As a result of ongoing supply chain issues, insufficient raw materials, and the current state of economic inflation, the prices of roofing materials have continued to climb. From 2021 to 2022, material costs have risen 17.5%— the most significant increase in 50 years— without any indication of slowing down.
Understanding your roofing material order costs can help you plan and predict future spending for your roofing jobs and navigate pricing increases. With the reporting features in AccuLynx, specifically the Materials Report, you can stay informed about your material usage and costs in real time. This report provides a comprehensive snapshot of your materials and your overall spending, broken down by supplier, material quantities, colors, and more.
Here are three areas where knowing more about your material spend can help your roofing business succeed.
Negotiating better pricing with distributors
The Materials Report in AccuLynx breaks down your material spend by supplier, so you can see exactly how much materials cost based on where you purchase them. After tracking this data, you could share it with your suppliers to negotiate prices for future purchases. For example, you could ask if you could receive discounts for buying in bulk. Or, if your preferred supplier won’t offer any discounts, you could use your findings to help negotiate other perks such as free shipping or extended warranties for the products you purchase — which would help you save money on each job.
Preparing yourself for future roofing jobs
By keeping track of your roofing material order costs via the Material Report, you can create projections for materials you’ll need in the future given the type of job and their costs. Knowing this information is important and can help prepare you for later jobs.
Some companies have even resorted to stocking up on materials they know they will use later. This way, they can avoid supply chain issues and price increases by having what they might need at the ready. While doing this seems inefficient, having your materials ready is better than continuously pushing jobs due to material shortages and could help you save money in the long run—even if you have to spend money to store them elsewhere.
Advising homeowners on material choices
Knowing the data behind your material ordering can help you sell different products to your customers. During the sales process, you can use the Materials Report to identify and present the most popular materials to the homeowner. You can also use this data to upsell products. For example, if you want to sell a homeowner a more high-quality shingle, you could mention that you used that type of material on other homes in the area and that it holds up well with the climate. Knowing that other customers chose one product over another could help your homeowner make a more informed choice for their roofing job and help you close more profitable deals.
Keep track of your roofing material order costs all season long with AccuLynx ReportsPlus
Since materials are a large part of the upfront costs for you as a contractor, tracking your most commonly used materials and your material spending can help you more accurately estimate job costs and increase profitability during busy season. With AccuLynx ReportsPlus, you can automate your reporting and efficiently track what is happening with your material spending, without manually pulling a report. Instead, set the time, date, format, and recipient of the report and AccuLynx will do everything else for you.
Check out how AccuLynx can help you understand your roofing material orders and more in a custom demo.
