A roofing chief financial officer manages a residential roofing company's money: cash, budgets, job costs, insurance and the bank. Much of the revenue comes from insurance claims, so the CFO tracks what insurers and lenders still owe and plans cash around storm seasons.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, specialty trade contractors · BLS, May 2025
Lead the financial planning, budgeting, and strategic analysis initiatives for our roofing operations. Drive financial performance and cost optimization, ensuring sound fiscal management and informed decision-making. Serve as a key member of the leadership team, partnering across departments to support sustained business growth and operational efficiency.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Oversee the development and execution of comprehensive budgeting processes.
Lead cost analysis initiatives to identify savings opportunities and optimize resource allocation.
Formulate and implement financial strategies that align with company goals.
Monitor cash flow, forecast financial performance, and provide actionable insights.
Ensure compliance with all financial regulations and reporting standards.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review and analyze daily financial reports and budget performance.
Conduct detailed cost analysis and adjust financial plans as necessary.
Collaborate with executive leadership to develop strategic financial initiatives.
Interact with internal teams to streamline financial processes and improve operational efficiency.
Maintain regular communication with external stakeholders and auditors regarding financial health.
Budget Variance: Keep fluctuations within 3% of forecasted budgets.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
Minimum 8 years of progressive financial leadership experience.
Strong analytical and strategic planning skills.
Proficiency in financial software and ERP systems.
Excellent communication, leadership, and decision-making abilities.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience within the home services or construction industries.
Prior senior financial leadership experience, ideally as a CFO in a roofing company.
Demonstrated success in cost management and financial strategy execution.
Expertise in guiding financial operations in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to work in a standard office environment.
Occasional lifting of up to 10 lbs for document management.
Capability to work extended hours during peak financial periods.
Prolonged periods of sitting and computer use are required.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typically a 40-50 hour workweek with occasional overtime.
Flexible schedule with peak period demands during financial closings.
Minimal travel required for industry conferences and stakeholder meetings.
Office-based role with options for occasional remote work.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range: $150,000 to $200,000 per year.
Performance-based annual bonuses provided.
Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
401k plan with a competitive company match.
Additional benefits include paid time off and support for professional development.
10. Company Culture and Overview
A dynamic, growth-oriented organization committed to excellence in roofing services.
Our collaborative work environment values innovation, accountability, and inclusion.
We foster career advancement through continuous learning, mentorship, and skill development.
Dedicated to providing outstanding customer service and fostering long-term relationships with our clients.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
Forecasts, month-end closes and the bank work much the same in any company. What changes in storm-driven roofing is who sets the timing of the money: insurers, mortgage lenders and subcontractors.
Insurance money comes in two checks
The Texas Department of Insurance tells homeowners that on replacement cost policies the insurer pays with two checks. The first is a partial payment, and the rest comes after repairs have started. TDI also notes that some policies pay less on older roofs, which leaves more for the homeowner to cover. The CFO tracks what is still owed on every open claim and plans cash around the gap. Source: Texas Department of Insurance: Insurance and your roof.
Mortgage companies hold the checks
If the homeowner has a home loan, TDI says the insurer usually sends the money to the mortgage company. The homeowner then works with that company to get the money released for repairs. That step can stall the cash on a finished roof. The CFO keeps these jobs on their own list and decides who follows up with the homeowner and the lender. Source: Texas Department of Insurance: Steps to getting your home or car insurance claim paid.
The deductible can't be absorbed
Under Texas law, a contractor may not offer to waive a homeowner's deductible, pay it for them or hand it back as a rebate. Contracts of a thousand dollars or more that will be paid from a property insurance claim must carry a notice that the insured has to pay it. The CFO makes sure discounts, promotions and financing offers can't be read as covering the deductible, and collects it like any other balance. Source: Texas Department of Insurance: Roofing and insurance, know the law.
Uninsured subs land on your insurance bill
Workers' comp premiums are settled at an audit of the policy period's payroll. State Farm warns that if you can't show a subcontractor's certificate of insurance at the audit, that sub's total cost may be added to your payroll. Ask your own carrier how its audit treats subs. The CFO collects current certificates before a sub crew starts and tracks when each one expires. Source: State Farm: Premium audit questions answered.
Warranty promises outlast the job
A workmanship warranty can run for years after the crew is paid. Leak calls, flashing repairs and return trips cost labor and materials with no new revenue. The CFO tracks warranty costs by crew and by year installed, sets money aside for them, and shows the owner what each warranty length really costs.
Residential vs. commercial roofing finance
Same title, different cash cycle. Who signs the contract decides how and when the money comes in.
