Skip to main content
TradeAI Hub

Tutorial 40 · 12 min read · Works with Grok Bot, ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini (free plans are fine)

AI prompts for roofers: less time on paperwork, more time on the roof

⚠️ AI writes words. It can't see what's under the roof, decide whether work needs a consent or licence, or make a roof safe to walk on. Check against the manufacturer's installation instructions, the Building Code (NZ) or NCC (AU), and WorkSafe NZ or your state regulator.

Roofers get the call when it's pouring, and the paperwork piles up when the weather's good. Quotes, leak call-backs, storm reschedules, roof reports and review replies all take time you'd rather spend on the roof.

This page has 14 prompts built for roofers. Copy one into your AI assistant (Grok Bot, ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini), swap the [square brackets] for your job details, and you'll have a draft in seconds.

One rule: AI is a helper, not the roofer. You decide the fix, the materials and the safety plan, and you check every draft before it goes out.

What you'll need

  • Your phone with a free AI app (Grok Bot, ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini)
  • A notes app for your favourite prompts and storm-day texts
  • Your own measurements, photos, materials and prices. Never let AI invent them

How to use these prompts

  1. Copy the whole prompt (press and hold on your phone, or tap Copy prompt).
  2. Paste it into your AI assistant. The free versions are fine.
  3. Fill in every [bracket]. Delete any that don't apply.
  4. Leave out customer surnames, phone numbers and full addresses. Add those in your own software.
  5. Never let AI guess measurements, quantities or materials. Use your own.
  6. Make it sound like you, then send it from your usual app.

1. Quote from roof inspection notes

Section: Quotes & reports

Copy this prompt and fill in the [square brackets]:

You're helping a [NZ/Australian] roofer write a customer quote. From my inspection notes, write: a 2-line summary, what I found, the scope of work in plain words (e.g. replace ridge capping, re-seal penetrations, replace X sheets), materials as I wrote them, inclusions, exclusions and assumptions (access, scaffold or edge protection, weather, hidden timber damage, disposal). Leave every price as [your price]. Don't add measurements, quantities or materials I didn't give you. Mark anything unclear as [CHECK]. Notes: [paste notes or voice-note text]

Tip: Measure and count it yourself. See quote from a job note and, for plans, AI takeoff from plans.

2. Repair or replace? Options for the customer

Copy this prompt and fill in the [square brackets]:

Explain in plain words, for [first name], the choice between these options for their [roof type, e.g. 1960s concrete tile roof]. Option A (repair): [what's included, what it fixes, what it doesn't]. Option B (partial replacement): [details]. Option C (full replacement): [details]. Use only what I've told you about lifespan and risks. No prices. I'll add them. Under 200 words.

Tip: See explain options. Never let AI promise how many years a roof will last.

3. Roof report from my photos and notes

Copy this prompt and fill in the [square brackets]:

Turn my notes into a tidy roof condition report for [first name]. Headings: what I inspected, what I found (one line per issue, with the photo number), what I recommend now, what can wait, and what I couldn't check (e.g. inside the roof space, under the cladding). Only report what's in my notes. Don't diagnose causes I didn't state. Notes: [paste]

Tip: If the report is for an insurance claim, stick to facts you saw. Don't let AI guess the cause or date of damage.

4. "What have I missed?" exclusions check

Copy this prompt and fill in the [square brackets]:

Here's a draft roofing quote. List anything a customer might misunderstand, and suggest exclusions or assumptions I may have left out (e.g. rotten battens, purlins or framing found once the roof is opened, asbestos testing for older roofs, spouting and downpipes, consents, scaffold, skylights, solar panels, aerials, weather delays). Don't change my prices or scope. Quote: [paste]

Tip: The consent and asbestos lines matter. See the safety box below.

⚠️ Older roofs: test for asbestos, and check consents with the council, before you quote. See the safety box below.

5. Leak call: first reply

Section: Customers & weather

Copy this prompt and fill in the [square brackets]:

Write a calm, quick reply to this leak enquiry [paste, personal details removed]. Thank them and ask for: where the water is coming in, how long it's been happening, roof type and rough age, photos from the ground or inside (tell them NOT to climb onto the roof), and a good time to call. Say when I can come: [time]. Under 100 words.

Tip: Telling them to stay off the roof is a must-have line. See reply to enquiries and missed calls.

⚠️ Tell customers never to climb on the roof.

6. Storm day: "we've got your message" text

Copy this prompt and fill in the [square brackets]:

Write a short text for after a storm, when lots of people are calling. Say we've got their message, we're working through urgent leaks first, and we'll call back by [time/day]. Ask for photos and the suburb. Suggest safe things they can do from inside (e.g. a bucket, moving belongings) and tell them not to go up on the roof. Friendly, under 80 words.

Tip: Save it as a template before storm season.

7. Weather or wind reschedule

Copy this prompt and fill in the [square brackets]:

Write a short text to [first name] saying we're moving [day]'s roof work because of [rain / high wind / heat] and the new day is [day]. One line on why (we don't work on roofs in unsafe conditions). Apologise once, keep it cheerful, offer to swap if that doesn't suit.

Tip: Keep a rain version and a wind version saved in your phone notes.

8. Neighbour and access notice

Copy this prompt and fill in the [square brackets]:

Write a polite note for neighbours of [street, no house number]: we're doing roof work from [date] for about [days]. What to expect: [scaffold / skip bin / noise / truck parking]. Who to contact: [business name and number]. Under 100 words.

