By Jesse Sanchez. 

Learn how contractors use structured workflows to turn service and maintenance into a consistent profit center. 

Service and maintenance have evolved from reactive responses into strategic drivers of long-term profitability. However, contractors say that shift only works when the systems behind it reflect how roofing actually operates. In this Read Listen Watch® (RLW) webinar hosted by Karen Edwards, John Kenney of Cotney Consulting Group and Zach Carpenter of Jobba Trade Technologies, the experts explained why roofing-specific software is essential to making a lifecycle service model function in practice, not just in theory. 

John said the industry’s perspective has changed significantly over time. “I remember, it was once more of a patch and repair,” he said. “Now we've moved more into that, pro- understanding it's a profit center, relationship center, a growth module for your business.” That evolution reflects a broader realization that recurring service work can stabilize revenue and deepen customer relationships, particularly when new construction or re-roof activity slows. 

Zach noted that economic pressure has accelerated adoption of structured service programs. “Service and maintenance is that answer,” he said. “As the economy kind of slows down, roofer replacements slow down and how can a roofing company still maintain business year-round and maintain revenue year-round?” For many contractors, the answer lies in following a lifecycle approach that begins with inspections, moves into budgeting and collaboration, transitions into ongoing maintenance and ultimately positions the contractor for replacement when the time is right. 

Yet both speakers cautioned that the model breaks down without the right tools. Zach noted that many general or residential platforms are designed around one-off jobs rather than long-term asset management. “They're really not built to do service and maintenance and manage the relationship with the customer and their buildings,” he said. “It's just about job after job.” 

John added that roofing’s operational demands make it difficult to retrofit software built for other trades. “Roofing is, by far, totally unique,” he said. “So, when you're trying to take something like a software that's outside of our world and adapt them into roofing, it becomes a super hard challenge.” Reflecting that the lifecycle model can drive predictable growth, but only when supported by roofing-specific workflows that align field activity, reporting and long-term customer planning. 

Watch the webinar to learn more about how roofing-specific software helps contractors structure inspections, budgeting and maintenance into a repeatable lifecycle that drives steady revenue and stronger customer relationships!

By Jesse Sanchez. 

Outlining how contractors can improve speed to lead, strengthen visibility and protect profitability by centralizing data. 

Zacch Carpenter of Jobba was recently featured on this CoatingsTalk™ webinar as host Megan Ellsworth sat down with him to discuss the ways roofing businesses can turn everyday technology into measurable operational gains. Zach, who has worked in roofing software for 17 years, emphasized that most contractors are not struggling to find tools. They are struggling to implement them with discipline and follow-through. 

Zach introduced himself, noting, “I was one of the co-founders along with my family of our legacy product FCS.” From his perspective, the industry’s biggest shift is still underway: moving away from manual processes and into connected systems that keep the field and office aligned. Even as AI generates buzz, he said many companies are still “trying to get a bulk of contractors off manual paper-based models.” 

That transition often begins with adopting a customer relationship management software (CRM), but Zach stressed that the larger payoff comes when tools are connected, and information lives in one place. “People working to try and integrate, right? Is trying to make all your different products and all your different solutions connect together,” he explained. He added that accounting and invoicing frequently become pain points as companies grow and workflows become harder to track without stronger systems. 

As the conversation shifted to profitability, Zach tied ROI to visibility, consistency and repeatable processes. “Being able to forecast the KPIs and metrics are huge,” he noted, pointing to how centralized data helps contractors measure performance across jobs and teams instead of relying on guesswork. 

When asked what to track to ensure technology investments are paying off, Zach offered a simple benchmark: “Just make sure you’re actually using the things you buy.” He cautioned that software often fails not because it is ineffective, but because onboarding is rushed, training is skipped or adoption is uneven. “People don’t like change,” he said, recognizing the role leadership plays in setting expectations and building accountability. 

Zach also encouraged contractors to look beyond roofing-specific platforms when building a tech stack. “These resources are available, and they’re vast,” he said, referencing tools that support marketing, proposals and internal documentation. 

Read the transcript, Listen to the podcast or Watch the webinar to learn more about Jobba and FCS! 

By Jesse Sanchez. 

FCS and Jobba help contractors use drones, artificial intelligence, VR and cloud workflows to deliver clearer inspections. 

