COVID-19 news and updates change quickly and frequently. Some of the information in this article may soon be out of date. We will do our best to keep details updated during this challenging time. The article below reflects information as of March 30, 2020. 

The Coronavirus has disrupted normal processes for countless industries, including those within home improvement. As a contractor, much of your procedures and sales techniques occur face-to-face and naturally with homeowners. Now, contractors must rapidly adjust to distancing measures to keep yourself, your staff, and homeowners safe. If transitioning to online and to digital tools feels daunting, you’re not alone. 

In this roundup, we share multiple online, easy-to-use tools that will help you manage —or even accelerate— your business during COVID-19. We have organized them below to help you find what your business needs to shift digitally during this historic time. 

Table of Contents

Digital Proposals

Accelerate your sales process with these industry-leading tools:

LEAP

Founded in 2016, Leap is helping transform the home services industry by offering end-to-end point of sale applications. They are digitizing every stage of the in-home sales process, including estimates, proposals, contracts, secure in-home financing approvals, and data logs. Leap is a trusted Modernize partner. 

SOLO

SOLO is a sales conversion platform designed for roofing and solar services. SOLO helps provide dynamic proposals, document management, CAD design, and engineering as-a-service for the home improvement industry. 

  • Trades: Solar and roofing
  • Pricing: Speak to a representative to learn more
  • Website: gosolo.io 

Aurora

Aurora offers to provide a one-stop solution for solar contractors, hoping to help you streamline your entire solar design and sales process. The platform manages information from solar designs and simulations, calculates financial returns for loans, leases, PPAs, and cash payments.

  • Trades: Solar
  • Pricing: Offers monthly and annual subscriptions at three tiers
  • Website: aurorasolar.com 

Communication

Communicate with more homeowners by leveraging these digital tools:

Hatch

Hatch helps contractors quickly connect with homeowners by creating automatic follow-ups through text, email, and phone. You can continue the conversation through the entire buying journey from one collaborative workspace. Hatch is a trusted Modernize partner. 

  • Trades: All trades
  • Pricing: Offering a 5-day free trial 
  • Website: usehatchapp.com

Ring Central

RingCentral offers an all-in-one cloud phone system, which includes team messaging, video conferencing, and a contact center. 

  • Trades: All trades
  • Pricing: Multiple price tiers for businesses, and a 15-day free trial 
  • Website: ringcentral.com

Dialpad

Dialpad offers businesses four products, ranging from a business phone system to video meetings and sales coaching. They are helping companies impacted by COVID-19 by offering Dialpad Talk Pro and UberConference for free, for a limited time. 

  • Trades: All trades
  • Pricing: Free for a limited time 
  • Website: dialpad.com

Virtual Measurements

Attain and assess measurements needed to complete a project with the following tools: 

Measure

If you are an Apple user, the Measure app on your iPhone or iPad can help you gauge the size of objects, detect rectangular dimensions, and save photo measurements. 

HOVER

HOVER is based on a technology platform that was originally created for the U.S. Military Special Operations. They help contractors secure roof and siding measurements “to the inch” from just eight smartphone photos. They can also help you present roof, siding, and window estimates to homeowners. 

  • Trades: Roofing, siding, windows 
  • Pricing: Roof-only pricing starts at $20 per property
  • Website: hover.to

Eagleview

This global company provides professionals tools to generate fast, accurate bids for homeowners, including roof measurements that include area, pitch, length of ridges, flashing, and more. 

  • Trades: Roofing, siding, solar
  • Pricing: Contact sales team to learn more 
  • Website: eagleview.com 

Virtual Appointments

Engage with more homeowners digitally by using these platforms for video appointments: 

Zoom 

Zoom offers video communication on a reliable cloud platform, allowing businesses to use video and audio conferencing across mobile devices, desktops, and phones. 

  • Trades: All trades
  • Pricing: Tiered plans, starting at $14.99 per month 
  • Website: zoom.us

Whereby 

Whereby provides users with video meetings in a browser, boasting no downloads or logins for guests. 

  • Trades: All trades
  • Pricing: Starts at $9.99 per month 
  • Website: whereby.com

Call Center

Utilize call centers to accelerate your homeowner follow-up process: 

NICE inContact

NICE offers a seamless experience for call center employees and customers, with their cloud platform and suite of tools— including data analysis and AI-powered insights. 

Finance Partners

Offer homeowners simple loan information to help them fund their projects: 

Foundation Finance

Foundation Finance Company provides fast loan decisions and flexible consumer finance programs that help contractors build their bottom line. The company shares its interactions are built on a foundation of respect, honesty, and fairness. Foundation Finance is a trusted Modernize partner. 

Sunlight Financial 

Sunlight Financial partners with solar companies and contractors to secure financing for solar systems and home improvement projects. These homeowner loans are simple and have no prepayment penalties. 

At Modernize, we continue to see steady traffic and interest from homeowners, on a national scale. In a recent survey, up to 40 percent of homeowners are interested in meeting virtually, during COVID-19, about their project. Continue to serve your community with the leading tools and platforms available for contractors. 

Are you using a tool for your business not listed above? Share with us by emailing modmail@modernize.com. 

Next: Learn what to include in your virtual sales deck.