Exact words for the review ask on the day the dumpster leaves
Word-for-word scripts a roofer can use to ask for a Google review in person, by text and by email after a roof install, plus the timing that gets them answered.
The roof is on, the magnets have swept the driveway, and the homeowner is happy. That is the best moment you will ever have to ask for a review, and most crews drive off without saying a word. Two weeks later the office sends a generic email, and nobody opens it.
This post gives you the exact words for each step: the ask in the driveway, the text that night, the reminder, and the reply once the review comes in. Copy them, change the names, and use them on the next job.
Why the timing matters on a roof
A roof is a one-time purchase. The homeowner will not see you again for twenty years. Their memory of the job is sharpest the day the crew finishes and the yard is clean. After that it fades into the invoice and the insurance paperwork.
Reviews also matter more in roofing than most owners think. Across the 102,385 roofing listings we track, the median has 13 reviews. 44.2% have fewer than ten. To beat three out of four roofers you need about 50, and the top tenth sit at 141 or more. The benchmark report shows where your state lands. Homeowners picking a roofer after a storm read those numbers fast.
Script 1: the ask in the driveway
This is said by the project manager or the owner, not the crew lead in a hurry. Say it during the final walk-around, after the homeowner has said something nice about the job.
"I am glad you are happy with it. Can I ask a favor? We are a local company and most of our work comes from neighbors reading Google reviews. Tonight I will text you a link. If you have two minutes, a few words about how the crew did would mean a lot to us."
Three things are doing the work here. You asked in person, so it feels like a favor between people. You told them a text is coming, so they will open it. And you asked about the crew, which is easier to write about than "the roof."
If they offer to do it right there, hand them your phone with the link already open. Do not wait.
Script 2: the text that night
Send it between 6 and 8 p.m. the same day. Use their first name and name one detail of the job.
"Hi Mark, this is Jenna from [Company]. Thanks again for trusting us with the new roof on Maple Street. Here is the review link I mentioned: [link]. Even one or two sentences about the crew helps. Thank you."
Keep the link on its own so it is easy to tap. Do not add your website, your Facebook page or a coupon. One link, one ask.
Script 3: the reminder
Send it four days later only if no review has come in.
"Hi Mark, just a quick follow-up on the review link from Thursday. No pressure at all. If you get a minute this week, here it is again: [link]. Hope the first rain was a quiet one."
That last line is a small thing, but it reminds them why they hired you. Then stop. Two texts is a polite ask. A third feels like chasing.
Script 4: the email for insurance jobs
On insurance work, the homeowner is often waiting on a final check and dealing with the adjuster. A text can feel like one more thing. An email that arrives after the final payment clears works better.
Subject: Thank you from the [Company] crew
"Hi Mark, now that the final paperwork is done, I wanted to say thank you again for choosing us after the storm. If you are willing, a short Google review helps other homeowners on your street find a roofer they can trust. Here is the link: [link]. If anything about the roof ever needs a look, call me directly at this number."
Script 5: the reply once the review lands
Reply within two days. Name the street or the job, not the person's full name.
"Thank you, Mark. The crew enjoyed working on your house, and we are glad the cleanup lived up to it. If you ever need a look after a big storm, you know where to find us."
For a review under four stars, keep it short and take it offline: "Thanks for the honest feedback. I would like to make this right. Please call me at the office so we can talk it through." Then actually call.
Make it a step, not a memory
Scripts only work if they happen on every job. Put the review ask on the final inspection checklist, right after "magnet sweep complete." If your CRM can send the text automatically when a job is marked done, set that up and keep the driveway ask in person. The Google reviews guide covers velocity, QR codes and what to do on repair jobs too small to ask in person.
If you would like someone to set up review requests or any one service for you, the free 14-day trial needs no card. See the free trial page or text or call (385) 475-4642.
Steven has spent the last several years running growth campaigns for local service businesses, roofing companies among them, and builds the benchmark datasets on this site from public Google listings. About the editor