In the high-stakes world of commercial roof design, "speed wins bids" isn't just a catchy phrase — it's a business reality. For small-to-medium contractors, the challenge has always been competing with massive operations that have dedicated departments for design, drafting, and documentation. GAF's BuildYourRoof tool was designed to cut through that complexity, transforming how contractors communicate their expertise and win more business.
The Power of a Professional Report
"Commercial roofing can be very nebulous," explains Cameron Baher, who helped develop the BuildYourRoof tool. "We wanted to provide a tool to bridge that gap - both for the client, and also for our contractors themselves."
The challenge is real: commercial roofing projects cost significantly more than residential jobs, and contractors need warranties/guarantees to secure work. Traditionally, obtaining an assembly letter - a document from GAF that specifies which products, techniques, attachment styles, and fastening patterns are required for warranty/guarantee coverage- involves numerous phone calls and emails. It's a time-consuming process that can delay bids and create friction during the critical bidding phase.
While the ultimate goal for BuildYourRoof is to provide a self-service path to those formal assembly letters, the tool currently solves a more immediate problem: the professional gap. By placing visualization and documentation power directly in your hands, the tool streamlines the "pre-bid" workflow-allowing you to generate professional, comprehensive proposals in minutes that clearly communicate the system's intent long before the final paperwork is signed.
By placing visualization and documentation power directly in contractors hands, the tool streamlines this workflow — allowing them to generate professional, comprehensive proposals in minutes rather than days.
This kind of leverage helps smaller firms gain a competitive edge. "It's really the visualization piece of it," Baher notes. "Most of these presentations in the past have just been verbal, trying to explain to building owners what's happening. Maybe they have some samples with them, but with the Build Your Roof tool, you can visualize each layer and what is going on in each layer - are they using adhesive? Are they using foam? Mechanically attached?"
The tool generates a clean, professional-looking report that includes:
3D visualizations showing every layer of the roof assembly—from deck and insulation to membrane and attachment methods
Complete documentation with one-click access to all relevant Product Data Sheets (PDS) and Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
A polished presentation that demonstrates business acumen and builds immediate trust with building owners
Instead of struggling to describe complex roofing assemblies verbally, contractors can show clients exactly what they're getting, layer by layer.
Point-and-Click Simplicity
You don't need to be a designer or structural engineer to build a perfect roof assembly. The tool is designed for straightforward usability:
Select Your Components: Use drop-down menus to choose your deck type, insulation, and membrane
Verify Compatibility: The integrated review feature automatically checks that products work together
Generate Your Report: One click assembles a full submittal package ready to print or email
The entire process takes about four minutes from start to finish.
An All-in-One System
The recent integration of GAF coatings into BuildYourRoof expands the tool's utility. As contractors face ongoing economic headwinds and inflation pressures, many are turning to roof coatings as a cost-effective solution for extending roof life. Now they can visualize coating systems with the same clarity as full tear-off and replacement projects.
The tool also handles critical technical details that vary by location. Using GAF's internal database of R-values for all counties, BuildYourRoof provides guidance on insulation requirements based on local building codes. While contractors still need to verify specifications with their local municipality, the tool offers a strong starting point that saves research time - particularly valuable for contractors working across multiple regions with different requirements.
Your Virtual Design Assistant
Beyond winning bids, BuildYourRoof serves as a virtual design assistant and a one-stop documentation hub. Think of it as a "virtual commercial roof" where you can experiment with different configurations - deck, attachment, insulation, and membrane - to find what best fits your project's specific needs.
By pulling from the same resources as GAF's document library, it consolidates everything into a single, organized package complete with a cover page and table of contents.
Real-World Applications
Contractors are using BuildYourRoof throughout their workflow - from initial bids to final installation. They're creating proposals that actually show building owners what they're getting instead of just talking about it. And it doesn't stop at the sales process.
Field teams can print the reports and bring them to job sites, using them as reference guides for installation crews and subcontractors. When team members aren't familiar with commercial roofing assemblies, the layer-by-layer visualization serves as an educational tool that ensures proper installation from the start.
For projects like the Goodwill of the Great Plains Headquarters, having comprehensive documentation readily available made all the difference.
The Bottom Line
BuildYourRoof is free for contractors, and when they need extra support, GAF Design Services and regional specialists are ready to help.
As the commercial roofing industry continues to evolve, tools like BuildYourRoof demonstrate that technology can enhance the human element. "We didn't build this in a boardroom," Baher says. "Every update we make is driven by real feedback from our customers; we're building exactly what the professionals in the field tell us they actually need to get the job done."
Ready to elevate your next proposal? Explore the BuildYourRoof tool and discover how visualization and documentation can transform your business.
