Months 1–3

Owner equity committed; entity formed; state contractor license and license bond secured

Month 2

Supplier accounts opened with two distributors — before any SBA application, not after

Month 3

Consumer finance partnership signed and the offer built into every estimate template

Months 3–5

Insurance program bound: workers’ compensation, general liability, umbrella, commercial auto, inland marine

Months 4–6

First truck, trailer and tool package financed on the asset; SBA Microloan drawn

Months 4–7

Aerial measurement, estimating and CRM configured; costed menu of assemblies built

Month 7

First crew running; referral program and post-job follow-up cadence live from the first completed roof

End Year 1

Gate 1: crew booked four weeks ahead for three consecutive months; gross margin above 30% on completed jobs

Year 2

Second crew; first dedicated salesperson; referral engine built; certificate tracking system operating

End Year 2

Gate 2: cost per sold job below $1,375; certificate tracking live; EBITDA loss narrowing

Year 3

SBA 7(a) of $250k drawn; third crew; commercial line entered with dedicated equipment; production manager appointed

End Year 3

Gate 3: EBITDA positive; two years of financial statements; debt service cover path to 1.10x

Year 4

Fourth crew; supplier terms extended to 48 days; weekly job costing by crew embedded

End Year 4

Gate 4: overhead below 30% of revenue; net margin positive

Year 5

Fifth crew; supplier terms to 52 days; 55% of jobs consumer-financed; management layer complete

State contractor license and bond

Every quote and every job

Requirements vary by state; some license at municipal level as well. Secured before anything is quoted

Workers’ compensation coverage

The first crew hire

Mandatory in nearly every state; class code 5551. Bound before anyone climbs a roof

Supplier accounts with two distributors

$346k of free working capital by Year 5

Opened in month two, before any SBA application. Two accounts, not one, for price tension and continuity

Consumer finance partnership

Days sales outstanding of 10.7 by Year 5 and a higher ticket

Signed in month three and built into the estimate template, not offered on request

Costed assembly library

Every price quoted thereafter

Built during set-up from aerial takeoff; a bid priced without it is a guess

First crew hired and trained

Revenue from month seven

Crew vacancy ran 12% in 2025; recruit ahead of need

Certificate tracking system

The Year 2 gate and every workers’ compensation audit

A payment control, not a filing cabinet

Two years of financial statements

The Year 3 SBA 7(a)

Bookkeeping from month one; a 7(a) application without them is incomplete

Commercial equipment and capability

The Year 3 commercial line

$42k of dedicated kit; different systems, different training, longer sales cycle