This page is for roofing companies that buy leads by ZIP code. It explains how ZIP areas work, how to pick them, and what to watch after the first leads arrive. It is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.
What a ZIP code is, and what it is not
A ZIP code looks like an area on a map, but it was built for mail. The Census Bureau says ZIP Codes were created to coordinate mail delivery, and that they are tied to delivery points and routes, which makes them a poor fit for mapping. To let people map ZIP data, the Bureau draws its own shapes, called ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, from census blocks. It says not every valid ZIP Code has one, and that some are not one connected piece (Census Bureau, ZIP Code Tabulation Areas page, read October 13, 2026).
Three things follow for a roofer:
- A ZIP's edge is approximate. A house near the border of two ZIP codes may be a short drive from your crew and still sit in a ZIP you did not pick.
- A ZIP is not a town. One ZIP code can touch more than one community, and one community can have several ZIP codes. Google warns of this in its own tools: in Local Services Ads, adding a ZIP that falls in several cities adds all of those cities to your service area (Google Local Services Ads Help, read October 13, 2026).
- Some ZIP codes hold few homes. A ZIP can be mostly a business park or a single large site. Look at the area before you buy it.
Three ways sellers let you set an area
Not every seller uses ZIP codes. Knowing the model tells you what you are really agreeing to.
| Model | How you set it | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| ZIP codes or cities, chosen one by one | You list the ZIP codes, or add a city and remove the ZIP codes you do not want | Border ZIPs, and ZIPs that pull in neighbouring cities |
| A radius around an address | You give a point and a distance | The circle takes in ZIP codes you would never choose, and leaves out good ones just beyond it |
| An area the seller assigns | The seller sets your coverage and tells you the price | You depend on the seller's map, so ask to see it |
Google's tools show the contrasts. In Local Services Ads you add counties, cities or ZIP codes, and you can add a city and deselect individual postal codes inside it. If you select only some of a city's postal codes, the city still stays listed, and unselected codes can still show ads to people in the city as a whole (Google Local Services Ads Help, read October 13, 2026). Google Business Profile, a separate listing, does not allow a radius at all. It lets you set up to 20 service areas, and asks that they stay within about two hours of driving from your business (Google Business Profile Help, read October 13, 2026).
Other sellers have their own settings, and they change. Ask any seller to show you, on screen or on paper, the exact area your account is set to.
eLocal, a call-lead seller, says on its help page that the size of the area you serve and your business hours help set how many calls you get, and that an account executive sets your call price from your business needs and local competition (eLocal help centre, read October 13, 2026). Modernize says its lead prices vary with market location, trade, homeowner intent and volume, depending on supply and demand across cities (Modernize, "How much do Modernize leads cost?", read October 13, 2026). Neither page gives a price by ZIP code, and we are not giving one either.
How to pick your ZIP codes
Work through it in this order.
- Draw your drive-time line first. Decide the longest one-way drive you will make for a free inspection. Use drive time at the hour your crews are actually on the road, not distance on a map.
- List the ZIP codes inside it. Start from your office or yard, and add ZIP codes outward until you hit the line.
- Check the middle ones for fit. Remove ZIP codes with little residential roofing: mostly apartments, mostly rented homes, or mostly commercial buildings. A homeowner who rents or lives in an association-run building is not the one who decides on a roof. HomeAnvil's form stops those requests, as our roofing leads page explains.
- Look at your own job history. Check which ZIP codes gave you your best jobs, by size and by how fast they signed.
- Start smaller than you want. It is easy to add a ZIP code later. It is harder to know which of fifty new ZIP codes dragged down your numbers.
- Keep a short list of ZIP codes you want to leave out. A border ZIP where you lose every bid on price, or one your crew refuses to drive to, belongs on it.
Count the drive, not just the lead
Every lead outside your usual area adds a trip. The IRS sets a yardstick you can use. For July 1 through December 31, 2026, its business standard mileage rate is 76 cents per mile (IRS, standard mileage rates, read October 13, 2026). That rate is a tax rule, not your true cost to run a truck, but it is a fair way to compare areas.
Here is a worked example, using our arithmetic and made-up distances:
- A 12-mile drive each way is 24 miles round trip. 24 × $0.76 = $18.24 per inspection trip.
- A 40-mile drive each way is 80 miles round trip. 80 × $0.76 = $60.80 per inspection trip.
