Why I'm Heading to Washington for Roofing Day 2026

Founder & CEO, Capital City Roofing | Co-Founder & CSO, BuilderLync | RT3 & NRCA Member

On April 14th, I'll be in Washington, D.C. with hundreds of roofing professionals from across the country for NRCA's ninth annual Roofing Day. And if you're a contractor who cares about the future of this industry, you should be paying attention to what happens there, whether you're attending or not.

What Roofing Day Actually Is

Roofing Day is the largest advocacy event dedicated solely to the roofing industry. Organized by the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), the event brings professionals from all 50 states to Capitol Hill to meet directly with members of Congress and their staffs. The goal is simple: speak with one voice about the issues that impact our businesses every single day.

This isn't a trade show. It's not a sales event. It's the one time each year where our industry shows up in force to make sure the people writing the laws actually understand the consequences of those laws on the ground.

The Two Issues That Matter Most in 2026

This year, NRCA is focused on two critical priorities: workforce challenges and affordable housing.

Workforce Challenges

If you run a roofing company right now, you already know the labor situation. You feel it every time you try to staff a crew. You feel it every time a project timeline stretches because you can't find qualified workers.

The workforce issue has three major components NRCA is highlighting this year. Immigration enforcement uncertainty is causing real operational disruptions. Crews aren't showing up. Projects are getting delayed. Builder relationships are straining. The industry needs legislative clarity, not chaos.

On the federal side, there's active advocacy around the Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act and the Dignity Act, both aimed at creating structured pathways for the legal workforce our industry depends on. The H-2B visa cap for the second half of fiscal year 2026 has already been met, which tells you everything you need to know about the demand for seasonal labor in our industry.

Affordable Housing

The second priority is finding ways to develop more affordable and accessible housing. NRCA is pushing for legislation around tax credits that would incentivize converting commercial buildings into residential spaces. That's a real, tangible policy lever that could create demand for our services while addressing a national housing shortage.

Why Advocacy Matters for Every Contractor

I'll be honest. Early in my career, I didn't think much about industry advocacy. I was heads down building a company, focused on operations, sales, and growth. But after more than a decade in executive leadership, including time overseeing large-scale in-home services at Lowe's, I've seen firsthand how federal decisions ripple through every level of our industry.

A single regulatory change can reshape your cost structure. An immigration policy shift can upend your workforce overnight. Tax policy can either fuel growth or choke it.

Roofing Day exists because our industry figured out that showing up matters. Last year, over 250 professionals from more than 35 states walked the halls of Congress. That kind of collective presence leaves an impression on legislators and their staff in a way that emails and phone calls simply can't replicate.

What This Means for the Future of Roofing

Here's what I think a lot of contractors miss: advocacy isn't separate from your business strategy. It IS your business strategy.

The workforce crisis isn't going away on its own. The housing affordability challenge isn't solving itself. If we want the environment to be better for contractors in 2027, 2028, and beyond, we have to invest in shaping it now.

At Capital City Roofing, we're building a company that operates across Greater Atlanta and Nashville, with a licensing platform expanding into Charleston, Nashville, and Texas. Every single one of those markets is directly affected by federal workforce policy, housing policy, and regulatory decisions. What happens in D.C. shows up in our P&L.

That's why I'm going. And that's why I encourage every contractor reading this to either register for Roofing Day (it's $95 for company reps) or, at minimum, start paying attention to what NRCA is advocating for on your behalf.

Listen to the Podcast That Inspired This Post

Roofing Contractor Magazine recently released a great podcast episode covering the details of Roofing Day 2026. NRCA's Duane Musser joined RC's Jill Bloom to preview the event and break down why your voice matters. I'd highly recommend giving it a listen:

Roofing Day 2026: Why Your Voice Matters — Best of Success Podcast Show, Roofing Contractor Magazine

Get Involved

Register for Roofing Day 2026: nrca.net/advocacy/roofing-day
Event Dates: April 14-15, 2026 | YOTEL Washington DC
Cost: $95 for company representatives | $30 for field workers, students, and spouses

If you want to see how Capital City Roofing is putting these industry principles into practice across our markets, check out our team's perspective on why Roofing Day matters for local contractors: Read the Capital City Roofing blog post on Roofing Day 2026

Keep Exploring

Related reads on industry leadership, advocacy, and the long-term health of the trade:

Why Community Impact Must Be Part of Every Business — why service to the communities you build in is a leadership responsibility, not a marketing play.
What Storm Chasers Understand About Urgency That Ethical Roofers Refuse to Learn — the speed gap between ethical and unethical operators, and how to close it.
Best Choice Roofing Just Validated What We Built From Day One — why the future of the industry runs on operational standardization, not just AI.
I Was Featured as the Expert in Bottom Line Inc's Hail Damage Guide — how authority gets built through service and education.

About Brad Strawbridge

Brad Strawbridge is the Founder and CEO of Capital City Roofing, a GAF Master Elite and CertainTeed ShingleMaster Premier certified roofing company serving Greater Atlanta and Nashville. He is also Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of BuilderLync, an AI-driven CRM and project management platform built for contractors. Brad is an active member of RT3 (Roofing Technology Think Tank) and NRCA.

Tags: Roofing Day 2026, NRCA, roofing industry advocacy, workforce challenges, affordable housing, roofing contractor leadership, Capitol Hill, Brad Strawbridge, Capital City Roofing, roofing industry policy