For Roofing Contractors

Annual Roof Inspection:
2-Wave Recall Campaigns

A focused postcard plus phone-follow-up playbook designed for one job: getting past customers and post-storm prospects on your inspection schedule.

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4.4%
Direct mail response rate
—up to 9% on house lists1
$50B
Annual residential
roofing market2
$1.05
Per 4x6 card all-in
(printing + USPS postage)

Most Homeowners Don't Think About Their Roof. Until They Have To.

By the time a homeowner sees a stain on the ceiling, the cheap fix is gone. Annual inspection campaigns get you in the door before the emergency — which is when the contractor on the postcard from last spring becomes the contractor of record.

What Doesn't Work

  • × Door-knocking after every storm with no follow-up
  • × Generic "need a new roof?" cards with no offer
  • × Mailing only when business is slow
  • × Skipping the QR code, leaving no way to track interest

What Does Work

  • ✓ Spring inspection card framed around winter damage check
  • ✓ Free inspection offer with no high-pressure pitch
  • ✓ Phone follow-up to anyone who scans the QR
  • ✓ Targeted canvas after a documented storm event

The Annual Roof Inspection Playbook

2 waves over 4 weeks, twice a year (spring + fall). Below is exactly what mails when, and why.

W1
Day 1 · Postcard + Call Day 10–14

Wave 1 — Free Inspection Offer

Headline: "Your roof is X years old — get a free inspection before the next storm" · Offer: Free 30-minute inspection · QR to online booking.

Mailed in early spring (post-winter check) or early fall (pre-winter prep). Free inspection offer is low-friction, builds trust, and sets up the upsell. Phone follow-up 10–14 days later: "Wanted to make sure you got our card — can we get you on the schedule this week?" 70%+ of inspections come from this wave.

W2
Day 29 · Final reminder

Wave 2 — Storm-Season Urgency

Headline: "Storm season fills up our schedule fast" · Offer: Same free inspection, expedited scheduling.

Mailed 28 days after Wave 1 only to non-responders. Different angle: timing. "We're booking inspections through [date] — book now to get yours before the rush." Avoid scare tactics — focus on capacity and timing rather than damage.

How It Works

1

Pick the Annual Roof Inspection Playbook

All wave timing, call scripts, and copy direction are pre-configured for inspection campaigns. You only customize the offer (free inspection, $50 off any repair, etc.) and your contractor branding.

2

Upload Your Customer List

Export past customers from JobNimbus, AccuLynx, Roofr, or your CRM as CSV. For storm response, pull homeowner lists by zip + carrier route from ListSource or Cole Realty Resource. Our import wizard auto-maps the columns.

3

Launch — Postcards Mail Within 2 Business Days

Wave 1 postcards print and drop into USPS within 1–2 business days. Your call queue populates 10 days after delivery. Wave 2 schedules itself 28 days later, only mailing non-responders.

4

Front Desk Works the Call Queue

Each call has a pre-loaded script. Crew schedulers log the outcome (booked, voicemail, declined). Booked inspections drop out of the sequence automatically.

The Math on an 800-Customer Inspection Campaign

Most roofing contractors have 500–1,500 past customers in the last 5 years. Here's the math on an 800-customer run:

  • Wave 1: 800 cards · Wave 2: ~720 cards (non-responders)
  • Total: ~1,520 postcards × $0.79 (Pro) = $1,201 in postcard spend
  • Inspection rate at 3% → 24 inspections at $200 avg = $4,800
  • 30% upsell to repair work at $3,500 avg → 7 jobs × $3,500 = $24,500

24:1 ROI on the first cycle — before referrals from the inspection visits.

Run your own numbers in the ROI calculator.

Simple, Transparent Pricing

Free to explore — you only pay when you're ready to send. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Free

$0/forever

Single-wave postcard campaigns · Unlimited contacts · From $1.05/piece

Most Popular

Pro

$99/mo

Everything in Free + calls, sequencing · From $0.79/piece

Per-piece pricing includes printing + USPS First-Class postage. No hidden fees.

Customize an Inspection Card in Minutes

Drop in your contractor license number, phone, service area, and the offer. The live designer handles the rest.

Try the live designer →

More Roofing Campaigns

Annual inspection is the highest-ROI roofing playbook, but PostKnock also runs storm-response canvassing, past-customer reactivation, and seasonal promos. See the full lineup on the roofing hub.

See all roofing campaigns →

Roofing Inspection Campaign FAQs

How many past customers should I include in my first campaign?

300–1,000 customers for the first run. Smaller than 300 and the per-card economics get tight; larger than 1,000 and your inspection schedule may not handle the response. If you have 2,000+ past customers, split into two cohorts and stagger by 30 days.

How do I run a post-storm canvas?

After a major hail or wind event, pull homeowner lists by zip + carrier route in the affected area from ListSource, ProspectsPLUS, or Cole Realty Resource. Upload to PostKnock as CSV. Mail within 7–10 days while the storm is top of mind. Free inspection offer typically converts at 2–5% on storm-affected zips. PostKnock's 1–2 day print SLA means you can launch quickly.

Are free roof inspections worth the time?

Yes — the math works because of the upsell rate. About 30% of inspections turn up at least one repair-worthy issue, and 15–20% turn into full-roof replacements within 12 months. The cost of an inspection is your crew time + a small written estimate; the upside is a $5K–$25K+ project.

When should I mail spring vs fall inspection cards?

Spring (Feb–Apr): post-winter damage check — ice damming, missing shingles, gutter damage. Fall (Aug–Oct): pre-winter prep — flashings, soft spots, attic ventilation. Two campaigns a year is the sweet spot. More than that trains customers to ignore your cards; less and a competitor lands first.

Are roofing postcards subject to contractor advertising rules?

Yes — most states require licensed contractors to include their license number on advertising materials. PostKnock templates leave space for required disclosures. Confirm specific requirements with your state contractor licensing board.

Ready to Schedule More Inspections?

Stop relying on storm chasers. Start running the inspection cadence that builds long-term repeat business.

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1 ANA (Association of National Advertisers), Response Rate Report 2023, published February 2024.

2 IBISWorld industry reports, 2024.