By Emma Peterson. 

Explore the articles that generated the most interest this month. 

In the last month, over 250 articles have been published on RoofersCoffeeShop.com. That’s a lot of reading to keep up with, especially for busy contractors who are going between the office and the field. To make it easier to keep up, we’ve looked at those hundreds of articles and picked out the most popular ones to showcase.  

In this list, there are a couple of articles authored by Heidi J. Ellsworth, the president of The Coffee Shops™. In one article she highlights how the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) is expanding mental health support through suicide prevention training, made possible through a collaboration with LivingWorks. The other article dove into the importance of awards and recognition during the current artificial intelligence boom.  

Our friends over at Cotney Consulting Group also contributed a few articles on our top 10 list, including one about crystalline silica exposure and another about creating an operational preparedness plan to navigate the current global political environment.  

Our number one article of the month showcased FMI Corporation’s 2026 Q2 North America Construction and Engineering Outlook Report and was written by Emma Peterson, senior content developer for The Coffee Shops™. This was not the only article of Emma’s that made the list, as her articles about turning data into business strategies, taking on leadership roles and the development of the metal roof retrofit industry were also featured. 

July 2026’s top articles 

10 - Eagleview warns emergency managers: A below average hurricane season is not a safe season by Eagleview. 

9 - NRCA expands mental health support with free suicide prevention training by Heidi J. Ellsworth. 

8 - NRCA Gold Circle Awards: Why recognition matters more than ever in the age of AI by Heidi J. Ellsworth. 

7 - When global events reach the rooftop by John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group. 

6 - Building the metal roof retrofit industry by Emma Peterson. 

5 - Finding opportunity in every position by Emma Peterson. 

4 - ARCA’s Lotería Night brings fun and connection to the roofing community by Alex Tolle. 

3 - Connecting the dots between data and strategy by Emma Peterson. 

2 - The silica citation nobody sees coming by Cotney Consulting Group. 

1 - Construction growth expected in the next year by Emma Peterson. 

By Emma Peterson. 

The 2026 Trends Survey continues a decade-long tradition of gathering contractor insights to better understand the state of the industry. 

2026 marks 10 years since our first industry trends survey and we are still going strong! This survey seeks to collect contractor perspectives on the way business is performing in order to highlight the industry’s biggest challenges, identify key business priorities and provide an overview of the sector’s overall health. 

When asked about the importance of the survey, RoofersCoffeeShop®’s president and CEO, Heidi J. Ellsworth, shared these thoughts:  

We are committed to understanding the realities contractors face, the changes shaping the market and the resources that can help them succeed. This survey is one way we can capture the challenges, opportunities and trends shaping the market in real time. When contractors share what they are seeing every day, it gives the entire industry a clearer picture of their challenges, helping us identify where support is needed and how we can better serve the industry moving forward. 

This year’s survey, which is sponsored by QXO, includes questions from previous surveys about the state of business operations, allowing us to compare year-over-year data in our Trends Reports, along with new questions tailored to the issues contractors are facing today. These range from questions about continuing education and immigration challenges to AI adoption and employee retention.  

Once the survey closes (in September 2026), our crew will review the answers to find patterns across years and gain a better understanding of what contractors’ current priorities and challenges are. This information will then be shared in our Trends Report, as well as a Coffee Conversation, and used to help us plan our content for the upcoming year.  

At the end of the day, participating in this survey not only helps us better serve you, but also helps our industry grow and improve.  

Take the 2026 Trends Survey today!

The 2026 Trends Survey, sponsored by QXO, captures insight into the pressures roofing contractors are navigating and the goals guiding their businesses. 

RoofersCoffeeShop®, the award-winning place where the industry meets for technology, information and everyday business, announces the opening of its latest Roofing Industry Trends Survey, sponsored by QXO. Now in its tenth year, the Trends Survey seeks contractor perspectives on the factors influencing business performance, including workforce training, AI adoption, technology gaps, hiring efforts, immigration challenges and keeping skilled employees. 

“We are committed to understanding the realities contractors face, the changes shaping the market and the resources that can help them succeed,” said Heidi J. Ellsworth, president/CEO of RoofersCoffeeShop. “This survey is one way we can capture the challenges, opportunities and trends shaping the market in real time. When contractors share what they are seeing every day, it gives the entire industry a clearer picture of their challenges, helping us identify where support is needed and how we can better serve the industry moving forward.”  

