I will preface my comment here with the disclaimer that I am a salesman for a roofing company which is NOT Jasper Roofing / Jasper Contractors... and after reading the various reports and rebuttals here, I am glad that's the case! I had to chime in to reiterate and add support to what has been said here as companies like this hurt everyone involved: the homeowners, the salesmen, the roofing industry as a whole, and eventually, when the company has run itself into the ground, themselves!
Most roofing companies operate with an average profit margin that is 30% of the gross selling price for a roof; nevermind Allstate, who will try to nickel-and-dime you and tell you that 26% is fair, but that's for another report...
You typically get a choice of making a commission on the gross sale (usually 10%), or a percentage of profit (30% - 50%).
So assuming an $8,000 roofing job, 10% of gross = $800.
Now percentage of profit commission works differently. The usual roof job has a 30% profit left over after materials, labor, production costs, overhead, etc., so that leaves $2,400 in profit on an $8,000 job.
From there, most companies will pay anything from 30% to 50% profit sharing, depending on your skill and experience. So taking the following percentages from $2,400 would yield a commission as follows:
30% commission = $720
40% commission = $960
50% commission = $1,200
In another report, a Jasper employee asserted that "any sorry salesman" could make 10 sales a week. HA! That is absolutely ridiculous. Even the best roofing salesmen out there would struggle to make that. But let's assume he's right:
10 sales a week = 40 sales a month
6 months of storm season = 240 roofs
240 roofs x $960/roof average (40% commission)
$230,400 for only 6 months of work? Wow, why isn't EVERYONE a roofing salesman???
You think everyone who comes to your door trying to get a deal is making a quarter million every 6 months just walking around and talking to people about their roofs? GET REAL. Knocking doors is hard work. This industry is maligned because of these storm-chasing, clownshoes companies.
True story, I saw a yellow Jasper Contractors Hummer driving around in my town. How gaudy. You have snake-skin boots to match? Now that's the kind of person I want to entrust with one of my biggest investments!