Roof financing for roofing contractors: retail vs insurance jobs, big tickets and the kitchen table
A new roof averages $31,871 in asphalt and $51,865 in metal. Here is how roofers use financing on retail and insurance jobs, and how to show monthly payments on every option.
By The Revcore team
Reviewed by Hayden Mitchell, founder
12 min read
Quick answer
How do roofing contractors offer financing?
Roofers partner with a lender or use financing built into their sales software, then show a monthly payment next to each roof option during the appointment. On retail jobs financing can cover the whole roof, which averages $31,871 for asphalt and $51,865 for metal nationally. On insurance jobs it covers the homeowner's share: the deductible, upgrades and anything the claim does not pay. The homeowner prequalifies on their phone, and the roofer is usually paid after the job is complete.
Roofing is the home project people put off longest and then need fastest. Nobody budgets for a hailstorm. When the leak shows up, the homeowner is looking at one of the largest checks they will ever write for their house, often with no warning and no savings set aside for it.
That is why financing matters more in roofing than in most trades, and why the way you present it matters just as much. This guide covers how roofing companies offer financing on retail and insurance work, how to price and present it on big tickets, what to do in storm season, and how to answer the objections you will hear at the table. For the general playbook across trades, see how to offer financing to customers.
$31,871
Average asphalt shingle roof replacement, 2025
$51,865
Average metal roof replacement, 2025
54%
Share of roofing projects paid from savings
37%
Adults who could not cover a $400 emergency with cash
Why do roofing companies offer financing?
Because the ticket is bigger than most homeowners' cash cushion. Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies found savings paid for 78% of home projects under $10,000, but only 54% of roofing projects. The Federal Reserve's 2025 survey found 63% of adults would cover a $400 emergency with cash or its equivalent, which means about 37% could not. A $31,871 roof is a different category of bill.
Homeowners are also delaying work. Angi's April 2025 spending report found 71% of homeowners postponed a planned project in 2025, and 65% of those cited high interest rates. A roof cannot be postponed forever, but it can be patched, and a patch is a lost sale.
Vendors report that financing lifts results. Leap says contractors see 18% higher close rates and 30% bigger jobs with financing, and ServiceTitan's 2025 consumer report with Synchrony and Visa found 12% higher close rates and 13% higher average tickets. Those are vendor figures, not independent studies. For what the research does and does not show, read does offering financing increase close rates.
Retail vs insurance roofing jobs: how financing differs
Most roofing companies run both kinds of work, and the financing conversation is different for each.
Swipe the table to see every column.
| Retail job | Insurance job | |
|---|---|---|
| Who pays | The homeowner, for the whole roof | The carrier pays the covered loss; the homeowner owes the deductible and anything not covered |
| What financing covers | The full contract price | The deductible, upgrades (say, shingle to metal) and items outside the claim |
| Typical amount financed | The whole ticket, often $20,000 and up | Usually a smaller share of the job |
| When it comes up | At the price presentation | After the adjuster meeting, when the homeowner sees their share |
| Main risk | Sticker shock ends the sale | Pressure to "cover" the deductible, which can be illegal |
Retail roofs: finance the whole job
On an aging roof with no claim, the homeowner is paying every dollar. This is where monthly payments do the most work, because the full ticket is on the table. Present every tier with a monthly number and let the homeowner compare options by what they will pay each month, not only the total.
Insurance roofs: finance the gap, never the deductible waiver
On a storm claim, the homeowner may owe a few thousand dollars of deductible and has often not budgeted for even that. Some also want to upgrade beyond what the claim pays, such as a better shingle line or metal. Financing is a clean, legal way to cover that share.
What it must never do is disguise a waived deductible. In Texas, for example, Business and Commerce Code section 27.02 makes it a Class B misdemeanor for a contractor to pay, waive, absorb or rebate a deductible, or otherwise help the insured avoid paying it, and contracts of $1,000 or more paid from insurance proceeds must carry a deductible notice, according to this summary of the Texas law. Other states have their own rules.
What does a financed roof cost per month?
