By Cotney Consulting Group.

In roofing, hard work alone doesn’t protect profit. Planning does. 

Margins in roofing are rarely lost all at once. They’re chipped away, hour by hour, decision by decision, usually because production wasn’t planned as carefully as the estimate that started the job. 

Most contractors understand the importance of estimating. Time is spent reviewing quantities, pricing labor and evaluating risk. But once the job is sold, production planning often becomes informal. Crews are scheduled, materials are ordered and the job is expected to “come together” in the field. When that happens, the margin is no longer being managed. It’s being hoped for. 

Production planning is where estimates either survive or fail. 

At its simplest, production planning is about turning numbers into reality. It’s deciding how the job will actually be built. That includes sequencing, crew size, access, material flow, safety considerations and timing. When these elements aren’t thought through in advance, crews are forced to make decisions on the roof that should have been made in the office. Those decisions usually cost time, and time is where margins disappear fastest. 

One of the most common planning failures is assuming production will take care of itself. Contractors rely on experienced foremen and skilled crews to “figure it out.” Experience helps, but it can’t overcome poor planning. Even the best crews slow down when materials aren’t staged correctly, access isn’t coordinated or tasks overlap inefficiently. What looks like a labor problem is often a planning problem in disguise. 

Strong production planning starts before the job ever begins. It means reviewing the estimate with operations and asking practical questions. How many people does this job really need? Where will materials be staged? How will the tear-off and installation flow? What happens if the weather interrupts production? These questions don’t change the scope, but they absolutely change how smoothly the job runs. When they’re ignored, crews lose momentum early and recovering that momentum is difficult. 

Scheduling plays a significant role as well. Poor schedules create artificial pressure. Crews are rushed onto jobs before materials arrive or before conditions are ready. They’re pulled off one project to start another, losing efficiency in both places. The calendar looks full, but production suffers. Strong contractors schedule with discipline. They understand that fewer well-planned jobs outperform many poorly planned ones. 

Another margin killer is failing to align production expectations with reality. Estimating may assume steady progress, but the field encounters obstacles that weren’t considered. Limited access. Occupied buildings. Restricted hours. Coordination with other trades. Without a production plan that accounts for those conditions, labor overruns are almost guaranteed. The estimate didn’t fail. The planning did. 

High-performing contractors also use production planning to set expectations. Foremen know what success looks like before the job starts. Daily goals are clear. Sequencing is understood. When everyone knows the plan, work flows. When the plan is vague, everyone works hard but not always effectively. Productivity drops even though effort stays high. 

Production planning also protects margins by reducing rework. When crews understand transitions, details and sequencing ahead of time, mistakes decrease. Less tearing out. Less redoing work. Less arguing over responsibility. These savings don’t always show up on a single line item, but they compound across the job. Over time, they make the difference between hitting the number and missing it. 

Another overlooked benefit of strong production planning is communication. When the plan is clear, problems are easier to spot. Deviations stand out. Project managers can see when production is drifting and intervene early. Without a plan, everything feels reactive. It’s hard to tell whether a job is off track or just having a bad day. That uncertainty delays corrective action and delays are expensive. 

Strong production planning doesn’t mean locking everything in rigidly. Roofing requires flexibility in weather changes. Conditions surprise you. Plans adjust. But a well-planned job can adapt without chaos. A poorly planned job reacts to everything, and reaction always costs more than preparation. 

Contractors who protect margins understand that production is not something that happens after estimating. It’s the continuation of it. The estimate sets the target. Production planning creates the path to hit it. When that path is clear, crews perform better, managers stay ahead of issues and margins are far more predictable. 

In roofing, hard work alone doesn’t protect profit. Planning does. The companies that invest time upfront in production planning don’t just build better jobs. They make jobs that perform closer to the numbers they worked so hard to create. 

And that’s where margins are genuinely protected long before the first square is ever installed. 

By Cotney Consulting Group.

In roofing, success doesn’t come from accurate math alone. It comes from understanding how the work will actually happen. 

Most roofing contractors have experienced it at least once. The estimate looks solid. The numbers check out. The job is sold with confidence. And yet, once production starts, the project struggles. Labor runs long. Crews get frustrated. Change orders pile up. Margins tighten. When leadership looks back, the question is always the same: how did a job with “good numbers” turn into a bad outcome? 

The answer usually isn’t math. It’s context. 

Estimating in roofing is often treated as a numbers exercise. Quantities are measured. Unit costs are applied. Labor hours are calculated. On paper, the estimate makes sense. But roofing jobs don’t live on spreadsheets. They live on rooftops, in weather, around people, equipment, access limitations and real-world constraints that don’t always show up in the takeoff. When those conditions aren’t fully considered, even accurate numbers can lead to poor results. 

One of the most common breakdowns occurs when production assumptions are treated as fixed rather than conditional. An estimator may assume a specific squares-per-day rate based on past performance, but that rate only holds under particular circumstances. Change the building height, access, crew mix, weather exposure or tear-off complexity to change production immediately. The numbers themselves aren’t wrong. The assumptions behind them are incomplete. 

Another issue is scope clarity. A job can be priced correctly and still fail if the scope isn’t clearly defined and communicated. Missing details, vague specifications or assumptions that live only in the estimator’s head create confusion once the job reaches the field. Foremen and project managers end up filling in the gaps on the fly, often making decisions under pressure that drive up cost and risk. When the scope isn’t locked down early, “good numbers” lose their meaning. 

