Predictions are hardly my thing. Anyone who knows me understands that I’d prefer to ask the questions and spark an exchange of ideas rather than provide the answers. Yet this time of year seems like the logical opportunity to set a few benchmarks for what the year ahead will hold for the roofing industry.

Here’s a few bold predictions for roofing in 2026 to get the conversation rolling.

Speeding Up

High-quality roof installations and stellar customer care are two key components for success in today’s roofing marketplace. Yet, there’s increasing evidence that a speed-to-lead mentality will produce better results now and into the roofing industry’s future.

While word-of-mouth recommendations still represent the overwhelming majority of lead pipelines for roofing jobs, search engines accounted for half of how all homeowners found roofing companies in our 2025 Homeowner Survey. Another 11% said they relied on AI. Together, those two numbers were consistent with last year’s survey results for online searches (AI was not a selection option).

Not only are homeowners looking for quicker search results, but they’re expecting even quicker responses. Last year, 91% of homeowners said they expected callbacks on the same day (27%) or within a day or two. That increased to 95% this year, with over one-third (39%) expecting same-day contact.

Cracks in the PE Bubble

Many roofing contractors have benefited from the influx of capital investment by private equity (PE) in recent years. Many also urged caution, as the roofing industry lived through an era of consolidation and company roll-ups roughly a quarter-century ago. There are now signs validating such caution. The overnight shuttering of a 70-year-old home-improvement company in Minnesota after its parent company’s (Renovo Home Partners) bankruptcy in the fall called attention to the huge vulnerabilities inside roofing and remodeling platforms fueled by PE. It’s hard to imagine their implosion is an isolated incident and could be just the beginning of some PE fallout.

Peer-to-Peer Professionalism

While some may be sweating over the influence PE has demonstrated in the roofing industry in such a short time, there seems to be an overall benefit — aside from all that cash!

Along with capital investment and the interest and attention PE brought to the roofing industry, it also created an environment for roofers to level up. More companies are rebranding, evaluating their internal company culture, and using their data to maximize efficiency and profits.

That type of professionalism was hardly the norm before and was only demonstrated by a select few companies at the top. That’s changing and will keep more roofing companies competitive in the M&A space, while improving the professionalism perception roofers face every day.   

Tightening Grip

The past year ushered in a new era of enforcement when it came to immigration and workplace scrutiny that the roofing industry could not escape. Roofing contractors were targeted at job sites, offices, community events and even freeway interchanges as certain municipalities assisted ICE agents in operations around the country. All signs point to enforcement efforts ramping up in the new year. Adding to that will be changes to several visa programs that roofers have come to depend on to meet both seasonal and longer-term workforce needs.  

High-Tech Partnerships

Technology continues to influence the roofing industry in big ways, with new CRM tools and features popping up virtually every quarter. But the new frontier — powered by AI — will disrupt and revolutionize roofing industry operations for years to come as new modeling tools, data mining capabilities, and lead generation tactics take center stage. The key factor moving forward will be the partnerships we’re already witnessing between software developers and distributors to offer seamless integration with roofing contractors.

Got your predictions for 2026 and beyond? Please share them in the comments section below or on our social channels.