This is the table your reps should be able to recite. It uses the national averages for asphalt and metal roofs and common term types. It is an illustrative example with example terms, not a quote. Real rates depend on the lender and the homeowner's credit.
Swipe the table to see every column.
| Plan (example) | $31,871 asphalt | $51,865 metal |
|---|---|---|
| 0% for 12 months | $2,655.92 | $4,322.08 |
| 0% for 18 months | $1,770.61 | $2,881.39 |
| 0% for 24 months | $1,327.96 | $2,161.04 |
| 7.99% APR for 84 months | $496.59 | $808.12 |
| 9.9% APR for 120 months | $419.41 | $682.53 |
| 14.99% APR for 120 months | $514.00 | $836.45 |
Two things jump out. First, a short 0% promo on a roof is still a big monthly bill, often more than a mortgage payment. Short promos suit homeowners who expect cash soon, such as an insurance check or a bonus. Second, long fixed-rate terms bring even a metal roof into the range of a car payment. For a homeowner financing a whole roof, the long term is usually the one that fits a monthly budget.
How do you price for dealer fees on a roof?
On a $50,000 ticket, the fee is real money. As an illustrative example, Wisetack's flat 3.9% on a $51,865 metal roof is $2,022.74. A 24-month 0% add-on, which Housecall Pro lists at 9.9% for Wisetack, would be $5,134.64 on the same roof. Older GreenSky rate sheets show similar spreads between standard and promo plans. See contractor financing programs compared for the full list.
- Build the standard fee into every tier. If you finance a meaningful share of roofs, price as if every job might be financed. Use a markup and margin calculator so the fee does not eat your margin.
- Limit promos. Offer one long fixed-rate plan on every tier and a single 0% promo at most. Every extra promo is a bigger fee you did not price for.
- Keep cash and financed prices consistent. Lender agreements can limit charging a financed customer more than a cash customer. Check yours. For the details, read what is a dealer fee.
How to show financing with Good, Better, Best roofs
Three options with a monthly number under each is the most natural way to present a roof. The homeowner stops asking "can I afford a roof?" and starts asking "which one?" Here is an example set, using the 9.9% for 120 months example terms from above.
Swipe the table to see every column.
| Tier (example) | Scope | Price | About per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Architectural shingles, standard underlayment | $26,400 | $347 |
| Better | Upgraded shingle system, full ice and water, upgraded ventilation | $31,871 | $419 |
| Best | Standing seam metal | $51,865 | $683 |
The step from Good to Better is about $72 a month in this example. Said that way, many homeowners take the better system. The step to metal is bigger, and showing it honestly builds trust even when they do not take it. For how to build and present tiers, see good, better, best: three options that close more jobs.
Roof financing in storm season
After a hail or wind event, you are running more inspections in a week than you normally do in a month, and many of those homeowners were not planning to spend anything. A few rules keep financing from slowing you down or getting you in trouble.
- Have financing ready before the storm. Enrollment and setup take days. Roofr notes its GoodLeap setup can take up to 5 business days. You do not want to be onboarding a lender while the leads go cold.
- Check the ceiling before you need it. Confirm your lender's maximum covers your largest common roof, including full tear-offs and metal.
- Prequalify on the homeowner's phone. Many programs, including Wisetack, prequalify with a soft credit check. Let the homeowner see their options privately.
- Separate the claim from the loan. Walk through the adjuster's scope first, then show their share, then show financing for that share.
- Do not push. In a survey by Slice by FNBO, 46% of homeowners said they disengage when financing feels pushed, and 47% wanted it mentioned during the estimate. Mention it early and plainly, then let them choose.
Roofing financing objections and how to answer them
These come up on almost every financed roof. Short, honest answers work better than scripts.
