Roofing, Siding, and Sheet Metal Contractors

The roofing and siding industry includes 30,000 companies with combined annual revenue of about $25 billion. Most companies are small, local contractors, with annual revenue less than $1 million. Large commercial roofers include Centimark and Tecta America. Commercial and residential roofing are quite different, and most companies specialize in one or the other.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand for roofing services is closely tied to local real estate construction. This highly fragmented industry has few large companies and little repeat business. Roofing technology is relatively simple and there are no economies of scale aside from the ability to handle several projects at once. Companies compete based mainly on price.

Because roofs need regular maintenance and often must be replaced every 20 years or so, roofing provides relatively steady work compared to other work that depends chiefly on new construction.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Roofing and siding contractors install and repair commercial and residential roofs and siding, although the majority of industry revenue is from roofing. Contractors often provide siding and sheet metal work in addition because the work techniques are similar. Almost 70 percent of industry revenue comes from commercial jobs, of which 75 percent involve reroofing, repair, and maintenance and 25 percent new construction. The average useful life of a commercial roof is about 14 years. Reroofing, maintenance, and repairs are often more profitable than new construction, as companies often negotiate these contracts rather than soliciting bids from ...