The two lead types
| Retail lead | Insurance lead | |
|---|---|---|
| Who pays | The homeowner, from savings, a loan or financing | The homeowner pays the deductible, and the insurer pays a covered amount |
| Who sets the budget | The homeowner | The insurer's decision sets how much money exists |
| What starts it | Age, wear, a leak, curb appeal | Storm damage, often hail or wind |
| Who else is in the sale | A spouse or co-owner | An insurer, an adjuster, sometimes a mortgage company |
| Speed | Set by the homeowner | Set by the claim process and the insurer |
| What you sell on | Price, warranty, looks | Whether the damage is real and how well you document it |
Most leads are not purely one or the other. A homeowner with an old roof and a recent storm may not know whether the damage is covered. Treat the type as a question, not a label.
What makes a lead an insurance lead
Triple-I (the Insurance Information Institute) says homeowners policies typically cover roof damage from a covered peril such as wind, hail or a falling tree (read October 13, 2026). Seepage is another matter. The same source calls it a maintenance issue, which is not covered. And a roof's age affects what the insurer pays: actual cash value means replacement cost less depreciation, so an old, worn roof can mean a large deduction from the payout.
Two other points from Triple-I matter to a lead buyer:
- Some policies carry a separate hail or wind deductible, so the homeowner's out-of-pocket cost can differ from what they expect.
- If a roof is over 20 years old when a policy is written, most insurers require an inspection, and some will cover it only at actual cash value. An older roof can therefore turn a claim into a smaller check than the homeowner hoped for.
For a homeowner's view of the same subject, link them to our guides on roof insurance claims, roof age and home insurance and hail damage.
What the published close rates say
Be careful with these numbers. Neither source below says how it counted, and both sell something.
- Zuper, a roofing software company, lists "proposal to won" benchmarks of 25 to 40 percent for retail work and 40 to 60 percent for insurance work in a sales-strategy article published October 1, 2025. It gives no source for the numbers and no definition of a proposal.
- SubcontractorHub, a contractor-business site, publishes close rates by lead source in an article published June 2026 and updated September 2026. It defines close rate as jobs sold divided by estimates presented. For storm and insurance restoration jobs that came by referral it lists an average of 45 to 60 percent. For retail customer referrals it lists 35 to 50 percent. For storm and insurance jobs from door-to-door canvassing, 30 to 45 percent. For paid digital or inbound calls, 20 to 30 percent. For third-party leads from marketplaces such as Angi and HomeAdvisor, 10 to 15 percent. It names no data source for the table.
Two lessons follow. First, the sources define the rate differently: one measures proposals, the other estimates presented. Second, the highest figures are for referrals, which cost you nothing per lead. A purchased lead of either kind is closer to the lower figures. Your own numbers matter more than either list. Track, per lead type, how many leads you reached, how many inspections you ran, how many estimates you gave and how many jobs you signed. What roofing leads cost shows how to turn those counts into a cost per signed job.
How follow-up differs
Retail. The homeowner controls the timing. Your job is a fast first call and a clear written estimate. The follow-up cadence in how to follow up on a new roofing lead fits this case as it stands.
Insurance. The homeowner may be waiting on an adjuster, a decision letter or a payment. Follow-up is slower and tied to the claim's stages. Ask where the claim stands: not filed, filed, inspected, decided or paid. Your next contact depends on that answer, so write it in your CRM. Never promise a homeowner that the insurer will pay. The insurer decides, and a roofer who promises coverage can mislead the homeowner. This is general information: rules about what a contractor may say or do around a claim differ from state to state, so ask your lawyer about your own practice.
In both cases, the first-call speed advice holds. We cover the research behind it in exclusive vs. shared leads.
What each lead form should ask
A short set of questions lets you sort the lead before you call.
| Question | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Is there recent storm, hail or wind damage? | Separates a claim candidate from wear. |
| Have you filed a claim, or do you plan to? | Tells you the claim stage. |
| How old is the roof? | An old roof changes both the claim and the sale. |
| Replacement or repair? | Sets the size of the visit. |
| When do you want the work done? | Sets the calling order. |
| Do you own the home? | Confirms who can sign. |
What the HomeAnvil roofing form asks today: replacement or repair, home type, whether the person is the homeowner, stories, home size, current roof material, roof age (more than 10 years, less than 10 years, or not sure), what matters most, and timeline. It does not ask about storm damage or insurance, so ask both on the call. See what makes a roofing lead qualified for how to use the answers it does collect.
Choosing which to buy
You do not have to choose. Many roofers take both and set a separate target cost per signed job for each. Ask yourself:
- Do you have the crew and the paperwork habit for claim work? Claim jobs need photos, notes and patience.
- Can you carry the wait? An insurance job can sit weeks between inspection and signature.
- Is your area's weather steady or seasonal? After a big storm, many homeowners need a roofer at once and competition rises. Our pricing page covers storm season as a price factor.
If you are unsure, buy a small number of each and compare the numbers after a month.
Our terms, in brief
- Exclusive leads
- Each new lead goes to one contractor only during your exclusivity window; after it, a lead may be offered again, under the terms the homeowner saw.
- No contract term
- A prepaid balance your card tops up when it runs low. No cancellation fee. Pause or stop any time.
- Credits for bad leads
- Report a wrong number or out-of-area lead within 7 days, unless your agreement says otherwise. Accepted returns are credited back.
- Your ZIPs, your cap
- Choose the ZIP codes you serve and how many leads you want each week.
Frequently asked questions
Which closes better, retail or insurance leads?
Nobody has verified data. Vendor claims put insurance higher, but the sources define the rate differently and cite no data. Measure your own.
Can I tell from the lead whether it is a claim?
Not from the HomeAnvil roofing form, which does not ask. Ask on the first call.
Should I promise a homeowner their claim will be paid?
No. The insurer decides. Promising coverage is a risk to the homeowner and to you.
Are insurance leads more expensive?
It depends on the seller. Sellers price by intent and market, not just by type. See what roofing leads cost.
Does the homeowner's roof age matter to a claim?
Yes. Triple-I says age affects both whether a policy covers a roof at all and how much depreciation comes off a payout.
Where this information comes from
- Triple-I, How your roof influences your home and business insurance, read October 13, 2026: roofs over 20 years old, inspection, actual cash value versus replacement cost, covered perils (wind, hail, falling trees).
- Triple-I, Am I covered?, read October 13, 2026 (the page shows no date): wind and hail as covered perils, hail deductibles, seepage as a maintenance issue, actual cash value as replacement cost less depreciation.
- Zuper, Roofing sales strategies to increase revenue, published October 1, 2025, read October 13, 2026: proposal-to-won benchmarks for retail and insurance. Vendor claim, no source given.
- SubcontractorHub, What is a good close rate for roofing sales?, published June 2026, updated September 2026, read October 13, 2026: close rate by lead source and its definition. Vendor claim, no source given.
- HomeAnvil's own roofing quote form, as it stood on October 13, 2026.
- The comparison table, form questions and decision prompts are our own.
We will update this page when these sources change, and the date above will say when.
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