Like many other industries whose supply chain operations have been affected recently, the roofing industry (especially those companies who specialize in traditional roofing) are experiencing material shortages and increases in pricing. Here are some reasons why:

Low inventory availability on traditional roofing products

According to the National Roofing Contractor Association, many roofing companies lowered their inventory levels after reaching a record high level of activity in 2020. These inventory decisions may have been influenced by estimations that roofing demands would be lower in 2021 and even into 2022. Although from what we’ve seen this past year, that hasn’t been the case. 

With lower inventory levels, roofing companies have turned to ordering roofing materials on a project-by-project basis. In theory, this approach makes sense. However, when multiple roofing companies are doing this, especially in the commercial industry, it’s not uncommon to see shortages in materials, delivery delays, and higher prices industry-wide.

High roofing project demand

The current demand for roofing projects is higher than in previous decades and when looking forward to 2022, the demand doesn’t seem to be declining. The National Roofing Contractor Association estimates that demands will continue to be high because of the number of backlogged projects companies are trying to complete because of material delays. 

More growth and less expertise

Within the past decade, the roofing industry has grown and expanded to meet the demand of customers in need of repairs and replacements. This growth has consequently led to the need for more roofing contractors and, as noted by the National Roofing Contractors Association, has sometimes added to the lack of professionally trained contractors in the industry. A discrepancy that may be linked to high work demands that don’t always allow for traditional roofing training to take place for new contractors in the industry. 

What you can expect while working with White Hat

When working with our teams at White Hat to implement or maintain your fluid-applied roofing system, you can expect transparency and communication. 

• The National Roofing Contractors Association notes that traditional roofing manufacturers are sometimes experiencing product and material wait times of between 4 and 12 months. 
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• Our fluid-applied roofing manufacturers can get our project materials delivered to us at this time within 4 to 6 weeks.
• Our ability to get the materials your roof needs in this timeframe can help decrease the amount of time you’re waiting for your project to be completed. 

*Please note that material wait times are subject to change depending on availability.

Tips for how to better prepare for your next roofing project

If you’re curious about how you can better prepare for your next roofing project, given the current circumstances, here are some tips you can reference:

Secure your roof

If you’re interested in securing your fluid-applied roof today at a lower rate, our team can work with you to ensure your rate won’t go up. With your contract and deposit in hand, we can order materials for your project now, at the current rates, before they rise again. All we ask is that you can store the materials until our team can come to install your roofing system.

To learn more about this process or schedule your free roofing assessment, you can call us at 937.909.9030 (option 1) or contact us via email. You can also follow us on social media to learn more about us and the work we do.