EPISODE SUMMARY

Most roofers think they need more leads.

In reality, most have a foundation problem.

In this episode, Dave Sullivan explains why missed calls, weak follow-up, messy books, and lack of planning are the real reasons roofing companies struggle — and why buying more leads only makes the problem worse.

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Roofers are obsessed with leads.

But more leads won’t fix a broken business.

If your roofing company feels busy but broke, the problem usually isn’t marketing — it’s systems, sales process, job costing, and financial clarity.

In this solo episode, Dave Sullivan walks through his Roofing Business Success Audit and One-Page Business Plan, and explains why every contractor must master the fundamentals before trying to scale.

Dave breaks down:

Why most roofing companies aren’t ready for growth

How to improve results by raising your close rate

Why missed calls and poor follow-up quietly kill profits

The Three-Legged Stool: Sell Work / Do Work / Keep Score

Why messy books force CPAs to file extensions

How bad job costing destroys pricing and margins

Why top-line revenue is vanity and profit is reality

If you want a business that actually makes money — not just looks busy — this episode is your reality check.

YOU’LL LEARN

Why more leads won’t solve your problems

How to close more deals without spending more on ads

Why sales process matters more than marketing

How job costing affects your pricing

Why QuickBooks out-of-the-box doesn’t work for contractors

How to use financial statements to make decisions

Why planning beats reacting

How to use the Roofing Business Audit as a diagnostic tool

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Sponsor: Ruby Receptionists

01:25 – Busy but broke: the real problem

04:16 – Why leads aren’t the issue

05:46 – Close rate and sales fundamentals

08:05 – Back to basics (golf analogy)

09:05 – The business checkup mindset

09:49 – Sponsor: ProLine CRM

11:00 – Sell Work: sales process and follow-up

14:20 – Do Work: production and job costing

15:23 – Keep Score: financials and reports

17:06 – Why QuickBooks isn’t set up for contractors

18:09 – Bookkeeping cleanup and Tisha

19:20 – Workers’ comp and miscategorized job costs

21:25 – Sponsor: SMA Support

22:19 – Why business plans matter

23:46 – Why scaling without profit fails

26:21 – Scott Tebay story on success

27:43 – John DeLorian and annual planning

29:36 – Mike Tyson quote: planning vs reacting

32:02 – Download the Audit and Plan

33:02 – Tax season warning: extensions

34:05 – Final takeaways and contact info

RESOURCES

The Roofer Coach

https://theroofercoach.com

Free 1-Page Business Plan

https://theroofercoach.com/plan

2026 Roofing Business Success Audit

https://theroofercoach.com/resources/

LINKS

Work with Dave / Mentoring

https://theroofercoach.com/mentoring/

Free Resources

https://theroofercoach.com/resources/

Text Dave

(510) 612-1450

Free Strategy Call

https://davesullivan.as.me/free-strategy-call

TRUSTED & VETTED SPONSORS

Ruby Receptionists

US-based professionals who answer your phones live and tee up the sale

Get $150 off → https://theroofercoach.com/ruby

ProLine

Automated follow-up, texts, emails, and CRM for roofers

50% off first month with code DAVE50 → https://useproline.com

SMA Support

Roofing-specific virtual assistants

https://smasupport.us