How to do it: Laying the groundwork for scalable roofing service operations

By Jesse Sanchez. 

The shift from chaos to clarity starts with structure, not sales, because no amount of leads can fix a broken system. Growth without a foundation only magnifies the cracks! 

For roofing contractors looking to scale their service division, the question is no longer why to invest in service — it’s how. With economic uncertainty on the horizon and competition growing stiffer, smart firms are turning their attention inward: to their structure, systems and support teams. 

“You have to hire the people. You have to have the plan in place,” says Tracey Donels, founder of Service First Solutions, “The day you plant the seed is not the day you harvest the crop.” 

Tracey, a 20-year veteran in the roofing industry, has built and scaled service departments from scratch and now helps others do the same. His message is clear: scaling isn’t about adding trucks. It’s about building a system that can handle them. 

Start with structure, not speed 

Many service divisions start reactively, a truck here, a technician there, with administrative duties scattered across sales reps or project managers. But Tracey warns against that approach. 

“If we don’t provide good service, if we don’t have a good quality product to sell, all the sales and marketing are not going to work,” he says. The focus, he emphasizes, must be on the back-end structure that supports front-line crews. 

Even in small teams, he advises roofing contractors to define roles early. “I may only have two people in my service department,” he says, “but all they do is service.” When service roles are blended with other departments, accountability drops and customers feel it. 

Systems that move with speed 

Tracey notes that clarity in roles is what keeps service teams running smoothly and growing efficiently. When people wear too many hats, productivity suffers and mistakes multiply. “Too often when we share roles, service gets pushed to the back,” he shares. Instead, he urges contractors to separate responsibilities early, even on small teams, to avoid bottlenecks and burnout as demand increases. 

This model extends to workflow as well. He advised contractors to define a repeatable, reliable process for every job, from the moment a call comes in, to the time the invoice is sent. Tracey notes, “There’s no reason 90% of the time it shouldn’t go the same.” 

Without standardization, everything takes longer and contractors burn out trying to scale what isn’t built to handle more volume. 

Data over guesses 

Instead of reacting to gut feelings or field chaos, Tracey points contractors to three daily metrics: bids delivered, jobs completed and invoices sent. He explains, “If we watch these three things and we’re doing good work, we’ll grow organically.” 

These numbers reveal bottlenecks, staffing gaps and missed revenue often long before customers complain or crews get overwhelmed. 

Grow before you're ready 

Tracey sees a common mistake: waiting for the perfect conditions to expand service. “Most people do the service they have to do, not the service they want to do,” he says. 

Instead, he suggests using current customer data to identify untapped revenue. “We already got these people to love us,” he shares. “Why try to find new people to love us? Why don’t we just offer the people that love us a new service?” 

Success in service isn’t just about being responsive, it’s about being ready. That starts with structure. What comes next? Knowing what to document and when. 

Watch for the next one in our series, where we’ll break down where the revenue really comes from in service and how to uncover hidden profit inside the work you’re already doing!