Handoffs also play a significant role. Estimating doesn’t end when the bid is submitted. The transition from estimating to operations is where many jobs start to unravel. If production expectations, sequencing, material constraints or known risks aren’t clearly communicated, the field inherits a job without a roadmap. Crews are forced to adapt rather than execute. Project managers spend their time reacting instead of controlling. The estimate may be accurate, but the execution never aligns with it. 

There’s also the issue of risk recognition. Experienced estimators know that some jobs carry hidden exposure. Uncertain deck conditions. Tight schedules. Aggressive owners. Incomplete drawings. Competing trades. These risks don’t always change quantities, but they absolutely affect cost. When risk isn’t identified, documented and managed upfront, it shows up later as lost productivity or unplanned expense. The numbers didn’t fail. The risk management did. 

Another contributor is the pressure to stay competitive. In tight markets, contractors sometimes convince themselves that a job will “work itself out” because the numbers are close enough. They assume efficiency will improve or issues won’t materialize. Sometimes they’re right. Often they’re not. Jobs priced on optimism rarely perform as planned. Strong contractors price reality, not hope. 

Bad jobs also come from disconnects between departments. Estimating may understand the complexity, but sales may oversimplify it. Operations may not be involved early enough. Leadership may focus on volume instead of fit. Each decision on its own seems reasonable, but together they create a job that’s difficult to manage profitably. The estimate becomes a snapshot, not a strategy. 

High-performing contractors approach estimating differently. They view it as the first phase of project management rather than a separate function. Estimators think through access, sequencing, crew flow and risk — not just quantities and cost. They communicate clearly with operations. They flag concerns rather than bury them. They understand that the goal isn’t just to win the job, but to perform it successfully. 

They also review outcomes. When a job struggles, they don’t just look at labor overruns. They look at why assumptions didn’t hold. They adjust future estimates accordingly. That feedback loop strengthens the estimating process over time and reduces the likelihood of repeating mistakes. Good numbers become better ones when they’re tested against reality. 

In roofing, success doesn’t come from accurate math alone. It comes from understanding how the work will actually happen. Numbers matter, but issues of judgment matter more. Jobs fail when estimates ignore the conditions that crews face once the job begins. 

Good numbers don’t guarantee good jobs. Good thinking does. 

And the contractors who understand that distinction are the ones who consistently protect their margins, their crews and their reputations. 

By Cotney Consulting Group. 

Estimating has never just been about price. At its core, it’s about risk.

Too many roofing companies still treat estimating as a pricing exercise. Measure the roof, apply unit costs, check the math and submit the number. If the job is won, estimating moves on to the next bid, and operations inherit the outcome. That approach may have worked years ago, but in today’s roofing environment, it leaves contractors exposed in ways they don’t always recognize until the job is already in trouble. 

Estimating has never just been about price. At its core, it’s about risk. 

Every roofing project carries risk, whether it’s obvious or hidden. Deck conditions, access limitations, weather exposure, labor availability, coordination with other trades, material lead times, owner expectations and schedule pressure all affect how a job will perform. None of those risks show up clearly in a takeoff. They show up once the work begins. The estimator’s role is to identify those risks early and decide how the company will manage them. 

When estimating focuses only on pricing, risk gets pushed downstream. Project managers are forced to solve problems that could have been anticipated. Supervisors are asked to overcome conditions that weren’t planned for. Margins get eroded not because the estimate was inaccurate, but because it didn’t account for reality. The job becomes reactive instead of controlled. 

Risk-aware estimating starts with asking better questions. How will crews access the roof? Where will materials be staged? What happens if the deck is worse than expected? How much flexibility does the schedule really allow? Who is responsible for temporary protection, coordination and cleanup? These questions don’t always change quantities, but they absolutely change how the job needs to be managed. Ignoring them doesn’t make the risk disappear. It just delays the cost. 

Another overlooked area of risk is assumption management. Every estimate is built on assumptions, whether they’re written down or not. Production rates assume certain conditions. Labor assumptions assume a specific crew mix. Sequencing assumptions assume cooperation from other trades. When those assumptions aren’t clearly identified and communicated, they become points of failure. Estimators may understand them, but if operations don’t, the job starts with a disconnect that’s difficult to recover from. 

Strong contractors treat assumptions as part of the estimate, not something implied. They document them. They communicate them. They review them with operations before the job starts. That transparency allows the project team to protect the estimate rather than accidentally undermine it. 

Risk also shows up in client behavior. Some owners are collaborative. Others are demanding. Some expect flexibility. Others enforce contracts rigidly. Estimators who have been around long enough learn to recognize those patterns. Pricing alone doesn’t address that exposure. Contract language, allowances, contingencies and communication plans all play a role in managing owner-related risk. When estimating ignores this side of the equation, the job may be priced correctly, but handled poorly. 

There’s also internal risk to consider. Stretching crews too thin. Overlapping schedules. Relying on overtime to make numbers work. These are operational risks that estimating can either highlight or overlook. When bids are built without considering capacity and workload, companies win jobs they can’t staff properly. The numbers look fine. The execution doesn’t. 

High-performing contractors approach estimating as the first line of defense. They understand that the estimate sets expectations not just for price, but for how the job will be run. Estimators think like project managers. They consider sequencing, logistics and field realities. They flag risk items instead of burying them. They don’t assume everything will go perfectly, because roofing rarely does. 

