open question makes the homeowner do the work. Two choices make it easy to say yes. Then send a text straight after with the day, time and your name, so it's in their phone.

If they don't pick up

Keep the voicemail under twenty seconds:

"Hi Maria, it's Dan with [Your company], calling back about the roof request you sent us. I'll send you a text too. You can reply there or call me on this number. Thanks."

Then text, if they agreed to texts on your form:

"Hi Maria, Dan from [Your company]. Just tried you about your roof. I can come take a look tomorrow at 9 or Thursday at 2. Reply with whichever suits, or a better time."

And keep going. About six tries over two weeks reaches most of the people you'll ever reach.

The four things homeowners always ask

• "Can you give me a ballpark price?" Be straight: "I'd be guessing until I've seen it, and a guess doesn't help you. The inspection is how you get a real number." If your inspections are free, say so.
• "I've already got a couple of quotes." "That's smart on a job this size. I'm happy to be your second opinion. Same two times work?"
• "Can you call me back later?" "Of course. What time? I'll put it in now." Then call at exactly that time.
• "Are you local? Are you licensed?" Answer plainly, and offer to text your license number. After a storm, honest homeowners are rightly wary of strangers. Arizona's attorney general warned in 2025 that fraudulent contractors often knock doors or make unsolicited calls after storms.

What not to say

Skip the pressure. No "this price is only good today," no "your roof could collapse," no inventing a deadline. Homeowners have heard it from the door-knockers. The calm roofer who books a time and turns up on it is the one they remember.

Common questions

What should I say when calling back a roofing lead?

Say your name and company, remind them they asked about their roof, ask if now is a good time, ask three questions (what happened, is water coming in, have they called insurance) and offer two specific inspection times.

Should I give a roofing price over the phone?

No. You'd be guessing, and a guess doesn't help the homeowner. Explain that the inspection is how they get a real number, and offer two times to come out.

What do I say in a roofing voicemail?

Keep it under twenty seconds: your name, your company, that you're calling about their roof request, and that you'll send a text too. Then send the text with two appointment times.

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