Repairs are the jobs that feel easy and quietly lose money. The homeowner sees a missing shingle and an hour on the roof. You see loading the truck, driving across town, setting up ladders, finding the actual leak, a trip to the supply house for the one flashing piece you didn't have, cleanup, and the drive back. Price only the hour on the roof and you're working for free.
Repairs are still worth doing. They fill gaps in the schedule, they turn into replacements down the road, and happy repair customers send referrals. They just need to be priced on purpose.
1. Set a minimum job charge and stick to it
A minimum job charge is the least you'll charge for any trip to a roof, no matter how small the fix. It covers the part of every repair the homeowner never sees: travel, setup, safety, and the time you're not available for other work.
A simple way to set it: work out what a half day of your crew costs you, including labor, truck and insurance, add your margin, and use that as the floor. Some roofers use a full hour of crew time plus travel instead. The exact number depends on your market; the point is that every repair starts from a number that pays for the visit.
Tip: Say the minimum out loud when you book the visit: "Our repairs start at $X, and I'll give you the exact price once I've seen it." Homeowners who only want a free look are filtered out before you drive there.
2. Count all the time, not just roof time
When you price a repair by time, count the whole job:
- Drive time there and back
- Loading, ladders, harnesses and setup
- Finding the real source of the leak, which is often not where the stain is
- The fix itself
- Supply runs for parts you didn't have on the truck
- Cleanup, photos and the walk-through with the homeowner
Track a few repairs honestly from leaving the yard to getting back. Most roofers are surprised how much of the day a "quick" repair takes, and that tells you whether your minimum is right.
3. Price materials with a markup
Repair materials are small amounts, so it's tempting to throw them in. Don't. Shingles, flashing, sealant, pipe boots and nails all cost money, and so does keeping them stocked on the truck. Price materials at your cost plus a markup that covers the stocking and the trips to buy them.
Keep a short list of your common repair parts with a set price for each, so every quote is consistent and you're not looking up prices in the driveway.
4. Adjust for access and steepness
The same repair costs more on a steep two-story roof than on a low ranch. Build that in the same way you would on a replacement:
- Steep pitch: extra time and safety setup
- Second or third story: more ladder work and more risk
- Hard access: tight yards, landscaping to protect, no place to set a ladder
- Fragile materials: tile, slate or old brittle shingles take longer and break easily
5. Quote what you can see, and say what you can't
With repairs, the real problem is often hidden until you open it up. Rotted decking under the leak, soft fascia, or a flashing problem that runs further than it looked. Protect yourself and the homeowner with a clear quote:
- Price the repair you can see
- Add a price per sheet for decking, or per foot for fascia, in case you find damage
- Say plainly that anything beyond that is quoted before you do it
Then, if you find more, stop, show the homeowner a photo, and get their OK in writing before you fix it. That one habit prevents most repair-bill arguments.
6. Know when a repair isn't the answer
Sometimes the honest answer is that the roof is past repairing: brittle shingles, widespread granule loss, or leaks in several places. Patching a worn-out roof leads to callbacks, and callbacks on a repair you priced tightly lose money twice. Tell the homeowner what you see, give them the repair price if they still want it, and offer a replacement estimate alongside it. Many will appreciate the honesty, and some will come back for the new roof.
7. Get paid when you finish
Repairs are small enough that waiting weeks for payment makes no sense. Send the invoice the same day, ideally before you leave the driveway, with an easy way to pay by card. Collecting on the spot keeps small jobs from turning into small collections problems.
Make it automatic
Ridgewise has a minimum job charge built into your rates, so a small repair bid never comes in under the floor you set. Add your repair line items, attach inspection photos so the homeowner sees what you found, and send the estimate from the driveway. If you find more once the work starts, send a change order the homeowner approves and signs on their phone, and the invoice can go out the day you finish with a Pay by card button.