The 2026 Trends Survey is designed to discover the key business challenges contractors are facing, from operational issues to workforce demands, while also examining the digital tools and platforms they are leveraging to improve efficiency. The survey covers a variety of contractor needs, including training, software and marketing tactics, and offers an in-depth look at how strategies for lead generation, recruitment and retention are influencing business success. 

Since 2016, RCS has been surveying contractors and has created seven Trends Reports, each focusing on the industry's biggest challenges, identifying key business priorities and providing an overview of the sector's overall health. 

Contractors are urged to take the 2026 Trends Survey today!

About RoofersCoffeeShop 

As an award-winning website and online community, RoofersCoffeeShop is committed to being a roofing professional advocate by supplying consistent information, education and communication avenues for all roofing professionals, and especially contractors, while promoting the positive growth, education and success of the roofing industry overall. Visitors to the site continue to find excellent opportunities for sharing information while participating in important ongoing conversations concerning new technologies, safety and the overall roofing trade. From the rooftop to the board room, RoofersCoffeeShop.com is “Where the Industry Meets!” For more information, visit www.rooferscoffeeshop.com. 

About QXO 

QXO is the largest publicly traded distributor of roofing, waterproofing, and complementary building products in the United States. The company plans to become the tech-enabled leader in the $800 billion building products distribution industry and generate outsized value for shareholders. QXO is targeting $50 billion in annual revenues within the next decade through accretive acquisitions and organic growth. Visit www.qxo.com for more information. 

By Emma Peterson. 

How the Farnsworth Group combines research and consulting to help industry professionals navigate change and stay competitive. 

For over 35 years, the Farnsworth Group has collected market research and intelligence for manufacturers, suppliers and business owners in the construction industry. Not only does the Farnsworth team go far beyond just providing market data, but they also have the deep industry knowledge needed to translate that data into risks, opportunities and more. To learn about how the Farnsworth team turns data into business strategies, we hosted Eric Voyer, Farnsworth’s director and senior consultant, onto an episode of Contractor Outlook. 

Eric started by explaining what the Farnsworth team does for their clients, sharing, “We help people connect the pieces. We are both a consultant and a market researcher. So we’re able to say, ‘Look here’s what’s happening. Here’s what causing it,’ and then explain how you stay successful through it.” 

So, how does this work in practice? Eric used the current market trend of artificial intelligence (AI) as an example, first sharing what their market researchers are seeing, saying, “Our research shows that 15-20% of contractors are using AI... And what we see is that this fits into a larger shift in the industry – a shift towards technology as the next generation, the digital natives who are used to using technology and phones, comes into adulthood... 

He then explained how this research informs their client consultations:  

We’re talking to manufacturers about making more marketing on platforms like TikTok and YouTube shorts. Some we’re even talking about content creator partnerships. Really just how you change the way you are getting your message out there as we shift toward technology... For contractors, we’re talking about incorporating digital tools to make more instant experiences for people who are used to quick returns thanks to cell phones and AI.  

Overall, by conducting both the market research and translating it into actionable insights, Eric and the Farnsworth team have become an invaluable resource to professionals in the construction and roofing industries.  

To learn more about how Farnsworth Group supports contractors, Listen to the whole episode or Watch the newscast. 

By Emma Peterson. 

77% of homeowners believe green homes hold more value. What does this mean for contractors?  

Recently, we had the chance to sit down with Allison Hadley, spokesperson of American Home Shield (AHS), for an episode of Contractor Outlook™ about a study conducted for AHS about homeowner interests. She opened the conversation by sharing what the survey found:  

I surveyed about a thousand homeowners nationwide, and I asked them a variety of questions having to do with environmentalism, sustainability, what they wanted out of their homes and what they were prioritizing if they were making green home improvements. And what I found is that green home improvements are popular because people are looking for ways to save as much money as possible on utilities. 

More specifically, the study found that “77% of homeowners believe green homes will hold their value better than traditional homes, particularly as climate change continues to affect how we live in this country, and 82% think that the U.S. government should encourage green home construction.” These numbers are interesting on their own but become powerful business tools when you apply them to real-world operations.  

