Roof Inspection as a Service: $150 to $350 Per Inspection, Realtor Partnerships

Roof inspections done right are the highest-margin, lowest-risk service in the roofing business. A $200 inspection fee on a 30-minute service visit. Gross margin north of 70 percent. And every inspection is a lead in your pipeline for repair work, restoration work, and eventually full replacement. Roofers who build an inspection service generate $80K to $300K per year in inspection revenue plus 3 to 6x that in follow-on work.

Why Charge for Inspections

Most roofers offer free inspections. This seems like a good marketing move but creates problems:

• Attracts unqualified leads (tire-kickers, homeowners who "just want to check")
• Low-urgency customers who never close
• Free service devalues your expertise
• No revenue floor during slow seasons
• Customers expect inspection reports but without paying, they do not value them

Paid inspections solve all of this. The fee filters for serious customers, establishes value, and generates revenue regardless of whether the inspection leads to work.

Inspection Pricing

Inspection TypePriceDurationDeliverable Basic visual inspection$150 to $25030 to 45 minVerbal + photos Standard written report$200 to $30045 to 60 minWritten report + photos Pre-purchase (Realtor-driven)$275 to $40060 to 90 minFormal report with recommendations Insurance documentation$300 to $50060 to 90 minClaim-grade documentation Commercial inspection with IR$400 to $1,2002 to 4 hoursWritten report + IR scan Annual maintenance inspection$150 to $25030 to 45 minService checklist

The Realtor Partnership Play

Real estate transactions drive 60 to 80 percent of inspection volume for roofers who build this channel. Here is why:

• 30 to 50 percent of home sales have a roof issue flagged during general home inspection
• Buyers want specific information: age, remaining life, repair needs, cost to replace
• Sellers want to know what they are dealing with before listing
• Realtors need roofer partners to handle this quickly

Build relationships with 20 to 50 Realtors in your market. Deliverables:

• Same-day or next-day inspection booking
• Written report within 24 hours of inspection
• Clear remaining-useful-life estimate
• Cost estimates for recommended repairs
• Professional, neutral tone (not a sales pitch)

Target 1 to 3 inspections per week per active Realtor relationship. 30 active Realtors = 60 to 180 inspections per month = $12K to $54K monthly inspection revenue, plus follow-on repair and replacement work.

How to Start Realtor Relationships

1. Identify top 50 Realtors by transaction volume in your market (Zillow or MLS data)
2. Offer a free "roof health seminar" at their brokerage office for continuing education credit
3. Provide Realtors with a simple roof-age reference card and sample inspection reports
4. Follow up with 10 Realtors per week for 6 months
5. Reciprocate: refer homeowners who need to sell to cooperating Realtors

Lead Generation Tie-In

Every paid inspection generates a lead for future work. Typical outcomes from 100 inspections:

• 25 to 40 need immediate repair work ($500 to $5,000 per job)
• 8 to 15 need replacement within 1 to 2 years
• 30 to 50 need replacement within 3 to 10 years
• 10 to 20 are in great shape and do not need work (relationship for the future)

Immediate repair conversion: 35 to 55 percent of flagged customers. Long-term replacement conversion: 15 to 30 percent over 3 to 5 years.

Economic model on 100 inspections:

• Inspection revenue: 100 x $250 = $25,000
• Near-term repair work: 10 jobs x $2,500 avg = $25,000
• Near-term replacement: 6 jobs x $15,000 = $90,000
• Long-term replacement (3-5 years): 20 jobs x $15,000 = $300,000
• Total pipeline value: $440,000 from 100 inspections

The Inspection Process

Before Arrival

• Pull address and satellite imagery
• Note roof pitch, complexity, approximate age from aerial
• Review any prior service history if existing customer

On Site

1. Exterior walk: ground-level photos from all sides
2. Close-up with ladder or drone: gutters, valleys, penetrations, chimneys
3. On-roof inspection (if safe): shingle condition, flashings, ventilation
4. Attic inspection: ventilation, insulation, water staining, rot
5. Customer debrief on site: what you found, what needs attention

After

• Written report within 24 hours
• Photo gallery with captions
• Repair estimate if needed
• Follow-up schedule (90 days, 1 year, depending on findings)

Track every inspection in RoofKnockers as a customer record with follow-up cadence automatically scheduled.

Drone-Assisted Inspections

Drones (DJI Mini 4 Pro or similar at $800 to $1,500) revolutionize inspection economics:

• Faster inspection (no ladder setup on simple jobs)
• Higher safety (no on-roof work when not needed)
• Better documentation (video + photo)
• Customer wow factor (drone footage for reports)

FAA Part 107 license required for commercial drone operation. Online training and test: $150 to $300 and 20 to 40 hours of study. Worth the investment for any inspection operation.

Annual Maintenance Program

Expand inspections into recurring revenue with an annual maintenance program:

• Spring and fall inspections included
• Debris cleanout from valleys and gutters
• Minor sealant touch-ups
• Priority scheduling for storm response
• Annual fee: $250 to $450 per home

Sign 100 homes on maintenance and you have $25K to $45K of recurring annual revenue plus a captive customer base. Retention: 80 to 90 percent year-over-year when the service is delivered well.

Insurance-Grade Inspections

Insurance-grade documentation is a higher-margin tier of inspection work. Paid by:

• Homeowners preparing to file a claim
• Public adjusters documenting losses
• Attorneys in insurance disputes or litigation
• Insurance carriers for field inspections (if you become an approved vendor)

Price: $300 to $500 per home. Delivery: formal written report with measurements, material identification, damage quantification, and cost estimates. Time required: 60 to 90 minutes on site plus 60 minutes writing.

Related Services

• Emergency tarp service for storm-response lead generation
• Property management roof sales for recurring inspection contracts
• Hurricane strap and code upgrades for inspection-to-supplement follow-on

Sign up at RoofKnockers to track inspection pipelines separately from retail. Inspections have different cadences (repeat every 1 to 5 years) than one-time retail deals.

FAQ

What should I charge for inspections in my market?

Benchmark: what do home inspectors charge for a full home inspection? Usually $350 to $600. Price your roof-only inspection at 40 to 60 percent of that. In most markets: $200 to $350 is the sweet spot.

Should I refund the inspection fee if they hire me for repair?

Apply the inspection fee toward the first $1,000 of repair or replacement work. Do not just refund. Applying preserves value perception. Customers like the "credit" framing; full refund feels like the inspection was bait.

How many inspections should one technician do per day?

4 to 8 inspections per day including drive time. With drone assistance and a written report template, 6 is comfortable and 8 is achievable with tight routing. Revenue per tech per day: $1,200 to $2,000 on inspections alone, plus follow-on repair work.