How Do I Know if My Roofing Business Is Actually Making Money?

Most roofers I talk to have the same question floating around in the back of their mind (and sometimes keeping them up at night):

“We’re busy. Like, really busy. But where’s all the money going?”

It’s frustrating, right? You’ve got jobs lined up, crews working, invoices going out—and yet your bank account still feels like it’s holding its breath.

On top of that, your family wonders if you’ll ever be home for dinner again. It’s a crazy cycle that can spiral out of control quickly. If you’re nodding along, this blog is for you. Do you know how many cents per dollar goes in your pocket. Without estimating do you know the most and least profitable jobs you did and here’s the kicker…. why they were different?

Let’s break it down:

Just Because You’re Busy Doesn’t Mean You’re Profitable

There’s a dangerous lie contractors fall into: If the phone is ringing and we’re working nonstop, we must be doing fine. But being busy doesn’t equal being profitable.

Profit = What’s left after the dust settles.

Here’s What I Want You to Know:

If you’re not tracking job costs, expenses, and cash flow on a regular basis, you’re flying blind—and I don’t say that to scare you, I say it because I’ve seen what happens when business owners don’t.

Let’s break that down:

• Job Costs: If you’re not separating the materials, labor, and overhead costs per job, you won’t know if that “big win” actually made you money—or if you just ran a charity roofing project at a loss.
• Expenses: Your business isn’t just tools and shingles. There’s gas, insurance, dump fees, subscriptions, meals, admin costs, maybe even equipment loans. If you’re not tracking it all, it’s slipping through the cracks—taking your profit with it.
• Cash Flow: This one’s huge. You can be “profitable” on paper and still be broke. Why? Because cash flow is about timing. If you don’t know when money’s coming in and when it’s going out, you’ll find yourself scrambling for payroll while waiting on overdue invoices.

📌 Imagine patching a roof in the dark. That’s what managing your business without financial visibility feels like. You might get lucky—but more likely, you’ll miss something critical and end up with a leak that costs you big.

When you ignore the financial side of the business—or push it off to “when I have time”—you’re leaving decisions up to chance. And that’s a risk no roofing business can afford, especially when you’re responsible for a crew, a family, and your own future.

3 Ways to Tell If You’re Actually Making Money

1. You Know Your Job Costs

Do you know exactly how much each roofing job is costing you—materials, labor, permits, subs, insurance, disposal fees, fuel, and your share of overhead?

If not, you’re just hoping your markup is enough to cover everything. But let’s be honest:
Hope is a beautiful thing… just not a business strategy.

Imagine quoting a $25K roof and thinking you’ve got $8K profit—only to find out you forgot to factor in a crew bonus, an unexpected materials hike, or the third trip to the dump that week.

Without accurate job costing, you’re guessing, and guessing is the fastest way to bleed money without knowing where it’s going.

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📌 Pro Tip:
Job costing inside QuickBooks Online (when set up right) can show you exactly:

• What each job actually cost you
• Which services or project types are the most profitable
• Where your margins are slipping—and why

With that data, you can confidently adjust pricing, streamline your bids, and stop undercharging for the work you’re doing. You don’t need to be a numbers nerd—you just need to see the scoreboard.

Because if you’re not tracking job costs, how will you know what’s working and what’s draining you dry?

2. You’re Paying Yourself a Steady Salary

Let me ask you something that might hit close to home:
Are you paying yourself on purpose—or just taking what’s left?

If you’re only paying yourself after everyone else is taken care of—your crew, suppliers, the dump, insurance, fuel, and that surprise parts run—you’re not running a business that supports you… you’re running one that uses you.

And chances are, there’s not much left over. Sometimes, nothing at all.

That’s not sustainable.

You didn’t start your business to scrape by or “just get by this month again.”
You started it to build freedom, stability, and a future for your family.

Here’s the truth no one talks about:

📌 If your business can’t pay you a consistent wage, it’s a warning light—not a reflection of your worth, but a sign that something in your pricing, systems, or cost structure is broken.

This is where clarity changes everything. When you understand your numbers—what’s coming in, what’s going out, and what your margins actually are—you can:

• Build your salary into the cost of doing business
• Quote jobs with confidence, knowing they’ll support your household
• Finally stop feeling guilty about “taking money from the business”

Your family depends on this business working.
You deserve to be paid—not as an afterthought, but as a strategic priority.

Because what good is a “profitable” business if the guy running it still can’t take his kids out to dinner without checking the bank account twice?

3. You Can Read Your P&L and Balance Sheet Like a Foreman Reads a Blueprint

You don’t need to become a bookkeeper or love numbers. That’s not your job.

But if you own the business? You better know how to read the blueprint.

In the same way a foreman walks onto a job site with a clear plan—knowing what’s getting built, what materials are needed, and where the crew should be—your financial reports tell the story of your business behind the scenes.

And the two most important ones?

• Income Statement also known as the Profit & Loss (P&L): Shows you what’s coming in, what’s going out, and whether you’re actually turning a profit—or just cycling cash through the system.
• Balance Sheet: Reveals the full picture of what you own, what you owe, and what your business is really worth.
• Statement of Cash Flows: The most overlooked—but arguably most critical—report. This one shows exactly where your money is going and why you might be “profitable” on paper but still short on cash.🎯We always pay attention to this one—because if cash flow is off, your whole operation is at risk.

📌 If no one has ever sat down and walked you through these reports in plain English, that’s a red flag—not because you “should’ve known better,” but because someone dropped the ball.

Understanding your P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow isn’t about “knowing accounting.”
It’s about knowing your numbers so you can:

• Spot red flags before they cost you
• See which months are your strongest
• Know when to hire—or when to hold back
• Make decisions without second-guessing yourself

Here’s the good news:

It’s not as complicated as you’ve been led to believe. You just need someone who’s willing to explain it in your language—with no jargon, no judgment, and no assumptions.

That’s exactly what my Free Financial Review does.
I’ll walk you through your numbers like I’m laying out a blueprint.

So next time someone asks how your business is doing?
You’ll answer with facts, not feelings.

What If You’ve Been Guessing All Along?

Let’s say it out loud:
You’ve been winging it.

Relying on your gut. Hoping the next job covers the last one. Using your bank account as a scoreboard.
Maybe you’ve never really looked at your Profit & Loss. Maybe you’ve avoided QuickBooks like it’s got a virus.
Or maybe your wife’s been piecing it together at night after the kids go down, and neither of you feels confident it’s right.

Guess what? That’s normal.

Most contractors I work with weren’t being reckless or lazy.
They were just trying to keep the business alive, feed their families, and make it to next month without burning out completely.

But here’s the good news:

📌 It’s fixable.
📌 It’s not too late.
📌 And you don’t have to fix it alone.

You’re not behind—you’re just at the beginning of doing things differently.

That’s what the Free Financial Review is for. It’s not a lecture. It’s not a test.
It’s a clear-eyed look at what’s happening behind the scenes—so you can finally move forward with clarity instead of fear.

You’ll walk away knowing:

• Where your money’s going
• What’s working (and what’s not)
• What you can do right now to turn the ship around

“The wise man doesn’t wait for the storm to pass—he builds shelter before it hits.”
— And in business, that shelter is clarity.

You’re not the only one who’s guessed their way through this.
But you can be the one who stops guessing—and starts making decisions like a leader who knows what he’s building.

Ready?

Let’s fix it—together.

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