How can contractors use Allison’s data effectively in their businesses? They can change the way they talk to homeowners. Allison explained:  

If there's one thing we can take away from this is that the key to selling energy efficiency is to stress how much it will save the consumer. Yes, it's good for the environment. Yes, it'll maybe mitigate the effects of climate change, but what will really motivate people is how it's going to drive down the utility bills... And contractors should also pay attention to that 77% who believe green homes are a better investment. When people buy homes, they want something to live in, but also something they might be able to sell someday. Communicating the value and investment potential in sustainability is huge. 

How huge? About $74,000 huge. Allison elaborated, “In the survey, 13% of respondents were planning to buy a home, so I polled those people about their buying habits and found that 44% are trying to buy a green home and 61% are willing to pay up to $73,827 more for a green home.” This willingness to invest not only shows where homeowner priorities are, it also shows where contractors should be focusing their energies to better serve their customers.  

Listen to the whole episode or Watch the recording to learn more. 

By Emma Peterson. 

Articles of interest from June 2026. 

As the second fiscal quarter of the year comes to a close, it’s hard to believe we’re coming up on the halfway point of 2026. And the number of articles The Coffee Shops™ crew has published in that time (over 2,300 across all sites) can attest to how busy of a year it’s been. Of those thousands of articles, over 350 of them were posted in June alone. So, to help you keep up with all the news and information, we’ve rounded up the top ten articles from June.  

Our list starts off with an article highlighting Adams and Reese’s Trent Cotney’s May 2026 construction law updates and an article diving into a new Workforce Pell Grants that “could help roofing contractors recruit, train and grow the next generation of skilled workers.” 

From there, we have a wide variety of articles highlighting everything from the National Women in Roofing (NWIR) Oregon Council’s work coordinating a roof replacement for a Portland homeowner in need to how metal roofing protects against wildfires and the role of the Metal Construction Association (MCA) in the industry. 

Rounding out our list is our top three articles of June. In third place is an article our friends at Roof Hub wrote all about optimizing operational efficiency by using AI Smart Templates. Second goes to an article I wrote about how contractors can build trust and generate leads in a digital world. And first goes to Cotney Consulting Group’s article sharing a 5-year readiness playbook for roofing contractors. 

Top 10 articles from June 2026 

10 - Construction law insights and updates from May 2026 by Emma Peterson. 

9 - Workforce Pell Program could strengthen roofing’s workforce pipeline by Heidi J. Ellsworth. 

8 - Why government affairs matter to every roofing professional by Heidi J. Ellsworth. 

7 - Roofing community rallies for Oregon homeowner by The Coffee Shops™. 

6 - Maximizing fire resistance with metal by Anna Lockhart. 

5 - MCA advances technical leadership, expands market opportunities and builds momentum for 2026 by Heidi J. Ellsworth. 

4 - Navigating a new normal by Emma Peterson. 

3 - AI smart templates by RoofHub. 

2 - Word of mouth still works – It just looks different by Emma Peterson. 

1 - A 5-year readiness playbook for roofing contractors by Cotney Consulting Group. 

By Emma Peterson. 

How contractors and manufactures can handle long-term uncertainty and instability.    

For the last few years, it seems like we are in a cycle of uncertainty and instability, whether that be on the geopolitical stage or local. And as 2026 continues in this trend, it is seeming like abnormality might actually be the new normal. To learn about how you can navigate this, Heidi J. Ellsworth hosted Eric Voyer from The Farnsworth Group for an episode of Contractor Outlook™. 

Eric opened with some statistics, sharing, “We were talking to people in October and November of last year and we were all hopeful to be up 1-2% at this point. And now we’re here and that’s not happening. We have a labor shortage, four out of ten contractors are reporting challenges finding labor, and supply chain instability. At this point there’s kind of a begrudging acceptance of the unpredictability.”  

And that acceptance, however begrudging, is key, because once you accept the abnormality of this new normal, you can start navigating it. Eric explained: 

Time saving and pricing segmentation are key. For manufacturers, they need to make sure they are listening to their target market and making what they need, rather than just making what we’ve always made... As for contractors, offering options and showing your skill is key. You’re rarely alone in this business, somebody else is probably bidding for the same project and they might have a lower price. What you need to highlight is the value you bring, the workmanship and the customer service. 