This mindset also changes how estimates are reviewed. Leadership doesn’t just ask, “Is this competitive?” They ask, “Is this controllable?” They want to know where the risks are and how the team plans to manage them. That conversation leads to better decisions about which jobs to pursue and which to walk away from. 

When estimating is treated as risk management, companies gain clarity. Operations start with better information. Project managers have fewer surprises. Crews work with clearer direction. Margins become more predictable. The estimate becomes a tool for control, not just a number to win work. 

Roofing will always involve uncertainty. That’s part of the business. But uncertainty doesn’t have to turn into chaos. Estimating is where risk is either acknowledged or ignored. Contractors who understand that distinction stop chasing numbers and start building jobs they can actually manage. 

And in today’s roofing environment, that difference determines who stays profitable and who stays frustrated. 

By The Coffee Shops™. 

Roofing crew leaders can help protect margins by understanding how daily field decisions affect profitability. 

When we start talking about profitability and overhead costs, it can be tempting for field crews and jobsite supervisors to brush it off as something the guys in the office deal with. But in roofing, profitability is not something determined only by the contract and paperwork. It is shaped every day by the decisions made by people with their boots on the ground. This is especially true right now, when unpredictable material costs and tight labor margins require even more precise labor, material, time constraints and quality control.  

Understanding finances in the field 

For crew leaders, financial fluency begins with understanding the difference between direct and indirect costs. Direct costs include labor, materials and equipment rentals tied to a specific project. Indirect costs include office staff salaries, insurance, rent, vehicles, software tools and other business expenses that keep the company running. A job may look profitable in the field, but it still must help cover the overhead that is not always visible from the roof. 

That context matters because average net profits in roofing can range from 3% to 8%, depending on company size and efficiency. When margins are that narrow, wasted labor hours, poor material staging, preventable rework or unclear communication can quickly erode the profit built into a bid. 

How to keep things on track 

Effective crew leaders protect that margin through disciplined jobsite management. Daily huddles and pre-shift walkthroughs help reduce confusion before work begins. Assigning tasks by skill level keeps experienced installers focused on precision rather than cleanup. Staging tools and materials strategically reduce unnecessary movement, while quality control checks throughout the project help prevent costly fixes after inspection. 

Labor-hour awareness is another critical part of the equation. If a project is bid at 1,000 labor hours and the crew finishes in 900, those saved hours can strengthen profitability. If the job runs to 1,100 hours, however, that difference can consume the margin. 

Conclusion 

As roofing companies prepare crew leaders for larger roles, including superintendent positions, financial awareness, digital competence, safety compliance and productivity management are becoming essential leadership skills. Crew leaders are no longer just managing work; they are helping manage profitability. As John Kenney of Cotney Consulting Group puts it, “Crunching the numbers isn't just for accountants anymore — it starts on the roof.” 

By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group. 

Why every roofing contractor needs an operational preparedness plan 

Forty-five years ago, when I entered the roofing industry, running a successful company meant mastering the challenges we could see. We watched the weather forecast as closely as the production schedule. We worried about keeping crews busy, delivering quality work, controlling labor costs and finding enough projects to keep everyone employed. Material prices moved from time to time, but the forces driving those changes were usually much closer to home. 

Today, roofing contractors operate in a completely different world. A drone strike on a refinery halfway around the globe can influence diesel prices. A disruption in international shipping can affect insulation lead times. Political instability on another continent can eventually show up in freight charges, manufacturing schedules and supplier quotes. 

That isn't politics. It's modern business. 

Recent events involving Russia, Ukraine and Iran have again demonstrated how interconnected the global economy has become. Our responsibility as roofing contractors is not to debate foreign policy. It is to understand how events like these can influence the businesses we lead. 

Maybe not tomorrow or next week, but history has shown that global disruptions eventually affect our estimates, purchasing decisions, project schedules and profitability. 

One lesson I have learned over more than four decades is that contractors rarely lose money because of one catastrophic event. Profits more often disappear through small adjustments: fuel rises, freight increases, lead times stretch, suppliers revise pricing, a second delivery becomes necessary or a project starts two weeks late. Individually, each issue may seem manageable. Together, they can quietly erase the margin that looked healthy when the estimate was prepared. 

That is why operational preparedness has become one of the most important responsibilities of today's roofing executives. 

The week that changed the conversation 

Recent headlines centered on military conflict, but another story was unfolding beneath them. Ukraine continued targeting Russian energy infrastructure, including refineries that produce diesel and other petroleum products. Russia then temporarily restricted diesel exports to protect domestic supply. At the same time, tensions involving Iran created additionaluncertainty in global energy markets and major international shipping routes. 

To most people, these developments may seem unrelated to construction. Experienced roofing contractors should pay attention. 

Modern roofing materials do not simply appear at the local distributor. Insulation, membranes, adhesives, fasteners and sheet metal move through a supply chain that involves raw materials, chemical production, refining, transportation, manufacturing, distribution and warehousing. Every step requires energy, transportation and cost. 

When disruption occurs at one point in the chain, pressure rarely stays isolated. Eventually, someone pays more. The question is where that additional cost enters the system. 

This is not about predicting wars or forecasting energy markets. It is about understanding operational risk. Leadership is rarely about perfectly predicting the future. It is about recognizing change early enough to make better decisions than your competitors. 

