The short answer
At ACE, we turn a finished job into a referral campaign. Your customer types in a neighbor's name and phone number, and that creates a unique link. The customer sends it to the neighbor themselves, so the offer comes from someone the neighbor already knows. When the neighbor watches your short video, both people get a real gift card. You pay rewards only when the neighbor actually does it.
Why neighbors are your best leads
- They trust their neighbor more than your ad. A recommendation from the people next door carries more weight than anything you can say about yourself.
- They probably have the same problem. Homes on the same street were often built around the same time and took the same storm.
- They've already seen your work. Your trucks, your crew and the finished roof have been in front of them for days.
Most roofers leave this on the table. They finish the job, collect the check and move to the next town.
Step 1: Ask at the right moment
Timing matters more than wording. The best moments to ask:
- The day the roof is finished. The customer is relieved and proud of how it looks.
- When you do the final walk-through. You're standing in the yard together, and the neighbors can see the roof.
- A week later. A quick text checking in, with the referral link ready to share.
Keep the ask simple: "If anyone on your street is dealing with the same storm damage, we'd love to help them too. If you send them this, you both get a gift card when they check us out."
Step 2: Let the customer send it, not you
The strongest referral comes from the customer, not from your company. With an ACE referral:
- The customer enters a neighbor's name and phone number.
- That creates a unique link just for that neighbor.
- The customer sends it themselves, by text or however they like.
- The neighbor opens it, watches your 60-second video and confirms their phone number.
- Both the customer and the neighbor get a real gift card when the neighbor activates.
Because the link comes from someone they know, the neighbor actually opens it. Phone verification stops anyone from claiming twice.
Step 3: Reach the rest of the street
Not every neighbor will get a personal referral. You can reach the rest of the block too:
- Roofing direct mail to the surrounding homes. "We just replaced the roof at the house down the street" is a much stronger opener than a generic postcard. Each mailer carries a unique code, and the homeowner can unlock a reward for watching your video.
- Yard signs and ACE cards. Leave cards with the customer to hand out, and put a QR code on your yard sign.
- No door-knocking crew needed. Mail and the customer's own texts reach the neighbors, including homes in no-soliciting and gated neighborhoods.
Step 4: Follow up fast
When a neighbor watches your video, you get their name and a verified phone number. Call within minutes. Lead with the connection: "Your neighbor sent you our way. We just finished their roof."
A note on Florida
Florida law (Fla. Stat. 489.147) bars roofing contractors from offering rewards for referring services paid by property insurance, and from offering anything of value for a roof inspection or an insurance claim. In Florida, ACE campaigns are structured around those rules, and referral rewards aren't used for insurance-paid roofing work. We review every campaign before launch, and you should confirm with your own attorney.
Everywhere, the reward is never tied to an insurance claim, a deductible or whether the neighbor hires you.
What we've seen
Across ACE campaigns, engagement has ranged from about 5% to 28%, and in roofing campaigns about 9 in 100 homeowners who get an offer typically activate it. Referrals work especially well because both people are rewarded and the offer comes from someone the neighbor trusts. Good Faith Roofing is one of the roofing companies running ACE campaigns. These are past results, not a promise for your market.
When this isn't the right fit
- You don't have happy customers yet. Referrals amplify good work. They can't create it.
- Most of your work is insurance-paid in Florida. Referral rewards aren't used there for that work.
- Nobody calls the neighbor back quickly. A referral cools off fast.
For more ideas beyond roofing, see our customer referral program ideas.
Frequently asked questions
How do roofers get more referrals?
Ask on the day the job is finished, make it easy for the customer to send a link to a neighbor, and reward both people when the neighbor engages.
Should I pay customers for roofing referrals?
A small reward for both people works well, as long as it's legal where you work. Florida bars referral rewards for roofing work paid by insurance. Check your state's rules with your attorney.
How do I market to the neighbors around a roofing job?
Send direct mail to the surrounding homes mentioning the nearby job, leave ACE cards with your customer, and add a QR code to your yard sign.
Do neighbor referrals work in gated communities?
Yes. Your customer can text the link to a neighbor inside the gate, and mail reaches every home without knocking.
What does the neighbor have to do?
Open the link, watch a 60-second video about your company and confirm their phone number. Both people get a gift card when the neighbor activates.
About the author
Jake Nicks is the founder of ACE (Actual Consumer Engagement), a customer acquisition firm in Frisco, Texas. He has 10 years in paid media and has directed more than $2 billion in ad spend. ACE's verified-action gift card technology is protected by U.S. Patent No. 11,847,634 B2.
See who else on the street is shopping for a roofer. On a free 15-minute call, we'll pull 50 homeowners in market for roofing in your area, live while you watch, scrubbed against Do Not Call lists. You keep the list. Claim your free 50