Topic
Residential
Commercial
Who pays
Homeowners, their insurers and sometimes their mortgage companies
Landlords, property management firms and general contractors who sub out the roof
How jobs are priced
One contract per home, often matched to the insurer's estimate
Bids and unit prices, with change orders for extra work
When money comes in
A deposit or first insurance check, then the rest when the roof is done
Monthly progress bills, with part held back until closeout
Paperwork the CFO tracks
Claim numbers, supplements, mortgage company releases
Pay applications, lien waivers, bonds on many public jobs
Biggest cash risk
Slow insurer and lender checks after the roof is on
Slow-paying contractors and money held back for months
How much roofing chief financial officers make
The closest BLS group for roofing chief financial officers is chief executives. Chief executives who work for specialty trade contractors earned a median of $169,170 a year ($81.33 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $213,990 median for chief executives in all industries. About 3,830 of the 204,350 chief executives in that survey work for specialty trade contractors.
Salary plus an annual bonus, often based on profit, cash on hand and how fast money is collected.
Specialty trade contractors
$169,170$169,170 median Middle half $100,570–$283,340 10th–90th $69,930–$386,670
All industries
$213,990$213,990 median Middle half $129,540–$356,200 10th–90th $75,700–$507,730
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Specialty trade contractors
$69,930
$100,570
$169,170
$283,340
$386,670
All industries
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
BLS counts too few chief executives at roofing contractors for a steady figure, so these figures cover specialty trade contractors. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Forecasts cash week by week, with insurer and lender money on its own line
Sets up job costing that shows profit by crew and by lead source
Delivers the monthly close on time with a short note on the swings
Has negotiated and reported on bank credit lines
Controls how insurance checks, deposits and sub payments are handled
Teach these on the job
Depreciation, supplements and the steps of an insurance claim
Payment and job reports in your roofing CRM
How you collect and track sub insurance certificates
Supply house pricing, terms and rebates
How your reps' commissions are figured
The books may sit in QuickBooks Online, Sage Intacct or another accounting system, connected to whatever roofing CRM holds contracts, insurance scopes and payments, such as JobNimbus or AccuLynx. Expect the CFO in bank portals, supply house statements and the workers' comp audit file as well.
Base each target on your own books, and compare storm years with storm years. Share the results with the CEO each month.
Operating Margin
Each month, check operating profit against revenue. Line up storm months against quiet ones, since overhead doesn't shrink when the work does.
Cost Reduction Initiatives
List each savings project, such as supply house pricing, dumpster costs or fewer return trips, with the person in charge of it and the amount saved against last year. Count savings only once they show up in the books.
Cash Flow Forecast Accuracy
Compare each week's forecast cash with the actual bank balance. Put insurer and mortgage company checks on their own line, since their timing is the hardest to predict.
Budget Variance
Every month, put each department's real results beside its budget, revenue and costs alike. Write down the reason for any big miss, and rework the forecast ahead of storm season.
Career path
Staff accountant or auditorBuilds closing and audit skills, ideally on construction clients.
ControllerOwns the ledger, job costs and each month's close.
Chief financial officerPlans cash, handles the bank and briefs the owner.
CFO of a larger or multi-state contractorTakes on more branches, a merger or the sale process.
It depends on how hard your cash swings. Many roofers this size run well with a good controller and a CFO who works a few days a month. A full-time hire pays off when one storm year leaves months of insurance money outstanding, when you're borrowing to open branches, or when a sale is on the table. If the controller already forecasts cash every week and the bank is satisfied, start part-time.
How much does a roofing chief financial officer make?
Chief executives who work for specialty trade contractors earned a median of $169,170 a year ($81.33 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $100,570 and $283,340 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
How long does it take to collect on an insurance roofing job?
It depends on the insurer, the lender and how complete your paperwork is. Part of the money often comes early in the claim. The rest comes once repairs are under way or finished, depending on the insurer, and a mortgage company can add another step. Track the days from signing to final collection by stage, so you can see whether delays come from the insurer, the lender or your own office.
What is a supplement, and why does the CFO care?
A supplement asks the insurer to add items left out of its estimate, such as parts the local code requires or damage found during tear-off. Until the insurer approves it, that money isn't certain. The CFO tracks open supplements, how much was asked for and approved, and how long each one takes. Sales and production shouldn't count that money until it's approved.
What is the difference between a roofing CFO and a controller?
A controller makes sure the record is right: invoices, job costs, payroll and the monthly close. A CFO works on what comes next: cash three months out, how much to borrow, what to charge and where the risks are. A roofing CFO also decides how open insurance balances and warranty costs show up in the reports, and walks the bank and the owner through them.
Should a roofing CFO have construction experience?
It helps. Construction finance has its own habits: job costing, sub certificates, workers' comp audits and, on commercial work, progress billing and money held back until closeout. A CFO from another field can learn them, but expect some catching up. Ask candidates how they tracked money owed by third parties, such as insurers or lenders, in past jobs.