Why diesel matters more than oil 

One common misconception is that watching crude oil prices tells contractors where construction costs are headed. In reality, diesel often tells a more immediate story. Think of it this way.

Every stage of our industry depends on diesel. It moves raw materials to manufacturers, products across the country and roofing materials to distributors and jobsites. It fuels cranes, forklifts, generators, service trucks, waste haulers and heavy equipment.

Long before a crew begins installing a roof, diesel has influenced many of the costs built into that project.

Even when crude prices remain relatively stable, a loss of refining capacity can tighten diesel supplies. Freight costs rise; manufacturers pay more to move materials; distributors absorb higher transportation expenses; and contractors eventually see increases in delivery, equipment and material costs. 

I have always viewed diesel as the bloodstream of construction. When the continuous movement of materials becomes restricted or more expensive, every part of the system feels the effects. 

Understanding crack spreads without an economics degree 

If you follow energy markets, you may hear analysts discuss crack spreads. The term sounds technical, but the basic idea is straightforward. 

For a simplified illustration, imagine crude input worth $70 produces a basket of refined products worth $135. The difference is a rough proxy for the refinery's gross margin, commonly called a crack spread. It is not the refinery's final profit because it does not include all operating costs, but it shows the relationship between crude input costs and refined product prices. 

Higher crack spreads do not necessarily mean crude oil is scarce. They can mean refined products, particularly diesel, have become more valuable because supply is tight or refining capacity is constrained. 

For roofing contractors, that stress often appears first in diesel markets. Weeks later, it begins to show up in freight invoices, supplier quotes, equipment costs and project budgets. 

Understanding that connection does not make you an economist. It makes you a better business leader. 

Why roofing contractors should care 

Nearly everything we do touches diesel. Suppliers use it to move materials from plants to distribution centers. Distributors use it to replenish inventory and deliver to jobsites. Crane companies, trucking firms, waste haulers and equipment-rental providers depend on diesel-powered equipment. Service fleets burn fuel every day. 

These expenses usually do not arrive as one dramatic increase. They appear as freight adjustments, fuel surcharges, higher delivery charges, increased disposal costs, added mobilization and schedule changes caused by longer lead times. 

Each adjustment may seem manageable. Collectively, they can erase thousands of dollars in profit before substantial completion. 

Successful contractors do not wait until those increases appear on an invoice. They monitor the conditions creating them because protecting profitability begins long before the first bundle of material reaches the jobsite. 

The MDI lesson isn't going away 

For commercial roofing contractors, the discussion of insulation is immediately familiar. Polyisocyanurate insulation has demonstrated how vulnerable a supply chain can become when a critical raw material such as MDI is constrained. 

Contractors have experienced the effects of shortages, allocation programs, longer lead times and rapidly changing prices. The lesson is not simply that MDI became difficult to obtain. It is that chemical production, energy, refining, transportation and distribution are connected. 

Fuel problems do not replace chemical shortages; they amplify them.  

An estimator may use last month's insulation pricing. A project manager may assume normal lead times. A salesperson may promise an installation date based on yesterday's availability. By the time of contract award, the assumptions supporting the job may already have changed. 

Fuel, freight, insulation and material availability cannot be managed as separate issues. Understanding how they interact gives leadership teams time to make better decisions before the market forces them to. 

Understanding the roofing cost cascade 

Cost increases do not begin when a supplier changes a price. The supplier is often one of the last participants affected. The process may begin weeks or months earlier as one disruption creates the next consequence. 

The farther upstream a disruption begins, the more time contractors may have to prepare, provided they are watching the right indicators. This is what I call the Roofing Cost Cascade. 

By the time a supplier announces an increase, the market may have been adjusting for weeks. Prepared contractors stop asking only, “Why did prices go up?” They also ask, “What indicators are telling us prices could change?” 

The goal is not to predict the future. It is to reduce surprises. 

Operational preparedness is a competitive advantage 

Years ago, operational preparedness usually meant planning for hurricanes, severe weather or seasonal workload changes. Today, it means building an organization capable of adapting to disruption regardless of where it begins. 

Preparedness is not predicting the next crisis. It is creating systems that allow your company to respond faster and more intelligently when conditions change. 

Average companies react after suppliers announce a change. Exceptional companies are already discussing possibilities with suppliers before making formal announcements. Average companies scramble to protect margins. Exceptional companies build protection into estimating, procurement and financial planning before the disruption reaches the job. 

Preparedness does not eliminate uncertainty. It creates options, and options are among the greatest competitive advantages a roofing company can possess. 

The five pillars of operational preparedness 

1. Supplier diversification: Strong relationships matter, but no contractor should be overly dependent on one manufacturer, distributor or product line. Know your approved alternatives before you need them. 
2. Financial flexibility: Volatile markets expose weak cash flow quickly. Healthy reserves, disciplined financial controls and available credit give a company time and choices. 
3. Estimating discipline: Every estimate should use verified supplier pricing, realistic freight assumptions, clear quote expiration dates and appropriate escalation language. An estimate is not simply a selling document; it is a risk-management document. 
4. Operational execution: Procurement timing, material sequencing, storage, delivery coordination and communication are not administrative tasks. They are profit-protection activities. 
5. Leadership awareness: Roofing executives do not need to become economists, but they do need to understand fuel, freight, labor, insurance, interest rates, commodities, weather, supplier health and global supply chains. Leadership requires seeing beyond the jobsite. 