Swipe the table to see every column.
| What the homeowner says | What is really going on | A straight answer |
|---|---|---|
| "We'll wait and see what insurance pays." | They are afraid of paying twice | "Good. Let's get the claim settled first. This just shows you what your share would look like either way." |
| "I don't want another monthly payment." | Debt fatigue | "Understood. Here's the cash price, and here's the monthly option if it helps. Either one works for us." |
| "What's the catch?" | Fear of hidden fees (68% in the Slice survey) | "The terms, rate and length are all on the offer before you accept. Nothing is added after." |
| "Will this hurt my credit?" | Worried about a hard pull | "Checking your options is a soft check with our lender and doesn't affect your score. A full application comes only if you choose a plan." (Confirm this is true for your lender.) |
| "0% sounds too good." | Heard about deferred interest | "Fair question. Some plans charge back interest if not paid off in time. Here's exactly which kind this is." |
| "We might move in a few years." | Worried about being stuck | "A new roof usually helps a sale. Ask your lender about paying it off early when you sell." |
The deferred interest question deserves a real answer. Read same as cash vs 0% APR vs deferred interest so your reps can explain the difference in one sentence.
How roofers present financing in the in-home presentation
The roofers who finance well do not treat it as a closing trick. It is part of how they present price from the start. Here is the sequence.
Mention it at the start
During the intro, say you offer cash, card, bank transfer and monthly options. Setting it up early means it is not a surprise or a pressure move later.
Walk the roof and the findings first
Show photos of the damage or wear, and on insurance work, the adjuster's scope. Price means nothing until the homeowner understands the problem.
Present three options with price and monthly
Put total price and an example monthly number under each tier. Let the homeowner compare. See how to present financing at the kitchen table for word tracks.
Let them prequalify on their own phone
Hand off the link, step back, and let them check options privately. Do not handle their personal information.
Sign and collect the deposit before you leave
Once they pick a tier and a payment plan, get the signature and any deposit at the table. A roof that is not signed that night can go to the next roofer.
Follow up on the unsold
If they want to think, send the options with the monthly numbers and follow up. See how to follow up on an unsold estimate.
Where Revcore fits for roofing companies
Revcore already runs the parts of this sequence that happen today: an interactive in-home sales presentation on iPad with Good, Better and Best options, e-signature and a deposit collected at signing, card and ACH payments with Margin Protection pricing card processing into the estimate lines, and automations for estimate follow-ups.
Revcore's homeowner financing is coming soon, not live yet, and it will be included on every Revcore plan when it launches. The plan is monthly payments shown right inside the presentation and on every estimate package, the homeowner applying from the estimate on their phone, 0% promotional plans (12, 18 and 24 months) plus longer fixed-rate terms, and funding status on the job. Until then, you can keep using the lender you have. See the financing preview.
Frequently asked questions
How do roofing companies offer financing?
They enroll with a lender or use financing built into their sales software, then show a monthly payment next to each roof option during the appointment. The homeowner prequalifies on their phone, accepts a plan, and the roofer is usually paid by the lender after the job is complete.
Can you finance an insurance roof deductible?
Often yes. Financing can cover the homeowner's share of an insurance job, including the deductible and upgrades beyond the claim. What a contractor must not do is waive, absorb or rebate the deductible; in Texas that is a crime. Check your state's rules and your lender's terms.
What is the monthly payment on a $30,000 roof?
As an example, about $1,250 a month at 0% for 24 months, or about $395 a month at 9.9% APR over 10 years. Actual payments depend on the lender, the rate the homeowner qualifies for and the term.
What is the best financing for roofing contractors?
The one whose loan ceiling covers your biggest common roof, whose fees you can price in, and that shows a monthly payment where you close. Wisetack covers $500 to $65,000 at a flat 3.9%. Dealer programs like GreenSky and Service Finance offer more promo plans at varying fees. Compare them in our financing programs guide.
Does roof financing require good credit?
It depends on the lender and plan. Promotional 0% plans usually require stronger credit; Housecall Pro says longer 0% Wisetack options need a score in the low 700s. Longer fixed-rate plans may approve a wider range of credit at higher rates.
When does a roofer get paid on a financed roof?
Usually after the homeowner confirms the job is complete. Wisetack pays 1 to 3 business days after completion, and Service Finance requires proof of completion first. See when a contractor gets paid on a financed job.
Further reading: how much a new roof costs per month and contractor financing programs compared.
Written by the Revcore team. Reviewed by Hayden Mitchell, founder of Revcore Pro, who closed $3.5M of home improvement at kitchen tables and helped scale a contractor from $1M to $10M.
