Every year, roofing and exterior professionals from across the United States gather at the International Roofing Expo. It’s where contractors, home improvement companies, suppliers, and service providers come together to learn, connect, and see how the industry is evolving.

The International Roofing Expo 2026 will take place January 20–22, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Beyond new products and materials, the event also highlights something many roofing businesses struggle with daily: handling incoming calls without losing opportunities.

As customer expectations shift toward faster responses, how calls are answered has become just as important as the work done on the roof.

What is the International Roofing Expo?

The International Roofing Expo is the largest roofing and exteriors event in North America. For over 70 years, it has brought together more than 15,000 industry professionals, including roofing contractors, exterior remodelers, siding and window installers, builders, distributors, architects, and suppliers.

The expo features:

1. Education sessions on industry trends, business management, and technical skills.

2. Product demonstrations from leading manufacturers and suppliers.

3. Networking opportunities with peers, potential partners, and industry experts.

4. Trade show floor where you can explore new tools, materials, and services designed to help roofing and exterior businesses work smarter.

For roofing and exterior contractors, the International Roofing Expo is a valuable opportunity to discover solutions that can improve operations, reduce costs, and help their teams work more efficiently.

Why roofing contractors struggle with phone calls

Running a roofing or exterior business means handling calls throughout the day. Customers reach out for roof estimates, ask about siding projects, schedule gutter inspections, or need emergency repairs after a storm. Here's the challenge: most of these calls come in when your team is busy.

1. You're on a roof or at a job site
When you're working on a project, answering the phone isn't always possible. Customers who reach voicemail may call the next contractor on their list instead of waiting for a callback.

2. After-hours and weekend calls go unanswered
Roofing and exterior emergencies don't follow business hours. A leak during a storm, wind damage to siding, or clogged gutters causing water overflow can happen anytime. If customers can't reach you after hours, they'll find someone who answers.

3. Seasonal demand creates call volume spikes
Storm season brings a surge of repair requests. During these busy periods, your team may be overwhelmed with calls while trying to complete existing projects. Missed calls during peak season mean missed revenue.

4. Appointment scheduling takes time
Coordinating inspections, estimates, and project start dates requires back-and-forth communication. When your team is already stretched thin, scheduling becomes a bottleneck that slows down your sales process.

5. Lead qualification happens manually
Not every caller is ready to book a project. Some want basic pricing information, others need emergency repairs, and some are just gathering quotes. Sorting through these calls manually takes time away from customers who are ready to move forward.

These challenges add up. According to industry research, businesses often miss 25-30% of calls when understaffed. For roofing contractors, each missed call could represent thousands of dollars in lost project revenue.

How an AI voice assistant helps roofing contractors stay connected

An AI voice agent acts as a digital receptionist that answers every call, qualifies leads, and handles appointment scheduling without requiring your team to pick up the phone. Here's how voice AI for roofing works:

• Answers calls instantly, 24/7
  An AI voice assistant picks up every call within seconds, whether it's 9 AM on a Tuesday or 11 PM on a Saturday. Customers get immediate responses, and you don't miss opportunities because your team is unavailable.

• Collects essential information from callers
  The Voice AI bot asks callers for their name, contact details, property address, type of service needed (repair, replacement, inspection), and urgency level. This information gets logged automatically, so your team has everything they need to follow up.

• Qualifies leads before they reach your team
  Not every caller is ready to book a project. An AI voice agent can identify whether someone needs an emergency repair, wants a quote for a future project, or is just gathering information. 

High-priority leads get routed to your team immediately, while others are logged for follow-up. This approach helps maximize your speed-to-lead and close more projects.

• Schedules appointments automatically
  By automating calls with AI for roofing, the system can check your calendar and book inspection or estimate appointments based on real availability. Homeowners receive a confirmed time during the call, without waiting for a follow-up.

• Handles common questions
  Callers often ask about service areas, typical project timelines, or whether you handle specific types of work like metal roofing, vinyl siding, or seamless gutters. An AI voice assistant can answer these questions instantly, saving your team time and giving customers the information they need.

• Provides a consistent customer experience
  Every caller receives the same professional greeting and intake process. There's no variation based on who answers the phone or how busy your team is that day.

Why roofing contractors are turning to voice AI for call handling

The roofing industry is competitive. Customers expect fast responses, and delays in communication can cost you projects. Here's why an AI voice assistant makes sense for roofing businesses today:

1. Speed matters for lead conversion
Studies show that contacting a lead within one minute significantly improves conversion rates compared to delayed follow-up. When a customer calls about roof damage or needs an estimate, they're often contacting multiple contractors. The first one to respond usually wins the project.

2. Phone calls still drive roofing business
Nearly 80% of consumers consider phone calls important when communicating with businesses. Even with online forms and email, most customers prefer calling when they need roofing work. If you're not answering, you're losing business to competitors who are.

3. Your team's time is valuable
Answering calls, taking messages, and scheduling appointments consume hours each week. An AI voice agent automates these tasks, so your team can focus on estimates, project management, and actual roofing work instead of administrative duties.

4. After-hours availability wins more projects
Roofing emergencies happen outside business hours. Customers who call at night or on weekends will hire whoever answers first. Voice AI for roofing gives you 24/7 availability without requiring staff to work around the clock.

5. Seasonal demand requires flexibility
During storm season or peak replacement periods, call volume can double or triple. Hiring temporary staff to handle calls is expensive and time-consuming. Managing call surges during storm season becomes simple when an AI voice assistant handles the increased volume without additional costs.

What to expect at the Leaping AI booth at the International Roofing Expo

If you're attending the International Roofing Expo, visiting the Leaping AI booth gives you a chance to see an AI voice assistant in action and ask questions specific to your business.

1. Live call demonstrations
Watch how the AI voice agent handles real roofing scenarios: emergency repair requests, estimate inquiries, appointment scheduling, and lead qualification. See how it responds to natural conversation and gathers the information your team needs.

2. Discussion about your specific needs
Every roofing and exterior business operates differently. Whether you focus on residential roof repairs, commercial roofing projects, siding installations, or insurance restoration work, we'll walk through how voice AI for roofing can fit into your current workflow.

3. Integration with your existing tools
Learn how an AI voice assistant connects with your CRM, scheduling software, and lead management systems. The goal is to make implementation simple and ensure data flows automatically into the tools you already use.

4. Questions about setup and costs
Get clear answers about implementation timelines, pricing, and what's involved in getting an AI voice agent running for your business. No complicated technical jargon, just straightforward information.

See voice AI for roofing in action at IRE 2026

The International Roofing Expo is the perfect opportunity to explore new solutions that can help your roofing business handle more calls, capture more leads, and provide better customer service.

Leaping AI, a voice AI bot, will be at IRE 2026 in Las Vegas (January 20-22, 2026) to demonstrate how it works for roofing contractors. Stop by our booth to see live demos, ask questions, and learn whether voice AI for roofing fits your business needs.

Can't make it to the International Roofing Expo? Book a free consultation with our team. We'll show you real call handling examples and walk through how an AI voice agent can help your roofing business stay connected with customers.