Estimating during volatile markets 

This is where profitability is protected or quietly surrendered. Estimating is about more than mathematics; it is about managing uncertainty. 

Every estimate includes assumptions about labor productivity, material pricing, equipment, freight, fuel, waste, travel, storage and delivery timing. The best estimators do more than verify the numbers. They ask whether the assumptions behind those numbers remain valid. 

During volatile markets, quote-validity periods may need to be shorter. Supplier confirmations should become routine. Freight assumptions and insulation pricing should be rechecked before major proposals are submitted. Escalation language should be discussed with customers before award, not after costs have moved. 

Some contractors worry these conversations will make proposals harder to sell. Perhaps they will. But losing a project after explaining the risk honestly is better than winning one that loses money because the risk was ignored. 

Professional communication builds trust. Surprises destroy it. 

Project management during supply volatility 

Once the contract is signed, the risk moves from estimating to operations. Every unnecessary reorder becomes more expensive because the company is not only replacing material; it may also be paying additional freight, equipment time, labor disruption and administrative cost. 

Project managers who look several weeks ahead consistently outperform those focused only on today's activities. Materials should be ordered strategically, deliveries coordinated carefully, storage planned deliberately and communication maintained continuously. 

Companies that excel during uncertain markets are not always working harder. They are operating with greater discipline. 

Leadership during uncertainty 

Contractors do not need another reason to worry. They need information they can act on. 

If owners react emotionally to every headline, they create confusion. If they ignore changing conditions, they risk being caught unprepared. Strong leaders do neither. They stay informed without overreacting, ask better questions and communicate clearly. 

Employees do not expect leaders to predict the future. They expect leaders to prepare for it. 

The new responsibilities of roofing executives 

Twenty-five years ago, many roofing owners focused primarily on local competition, labor, weather and production. Those responsibilities remain, but today's executives also need to be aware of fuel, freight, insurance, interest rates, commodities, material availability, supplier financial health and global events. 

That does not mean contractors must become economists. It means they must become better business leaders who understand both what is happening inside the company and the outside forces that could influence it tomorrow. 

The Monday morning action plan 

If I were meeting with a roofing contractor Monday morning, I would recommend ten immediate actions: 

1. Ask primary suppliers what they are seeing in freight, insulation availability and lead times. 
2. Review outstanding proposals and verify that material pricing remains current. 
3. Reevaluate quote-validity periods on projects not yet awarded. 
4. Review fuel budgets and operating costs for service vehicles and equipment. 
5. Identify backlog projects most vulnerable to material-price changes. 
6. Confirm insulation availability before crews are scheduled. 
7. Discuss procurement risks and delivery schedules with project managers. 
8. Review escalation language and purchasing procedures. 
9. Identify alternative suppliers before they are needed. 
10. Communicate early when market conditions could affect customer pricing or schedules. 

None of these actions require panic. They require preparation. That is the difference between reacting to disruption and managing it. 

Preparing for what comes next 

We cannot control wars, refinery outages, shipping disruptions, diesel markets, chemical shortages or geopolitical uncertainty. We can control how prepared our companies are. 

Operational preparedness is no longer reserved for the nation's largest contractors. It is an essential leadership responsibility for every roofing company that wants to protect margins, serve customers well and remain profitable during uncertain times. 

Every generation of contractors has faced uncertainty. Early in my career, we dealt with recessions, severe weather, labor shortages and the daily challenge of keeping crews productive. More recently, the industry has managed through COVID-19, supply chain disruptions, inflation and a marketplace where events thousands of miles away can influence the estimate sitting on your desk. 

The challenges will continue to change. Leadership will not. 

The companies that consistently succeed will not necessarily be those that predict every disruption. They will be the ones that build organizations capable of adapting to whatever comes next. 

In today's roofing industry, operational preparedness is not simply good management. It has become one of the strongest competitive advantages a roofing company can build. 

Por Emma Peterson, traducido por Alberto Torres. 

Participa para tener la oportunidad de acceder a sesiones educativas de primer nivel, eventos para establecer contactos, almuerzos y una de las exposiciones comerciales más importantes de la industria. 

RoofersCoffeeShop® se ha unido a Western Colloid para enviar a cinco profesionales a la Western Roofing Expo (WRE). Reconocida como uno de los principales eventos regionales de techado e impermeabilización en Estados Unidos, la WRE es una exposición organizada por la Western States Roofing Contractors Association (WSRCA). El evento se llevará a cabo del 27 al 29 de septiembre en el hotel Paris Las Vegas y contará con educación, oportunidades para establecer contactos y mucho más.

