The roofing industry may not be the most exciting in the world, but to say that it’s anything less than absolutely vital would be a bit foolish. After all, what good is a home without its lid? Now, there’s a new company on the horizon that wants to inject a healthy dose of technology into this venerable industry, and help you protect your home (and yourself) from any roofing headaches. Meet Roofr, a startup that uses satellite imagery software to analyze your roof and determine whether or not you need to hire a roofer to make some repairs and adjustments.
“Homeowners usually need a new roof because it’s leaking, shingles are falling off, or it looks worn out,” Roofr founder and CEO Richard Nelson told VentureBeat. “Traditionally, you would look through Angie’s List or Yelp and call multiple roofing companies for quotes, but you never know what you will pay and the process is extremely tedious.”
But Roofr believes it can help. Promising to simplify the entire process of roofing, the Toronto-based startup says that a roofing estimate takes only 26 seconds. Simply enter your address on its website, and get a free quote. But how does it happen? It’s all based on satellite images (sourced from a Google API that pulls from Google Earth), that are used to calculate both the square footage and slope of your roof. This will permit a nearly instantaneous free estimate.
Then, Roofr claims that within 24 hours, a member of the team will contact you to set up an appointment with an installer. All installers are vetted contractors who are said to be able to provide complete replacements for your roof, no matter what material you may be working with. If you’re looking to change the look of your roof, the installer can help you choose the new system.
Finally, once this process is finished, Roofr sends a firm quote. “If it works for you, we notify the installers to move forward with your project; you pay the installers once the work is complete and you’re happy,” the company notes.
New roofs are priced at around $6,000, and are said to last about 10 years. As it stands, the startup claims it has 200 projects already finished, and is currently selling around 10 roofing projects every week. And while it’s currently based in Canada, Roofr hopes to solidify its presence in the U.S., and move its headquarters to Mountain View, California, within the next couple months.
