By Jennifer Cleland

When you're trying to win a roofing job, you might assume it comes down to price. Maybe relationships. Maybe being first to respond. But a new survey of 292 U.S. homeowners who hired a roofing contractor in the past two years tells a different story — one that every roofer should read closely.

A 2026 Homeowner Study, conducted by Roofr, asked homeowners to rank what actually matters when they're evaluating and selecting a roofer. Here's what they said.

1. Transparent pricing beats everything.

When homeowners were asked which factors mattered most when reaching out to roofers, transparent pricing and detailed estimates came out on top, ranked in the top three by 59% of respondents. Not the cheapest price. Not the friendliest rep. Transparent pricing.

This distinction matters. Homeowners aren't looking for the lowest number on a page; they want to understand what they're paying for. A detailed, clearly itemized estimate that explains costs, materials, and scope of work signals professionalism and builds confidence before a single shingle is touched.

2. Your proposal is your first impression. Make it count.

The survey asked homeowners what factors most influenced their trust in a roofer, and what rose to the top might surprise you: professional proposals and estimates. Two-thirds of homeowners (66%) ranked a professional proposal in their top three trust factors, more than online reviews, more than licenses and certifications, more than personal connection.

And when it came to the final hiring decision, professional proposals ranked #1 again, cited as a top consideration by 45% of homeowners.

Think about what that means in practice. Before a homeowner decides whether to trust you enough to let you touch their home, they're forming a judgment based on the professionalism of your estimate. A handwritten quote on a notepad isn't just less convenient… it could be costing you jobs.

3. Inspections aren't optional.

Here's a number that should be on every roofer's radar: 74% of homeowners said they would not hire a roofer without having an inspection done first. Not 40%. Not 50%. Three-quarters.

An inspection before the quote isn't just good practice: it's a deal-breaker for most of your potential customers. Roofers who assess the roof thoroughly before presenting a proposal are signaling to homeowners that they take the work seriously and have nothing to hide.

4. Communication matters more than price.

If you've ever lost a job to a competitor who charged more than you, this data point might explain why. Three-quarters of homeowners (74%) agreed that responsiveness and communication were more important to them than the price of the project.

Let that sink in. Homeowners will pay more for a roofer who communicates well. That means responding quickly, following up consistently, and keeping the homeowner informed at every stage. Slow to reply? Forgotten. Communicative and organized? You're in the running.

The survey also found that availability and timeline ranked in the top three factors for 51% of homeowners when reaching out. Being available and giving a clear timeline aren't nice-to-haves; they're part of what separates the roofers who get hired from those who don't.

5. Online reviews are table stakes.

Nearly half of homeowners (49%) ranked positive reviews and online presence in their top three outreach factors. And when it comes to trust, online reviews were cited in the top three by 48% of respondents.

That puts reviews neck-and-neck with licenses and certifications, and ahead of personal referrals, in terms of what homeowners use to evaluate whether a roofer is trustworthy. For many homeowners, especially younger ones, your online reputation is your reputation, full stop.

What these numbers mean for your business.

The takeaway from this data isn't that any single one of these factors is a magic bullet. It's that homeowners are evaluating roofers on a combination of signals that all point to the same thing: professionalism.

Transparent pricing, polished proposals, thorough inspections, reliable communication, strong reviews; these aren't flashy competitive advantages. They're the baseline that modern homeowners expect. The roofers who get them right aren't just winning more jobs; they're building the kind of reputation that makes future jobs easier to win too.

If you’re interested in learning more, download the full report.