Los cinco (5) afortunados ganadores de nuestro concurso recibirán un paquete con valor de $500.00 para asistir al evento (viaje y hospedaje no incluidos). Este paquete incluye acceso a: 

• Sesiones de Western Roofing en español: ¡Este año, el evento contará con cuatro seminarios y dos sesiones de almuerzo y aprendizaje impartidas en español! Los temas van desde cómo contratar al equipo de techado adecuado hasta cómo maximizar las reclamaciones de seguros comerciales. Además, la increíble lista de presentadores incluye a Amparo Sancen de Latinos En Roofing, Monica Vornbrock de The GLO Group e Imelda Perez de CertainTeed. 
• Sesiones educativas: En cuanto a las sesiones educativas en inglés, el evento de este año contará con cuatro bloques diferentes. 
  • El primer bloque (de 8:45 a.m. a 10:00 a.m. el lunes 28 de septiembre de 2026) contará con una variedad de presentadores, incluida Heidi J. Ellsworth de The Coffee Shops™. 
  • Entre los aspectos destacados del segundo bloque (de 10:15 a.m. a 11:30 a.m. el lunes 28 de septiembre de 2026) se encuentran la sesión sobre estimaciones de John Kenney de Cotney Consulting y la clase sobre mitigación de riesgos de Trent Cotney de Adams and Reese. 
  • En el tercer bloque (de 8:45 a.m. a 10:00 a.m. el martes 29 de septiembre de 2026), no querrás perderte la mesa redonda sobre techado del Comité de Jóvenes Profesionales de Roofing de WSRCA, dirigida por Rachel Garcia de Malarkey Roofing Products, así como la charla sobre salud mental de Paul Reed de Roofers in Recovery. 
  • Y en el cuarto bloque (de 10:15 a.m. a 11:30 a.m. el martes 29 de septiembre de 2026), nuestros amigos Mindy Dahlquist (TRA Snow and Sun), Brian Chamberlain (Carlisle Construction Materials) y Tracey Donels (Service First Solutions) presentarán sesiones informativas y dinámicas. 
• Piso de exhibición: Como siempre, el piso de exhibición promete ser una gran oportunidad para conocer las últimas innovaciones y las tecnologías más recientes de la industria, con demostraciones de productos cada hora. Y, como ya es tradición, los profesionales del techado podrán recorrer el piso de exhibición de manera gratuita, lo que lo convierte en una oportunidad inigualable para conectar con otros profesionales de la industria. 
• Almuerzo legislativo: El primero de los dos almuerzos que se llevarán a cabo durante el evento de este año estará a cargo de Craig Brightup de The Brightup Group y Chad Collins de la National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA). Durante esta sesión se analizarán cambios y acontecimientos importantes que están ocurriendo en Washington, D.C., y que tienen un impacto en la industria del techado. 
• Almuerzo anual: En cuanto al segundo almuerzo, esta será tu oportunidad de escuchar a la conferencista principal de WRE 2026, Shereen Thor. Shereen es una comediante que se convirtió en coach profesional, y su conferencia será un gran recurso para profesionales y dueños de negocios en cualquier etapa de sus carreras. 

¿Quieres tener la oportunidad de ganar acceso a todo esto e impulsar tu negocio en WRE 2026? ¡Participa en el concurso Spin to Win de RoofersCoffeeShop y Western Colloid! El concurso cerrará el 22 de agosto de 2026 y los ganadores se anunciarán en vivo durante el episodio de Weekly Blend del 24 de agosto de 2026. 

By Emma Peterson. 

Enter for an opportunity to access top-tier educational sessions, networking events, luncheons and an industry-leading trade show floor. 

RoofersCoffeeShop® is partnering with Western Colloid to send five professionals to the 2026 Western Roofing Expo (WRE)! Known as the premier regional roofing and waterproofing event in the United States, WRE is a trade show hosted by the Western States Roofing Contractors Association (WSRCA). The show, which runs September 27-29 at the Paris Las Vegas, features education, networking and more. 

The five (5) lucky winners of our contest will be given an all-inclusive package ($500.00 value, travel and hotel not included) to the show. This package includes access to:  

• Western Roofing en Español sessions: This year’s show will have four seminars and two lunch-and-learn sessions taught in Spanish! Topics range from hiring the right roofing team to maximizing commercial claims. And the incredible speaker list includes Amparo Sancen of Latinos En Roofing, Monica Vornbrock of the GLO Group and Imelda Perez from CertainTeed. 
• Educational sessions: As for the English-language education sessions, this year’s show boasts four different blocks of session.  
  • The first block (8:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. on Monday, September 28, 2026) will feature a variety of speakers including The Coffee Shops™’ own Heidi J. Ellsworth!  
  • Some highlights of block two (10:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. on Monday, September 28, 2026) include John Kenney of Cotney Consulting’s estimating session and Trent Cotney of Adams and Reese’s risk mitigation class.  
  • In block three (8:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 29, 2026), you’ll want to make sure to catch the WSRCA Young Roofing Professionals Committee’s roofing roundtable, led by Malarkey Roofing Products’ Rachel Garcia as well as Paul Reed of Roofers in Recovery’s mental health talk.  
  • And in block four (10:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, September 29, 2026), our friends Mindy Dahlquist (TRA Snow and Sun), Brian Chamberlain (Carlisle Construction Materials) and Tracey Donels (Service First Solutions) will all be hosting informative and engaging sessions. 
• Trade show floor: As always, the trade show floor promises to be a great opportunity to see the latest innovations and newest technology in the industry as product demos will be hosted on the hour. And, per tradition, roofers will walk free on the show floor – making it an unmatched opportunity for peer-to-peer networking.  
• Legislative luncheon: The first of the two luncheons that will be held at this year’s show, the legislative luncheon will be hosted by Craig Brightup, The Brightup Group, and Chad Collins, National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA). It will dive into key changes and developments happening in Washington, D.C. that relate to roofing. 
• Annual luncheon: As for the second luncheon, this is your opportunity to hear from the WRE 2026 keynote speaker – Shereen Thor. Shereen is a comedian turned coach whose keynote will be a great resource to professionals and business owners in all parts of their careers. 

