Why Every Roofing Business Needs a General Manager — and the Right Hiring Sequence for Growth or Exit

If you’re the owner of a roofing business, chances are you’ve worn every hat — estimator, project manager, crew leader, office admin, and CEO. But that hustle comes with limits.

Eventually, growth stalls. Burnout creeps in. Or you start wondering what it would take to sell your roofing business.

That’s when it’s time to rethink your team structure — especially the critical role of a General Manager (GM).

This post explains why hiring a manager for your roofing business is a game-changer, and how to think about the sequence of key hires to scale profitably or position for sale.

🧠 Why Hiring a General Manager Changes the Game

A General Manager oversees daily operations, giving you — the owner — the freedom to lead instead of react.

Here’s what a GM typically handles in a roofing business:

• Scheduling crews and managing job timelines
• Communicating with customers
• Supervising field teams and subcontractors
• Managing suppliers and job costs
• Tracking project profitability and KPIs
• Holding staff accountable to systems and standards

With the right GM in place, you step away from daily firefighting and into true leadership — or prepare for a smooth exit.

📈 The Real ROI of Hiring a General Manager

Let’s talk results:

✅ You free up your time. You’re no longer the only one who knows how to run the business.

✅ You create systems that scale. GMs enforce procedures, create consistency, and reduce chaos.

✅ You reduce dependency on YOU. Which makes your business more valuable and easier to sell.

✅ You increase your business valuation.

Buyers pay more for companies that don’t depend on the owner. A strong GM can add 1–2x EBITDA to your valuation.

🔑 The Ideal Hiring Sequence to Scale a Roofing Business

If you want to grow strategically or eventually sell your roofing business, it’s critical to build your team in the right order.

Here’s a recommended sequence:

1. Admin / Bookkeeper. Start by freeing up your time from paperwork, invoicing, payroll, and basic admin.
2. Production Coordinator / Scheduler. Next, delegate job logistics, material ordering, and crew scheduling.
3. Estimator / Sales Rep. Remove yourself from every bid. Train a salesperson or estimator to handle quoting and follow-up.
4. Project Manager. As jobs scale, a PM can oversee quality control, timelines, and subcontractor management.
5. Sales Director. As you scale, sales can’t just be about individual effort — it needs leadership. A Sales Director sets revenue targets, trains reps, tracks metrics, and ensures your pipeline stays full. This role is key for growth-focused owners or those preparing to exit — buyers want to see a repeatable, leader-driven sales process.
6. General Manager. With the core team in place, the GM becomes the integrator — managing operations, leading department heads (like the Sales Director and PM), and freeing you to work on strategy or succession planning.

Once the above roles are filled, or partially handled, a GM pulls everything together. They manage operations, oversee staff, and hold everyone accountable — including your sales and production teams.

Think of the GM as the integrator who runs the business while you focus on growth… or exit.

🏁 Want to Sell Your Roofing Business? Start With a GM.

If you’re considering how to sell your roofing business, putting a GM in place is one of the most strategic moves you can make.

Here’s why:

• It reduces owner dependency, making the business more attractive to buyers
• It creates operational stability, which increases valuation
• It allows for a smoother transition, helping the new owner step in without disruption
• It increases confidence for lenders and investors, especially in SBA deals
• You can’t exit cleanly if the business can’t run without you. A General Manager changes that.

💼 How I Help Roofing Business Owners Like You

At Legacy Entrepreneurs, I work with roofing company owners to:

• Hire strong General Managers
• Prepare for a future exit
• Maximize business valuation
• Broker successful business sales

Whether you’re scaling up or starting to think about stepping back, I can help you chart the smartest path forward.