Add the time of the person driving, and a second trip if the first visit does not end in an estimate. If you lose one homeowner in three after the inspection, the far ZIP code carries that extra cost on every job you do win. That is the reason to cut the outer ring before you cut your price.
How competition changes what you pay
A ZIP code with many roofers bidding for the same homeowners costs more per lead than a quiet one. Sellers in different models say so in different words: Google, Angi, Modernize and 99 Calls all name location as a price factor, as what roofing leads cost lays out. In a busy area, you also face more companies on the first call if you buy shared leads. Exclusive vs. shared leads shows how that changes your cost per signed job.
Two practical points:
- A cheap ZIP can be cheap because few homeowners ask. A low price per lead means little if the leads rarely arrive. Look at leads per month, not only price.
- A busy ZIP can still be worth it if your close rate there is high and your jobs are large. Compare cost per signed job, not cost per lead.
After a hail or wind event, many homeowners in a ZIP code need a roofer at once, and the number of roofers chasing them rises too. Check your area after a storm, and again a few weeks later, before you change anything.
How HomeAnvil sets ZIP codes
On the 15-minute call, we set your trades, ZIP codes and weekly cap with you. We open ZIP codes one market at a time, where we run ads and a contractor covers the area, so we tell you whether we can supply the ZIP codes you name. We don't promise volume we can't deliver.
- Each lead goes to one contractor while your exclusivity window runs, in the ZIP codes you chose. Read roofing leads from HomeAnvil for the terms.
- A lead from an address outside your ZIP codes is credited back if you report it within 7 days of delivery, unless your agreement says otherwise.
- You tell us what happened to each lead: reached, appointment set, sold. We use that to tune your ZIP codes and volume.
- The price depends on your market. We quote your per-lead price on the call, in writing, and give 30 days' written notice before it goes up.
- Shingle and metal roofing are separate trades, each with its own ZIP codes and weekly cap. See metal roofing leads.
How a lead reaches your phone and your system is in how a roofing lead gets into your CRM. What to do once it arrives is in how to follow up on a new roofing lead.
What to review after the first month
- Leads, contacts, appointments and signed jobs for each ZIP code. Even a small table beats a feeling.
- Cost per signed job for each ZIP code, and for each ring outward from your office.
- How many were bad leads, such as wrong numbers or out-of-area addresses.
- Your time to first call in each ZIP code. A far ZIP with slow calls is a poor test of the area.
- A weekly cap you can keep up with. A cap that is too high means leads you cannot call, and a homeowner who waits calls someone else.
Change one thing at a time, and give each change enough weeks to show up in your signed jobs, which lag the leads.
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
How many ZIP codes should a roofer buy?
Enough to give your sales team steady work, and no more than you can reach in your drive-time line. Start with a small number and add more as you see results. There is no sourced figure that fits every roofer, and we are not giving one.
Is a radius better than a list of ZIP codes?
Neither is better in itself. A radius is simple, but it takes in ZIP codes you would not pick and can cut off ones next door. A list gives you control and takes longer to build. Some tools do not allow a radius at all, as Google Business Profile does not.
Do more ZIP codes mean cheaper leads?
Not by themselves. Price follows the seller's model, the trade and competition in the market. A wider area gives a seller more places to find leads, but it also raises your drive time and thins out your calling. Ask for the price for the area you actually want.
Can I change my ZIP codes later?
On HomeAnvil, yes: tell us which to add or drop, and we confirm whether we can supply the new ones. With any other seller, ask whether a change takes effect at once, and what happens to leads already on their way.
Should I leave out ZIP codes I lose on price?
If your records show you rarely win there, yes. Track the results for a few weeks first. A ZIP code that looks bad after five leads may have been unlucky.
Where this information comes from
We read each source below on October 13, 2026. Distance examples are our arithmetic on the IRS rate and made-up distances, not data from HomeAnvil or any seller. Pages from sellers describe how those sellers say their service works.
- U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Tabulation Areas. Read October 13, 2026.
- Google, About reaching customers with your Local Services Ads. Read October 13, 2026.
- Google, Service areas for your Business Profile. Read October 13, 2026.
- eLocal, Program FAQ. Read October 13, 2026.
- Modernize, How much do Modernize leads cost?. Read October 13, 2026.
- Internal Revenue Service, Standard mileage rates. Read October 13, 2026.
- HomeAnvil, roofing leads and what roofing leads cost.
We dropped any claim about seller area settings we could not read on the seller's own page.
Talk to us about your service area
Answer three questions about your company. If we're a fit, you pick a time for a 15-minute call.