Better roofs start with collaboration

By Jesse Sanchez. 

Learn how this company is finding common ground and building better by bringing together consultants and contractors. 

At the 2025 International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC) show in Orlando, Florida, an important topic emerged from the conversations on the RoofersCoffeeShop® Soundstage: collaboration between roofing consultants and contractors may be the key to solving some of the industry’s biggest challenges. Jason Stanley, CEO of IB Roof Systems™, highlighted that topic during his interview with Heidi J. Ellsworth on this episode of the Roofing Road Trips® podcast. Rich with industry insight, Jason shared how IB Roof Systems is actively working to unite these two traditionally siloed groups. 

“There was a time when, if a consultant got involved in a job, you’d cringe,” Jason admitted. “Some think, ‘It's going to raise the cost. The details are going to be more difficult.’” But his perspective shifted as he recognized the deeper value consultants bring to the table. “What I really love about consultants is they seem to appreciate some of the details that not everybody else looks at,” he said. “Understanding how [a roof is] attached and how it'll be installed and how it's going to perform and be serviced over its life, that's where they care.” According to Jason, consultants often see problems long before they become failures, helping contractors avoid costly mistakes. He added, “They may be on three or four different roofs in a day, in different products, different assemblies.” 

IB Roof Systems has not only embraced consultants but has built programs to bring them closer to contractors, through IB Roof Systems advisory councils. According to Jason, consultants and contractors look at things from different lenses, so their advisory councils were held intentionally separate. However, once the two groups were brought together, the results were remarkable. 

Contractors and consultants engaged in conversations that were honest, sometimes heated, but ultimately productive, diving deep into specifications, material preferences and design priorities. Jason noted that kind of dialogue is exactly what's needed to close the gap between how each group approaches a project. “You're forcing this engagement and forcing this perception that these people look at things differently,” he said. Consultants might prioritize durability and performance over time, while contractors are often focused on installation logistics and staying on budget. He added, “Until we start looking at things under the same lens, how do we build a more durable, more sustainable roof for the benefit of the building owner, we’re going to keep running into the same issues.” By facilitating these conversations, IB Roof Systems is helping align those priorities and spark meaningful collaboration that leads to better roofs. 

Jason credits this mutual understanding with producing better installations and stronger specifications. He also sees it as a sign of maturity and progress in the industry. “It requires conversation and intent to understand what we are trying to accomplish here as a common goal rather than fighting against each other.” 

Read the transcript, Listen to the podcast or Watch the conversation to learn more about how IB Roof Systems is leading thoughtful industry conversations!