When homeowners collect estimates and choose by process of elimination, they usually decide based on material differences, workmanship warranties, and manufacturers’ extended material warranties. Those criteria aren’t wrong to consider — but one of the most important rarely makes it into the decision: how a company’s production team is supported during the project, cared for in peak season, and compensated for their hard work. Trust me, you do not want an overworked, low-morale crew installing the first line of defense protecting your greatest asset.
Unless a company is alert to how rapid growth can drive a wedge between the estimating team and production, its culture will develop tension and internal conflict. When that happens, production takes the hit — poor installations, messy jobsites, and a general lack of care for the company. The crew starts to feel that the owners only care about revenue and growth. Great companies grow fast too, but they recognize the importance of directing resources toward unity and alignment between departments so everyone moves with consistent values toward the same mission.
Here are some of the ways Jobin Roofing protects production:
- We invest in project managers and jobsite support specialists who support crews and prevent delays. At the height of the season, suppliers’ staff are exhausted and turnover is high, which means more errors and damaged product. Rather than wait on fixes and stall our crews, our project managers quarterback our runners and get ahead of issues before they reach the crew. Production stays up, and so does morale.
- We job-plan to maximize productivity. Roofing pays piece rate, so a string of difficult projects in a row drops productivity, morale, and wages. We follow steep, complex older homes with simpler 90s and 2000s homes. My brother Casey and our project managers regularly report on crew morale, which shapes how we line up projects — the result is higher morale and crews that feel cared for.
- We added a required second site visit by our estimating team. The initial estimate is customer-centric — we focus on what each homeowner values. It’s very hard to gather customer information and production information in one visit. So on a second visit we measure plumbing vent sizes, create ventilation diagrams, and note ducting sizes and locations (it’s miserable for a crew to hunt for ducting buried under insulation). Since making this change, we’ve shaved hours per project chasing additional materials, improving efficiency and protecting morale.
- We cross-train. Each role carries unique challenges and perspectives, so we have estimators shadow project managers — and sometimes co-manage one of their own customer’s projects. This helps our estimators understand exactly what information to gather on that second visit to prevent delays once work begins.
When great companies make this a core part of their mission, it shows up in their reviews — customers describe the team’s execution from start to finish. Their estimators sell themselves less and sell the team more, because their confidence is results-based rather than worried about production as a liability. The next time you replace your roof, reconsider the order of importance you use to choose a contractor, and you’ll find true peace of mind. Request a free estimate or call/text 503-523-3449.
