Although all sectors of the building industry were affected by
the housing downturn in late 2007, demand for roofing contractors
has remained fairly steady. Most homeowners typically leave roofing
projects to roofing professionals, and maintenance issues cannot be
deferred indefinitely. Now that the construction market is growing,
more opportunities are available—and you need to be prepared
for the increased demand.
As the construction market began to show signs of real recovery
this year, the roofing industry benefitted from the uptick in
demand. According to market research firm The Freedonia Group,
Cleveland, the demand for roofing will have grown more than 2
percent throughout 2012. Driven by steady improvement in new
construction activity, the residential construction market is
projected to deliver the greatest roofing gains; however, the
outlook for roofing demand in new nonresidential applications is
also expected to improve. A majority of the demand for roofing work
in 2012 will be from roof system replacements, according to The
Freedonia Group's research. Additionally, repair work and
preventive maintenance services will help keep roofing contractors
and remodelers busy.
The success, safety and profitability of any roofing project
depends on the management of time, labor and materials. The
combination of the right tools and crew can make all the difference
in delivering efficient and valued work. For any type of roofing
work—from a simple repair job to new construction—there
are universal best practices to follow when starting a new job. One
of the things to consider is specialty parts and tools combined
with the increased labor costs to pay experienced workers. Choosing
between pneumatic versus cordless tools is one issue that...
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