Roofers Remain on Top Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Download the infographic of this Better Business Briefing

Milwaukee, Wis. – As communities start to reopen from the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses are scrambling to re-staff and answer increasing customer demand. Roofers especially are feeling the crunch, as consumers turn to Better Business Bureau more than 17,000 times a day to research a roofing business.

According the Associated Builders and Contractors, construction industry leader’s confidence climbed in May, amid the pandemic. While roofers are expecting to expand their staffing, more than 48% of contractors believe their profit margins will decrease over the next six months.

Roofing remains the number one viewed type of business profile at BBB, with almost six million searches for roofers last year. In reviewing more than 27,000 positive customer reviews, workmanship ranks at the top when it comes to overall customer satisfaction, especially for home repairs and leaks. Also important to customers are:

• How well roofers clean up after a project
• Reasonable pricing
• Providing before and after pictures of the project
• Limiting in-home work access during the duration of the project

The median roofing project costs consumers around $8,000 – but homeowners insurance often covers that expense, possibly explaining why workmanship trumps everything else.

Why Trust Matters

The numbers don’t lie. Roofers account for the highest number of BBB Accredited Businesses, with around 17,000 across North America.  A business that is accredited with BBB meets and exceeds the BBB Standards for Trust, including acting with integrity and honoring promises – something customers demand and expect.

With consumer confidence rising, CNBC reports that consumers remain concerned about the uneven path to recovery. Reports of COVID-19 related complaints and reviews to BBB skyrocketed in May 2020, reaching more than 53,000 over a three-month period.

For BBB Accredited Businesses, this news gives them a distinct advantage in the market. Accredited businesses have nearly a 100% complaint resolution rate, magnified by the sheer amount of consumer inquiries to BBB.org daily.

Reputation is Everything

No question:  Having a good reputation can go a long way for a business, especially roofers.  First shared in a BBB COVID-19 Impact Report, consumer behavior is starting to change when it comes to finding a reputable and trustworthy business. In an April 2020 BBB/Google survey with consumers, BBB found that nearly half of consumers are more selective on which businesses to trust. In addition, a 2017 Nielsen survey conducted with BBB found people familiar with the BBB Seal are 81% more likely to trust that business.

See more information about BBB’s Standards for Trust and Accreditation Standards.

Find out more about becoming a BBB Accredited Business.

For more information or further inquiries, contact the Wisconsin BBB at www.bbb.org/wisconsin, 414-847-6000 or 1-800-273-1002. Consumers also can find more information about how to protect themselves from scams by following the Wisconsin BBB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

ABOUT BBB: For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. In 2019, people turned to BBB more than 183 million times for BBB Business Profiles on more than 5.8 million businesses and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at bbb.org. There are local, independent BBBs across the United States, Canada and Mexico, including BBB Serving Wisconsin which was founded in 1939 and serves the state of Wisconsin.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.