What should be on a roofing quote, line by line

I have been writing roofing quotes since 2004, and I have read a lot of other people's. The ones that cause trouble are rarely dishonest. They are vague. A single line that says "Remove and replace roof, $14,500" leaves every expensive decision to be made later, on the roof, when you have no leverage and a hole over your bedroom.

A good quote reads like a list of materials and jobs, with a quantity and a price against each one. Here is what should be on it, in roughly the order we write ours, and what to ask when a line is missing.

1. The measurements

Everything else on the quote hangs on three numbers, and they should be written down.

• Roof area in squares. A square is 100 square feet of roof surface, not floor area. A house with an 1,800 square foot footprint and a medium pitch usually comes to around 24 to 26 squares once you add the slope and the overhangs.
• Pitch. How steep each slope is, written as rise over 12 (a 6/12 roof rises 6 inches for every 12 across). Steeper roofs need more safety kit and take longer.
• Layers to remove. One or two. If a quote does not say, ask, because a second layer adds about $90 a square to tear off.

If two quotes for the same house are more than two or three squares apart, one of them has measured wrong. Ask how they measured: from the roof, from aerial imagery, or from your house plans.

2. Tear-off and disposal

This line should say "to the deck", list the number of layers, and include the dumpster and disposal fees. We price it at $90 per square per layer. Watch for quotes that say "overlay" or "recover": nailing new shingles over old ones is cheaper up front, hides the deck, and shortens the life of the new roof.

3. The deck allowance

This is the line that turns a $15,000 quote into a $19,000 invoice. Nobody can see the deck until the old roof is off, so a fair quote gives a fixed price per sheet of plywood or OSB, and promises to show you each one. Ours is $88 per sheet, photographed before it goes in.

4. Underlayment and ice and water shield

Two different products, and both should be listed. Synthetic underlayment covers the whole deck. Ice and water shield is a self-adhered membrane that seals around nails, and it belongs at the eaves (at least two courses, about 6 feet up the slope), in every valley and around every chimney, skylight and pipe. In the Ashford Valley, where eaves freeze every winter, a quote that only mentions "felt" is missing the most important layer on the roof.

5. Flashing, drip edge and vents

Flashing is the metal that keeps water out where the roof meets something else, and it is where most leaks start. The quote should say new flashing, and list:

• Step and counter flashing at every wall and chimney (we price chimneys from $640 each)
• New pipe boots for every plumbing vent
• Valley treatment: open metal, closed-cut or woven
• Drip edge at eaves and rakes, and a starter strip
• Ventilation: ridge vent, and whether you have enough intake at the soffits to balance it

"Reuse existing flashing where possible" is a common phrase. It saves an hour and it is a common source of leaks in year three.

6. The roof itself

The quote should name the manufacturer, the product line and the colour, not just "architectural shingle". Product lines within one brand differ in weight, wind rating and warranty. It should also state the nailing pattern: six nails per shingle is what we use on every roof, and what most makers require for their full wind warranty.

7. Permit, clean-up, payment and warranty

The last lines are the ones people skip, and they matter as much as the shingles.

• Permit: who pulls it and whether it is included. It should be the roofer.
• Clean-up: daily magnetic sweep for nails, gutters cleared, landscaping protected.
• Payment schedule: we take nothing until materials are delivered, then 40% on delivery and the balance at sign-off. Be careful with anyone asking for 50% or more before a bundle arrives.
• Two warranties: the manufacturer's (materials) and the contractor's (workmanship). Ask how long the workmanship warranty is, what it covers and whether it transfers if you sell. Ours is 25 years and transfers once.
• Who does the work: the company's own crew or subcontractors. Both can be fine, but you should know who will be on your roof.

Comparing three quotes

Put the quotes side by side and fill in this table. Any blank is a question to ask before you compare the totals.

A table for comparing three roofing quotes line by line

Line	What good looks like	Red flag
Squares	Within 2–3 sq of the others	No number at all
Tear-off	To the deck, layers stated	"Overlay" or "recover"
Deck	Fixed price per sheet, photographed	"As needed, time and materials"
Ice and water shield	Eaves, valleys, penetrations	Felt only
Flashing	All new, listed by location	"Reuse where possible"
Roof system	Brand, line, colour, nailing	"Architectural shingle"
Payment	Nothing before delivery	50% or more up front
Workmanship warranty	In writing, years stated	Verbal, or "lifetime" with no terms

What about the price?

Once every line is filled in, the totals usually land much closer together, and the cheapest quote is often cheapest because something is missing. If one is still far lower than the others, ask them to walk you through it line by line. A roofer who writes a clear quote will be happy to.

If you would like to see one of ours, the process section on our homepage shows the scope we wrote for a 34-square Tudor in Millbrook, and every project page shows the quote next to the final invoice.