Want a chance to win access to all that and boost your business at WRE 2026? Enter the RoofersCoffeeShop and Western Colloid Spin to Win contest! The contest will close August 22, 2026, and announced live on the August 24, 2026 Weekly Blend episode. 

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn about all the events, seminars and exhibitors that will be at this year’s Western Roofing Expo. 

Navigating today’s roofing industry can be a bit of a challenge. Whether you’re facing more extreme storms in the field or juggling labor issues and material shortages in the office, it can be hard to stay up to date with the information and tools you need to succeed. Luckily, the Western States Roofing Contractors Association (WSRCA) hosts a two-day event designed to help professionals handle all those issues and more – Western Roofing Expo (WRE).  

This premier regional roofing and waterproofing event boasts a two-day trade show, over two dozen education seminars, multiple engaging luncheons, The Roofing Games™ shingling competition, golf and sporting clays tournaments, a live auction, product demonstrations and more! Keep reading to learn about what to expect from this year’s show, which will be held September 27-29, 2026 at the Paris Las Vegas! 

The core of the show 

The core of the show occurs on Monday (9/28) and Tuesday (9/29) with 30 seminars planned, two luncheons organized and a trade show floor that is free for contractors to attend. 

The seminars at WRE are a great way to upgrade your skills! Experts from across the industry will be teaching about everything from business management to technical developments. And if you’re a part of The Coffee Shops™ family, there will be a lot of familiar faces like Trent Cotney of Adams and Reese, Amparo Sancen from Latinos En Roofing, John Kenney from Cotney Consulting Group and our very own president, Heidi J. Ellsworth!  

As for the luncheons, WSRCA has organized two invaluable luncheons for WRE attendees. The first will be hosted on Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and is presented by the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA). Craig Brightup, The Brightup Group, and Chad Collins, NRCA, will take this opportunity to talk to attendees about the key developments in Washington D.C. that are impacting the roofing industry.  

The second luncheon will run at the same time (11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) on Tuesday and is sponsored by Malarkey Roofing Products. This luncheon gives attendees an opportunity to hear from the WRE 2026 keynote speaker – Shereen Thor. Shereen is a comedian turned coach who has worked with organizations like Google, Pandora, Slack, Safe Place For Youth and The Social Justice Learning Institute. Her keynote will be a great resource to professionals and business owners in all parts of their careers.  

And last but not least, the trade show floor will be open both Monday and Tuesday. This is a great opportunity to see the latest innovations and newest technology in the industry as product demos will be hosted on the hour. At that same demo stage there will also be the return of the much-anticipated Roofing Games on Tuesday!  

The trade show is a great opportunity to talk to representatives of leading companies around the industry. And the best part? The exhibit floor is FREE for contractors and roofers to attend! We’ll be in booth 12, so make sure to stop by and say hi, and we have countless industry friends who will be around the floor, such as Anchor Products (815), APOC (609), BITEC (151), Brava Roof Tile (840), Carlisle Architectural Metals (509), Drexel Metals (509), Equipter (826), Integrity Insurance & Bonding (360), Lakeside Construction Fasteners (154), New Tech Machinery (356), PABCO Roofing Products (703), Rocket Equipment (638), RoofScope (822), Sentry Building Innovations (150) and VELUX (361). 

Additional events and more 

In addition to the core two days, there are extra events both before (Sunday, 9/27) and after (Wednesday, 9/30). On Sunday, the Davis Memorial Foundation will host two tournaments, one sporting clays tournament and one golf tournament. The proceeds from these events go directly to the Davis Memorial Foundation Scholarship Fund. The scholarships from this fund have helped more than 195 aspiring high school, undergraduate and graduate students pursue their dreams. These events have their own registration and their own fees. 

And on that Wednesday, the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants will host a special education day. This event runs from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will elevate attendees’ expertise in the building enclosure industry. It features two courses, one about the fundamentals of roof assemblies and the other highlighting key updates to international codes. The registration and fees for this education day are separate from general registration. 

Get registered and reserved 

Registration for the 2026 WRE is now open! You can register online, again the show will be held at the Paris in Las Vegas, Nevada from September 27-29, 2026. Being at the Paris, there are many options for hotels nearby. WSRCA has worked specifically with the Paris Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood and Horseshoe Hotel to get discounted room blocks that start as low as $91.  

Not sure if you can make the registration fee work in your budget? RoofersCoffeeShop® is partnering with Western Colloid to send five professionals to the show for free! By entering our contest, you get the chance to win an all-inclusive pass to the show, which gives you access to the trade show, annual luncheon, en Español content, educational sessions and the legislative luncheon.  

Learn more about the 2026 WRE show!

By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group.

Tips for staying alert in building maintenance.

There’s a unique mindset that comes with building maintenance work. Unlike construction crews who move from project to project, maintenance technicians return to the same properties day after day. They know the buildings, understand the systems and learn the expected routine. But that familiarity can also create one of the most dangerous conditions on any jobsite: complacency.

Maintenance work rarely looks dramatic from the outside. It might be replacing ceiling tiles, fixing a door hinge, servicing HVAC units, changing lighting, repairing leaks or adjusting equipment. But behind those tasks are real hazards — electrical exposure, fall risks, confined spaces, awkward lifting, sharp edges, wet floors, chemical interactions and mechanical components that don’t forgive mistakes. When a task feels “simple,” that’s precisely when people let their guard down. 

