Roofing Leads vs Referrals: Building a Balanced Pipeline

Talk to any successful roofer and they'll say: "Most of my business comes from referrals." They're right — but referrals alone can't grow your business.

Why Referrals Are Great

Highest close rate — 50-70% vs 10-20% for cold leads. Zero cost. Better customers — easier to work with, more likely to refer others.

Why Referrals Aren't Enough

You can't control volume. 5 one month, zero the next. They plateau proportional to your past customer count. Seasonal gaps — referrals slow down with everything else.

The Balanced Pipeline

Referrals (40-50%): The backbone. Nurture with great work and referral bonuses. Targeted direct mail (20-30%): Consistent and controllable. Lead-Spy makes targeting easy. Google/organic (15-20%): High-intent, free once set up. Storm response (10-15%): Bonus revenue on top of baseline.

How to Get More Referrals

Ask explicitly. "We'll send you a $250 gift card for any referral that turns into a job." Make it easy. Text a forwardable link. Follow up 6 months later. Reminds them you exist.

Building Your Pipeline

Start with referrals as your foundation, then add targeted direct mail to fill gaps and scale volume.