Technology is reshaping how commercial contractors capture and communicate roof conditions and FCS and Jobba are helping companies keep pace. While consumer tools evolve quickly, roofing has not always moved at the same speed. During this CoatingsTalk™, Zach Carpenter noted that the industry is “about 5 years behind the typical consumer market,” which is part of the rationale behind FCS Amplify. The goal, he explained, is to elevate human expertise rather than replace it, ensuring technology becomes an asset rather than a barrier. 

Zach has seen this evolution firsthand. When FCS first launched, the idea of performing an inspection with an early iPhone was cutting edge. Crews followed step-by-step workflows on devices like the iPhone 2 or 3 to build structured reports. Today, that same structured approach extends to drones for aerial imaging, AI for deficiency detection, thermal scanning for moisture analysis and even virtual reality for customer communication. 

One contractor has taken VR beyond internal training and built it directly into its maintenance program, shipping headsets to clients so they can experience inspection findings firsthand. After completing the inspection, the team loads the data into a VR platform and walks the customer through the roof virtually. As Zach described it, “they go over all the inspection findings with the VR headset, so they're, like, up on the roof and they're like, here, look at this or here, check this out.” The immersive approach allows contractors to point out conditions in real time, reducing the guesswork often associated with written reports and reinforcing a core principle behind modern inspections: visuals build understanding and help customers make more confident, informed decisions about repairs and maintenance. 

Artificial intelligence is adding another dimension. Tools can detect deficiencies from a photo and suggest repairs and AI is also being used to schedule tasks, prompt follow-ups and summarize reports. Zach encourages contractors to start small, noting that something as simple as uploading an inspection report to ChatGPT can help teams digest large amounts of data. 

However, he stressed that technology must be paired with consistency. Cloud platforms ensure uniform reports and accessible data, while SOPs guide documentation and follow-up. Approval steps also help prevent errors before reports reach clients. 

For those hesitant about cost, Zach emphasized that free and low-cost tools exist, from Workspace accounts to apps already on a technician’s phone. His message remains consistent that technology should amplify ability, not replace it and even incremental adoption can deliver meaningful gains. 

Listen to the podcast or Watch the conversation to learn more about pairing FCS Amplify, Jobba and emerging tools like AI and VR to modernize your inspection program! 

By Jesse Sanchez. 

Helping contractors turn inspections from a cost center into a trusted entry point for service, maintenance and negotiated re-roof work. 

Inspections have often been treated as a necessary cost in commercial roofing, but FCS and Jobba are proving they can be a reliable driver of recurring revenue. During this CoatingsTalk™, Zach Carpenter, who has spent 17 years working with commercial roofing software, said he has noticed contractors move from once viewing inspections as an afterthought to now using them to build long-term service relationships. 

The obstacle, Zach explained, often comes down to process rather than intent. Many contractors still rely on fragmented systems that require significant effort with no guaranteed return, which can make inspections feel like a burden rather than a business opportunity. When documentation is inconsistent and follow-through varies, it becomes difficult for owners to measure the value of the work, and inspections are the first task to fall off the priority list when schedules tighten. 

FCS and Jobba counter that mindset by reframing inspections as a relationship-building tool rather than a transactional step. Zach described them as the “single best entry point of sales for the whole roofing company,” noting that they offer a lower-pressure opportunity to demonstrate expertise and earn trust before a client reaches a decision point on repairs or replacement. He cautioned that contractors who limit their involvement to quoting roof replacements without offering full assessments risk “literally leaving money on the roof,” because they miss the long-term opportunities that inspection programs create. 

To unlock those opportunities, Zach encourages contractors to transition from surface-level evaluations to comprehensive assessments that document current conditions, identify repairs and guide budgeting. He pointed to a recent example where an FCS contractor delivered a detailed 189-page inspection report to a hospital system. The level of detail impressed the client enough that it secured work on seven facilities, illustrating how thorough reporting can position a contractor as a trusted advisor rather than one of many bidders. 

That credibility only holds if the contractor maintains consistent processes. Zach advises companies to review their current inspection workflows, educate both internal teams and customers on the value of data-backed reporting and implement clear SOPs supported by technology. In his view, pairing disciplined procedures with the right platforms is the surest path to transforming inspections from overhead into a catalyst for sustainable revenue growth. 

Listen to the podcast or Watch the conversation to learn more about transforming your inspection process into a predictable revenue engine! 

By Jesse Sanchez. 