Tip: Drop it in letterboxes a few days before scaffold goes up.

9. Variation: damage found once the roof is opened

Copy this prompt and fill in the [square brackets]:

Write a clear, calm variation notice to [first name]. What I found: [e.g. rotten battens over the back bedroom]. What I recommend: [repair]. Extra time: [time]. Extra cost: [your price]. What happens if they don't go ahead: [only what I've told you]. Ask for written approval before I continue. Plain words, under 150 words.

Tip: Photo first, then notice. See variations and progress updates.

10. Review request and reply to a review

Section: Reviews & marketing

Copy this prompt and fill in the [square brackets]:

(1) Write a short text asking [first name] for a Google review after their [job], with [review link], under 50 words. (2) Write a polite reply to this review. If it's negative, stay calm, don't argue and don't share private details: [paste review]

Tip: See review requests and reply to reviews.

11. Before-and-after post

Copy this prompt and fill in the [square brackets]:

Write a short Facebook post about a [job, e.g. re-roof from concrete tile to long-run iron] in [suburb]. Before, what we did, after, in 3 short lines, then a call to action to [message/call]. No customer names or house numbers. Friendly, no hype.

Tip: Get the owner's OK before you post photos of their home.

⚠️ NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR REGULATIONS, THE BUILDING CODE / NCC, WORKSAFE OR STATE GUIDANCE, OR A LICENSED TRADESPERSON. These prompts give you a starting draft or a memory-jogger. AI can be wrong, out of date or based on overseas rules. Never rely on AI for:

A competent, licensed person makes every safety and compliance call on the actual roof.

12. SWMS / job safety analysis starter

Section: Safety, consents & technical

Copy this prompt and fill in the [square brackets]:

Draft a starting-point Safe Work Method Statement / job safety analysis for [task, e.g. replacing corrugated iron on a single-storey house with a 25-degree pitch] in [NZ / my state]. Include task steps, hazards (falls from edges and through fragile surfaces or skylights, possible asbestos, weather and wind, heat, manual handling of sheets, power lines, falling objects), controls in the order my regulator's guidance sets out: [paste the order from WorkSafe NZ / my state regulator], and who's responsible, as a table. Mark site-dependent items [CHECK ON SITE]. Add a note that a competent person must review it.

Tip: See our H&S paperwork tutorial. Brief the crew on the final version, not the AI draft.

⚠️ A draft only: check it against your regulator's template and make it site-specific with your crew before work starts. See Draft health & safety paperwork faster.

14. Technical question, checked

Copy this prompt and fill in the [square brackets]:

I'm a roofer. Explain in plain terms the general things to think about for [e.g. a low-pitch roof leaking at a skylight / swapping tile to metal on an older house]. Don't give final fixings, flashing details or minimum pitches. Tell me what to check in the manufacturer's installation instructions and the Building Code / NCC, and when I should test for asbestos first. Say clearly where you're unsure.

Tip: Use this to know what to ask. The installation instructions, your supplier and official guidance give the answers. See the safety box above and can you trust ChatGPT?.

Not sure which AI tool suits your roofing business?

Take the free 6-question quiz. Pick "Other small business" and you'll get a starter stack matched to how you work.

Tools these prompts work with

These are tools we already cover, listed alphabetically. Every prompt on this page works in a free AI assistant.

Before you send anything

Run the check in can you trust ChatGPT?. Not sure what's OK to paste into AI? Read is ChatGPT safe for business data? and safe AI habits.

FAQ

What's the best AI for roofers?

A free AI assistant (Grok Bot, ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini) handles most of the writing: quotes, roof reports, leak replies and reviews. Take our quiz for a starter setup.

Can AI measure a roof or estimate materials?

Don't rely on it. You measure and count the job yourself before you quote. See AI takeoff from plans.

Can AI write my roofing quote?

Yes, as a draft. Give it your inspection notes and it lays out the scope, inclusions and exclusions. You add the prices and check everything before it goes out.

Can AI answer my phone when I'm up on a roof?

There are AI receptionist and voicemail-to-text options. See missed calls for simple fixes to try first.

Can AI tell me if a roof job needs a consent or a licence?

No. In NZ, residential roofing that needs a consent is generally restricted building work (opens in a new tab) for a Licensed Building Practitioner. In AU, licences vary by state. Ask your council or regulator.

Is it safe to put customer details into ChatGPT?

Leave out surnames, phone numbers and full addresses. Add those in your own software. See safe AI habits.

Checklist

  • ☐ Every [bracket] filled in or deleted
  • ☐ No surnames, phone numbers or full addresses pasted into AI
  • ☐ Measurements and quantities are yours, not AI's
  • ☐ Consent and restricted building work checked with the council (NZ) or your regulator (AU)
  • ☐ Asbestos considered on older roofs
  • ☐ SWMS draft reviewed by a competent person

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Quoting AI-guessed quantities
  • Letting AI "diagnose" storm damage in an insurance report
  • Telling a customer to go up and have a look
  • Trusting an AI answer on minimum pitch or flashing details

Next steps

Rather not fiddle with it?

Take the free quick quiz for a short list of tools, or ask a local helper to set it all up for you.

Take the quick quizGet someone to set it up

We may earn a referral fee if you use a setup helper we introduce you to. How we're funded.

Prefer to email? [email protected]