A roof project film is a short documentary of one job. It opens on the old roof, shows the crew opening it up, lingers on the details that separate a careful installation from a fast one, and ends on a clean drone pass of the finished work. For a homeowner comparing quotes, it answers the question they cannot ask out loud: what am I paying extra for?
What it is, and who it is for
It is for roofing companies whose quotes are not the cheapest and who need to show why. If your estimators keep hearing "the other guy is $3,000 less", a film that shows ice-and-water membrane going down in the valleys, rotten decking being replaced, and step flashing installed properly makes that gap easier to explain.
It works best for:
- full residential replacements, especially steep roofs and complex rooflines
- metal roofing, where installation detail is a major selling point
- commercial and low-slope projects where property managers want proof of process
It is overkill for routine repairs. Use short clips and the photo library for those.
What is included
- Job selection. We help you pick the right job each month: visible from the street, a cooperative homeowner who has agreed in writing, and a roof type you want more of.
- The capture list. A day-by-day list for the crew lead, built around the stages of the job: the walkaround, tear-off, deck condition, underlayment and membranes, flashing, the field, ridge and vents, clean-up and the final aerial set.
- The drone brief. Aerial openers and closers for the pilot, matched to the Transport Canada category they are flying under. See the drone rules guide.
- The edit. A main cut of about two minutes, with captions burned in for sound-off viewing, simple titles naming each stage, and your phone number at the end.
- Versions. A longer YouTube cut, a 30-second teaser, and a vertical version for social.
- Placement. The film embedded on the matching service page and town page, uploaded to YouTube with a proper description, and a short link your estimators can text.
Timeline
A film follows the job. Planning takes about a week before the job starts. Capture happens over the job itself, whether that is one day or five. Editing takes five to ten working days after we receive the footage. Most clients settle into one finished film a month, with the slower winter months used to cut longer explainers from footage already in the library.
How we measure results
Views alone tell you little. We track how many people watch past the halfway point, how often estimators send the film link, and whether estimates with a film link close at a higher rate than those without. On your website, we watch whether pages with an embedded film get more calls and texts than they did before. After a season, you will know whether films pay for themselves in your market.
What makes a good roofing film
- One job, one story. Do not stitch three roofs together; buyers want to follow a single house.
- Detail shots over drama. A steady close-up of a properly lapped underlayment is worth more than a sweeping music-video shot.
- Real sound, briefly. A few seconds of nail guns and a crew lead explaining a fix feel honest; constant stock music does not.
- Safety on screen. Fall protection should be visible and correct in every frame. If a shot shows unsafe work, it does not get used, however good it looks. Provincial workers' compensation boards set the rules your crew follows (each region page links to the right one); we simply refuse to publish footage that contradicts them.
Mistakes to avoid
- Filming only the finished roof and calling it a project film.
- Asking the crew to restage a step for the camera; it looks staged and wastes time.
- Leaving a homeowner's car plate, face or address readable in the edit.
- Publishing a long film with no captions; most people watch with the sound off.
Want to see how a film would work for your next showcase job? Get in touch, or compare plans and pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Who films on the job site?
Usually your crew lead with a phone on a small gimbal, plus a certified drone pilot for the aerial shots. Some owners hire a local camera operator for showcase jobs. We write the capture list either way and edit everything.
Does filming slow the crew down?
It should add minutes, not hours. The capture list is built around natural pauses: before tear-off, after deck inspection, after underlayment, after flashing and at clean-up. Nobody should ever film from an unsafe position to get a shot.
How long should a project film be?
About 90 seconds to two and a half minutes for the main edit. Long enough to show process, short enough that a homeowner on a phone will finish it. Longer cuts can go on YouTube for buyers who want detail.
Can we show the homeowner in the film?
Only with clear written permission, and we keep their faces and house number out unless they have specifically agreed. Most strong project films focus on the roof and the crew, not the family.