Google Ads for Roofing Contractors: A Lead-Gen Playbook That Actually Works

If you run a roofing company, you’ve probably felt this whiplash:

• Some weeks, the phone won’t stop ringing.
• Other weeks, your best closers are “following up” and your crews are underbooked.
• And every marketing vendor says the same thing: “Just spend more.”

Google Ads can absolutely become your most predictable lead source — but only if you build it around high intent, tight geography, call + form measurement, and landing pages that feel like a real local roofer, not a template.

This guide is the playbook we use to structure roofing campaigns that generate qualified estimates, not random “how much does a roof cost?” traffic.

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Quick takeaways (read this if you’re in a rush)

• Roofing Google Ads works best when you split campaigns by intent: Emergency repair, replacement, commercial, storm damage.
• Use location control like your profit depends on it (it does): tight radius, exclude low-value zip codes, and add city-specific pages.
• Optimize for calls and forms separately — they behave differently.
• Most roofing accounts waste money on broad “roof” terms, generic landing pages, and zero negative keyword discipline.
• Your first goal isn’t perfection — it’s clean measurement + repeatable conversion paths.

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What people search before they hire a roofer (and why it matters)

Roofing searches fall into a few predictable buckets:

1) “Fix it now” intent (highest urgency)

Examples:

• emergency roof repair near me
• roof leak repair [city]
• roofing company open now

These searches convert quickly and favor phone calls.

2) Replacement / estimate intent (highest ticket)

Examples:

• roof replacement estimate [city]
• new roof cost [city]
• shingle roof replacement

These convert to form leads (and often require follow-up).

3) Storm damage / insurance intent (spiky but powerful)

Examples:

• hail damage roof inspection
• storm damage roofer [city]
• insurance roof replacement

These require trust. Your ads and landing pages need to feel established.

4) Research intent (often low value for ads)

Examples:

• how long does a roof last
• roofing materials comparison

Great for SEO. Often expensive and inefficient for Google Ads unless you have a strong nurture funnel.

The win: Build campaigns around buckets 1–3, and keep “research” traffic out unless it’s part of a deliberate strategy.

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Campaign structure that scales (without turning into chaos)

Most roofing accounts are either:

• One giant campaign with 200 keywords (hard to control), or
• 50 micro-campaigns (impossible to manage).

Here’s a structure that stays clean and gives you levers:

Campaign A: Emergency Repair (Calls)

• Goal: phone calls during business hours (or 24/7 if you truly staff it)
• Ad schedule: align with answering capacity
• Bid focus: call interactions

Campaign B: Roof Replacement (Forms)

• Goal: quote requests / inspections
• Landing page: replacement-focused (before/after, warranties, financing)
• Bid focus: forms + qualified calls

Campaign C: Storm Damage / Insurance (Mixed)

• Goal: inspections + documentation
• Landing page: storm checklist, insurance-friendly process

Campaign D (optional): Commercial Roofing

• Separate budget and messaging; commercial searches behave differently.

Pro tip: Keep your ad groups simple. A few tightly themed ad groups are easier to optimize than dozens of tiny ones.

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Keyword strategy: start with “tight + obvious”

Roofing is expensive per click. You can’t afford “maybe” traffic.

Start with exact and phrase for the core services:

• “roof repair”
• “roof leak repair”
• “roof replacement”
• “roofing contractor”
• “storm damage roof inspection”

Then localize:

• Add city modifiers: [city], near me, neighborhoods

The roofing negative keyword list you should build on day one

You’ll add to this forever, but begin with:

• DIY / learning: how to, tutorial, class, course, jobs, salary
• Materials shopping: home depot, lowes, menards, supplier, wholesale
• Free / cheap intent: free, cheap, coupon
• Random: shed, carport, gazebo (unless you offer it)

If you’re getting “metal roof panels price” clicks and you don’t sell materials, your budget is literally leaking.

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Location targeting: the fastest way to turn “okay” into profitable

Roofing is local. Treat geo like a profit lever:

• Use Presence targeting (people in or regularly in your area).
• Start with your best zip codes (or a radius around them).
• Exclude zip codes where you don’t want to compete (low ticket, far drive time, low close rates).

When the account has data, segment by:

• City
• Zip code
• Distance from your office

You’ll often find that performance drops hard past a certain radius.

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Ad copy that gets calls (without sounding spammy)

Roofing ads win by being specific and trustworthy.

Here are angles that convert:

• Fast response: “Same-week inspections”
• Proof: “Local, licensed & insured”
• Offer: “Free leak inspection”
• Risk reversal: “Photo report before any work”
• Financing (if true): “Financing available”

Example headline patterns

• Roof Leak Repair – [City]
• Roof Replacement Estimates
• Storm Damage Inspection
• Licensed & Insured Roofers

Example description patterns

• “Get a fast inspection and a clear photo report. No pressure. Book online or call now.”
• “Local roofing team. Warrantied workmanship. We help with storm documentation.”

Avoid:

• “BEST ROOFER #1 CHEAP ROOF!!!” (it attracts the wrong leads)

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Landing pages: the difference between clicks and appointments

If you send roofing traffic to a generic homepage, you’re paying premium clicks for a vague experience.

Your landing page should answer, immediately:

1. Do you do the service I’m searching for? (repair vs replacement vs storm)
2. Do you serve my area? (city + nearby neighborhoods)
3. Can I trust you? (proof, photos, reviews, licenses)
4. What happens next? (simple process)

A conversion-focused roofing landing page checklist

• One primary CTA: “Schedule an inspection” (button + sticky on mobile)
• Click-to-call above the fold (mobile)
• Proof block: reviews, certifications, “licensed & insured”
• Gallery: real project photos (not generic stock only)
• Clear offer: inspection / estimate / photo report
• Short form (name, phone, address, service type)
• Service areas list + map embed (optional)

If you want to compete in roofing, you can’t make people hunt for basic info.

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Tracking: if you can’t measure calls, you can’t optimize

Roofing is call-heavy. Set tracking up early:

• Use call conversions (duration-based can help reduce junk)
• Track forms as separate conversions
• Use UTM parameters for lead source clarity
• If you use a CRM, push lead status back (even manually at first)

Reality check: The best roofing campaigns don’t win because of clever keywords. They win because the business follows up fast, and the account learns what becomes a real job.

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Budget and expectations (without magic numbers)

Your first 2–4 weeks are “learning + cleanup.”

Focus on:

• Removing waste (negative keywords, geo exclusions)
• Improving conversion rate (landing page + offer)
• Improving lead quality (ad copy + qualifying questions)

Once measurement is clean, you can scale spend confidently.

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FAQ: questions homeowners actually ask (and what to answer on your page)

Add these to your landing page or call script:

• “Do you offer emergency leak repair?”
• “How soon can you inspect?”
• “Are you licensed and insured?”
• “Do you offer a workmanship warranty?”
• “Can you help with insurance documentation?”
• “Do you provide photos of the issue?”

When your page answers real questions, people trust you faster — and your conversion rate climbs.

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A simple next step

If you want to build a roofing Google Ads engine that produces consistent inspections:

1. Split campaigns by intent (repair vs replacement vs storm)
2. Tighten geo
3. Fix tracking
4. Build one excellent landing page per service bucket

That’s the foundation. Everything else is optimization.