The danger of the “same old” mindset

In maintenance, it’s easy to assume nothing will go wrong because nothing went wrong last time. A technician may climb the same ladder, open the same access panel or service the same pump they’ve handled a hundred times before. That familiarity becomes muscle memory, and muscle memory can quietly override safety steps. 

We’ve all seen it — a worker skipping lockout/tagout. They believe the equipment is “off,” performing a quick fix on a ladder that should have been moved, or using makeshift tools because the right one is in the truck. These shortcuts don’t come from recklessness. They come from routine. And routine doesn’t protect anyone when conditions shift unexpectedly. 

Understanding the real risks of maintenance work 

Every building has its own hidden dangers. Whether it’s commercial, residential or industrial, maintenance teams encounter a wide variety of hazards: 

• Electrical panels, lighting circuits and machinery resets 
• Slippery floors or wet areas near plumbing repairs 
• Dust, mold or debris in ceiling spaces or mechanical rooms 
• Ladders and elevated access points 
• Confined or poorly ventilated spaces 
• Heavy lifting during equipment replacements 

These risks don’t disappear because the technician knows the space. If anything, familiarity can mask just how unpredictable building environments can be, especially when interacting systems overlap. 

Slow down to speed up

Maintenance workers often feel pressure to move quickly — especially when tenants, customers or workers are waiting on a repair. But rushing is a leading cause of accidents. 

The safest technicians share a common habit: they take a moment before each task to evaluate the environment. They look for wet floors, live circuits, unstable surfaces, missing guards or environmental changes since their last visit. They check that tools and PPE match the task. That 30-second pause is often the difference between a routine fix and an incident report. 

Re-emphasize the basics repeatedly 

Because maintenance tasks vary so widely, the basics matter more than anything: 

• Always test before you touch — especially with electrical systems 
• Never assume equipment is de-energized 
• Use ladders correctly and never “make do” with unsafe positioning 
• Wear PPE even when the job feels minor 
• Communicate about hazards, especially in occupied buildings 
• Maintain clear walkways and work zones 

These practices are simple, but they’re often skipped when tasks feel too routine. Reinforcement from supervisors and leads ensures that consistency doesn’t slip. 

Document, communicate and train 

Maintenance departments thrive when they operate with the same discipline as a construction site. That means: 

• Clear service logs 
• Defined SOPs 
• Documented hazards 
• Toolbox talks tailored to recent issues 
• Routine safety refreshers 

Technicians should know which tasks require additional personnel, when to escalate hazards and when to stop work entirely. A culture that values communication prevents minor problems from becoming emergencies. 

Familiar doesn’t equal safe 

Building maintenance teams are the unseen backbone of many facilities. They keep operations running, solve problems before anyone notices and protect the lifespan of every central system. But their work is only safe when they treat every task — even the smallest — with the respect it deserves. 

Routine tasks still carry real risks. And when maintenance workers stay alert, follow their process and recognize how easily familiarity can become complacency, they protect not just themselves but everyone who relies on the building. 

The next time you walk into a mechanical room, climb a ladder or open a familiar access panel, take a moment to reset. Treat the task as if it’s the first time — that mindset is what keeps maintenance professionals safe day after day. 

By Emma Peterson. 

Articles of interest from June 2026. 

As the second fiscal quarter of the year comes to a close, it’s hard to believe we’re coming up on the halfway point of 2026. And the number of articles The Coffee Shops™ crew has published in that time (over 2,300 across all sites) can attest to how busy of a year it’s been. Of those thousands of articles, over 350 of them were posted in June alone. So, to help you keep up with all the news and information, we’ve rounded up the top ten articles from June.  

Our list starts off with an article highlighting Adams and Reese’s Trent Cotney’s May 2026 construction law updates and an article diving into a new Workforce Pell Grants that “could help roofing contractors recruit, train and grow the next generation of skilled workers.” 

From there, we have a wide variety of articles highlighting everything from the National Women in Roofing (NWIR) Oregon Council’s work coordinating a roof replacement for a Portland homeowner in need to how metal roofing protects against wildfires and the role of the Metal Construction Association (MCA) in the industry. 

Rounding out our list is our top three articles of June. In third place is an article our friends at Roof Hub wrote all about optimizing operational efficiency by using AI Smart Templates. Second goes to an article I wrote about how contractors can build trust and generate leads in a digital world. And first goes to Cotney Consulting Group’s article sharing a 5-year readiness playbook for roofing contractors. 

Top 10 articles from June 2026 

10 - Construction law insights and updates from May 2026 by Emma Peterson. 

9 - Workforce Pell Program could strengthen roofing’s workforce pipeline by Heidi J. Ellsworth. 

8 - Why government affairs matter to every roofing professional by Heidi J. Ellsworth. 

7 - Roofing community rallies for Oregon homeowner by The Coffee Shops™. 

6 - Maximizing fire resistance with metal by Anna Lockhart. 

5 - MCA advances technical leadership, expands market opportunities and builds momentum for 2026 by Heidi J. Ellsworth. 

4 - Navigating a new normal by Emma Peterson. 

3 - AI smart templates by RoofHub. 

2 - Word of mouth still works – It just looks different by Emma Peterson. 

1 - A 5-year readiness playbook for roofing contractors by Cotney Consulting Group.