Looking for Advise

I'm looking for some good advice. I'm looking to get into the commercial roofing field and looking for the following:

1. The best estimating software on the market for commercial roofing 2. Marketing software 3. Estimating Classes 4. Roofing Classes so that I can learn more about roofing and get my roofing license in NC. 5.. Any any other information that could benefit me.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you, Michele 704-903-8294 micheleweaver@charter.net

Thanks for all the good advise. i really appreciate everything.

If you're main goal is to get into gov work, then you should be able to somewhere find a public history of projects like you intend on bidding on. You should analyze the bids, even the losing bids and see where the bulk of them came out at. If they still have bid-openings where they sit around a table and open the bids, go to them. It's been a long time since I was in that market, so things could have changed. Go to a few, listen to what the other bidders say to each other. Pick a project like one you would be interested and work up a bid. Don't submit it, just compare it to what the other bids are at the opening and see how you came out.

Is the advantage of being a woman or minority contractor a certain percentage of the bid adjusted to your favor or is it a dictate that a certain percentage of the project go to the minority contractor? The answer to that would greatly determine who your marketing plan is targeted to.

What you are planning to do can be done if you put your mind and energy into it. One piece of advise. If you are going to be going up on roofs to measure, etc. make sure that you have a good disability insurance policy in place. Climbing up ladders and around on roofs is a very dangerous activity and it only takes a split second for an accident to happen. I am on roofs constantly and there are times where my adrenaline level gets quite high while in the process of measuring roofs. Getting back on a ladder is probably the most hazardous part of the process. Always be aware. One false move can destroy all of your plans. You should also be carrying a good health insurance and life insurance policy. Best of luck to you.

I'm not trying to discourage you but roofing is one of the toughest businesses to run.The hardest part is finding quality , honest , easy to get along,dependable loyal craftsmen.90% of the people you'll meet in this line of work will be some of the biggest idiots you've ever met (that's not a reflection on the roofers that participate in this forum).The question you need to ask yourself is ;do you have it in you to deal with this kind of people? If the answer is yes then go for it.

I like your plan, in general.

Sorry i've been so vague..It wasn't intentional. And I agree with you on the some of the real estate agents. I haven't sold real estate for over 10 years but keep my license active. My husband says that they are worse then used car salesman.

As for why etc.... Money, Money, Money. I've been married to one of you "bleepin" roofers for the past 16 years and have been around roofers ever since. He has a small commercial roofing company in NC and of course you all know that business has slowed down quite a bit. I have limited actual hands on experience on residential and commercial roofing...but I have been worked on the roof. Just not as much as you guys. (more as lacky or laborer, whatever needed to get done). I know that it's hard work, hell I'm still married to one of you guys....that's even harder. Ha! I've been unemployed for over a 1 1/2 yrs. working odd jobs here and there.

My husband never had to market his business, it was all just word of mouth and that kept him busy before. Now with so many companies out there, we have to figure out a way to get more business. And do a better job on marketing, estimating etc... He also never had a need to get his state license.

I do believe that some of the state licenses out there are for the birds. I belive that nothing replaces actual experience and if you can prove yourself, that is what should matter. But the relization is..I'll get my roofing license by reading and studying books. I have no formal schooling..actually I just have an high school education. I have to make my own opportunities because no one is banging on my door to hire me. And thanks to you guys out there that are being a little negative...because everytime someone tells me that I can't or it can't be done. I just pull my boot straps up along with my bra straps and prove them wrong.

I want to open my own company, get my state license and concentrate on getting government contracts and residential work. A women owned business, you have to do what you have to do, sorry guys. He does very little residential work. My plan is to start slow, I have a residential crew that I will initially subcontract and hopefully employ full time in the future. And just continue to grow... I will go out and meet the client, measure the roofs, estimate and then be there for the guys if they need anything. But you are right...I have to find a good right hand man (or women)for the installation side of it. If I needed to, I could tear off and install new roof on a residential job...(but I'm not saying it wouldn't leak) Ha! I'm just trying to learn everything I can in a short amount of time and trying to find out information so that I don't make mistakes. I will learn more when I get jobs and actually physically work on them.

I appreciate all the advise and keep it coming. It really helps to hear other opinions.

I hope everybody has a good day...thanks and I'll be talking to you soon. Michele

Yeah, but she's looking to get licensed and asking questions about marketing. She could be truly great, truly noble, truly audacious, and truly gifted. She may proceed and make most of the rest of us look like two-bit rubes. I hope she does. I'm going to go out on a limb, though, and state that most...please remember I did not say all... people in real estate sales and management are interested in the shallowest of fixes. They have usually sold their souls to Mammon. Pending some kind of revelation or commitment which yet appears to be lacking, no rose petals, please.

I sort of get the picture a little better after re-reading the thread. A real estate development professional entering the commercial roofing industry makes a lot of sense. Allows for in house appraisal of all exterior issues etc, as well as, assuming that most properties on the recent market have theoretically been left unattended, a direct control over work issues etc. I don't think she needs to get the first degree from us as if she's a competitor, she's no different than most of us when it comes to asking business related questions.

Your limited knowledge of commercial roofing leaves me curious as to why you have chosen to enter the afray. Choosing to be so reticent in giving up any info like what you know or not, why? where? what resources do you have? would you employ subs? would you open your own shop? would you over see your employees? (being a woman) Hire a shop foreman? How etc.......tends to leave the advisee scratching his/her head because most of us could spend at least a week trying to cover everything you need to know. All I have to give is this. Because you know nothing you will have to hire someone who knows everything. You better trust them.

Hire the best semi-retired roofing contractor that you can find....buy a big pair of hip boots, and turn down your hearing aid. Roofing had never been "book learnt".....there's nothing to teach you how to work yourself around a steeple valley to pull slate and set staging or to remember to bring everything that you might need to do your days work, up a 60 foot ladder, except for lots of experience. It's like asking for the best software for selling and keeping track of a heart surgery business...you need to know all about the heart first.

I find that I have learned the biggest lessons and found the best associates working next to me in an emergency roof repair in the middle of a rain storm. Loyalty is earned...not bought.

What Jed said

Sorry I haven't replied...Computer problems.

I'm planning on doing this slowly. My background is real estate on the development side. What would your advise be?

Thanks

.....and what is your background?

When do you plan on doing this?