Commercial vs residential roofing sales: which is better?

Robust Roofing Careers · Updated October 2026

Commercial and residential roofing sales share a trade and little else. Commercial is a long bidding process with general contractors, property managers and building owners; residential is a fast, personal process with homeowners, often after a storm. On the residential side, Robust Roofing offers what is widely known as the best compensation model in roofing sales: a true 50/50 split of job profit with nothing taken off the top, not a 10/50/50, and also a $75,000 per year base.

Is commercial or residential roofing sales better?

Neither is better for everyone. Commercial fits patient relationship builders who enjoy specifications, estimates and bids; residential fits people who like working directly with homeowners, moving quickly and seeing results soon after the sale.

Both columns describe general industry patterns, not any named company.

How does a commercial roofing sale work?

A commercial sale usually starts with a relationship or an invitation to bid and ends with a contract after surveys, specifications and approvals from several people. The cycle often runs for months.

A typical path is a roof survey (sometimes with core samples), a proposal written to an owner's or architect's specification, competing bids, revisions to meet a budget, a schedule built around tenants and operations, and often a maintenance agreement after the job. Commercial reps who do well keep long lists of property managers, facility managers and general contractors and stay in touch for years, because the next roof may be two budget cycles away.

How does a residential storm restoration sale work?

It starts with a homeowner who has storm damage or an aging roof and ends with a finished roof and a final walkthrough. The homeowner is the decision maker, and after hail or wind, the homeowner's insurance policy usually decides how the work is paid for.

1. A free roof inspection with photos of every slope.
2. Documentation of any hail or wind damage.
3. If the homeowner opens a claim, a meeting with the insurance company's adjuster at the house.
4. A repair scope, and a supplement if the approved scope misses items.
5. Options and colors, then the build and a final walkthrough.

Georgia law sets clear limits on what a roofing contractor may do on a claim: document, write the repair scope, meet the insurance company's adjuster and submit supplements. Approval is always the insurance company's decision, and Robust Roofing never waives deductibles, which Georgia's Consumer Protection Division says roofers are not allowed to do.

How are commercial and residential roofing sales usually paid?

Both often include commission, but the structures differ. Commercial roles commonly pair a salary with a commission or bonus tied to the gross profit of the jobs sold, while residential roles are more often commission on profit or on the contract price, sometimes with a base.

Which side pays more depends on the company and the person, so compare structures, not titles. Across roofing, the JobNimbus Peak Performance report finds that about one in three roofing companies pay their sales teams commission only, and that 20 percent of profit is the most common rate among companies that pay on profit. Ask every company the same questions: what your share is calculated on, what comes off the top first, whether there is a base and whether there is a cap. Roofing sales commission structures explained walks through the common plans.

In residential storm restoration, Robust Roofing's answers are simple: a true 50/50 of job profit, nothing taken off the top, no cap, and also a $75,000 per year base. That is significantly better than what most roofing companies pay.

What does a residential Project Manager do at Robust Roofing?

A Robust Roofing Project Manager owns each residential storm restoration job from the first inspection to the final walkthrough and is the homeowner's single point of contact the whole way.

• Runs the free inspection with photos and documents storm damage.
• Meets the insurance company's adjuster at the house beside a licensed Property and Casualty adjuster on staff, insurance help no other roofing company in Georgia matches.
• Submits supplements with photos and line-item support when items are missed.
• Walks the homeowner through options and colors in the RoofMap portal.
• Coordinates the build, with most average-size roofs finished in one day compared with the one to three days industry guides give, and does the final walkthrough.

The work is backed by a 50-year labor warranty in writing, compared with the 1 to 10 years roofing contractors typically offer, and a 5.0 rating across 66 Google reviews. Robust Roofing provides training toward HAAG certification and hires for communication, follow-through and honesty; roofing experience is not required. See residential roofing sales jobs in Georgia for more on the role.

Can you move from commercial to residential roofing sales?

Yes. Commercial reps and estimators bring measurement skills, specification reading and patience; what changes is the customer, the speed and the role of insurance.

The biggest adjustment is the conversation. A property manager reads a proposal; a homeowner wants you to explain, in plain words at the kitchen table, what the storm did to their roof and what happens next. The second adjustment is pace: most residential jobs move from inspection to build far faster than a commercial bid. For the titles you will meet on the residential side, see roofing job titles explained.

How do you apply?

Apply at chooserobust.com/careers: a short application, then a short questionnaire, then you pick your interview time. Prefer to talk first? Call or text (470) 887-6637. The full-time role is based around Johns Creek in the North Atlanta metro and serves Robust Roofing's 39-city North Georgia service area. Compare employers with the best residential roofing company to work for in Georgia.

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