Setting your coatings projects up for success

CCS Influencer Shawn Morgan says if we treat coatings as a system, not just a product, you will be able to keep your jobs profitable in 2026.

Roof coating work can be very profitable, but only when your jobs are set up to succeed from the start. A lot of the issues that hurt profit margins don’t happen during installation; they happen before the contract is even signed. Taking the time to do thorough pre-job inspections, verify substrate conditions, check for moisture and confirm the roof is actually a good candidate for a coating system can save you from a “bad job”. If the roof isn’t right for coatings, it’s usually better to recommend a tear-off and reroof or walk away than it is to force a coating system that will fail. 

A clear scope of work is very important to you and the owner. Proposals that are unclear often lead to you doing some work for free that can eat away at profit, so it’s important to be very specific about what is and isn’t included. Things like unforeseen deck repairs, wet insulation replacement or ponding water should be clearly addressed upfront. When expectations are set early, there are fewer uncomfortable conversations during the job and a lot less profit fade. 

Labor is where coating jobs often get underestimated. Using realistic production rates instead of “best-case scenario” assumptions, accounting for weather days and separating prep time from application time helps prevent labor overruns. Determining whether to use pails or drums based on the logistics of the project and where to store and set up each day are both contributing factors to your labor. Coatings are also sensitive to material waste, and over-application is one of the most common ways to miss your estimate. Training crews on proper mil thickness, tracking material usage daily and assigning a superintendent or foreman the responsibility for coverage can make a noticeable difference in overall job profitability. 

Crew training and manufacturer relationships also play a huge role in avoiding failures and callbacks. Many issues aren’t product failures; they’re application or prep issues. Making sure crews are trained for the specific manufacturer and system being installed, following the scope of work outlined in the proposal and documenting the installation process protects both the contractor and the owner, especially when warranties are involved. You should also be building weather days into your estimate, schedules and contracts, since coatings are heavily impacted by temperature, humidity and unexpected storms or weather events. 

Finally, you should keep a close eye on job costs while the project is still underway, not after it’s finished. Tracking labor, material and equipment costs weekly will allow you to catch any issues early and adjust before a job gets out of hand. It is also important to be disciplined about the work you pursue; chasing poorly scoped or underpriced coating jobs just to stay busy usually leads to burned-out crews, higher warranty exposure and profit fade. If we treat coatings as a system, not just a product, you will be able to keep your jobs profitable in 2026.