Retail roofing jobs move in a line: inspect, estimate, sign, build. Insurance jobs don't. They wait on adjusters, mortgage companies, supplements and depreciation checks, and every wait is a place a job can sit for weeks without anyone noticing.
A pipeline with the right stages makes every waiting job visible and tells you who owes the next move.
The nine stages
- New lead: contact captured, inspection not booked yet
- Inspection booked
- Damage found, claim not filed: homeowner decides whether to file
- Claim filed, waiting on adjuster: record the claim number and the adjuster's name
- Adjuster meeting scheduled: your rep attends when possible
- Scope received: compare the insurer's scope with your findings
- Supplement submitted: only if items are missing; note what and when
- Approved, contract signed: schedule materials and crew
- Complete, waiting on final payment: depreciation or mortgage-company checks still out
Then Paid and Lost as the two exits. Lost needs a reason (denied, went with another contractor, homeowner withdrew) so you can learn from the pattern.
Put an owner and a clock on each stage
Every stage should answer "who moves this next?" Stages 4, 7 and 9 usually wait on someone outside your company, so set a reminder to check in after a fixed number of days. The reminder goes to your office, not the homeowner.
Keep the homeowner in the loop
Insurance jobs feel slow to homeowners even when everything is on track. A short automatic text when the job enters stages 5, 8 and 9 ("Your adjuster meeting is set for Tuesday at 10") cuts down on "what's going on with my roof?" calls.
Notes that save you later
Store the claim number, adjuster contact, scope amount and supplement amounts as fields on the deal, not in someone's email. When the person who handled the claim is out, the next person can pick it up.
After the job
When a job hits Paid, ask for a review the next day (how to automate it).
Frequently asked questions
Do I need separate pipelines for retail and insurance?
Usually yes. Retail jobs skip stages 3 to 7, and mixing them hides how long insurance jobs really take.
Can the CRM talk to the insurance company?
No. It tracks the steps and reminds your team; the claim itself still runs through the carrier's process.
Is this legal advice on claims?
No. Rules on contractors and insurance claims vary by state, so check Oklahoma's rules (or your state's) before acting on a homeowner's behalf.