A shifting mindset is helping contractors weather economic uncertainty. 

For decades, commercial roofing service departments were considered to be the equivalent of emergency response teams. John Kenney, CEO of Cotney Consulting Group, shared how the importance of repair services has shifted in recent years. He explained these shifts in a recent Read, Listen, Watch® (RLW) webinar alongside Zach Carpenter, senior account executive at Jobba Trade Technologies. John explained, “That was the whole mindset of the industry, ‘get her done, get a leak fixed, let’s get back to putting roofs down.’” But these days, that mindset is changing fast. 

John, who spent 45 years in roofing before moving into consulting, said the industry is undergoing a significant transformation. Contractors are no longer viewing service work as a cost center or distraction. Instead, service and maintenance programs are now recognized as crucial growth engines, both financially and strategically. John says, “Now [service programs] are becoming a total profit center within a roofing company itself.” 

The shift is being driven by multiple pressures, including the slowing of new construction projects, building owners demanding higher quality materials and a need for stable, year-round revenue. Zach commented on the trend, noting a surge of interest from residential contractors eager to enter the commercial space. “Everyone kind of wants a piece,” Zach shares, “As the economy kind of slows down, replacements slow down. How can a roofing company still maintain business year-round? Service and maintenance are that answer.” 

Technology is playing a major role in making this pivot possible. According to Zach, roofing-specific software is helping contractors shift from reactive leak fixes to proactive maintenance strategies that strengthen long-term customer relationships. He shared an example of a school district managing dozens of roofs on a limited budget. Without the funds to pursue full replacements, the district opted to invest in structured maintenance programs instead. This approach was made possible by tools that support better planning, budgeting and communication between contractors and clients. 

That scenario reflects a growing reality across the industry. As construction slows and building owners look to extend the life of existing assets, service and maintenance have become not just a safety net, but a smart, sustainable path forward. For many contractors, it's no longer just about fixing what's broken; it's about building a business model that lasts. 

Watch the webinar to learn more about how leading contractors are adapting their business models, leveraging technology and turning service and maintenance into a year-round profit driver!

By Jesse Sanchez. 

This CoatingsTalk webinar broke down how contractors used inspections and data to drive consistent revenue and build stronger customer relationships.   

In this CoatingsTalk RLW, held on December 3, 2025, at 12 p.m. PT, Megan Ellsworth met with Zach Carpenter of Jobba to discuss how technology, data and modern reporting methods were reshaping the value of inspections. The session put a spotlight on why inspections remained one of the most important entry points for sales, given their central role in customer trust and long-term maintenance planning.  

The webinar served as an essential resource for contractors looking to tighten their operations and uncover missed opportunities. Inspections provided the earliest touchpoint in the customer relationship and, when paired with clear data and consistent reporting, supported smoother estimates, stronger communication and improved close rates.  

Zach’s expertise in inspection technology and field operations gave him a clear lens on how tools such as drones, AI and cloud-based platforms improved efficiency and safety while providing contractors with deeper insight into roof conditions.  

Attendees walked away with a clearer understanding of how inspection data sparked new sales opportunities, supported marketing segmentation, helped forecast maintenance needs and drove recurring revenue through annual programs. The RLW also outlined the metrics that mattered, from roof condition scoring in the field to leadership KPIs such as conversion rate and revenue per inspection.  

Contractors seeking to strengthen customer trust and operational consistency found clear takeaways and actionable steps. For those focused on increasing profitability through smarter inspections, the session delivered practical guidance and proven strategies. 

Participants registered for this RLW and began putting inspection data to work in ways that drove revenue, built trust and strengthened their roofing businesses!

By Jobba Trade Technologies. 

As you start to decide on the project management software that is right for you, it is important to know the main features and functionality of your top picks.

Some providers only offer one or two solutions, but complete roofing software options offer a lot more that can help your company grow, succeed and ultimately put more money in your pocket. Our team at Jobba Trade Technologies has rounded up some of the main features within roofing CRMs to help you better understand how this piece of technology works for other successful roofing companies.

Project management tools

After a contract has been signed, it’s finally time to get started with the new roofing project. Keeping track of all tasks and milestones is incredibly important to maintaining a reasonable timeline and providing a great finished product to customers.

With your selected roofing CRM, you can keep all of your project information organized and allow for all team members to stay in the know. Everyone can view the project’s status as it continues to move through various stages. For example, if a project has gone from needing to be scheduled to the initial production stage, the team working on this project can see everything that is happening, if anything is needed from them and what the next steps are.

