In the business world, and especially in small businesses, transparency around pricing has become increasingly vague. We want to help our customers better understand what influences the prices for the services we offer. Let’s break it down.
The Pricing Confusion: It’s More Than Materials
When trying to understand price differences between contractors, most people focus on the proposal details — the materials used or the experience of the installers. While these factors do make a difference, they’re usually not the biggest reasons behind price differences between contractors — especially when you see major price gaps.
The Real Cost Driver: How Companies Treat Their Employees
The biggest factor is how a company operates and what kind of culture it builds for its employees.
Unfortunately, in the construction industry, many companies rely almost entirely on 1099 independent contractors. These workers typically don’t receive:
Paid vacation
Health, vision, or dental insurance
Retirement plans like 401(k)
Ongoing training or career development
Worker’s compensation insurance (which leaves homeowners exposed to risk)
Many companies also use 1099 salespeople who work strictly on commission — often 5-7% with no guaranteed salary. This results in:
High-pressure sales tactics
Financial stress for sales reps
Lower quality customer experiences
In these situations, only the owners benefit while employees are left vulnerable.
How Roofing & More Does Things Differently
At Roofing & More, we’re committed to doing things the right way. Our mission statement says it best:
“Employ best-in-class people, products, and practices that result in a superb service experience for our customers while providing quality of life for our employees and making a positive impact in the communities we serve.”
Here’s how we back that up:
Competitive wages/salaries that often exceed industry averages
401(k) with company match (up to 3%)
Paid vacation time
Healthcare, vision, and dental coverage (50% paid by the company)
Ongoing training and certifications through manufacturers and trade associations
Sales team earns 10% commission plus a guaranteed base salary (so they focus on serving customers, not just closing deals)
We also give back by partnering with local non-profits to provide 2-3 free roofs per year for those in need and support community-based organizations and events.
We believe working in the construction industry should be a real career opportunity, not just a job.
The Numbers Behind Sustainable Pricing
Let’s use an example:
A typical roof replacement of 33 squares (for a single-family home in NoVA) may be quoted at $16,500 — about $500 per square.
The cost of goods sold (COGS) for a GAF Golden Pledge roof (using Timberline shingles) is around $375 per square.
That leaves $125 per square in gross margin — or a 25% gross margin.
From that margin:
Sales commissions (7% of revenue) still need to be paid.
The remaining funds must cover all other business expenses: salaries, insurance, office operations, training, charitable giving, etc.
For a company to truly cover these costs, operate responsibly, and remain financially healthy, a sustainable gross margin of around 30-40% is required. This allows:
Business stability
Fair compensation for employees
Continued growth and development
The ability to honor warranties years down the road
Many contractors who underprice their work simply don’t have enough margin to maintain long-term stability. They may only be a few jobs away from financial trouble if anything goes wrong.
Why Sustainable Pricing Protects You, The Customer
While we work hard to avoid issues, sometimes things happen. The difference is:
Because Roofing & More is financially healthy, we’re able to stand behind our work and make things right when needed — even years later.
By contrast, companies running on razor-thin margins may no longer be around (or able) to resolve problems that come up down the road.
Making Values-Based Buying Decisions
At the end of the day, these are the real factors that determine price. As consumers, we make decisions every day about which values and companies we want to support.
When you hire Roofing & More, you’re investing in:
Skilled, fairly-compensated professionals
A business that values people over profit
A company with the stability to support you long after the job is done