By going back to these core aspects of business – thinking about your market and your differentiators, both manufacturers and contractors can set themselves up to weather the storm of uncertainty.  

Listen to the whole episode or Watch the newscast to learn more.

By Emma Peterson. 

Angi’s co-founder stops by for a conversation about how contractors can build trust and generate leads in a digital world.  

Before the advent of the Internet, word of mouth was one of the best ways to find new business as hearing another person’s positive experience is key to building trust in a new client. And just because we have the Internet doesn’t mean that word of mouth and trust-building are no longer powerful, they just look a little different. To learn about how word of mouth operates in a digital era, Heidi J. Ellsworth sat down with Angie Hicks, co-founder of Angi, for an episode of Contractor Outlook™. 

Angi, formerly Angie’s List, was founded 30 years ago, prior to the advent of the Internet. At that point, it was a call-in service and newsletter. Angie explained, “You would call in and ask me something like, ‘Hey, do you have any plumber for me?’ And I would get their info and then call around the area and say, ‘I have someone who needs a plumber. Do you have a plumber that I can add to our list and we give them a review.’”  

This method helped a lot of contractors and homeowners, but the huge jump for Angi was when the Internet came around. Angie shared:  

It didn't change the purpose of our business, which was always about helping homeowners feel confident in the experts they are bringing into their home and trusting with their money, but it did change how we achieved that. Instead of relying on traditional word of mouth, where you might find a contractor because one person has hired them, Angi was able to become a resource for people where they can hire based on 20 people’s experiences that are available to read about online.  

This shift in Angi’s business operations showcases a larger change happening in the world of contractor marketing – the way word of mouth and trust-building happen are no longer in one-on-one conversations or interactions. Angie explained, “In the pre-Angi days, contractor lead generation was basically just putting an ad in the yellow pages and making sure your business started with an ‘A’ so it showed up first in phone books... Today, it’s grown beyond that. We have a whole new generation of homeowners coming up that grew up in a digital world and their expectations from an experience standpoint are different.”  

How is it different? People expect immediacy; they want to be able to go onto a site like Angi to see 20 reviews in one place, rather than asking individuals around town, or they want an instant estimate from a contractor and will look somewhere else if there is a three-day wait time. Trying to deliver on this can feel overwhelming for contractors, but just as technology has changed how homeowners operate, it has also changed how contractors can operate. Angie elaborated on this:  

We’ve grown Angi to include some tools that can help make your process more efficient and speedy. For example, we have messaging tools that allow you to set up a custom message to send if you are in the middle of a job and can’t respond to inquiries immediately. This is a great place to show who you are as a company, to tell the customer about your business’s story and really build trust by letting people get to know you. 

Because even though the way we go about it has changed, building that trust through word of mouth has always been and will always be at the heart of a successful contracting business. 

Listen to the newscast or Watch the recording to learn more!

Por Emma Peterson, traducido por Alberto Torres. 

Cuatro proyectos de techado en los EE. UU. demuestran el poder de la compasión, el servicio y la comunidad. 

A medida que el costo de vida continúa aumentando, muchos propietarios tienen dificultades para reunir fondos para proyectos importantes del hogar, como reemplazar un techo. Esto es especialmente cierto para nuestros vecinos más vulnerables, como las personas con discapacidades y los adultos mayores. Por suerte para cuatro de estos vecinos, sus comunidades escucharon sobre sus dificultades y se unieron para mantenerlos cálidos y secos bajo techos completamente nuevos. 

1 – Tom Morris 

Después de servir como ingeniero de combate en la Reserva del Ejército durante casi ocho años, Tom Morris compró una casa móvil en Virginia City Trailer Park en Port Crane. Lamentablemente, un par de inviernos después, el techo comenzó a gotear. Tom, quien sufrió dos derrames cerebrales que lo dejaron discapacitado y con dificultades económicas, no sabía cómo iba a reparar el techo ni los daños que la filtración había causado en su hogar. 

