The average London roofing contractor might panic when a housing association calls for 20 simultaneous estimates. Driving all over the Greater London area to gather that information could take an entire week or more, all the while contending with traffic, weather, and staffing issues.
Yet James Roe, Director at UK Roofing Specialists, is unperturbed by this request. He knows he can get all the precise measurements done in as little as 48 hours.
How? By using EagleView roof measurement reports.
Saving Time, Money, and Unnecessary Effort
“Because I use EagleView, I can have [the information] within 48 hours rather than sending a man in a van to measure those 20 roofs,” James said.
With measurements, James and his team can calculate the cost of materials and deliver an estimate based on those numbers. More importantly, he doesn’t have to send a roofer all over London to take measurements either.
When housing associations have a high number of projects requiring roof estimates, UK Roofing Specialists can turn around quotes far quicker with the use of EagleView reports.
Before using the EagleView PremiumReport™, James explained, his team would need to schedule appointments with the property owners and tenants, which could cause delays. Once the appointment was set, a supervisor would attend the property to take internal and external photos, measure the roof, and type up a report. After returning to the office, the supervisor would transfer the report into an estimate, which would then be emailed to the property owner or sent through the post.
“By having an EagleView report,” James said, “I can give them what it would cost to replace their roof.” All James has to do is calculate the cost of materials based on the roof measurements, and he has an initial estimate for the client.
When the client accepts that cost, James’s team will attend the site. There they can take internal photos and complete the condition survey report, if needed for the job.
EagleView reports cut down significantly on the back-and-forth travel that traditional estimating methods would demand. Using EagleView measurements, James said, “saves me a lot of time, effort, and money.”
A Commitment to Professionalism
UK Roofing Specialists offer a number of roofing services for both pitched and flat roofs, including slate, leadworks, asphalt, bituminous built-up systems, and liquid waterproofing.
The company has grown fast over the last few years. James founded the business with little more than a van and a plan. Today, he has a staff of between 25 and 35 roofers, with more during the busy season. James also employs 20 scaffolders, a relatively new division for the firm.
James starts his day early—typically around 5 a.m.—to manage day-to-day operations and meet with suppliers and customers. His goal is to cement the business’s reputation as professional and trustworthy while providing the best possible service that customers can receive.
“I just want to do the best and be the best that I can possibly be,” James said, “and I want that for my company.”
James explained that he wants UK Roofing Specialists to expand into the domestic market in the future. EagleView reports are helping him pave the way.
“The aim is to bring that professionalism that we have built from the housing association market into the homeowners’ market,” James said. “With EagleView, I can provide a quality report with images and measurements that looks professional. Being able to send that to a client looks professional and helps you stand out from the crowd because not many people are doing this yet.”
Greater Productivity with High-Volume Jobs
While UK Roofing Specialists’ services are available direct to homeowners, their primary customers are housing associations looking to refurbish their properties, typically on a yearly basis.
James uses EagleView reports, he said, “rather than having a person or team of two driving around to each different address, getting a ladder out, taking photos, getting tape measures out… and then driving back to the office and writing this report up. That affects productivity.”
Sending staff members all over London to collect measurements is a time-consuming process. Other factors can slow down day-to-day operations as well. Staff absences and London traffic impact productivity. On some days, windy or rainy weather can make it unsafe to get onto the roof during a site survey. Human error also presents challenges.
“If you’ve sent someone there and they’re having a bad day, or it’s been a bit windy, or they’ve got personal issues going on, they might not be 100 per cent focused at that particular time, and you might get a mismeasurement, which obviously comes down the line to mis-ordering or mis-quoting,” James explained. “EagleView can help that.”
Instead, staff members can order EagleView reports so that they don’t have to leave the office. The accuracy and time-savings that come from using EagleView reports carries through to the rest of the job.
“The EagleView measuring system is very accurate and very precise, so creating a purchase order from an EagleView report gives you more confidence that you’re not going to be over-ordering or under-ordering on materials,” James said.
