How to get more online reviews for a roofing company?

Why don't roofers get more reviews?

Because they don't ask, or they ask badly. Most roofers do good work and then disappear. The crew packs up, the invoice goes out and nobody says "would you mind leaving us a review?" Customers who would happily vouch for you never get the nudge. Reviews don't show up by accident. You need a system.

Your reviews sit right next to your name on map listings and review platforms. A homeowner with a damaged roof is comparing three or four contractors on their phone. The one with a steady stream of recent, detailed reviews looks like the safe bet. That's you, if you build the habit.

When is the best time to ask for a review?

Ask when the customer is happiest and the job is fresh. For most roofing jobs that's the day the crew finishes and the yard is clean, or right after the final walkthrough. For insurance jobs, it can also be the moment the claim gets approved. Waiting weeks means they've moved on and forgotten how relieved they felt.

The best ask is in person. Your project manager or crew lead says it face to face: "We'd really appreciate a quick review. I'll text you the link right now." Then actually send it before leaving the driveway.

Make it stupid easy with a direct link

If a customer has to search for your business, find the listing, scroll and hunt for the review button, you've lost them. Use a direct link that opens the review form for your listing. Most review platforms give you one from your business dashboard. Put it everywhere:

• The text you send after the job
• Your invoice and final paperwork
• Your email signature
• A QR code on a leave-behind card

Keep the message short. Their name, a thank you, one sentence asking for the review and the link. That's it.

Follow up, but don't nag

People mean to leave a review and then dinner happens. A friendly follow-up text a few days later catches a lot of them. A second, final reminder about a week after that is fine. Stop there. Two follow-ups is a reminder. Five is harassment, and it can sour a happy customer.

Automate this. Hook the request to your CRM so it fires when a job is marked complete, and stops the second they leave a review. Then nobody on your team has to remember.

Respond to every review

Good reviews deserve a thank you. Mention the job if you can: "Thanks for trusting us with your roof. Glad the new roof held up through that storm." It shows real people run the company, and future customers read those replies.

Bad reviews deserve a calm, fast, short reply. Thank them, own what you got wrong, offer to fix it and move the conversation offline. Don't argue in public. The homeowner reading it isn't judging the complaint. They're judging how you handle it.

Stay inside the rules

This is where roofers get burned. In 2024 the U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced a final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials. It lets the FTC seek civil penalties against knowing violators. Among other things, it bans:

• Buying or writing fake reviews, including AI-generated ones
• Incentives tied to a review being positive or negative
• Using threats or intimidation to stop or remove a negative review
• Insider reviews from employees or family without clearly disclosing the connection

The FTC's guide for marketers on soliciting reviews also says not to ask only the customers you think will leave positive reviews. That practice is called review gating. Ask everybody the same way.

Review platforms have their own rules on top of that, and some are stricter. The FTC guide notes that some platforms prohibit reviews from people with personal or financial connections to the seller. Read the rules for each platform you care about. And never flag honest negative reviews just to get rid of them.

Bottom line: no gift cards for reviews, no "five stars gets you a discount," no family pretending to be customers, no screening out the unhappy ones. It's not worth your listing or your name.

Frequently asked questions

Can I offer a discount or gift card for a review?

Don't. The FTC says you can't tie an incentive to a positive review, and some review platforms ban incentivized reviews entirely, even with a disclosure. Check each platform's rules. The safe play is simple: do great work and ask every customer.

Should I only ask happy customers for reviews?

No. Asking only the customers you expect to be happy is called review gating, and the FTC tells businesses not to do it. Ask every customer the same way. If someone is unhappy, call them and fix it, but don't screen them out of the request.

Can my employees or family leave reviews?

Not without clearly disclosing the connection, according to the FTC, and some review platforms don't allow them at all. Reviews should come from real customers who actually hired you.

How should I respond to a bad review?

Respond fast, stay calm and keep it short. Thank them, own anything you got wrong, offer to fix it and take the details offline. Never threaten legal action to get a review removed. Future customers judge you more on the reply than the complaint.

Related answers

• How do roofing companies get more leads?
• How to follow up with roofing leads
• Storm damage marketing for roofers

Sources

1. Federal Trade Commission: Federal Trade Commission Announces Final Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials
2. Federal Trade Commission: Soliciting and Paying for Online Reviews: A Guide for Marketers