Afortunadamente, su comunidad escuchó su historia y se unió para ayudarlo. The Impact Project inició la construcción de un techo nuevo (con materiales donados por Curtis Lumber), mientras que otros voluntarios comenzaron a trabajar en el interior, no solo reparándolo sino agregando mejoras como un baño accesible que ayudará a Tom. El director ejecutivo de The Impact Project, Jim Willard, compartió su emoción con WBGH, diciendo: “Es difícil expresar con palabras lo que siento, y nunca me canso de ayudar a los propietarios. Me conmueve un poco. Estos son cambios de vida para ellos, grandes cambios. Si no tienes un techo, no tienes un lugar seguro para vivir.” 

2 – Un veterano en Maine 

El pasado diciembre, Home Roofing Solutions se aseguró de que un veterano enfermo tuviera un hogar seguro para las fiestas. Trabajaron junto con el Maine Veterans Project para reemplazar el techo de un veterano que está recibiendo tratamiento contra el cáncer. ¿La razón? Ayudar a su comunidad. Como explicó Keith Rogers, supervisor de Home Roofing Solutions, a Fox 22: “Esto es algo que tenemos la fortuna de poder hacer. Creo que es muy importante y va más allá de eso. Son habitantes de Maine ayudando a habitantes de Maine. Para eso estamos aquí. Es importante.” 

3 – Elizabeth Condon 

Cuando el techo de Elizabeth Condon empezó a presentar problemas, la veterana del Ejército de los EE. UU. y la Guardia Nacional no sabía qué hacer. Afortunadamente, el Owens Corning Roof Deployment Project la conectó con el contratista local S&G Roofing. Con materiales proporcionados por Owens Corning y mano de obra de S&G, Elizabeth pronto tuvo un techo nuevo y seguro. Y no es la única veterana beneficiada por este programa. NEWS10 informa: “El Owens Corning Roof Deployment Project ha proporcionado más de 675 techos nuevos a miembros del servicio militar desde 2016.” 

4 – VFW Post 1757 

Cuando OutLast Construction escuchó en las noticias que el VFW Post 1757 necesitaba un techo nuevo, movilizó a su comunidad. Ronald Phrophit, gerente de proyectos en OutLast, dijo a WDIO: “Logramos reducir el costo de alrededor de $90,000 a $40,000 con la ayuda de nuestros proveedores y donaciones. Estamos encantados de poder servir a quienes ya nos han servido.” Este alivio fue enorme para el Post, que estaba luchando por encontrar una forma de reparar el techo a un costo que pudieran afrontar. 

By Emma Peterson. 

In this Contractor Outlook, we dive into what today’s homeowners really want alongside Allison Hadley.  

Allison Hadley is the spokesperson of American Home Shield (AHS), a home warranty provider in the United States. Allison was commissioned by AHS to conduct independent consumer research in the home services field. More specifically, her recent study focused on the growing demand for greener homes. To learn more about this, we invited Allison on to Contractor Outlook™ to talk about her findings.  

Allison’s study found that modern homeowners are beginning to prioritize green homes, which are homes that are more energy efficient than traditional structures. Allison shared what these homes look like, saying, “68% reported they were installing at least one energy efficient appliance. In many ways, this is the most easily affordable green home upgrade. Another 54% have solar panels, which is another relatively easy installation, and 40% have green landscaping (think rewilding lawns).”   

The drive for these improvements is two-fold, with many homeowners being concerned about both rising utility prices and environmental impacts. Allison explained, “When we asked people why they were making home improvements towards energy efficiency and sustainability, 68% said that they were concerned about their environmental impact and sustainability and 80% said they were prioritizing cost savings on utilities.” 

And this trend isn’t just with existing homeowners. Potential buyers are also looking for green homes as the future, “I also surveyed those who were looking to buy homes within the next year. And they said that they would be willing to pay an average of $73,827 more for an environmentally friendly, energy efficient green home than what they would pay for a more traditional home.” 

What does all this mean for contractors and builders? Homeowners and homebuyers are shifting in their priorities and the professionals that continue to grow and succeed will shift with them. Allison summed up the findings of the study, saying, “I asked all the homeowners who own green homes, would they rather have a bigger, more traditional, less environmentally energy efficient home, or would they rather have a smaller greener home? And 63% said that they'd rather have a smaller greener home. It really goes to show you that the McMansion era is coming to an end close and a green home one is beginning.”  

Listen to the newscast or Watch the recording to learn more about the priorities of the modern homeowner.