Leveling the playing field

By Jesse Sanchez. 

Digital tools are helping small contractors stand toe-to-toe with industry giants. 

In an era dominated by e-commerce giants and rapid digital innovation, smaller roofing contractors often feel the pressure of keeping up. But according to Travis Harvego and Matthew McDaniel of ROOFLE, a software company built by contractors for contractors, the tide is turning and small businesses have more control than ever before. In this Roofing Road Trips® podcast, Travis and Matthew discussed a key strategic shift that’s reshaping the roofing industry: decentralizing sales power and putting digital tools directly into the hands of local contractors. 

“We are enacting [a model] to liberate the small business owner, to make the playing field a lot more level with these bigger entities,” Matthew shared. Rather than relying on centralized platforms like Amazon to sell roofing services, ROOFLE's approach mirrors Shopify, embedding e-commerce directly into a contractor’s own website. That simple shift, the founders argue, changes everything. “With your website, you could do so much with,” Matthew added. “You can promote on social and have somewhere to send them to. It is your digital storefront and they have an equal experience that some of these bigger companies are offering.” 

This approach doesn’t just offer convenience, it protects contractor independence. Matthew stated the importance of retaining control over branding and customer relationships. Matthew said “We want to keep intact across this country. There are multi-generational family brands that we want to celebrate. If we’re going to keep pressing forward and make this country better and better, we have to honor our contractors and their small businesses.” 

ROOFLE’s tech enables homeowners to receive instant estimates, browse product options and even sign digital proposals, all directly from a contractor’s branded site. This not only builds trust through transparency, but also increases efficiency. It allows contractors to expand their reach without increasing overhead. Travis explained, “Instead of only going out 40 or 50 miles from their office, now they’re going out maybe 80, 100 miles.” 

That broader reach is crucial as consolidation in the roofing industry grows. With private equity-backed companies scaling fast, smaller firms need tools that allow them to compete on experience, speed and service, without losing their identity. “How are you going to compete against them? How are you going to survive?” Travis asked. “A lot of contractors that we talk to are starting to expand their service areas by using our technology. So, they’re expanding their footprint because they’re able to go after these homeowners digitally.” 

Read the transcript or Listen to the podcast to learn more about how this model is already generating a 7,000% ROI for some contractors and how digital real estate is becoming more important than brick-and-mortar!