Raise The Roof

Episode 1: Cody Helm on Scaling a Roofing Company with Systems, Cash Flow, and Marketing Math

In the first episode of the “Raise the Roof” podcast about growing and scaling businesses, Landon interviews Cody Helm, owner of Helm Construction Company in Lancaster County. His roofing company now generates just over $5 million in revenue. Helm explains that he started in 2017 through a high school co-op with an Amish roofing contractor. Soon after, he launched his LLC and obtained his contractor license in early 2018. Early projects came through Facebook community groups and paid lead platforms such as HomeAdvisor and Angi. He walks through the company’s revenue milestones. The business made about $280,000 in the first year, around $850,000 in year two, and about $1.2 million in year three. In year four the company reached roughly $2.5 million. After a temporary dip, the company scaled further and eventually reached $4 million and then $5 million in annual revenue. Helm also talks about what he calls “growing the wrong way.” In the early stages the company lacked written systems, consistent pricing structures, and a clear lead handling process. These gaps created operational challenges as the business expanded. To solve this, Helm built detailed SOP binders for the company. Leads, proposals, and rejections are tracked in spreadsheets along with a CRM system. The workflow is split so that office staff handle proposals and follow-ups while estimators focus on sales and field coordination. The company employs W-2 estimators and motivates them with year-end bonuses tied to performance. Helm also focuses heavily on cash-flow forecasting to maintain stability while scaling. Today he is gradually stepping back from day-to-day operations. The company is hiring project foremen to manage field work while leadership focuses on growth. The long-term goal is to scale the roofing business to $10 million in annual revenue.