Crew scheduling

Crew scheduling has been proven to be one of the most difficult tasks a roofing company faces. Needing to see all of your field teams availability, being able to coordinate schedules, finding last minute replacements — there’s plenty of room for things to get mixed up or missed.

When it comes to getting your labor crew scheduled, your roofing software offers different features and functionality that allows you to view everyone’s schedules, including field crews, production managers, subcontractors and more.

These features make scheduling new roofing jobs a breeze.

Job estimates

When your salespeople go out into the field and are tasked with providing an estimate, it can either lead to a fast signature on the dotted line or, if the estimate is inaccurate or takes an extensive amount of time to draw up, can lead to a job loss to another roofing company.

Certain software solutions for roofers offer tools to auto-populate customer information and job site details (dimensions, deficiencies, desired products, etc.) to your estimates. This eliminates the need to manually enter data and reduces the risk of human error. 

Customizable reporting

Sometimes roofing businesses have a tough time getting all the data they need regarding their business. That can be anything from individual salespeople’s metrics to overall business performance. Many industry leaders have found that customized reporting tools within their roofing CRMs can help them measure operations.

Some roofing applications like Jobba even offer reporting tools to help you track your business’s progress and measure performance.

Lead management

Lead management is a key factor in running a successful roofing sales department. If new leads get missed or overlooked, it could cost your company a potential job that might have brought in big profits. So how does one ensure you’re tackling all your leads in a timely manner?

Your roofing software can notify you of any incoming leads and provide some brief notes on the project. The right software solution also tracks all data and activities to provide a comprehensive view of your sales pipeline. This gives your salespeople more time to spend on searching out new prospects.

Communication history

Whether you are talking about internal or external communication, it is important to always know who has said what, when it was said and who it was relayed to. Communication problems are something that plague many different businesses in many different industries. But it is especially hard to keep track of for roofers since half of their teams are at numerous sites and not in the office.

Roofing software is designed to help bridge the communication gap that exists between cross-functional teams. It offers tools to help record different forms of communication between team members as well as with customers for the duration of a project. Team members have the ability to refer back to conversations to ensure nothing gets missed.

Photo capturing & editing tools

Having pictures associated with every project helps to identify deficiencies, shows the roof’s initial state and documents the finished product. It’s important that your teams who are in the field have a way to capture these things and share them with the rest of the team (and not lose the image in their camera roll).

Roofing technology provides contractors with tools to help manage photos of work and make notes on any specific areas that might need additional attention. Everyone that is ever on-site (salespeople, estimators, production crews) can upload photos to a roofing job’s file and view them at any time — all from their mobile device.

There’s no question that there are a lot of different kinds of tools and functionality within CRMs for roofing contractors. The easiest way to decipher what your business needs is to look at your business plan and the goals you have for the company. Those important items will tell you what areas need to be improved and what tools are needed to make that happen. Jobba uses a contractor-driven development approach, meaning that contractors tell us what they need and we build it. Set up a quick, 30-minute demo to find out what kind of tools we can build for you. Request your Jobba demo at jobba.com.

By Jesse Sanchez. 

A mobile-first strategy turns inspections into sales and data into loyalty. 

Once upon a time, roofing inspections ended with a clipboard of papers and a follow-up phone call. Not anymore. With the FCS Lifecycle from Jobba, roofing contractors are turning routine inspections into high-speed sales pipelines and delivering data-driven insights to clients in real time. The system is not just software, but a full-scale business strategy aimed at increasing recurring revenue, streamlining service and deepening customer relationships. 

At its core, the platform combines mobile inspections, real-time updates and a robust client portal. Once a technician completes an inspection using the FCS mobile app, sometimes before even stepping off the ladder, the data syncs automatically to the client’s dashboard. From there, clients can view repair history, approve proposals and track projects without waiting on paperwork or callbacks. 

The emphasis of the system is on speed, clarity and accountability. According to FCS, a single technician can complete 4 to 500 inspections annually, driving over $500,000 in sales with an average inspection-to-sale conversion rate of 61%. That efficiency is multiplied with features like instant bid generation, PDF reports, mobile signatures and text notifications. Leak service, the platform notes, is a particularly lucrative and recurring revenue stream, automatically triggering technician dispatches and keeping contractors first in line for emergency work. 

Every touchpoint, inspection, proposal, repair or replacement is tracked. Clients can view progress photos, sign off on work orders and access detailed reports through the portal. Even daily job-site updates and project profitability metrics are pushed automatically. And when it comes to capital projects, the system generates scaled takeoffs, detailed estimates and foreman-ready production packages, all from a tablet. 

While the FCS Lifecycle brochure outlines a clear blueprint for scaling service operations, it’s also a pitch: becoming indispensable to clients is about giving them more than roofs; it’s about giving them data, access and control. But FCS doesn’t give everything away up front. To fully grasp how the system weaves together fieldwork, client collaboration and back-office efficiency, the real story is in the workflow, and it’s one contractors might want to see for themselves. 

Discover how Jobba’s FCS Lifecycle platform can transform your roofing business, schedule a demo and see the system in action!

By Jesse Sanchez. 

Roofing businesses struggling with outdated systems may be missing out on a better way to work. 

Roofing contractors trying to manage jobs with spreadsheets, disjointed apps or old-fashioned pen and paper might be losing more than just time. Jobba Trade Technologies, a provider of cloud-based business management software tailored for the roofing industry, wants companies to rethink how they manage their operations and growth strategies. 

Jobba’s Roofing Software 101 outlines what makes roofing software more than just another customer relationship management software (CRM). While most CRMs can store customer information, track communications and generate reports, Jobba’s platform goes further. The software integrates tools for estimating, proposal generation, service work tracking and even ordering real-time aerial roof measurements. 

“Roofing software is a type of cloud-based business management software that has been designed exclusively for the roofing industry,” Jobba states. That specificity is key. Unlike generic CRMs that cater to broad industries, Jobba is built around the actual workflows, client relationships and project scopes unique to roofing businesses. 

Roofers are often juggling multiple platforms, one for scheduling, another for estimating and yet another for billing. That patchwork approach creates more room for error and inefficiency. With Jobba, contractors can streamline operations in one place, cutting out redundant steps and minimizing dropped details. 

Equally important is the software’s ability to reveal where business operations are slipping. Whether it's delayed proposals or incomplete project data, roofing software helps companies pinpoint friction points early. 

The eBook encourages roofers not to get overwhelmed by the array of options out there but to start by identifying their pain points and operational goals. Once that’s clear, finding the right software becomes far less daunting. 

Learn more about how Jobba is helping roofing businesses build stronger foundations!

By Jesse Sanchez. 

This new guide helps roofers cut through tech buzz and make smarter software choices. 

Choosing the right roofing software requires more than just chasing flashy features. A guide from Jobba Trade Technologies, “7 Tips to Choose the Best Roofing Software for Your Business,” cuts through the noise with a clear, practical checklist designed to help contractors find solutions that actually improve efficiency and drive profitability. 

From labor tracking to customer relationship management (CRM), Jobba highlights the must-ask questions that roofing professionals often overlook during the buying process. The guide warns, “It’s so easy to get lost in the minutia of it all and end up going down several trails that really do not pay dividends for the big picture.”  

One of the key insights: speed and automation can dramatically change the game. The guide recounts a commercial contractor who slashed service invoicing time from two days to just two hours by using Jobba’s invoicing module, freeing up resources and boosting cash flow. Jobba also digs into the advantages of mobile and cloud-based platforms. With smartphones and tablets now indispensable tools on the job site, software compatibility across devices is critical. Jobba notes, “Smart phones and tablets can also make day-to-day business easier to do on the road.” 

Data security and ownership are also non-negotiable in today’s landscape. The guide urges contractors to ask: “Who owns the data?” A reminder that your business information should never be locked behind a vendor’s gate. Aerial imagery, once a niche perk, is now standard in competitive estimating processes. Seamless integration with aerial measurements and cloud-based tools can help contractors deliver more accurate bids and polished presentations. 

But even the best software won’t deliver results without proper implementation. The guide stresses the importance of training, onboarding support and choosing the right time of year to roll out new tech, ideally in the off-season when business is less hectic. 

Jobba’s no-nonsense approach makes this a valuable read for roofing professionals who are serious about working smarter, not harder. But it doesn’t give everything away, if you're considering new software, this guide could save you time, money and plenty of headaches. 

Download the guide now and get the critical questions every roofing contractor should ask before investing in new software!