What a roof price is made of
A roof quote is a stack of line items: labor, material, disposal, the unknowns under the old shingles, and the paperwork around the job. Two quotes with the same total can cover very different work, and two very different totals can sometimes be explained by a single line. This guide takes the quote apart so you can ask about each piece and line roofers up against each other fairly.
NOAA's design temperatures for Montgomery/Dannelly Field
NOAA's engineering weather data lists a station named Montgomery/Dannelly Field, at an elevation of 203 feet. It gives a 1% summer design temperature of 93°F, with a mean coincident wet-bulb temperature of 76°F, and a 99% winter design temperature of 27°F.
The roof itself: area, pitch and shape
Roofers measure in squares, each covering a set area of roof surface, and the count drives both material and labor. Ask how each roofer measured: from the roof, from aerial imagery, or from plans. Then ask how they allowed for waste.
Shape can matter as much as size. A steep pitch can call for harnesses, roof jacks and slower work. Hips, valleys, dormers and skylights add cutting and flashing. A second story can make loading and debris removal harder. Ask each roofer which of these features they priced in, so a lower bid is not simply missing them.
Tear-off and disposal
Removing the old roof is labor and dumpster space. Ask:
- How many layers are coming off, and does the price change if the crew finds another?
- Is the dumpster or trailer, and the disposal fee, in the quote?
- How will the crew protect shrubs, windows, the driveway and the yard?
- Will they run a magnet over the lawn and driveway for nails when they finish?
Decking: the part nobody can price until the old roof is off
Rotten or soft sheathing often shows up only once the shingles are gone. A quote can handle that in two ways: by including some decking, or by naming a price per sheet for whatever turns up. Ask for the per-sheet price in writing, ask how the roofer will show you the damaged boards before replacing them, and ask whether they will photograph them for your records. That one line can keep a surprise on the roof from becoming a surprise on the invoice.
Underlayment, flashing and edges
These are the parts of the roof you will never see again, and they can differ more between quotes than the shingles do. Ask each roofer to name:
- the underlayment product, and where a self-adhering membrane will go;
- whether step flashing, counterflashing and chimney flashing are being replaced or reused;
- the pipe boots, and whether they are new;
- the drip edge at eaves and rakes, and the starter course;
- the ridge cap product.
Ventilation and the attic
Adding or changing roof vents can be a separate cost from the shingles. Ask how much intake and exhaust the attic has now, what the roofer plans to change, and what each change costs. If the plan swaps box vents for a ridge vent, ask how the existing holes will be covered. Ask whether soffit vents are open to the attic or blocked by insulation, and who would clear them.
Material choice
The roof covering is the line you will see every day, and only one part of the total. Ask each roofer to price the same product line so the quotes compare cleanly, then ask what a different choice would add or remove: a heavier architectural shingle, an impact-resistant shingle, or metal. For anything other than a standard shingle, ask what changes in the installation, not just in the material.
Permit and inspection
Ask whether a permit is needed for the job, who will pull it, whether its fee is inside the quote, and whether an inspector will come out. Keep the permit number with your papers.
Deposits and the payment schedule
Ask how much is due at signing, what triggers each later payment, and what has to be finished before the final one. Paying in stages tied to finished work can keep both sides even. Ask whether materials are bought in your name or the roofer's, and ask for lien waivers from the roofer and the supplier when you make the final payment.
Change orders
Ask how changes are handled once work is underway. Ask whether the contract names who can approve a change, whether each change is written and priced before the work is done, and whether unit prices, such as decking per sheet, are listed in advance.
Who you are hiring
Before you sign, ask each roofer:
- What state license or registration, if any, covers this work, and what is the number?
- Can you show proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation?
- Will your own crew do the work, or a subcontractor?
- Who will be on site to answer questions while the roof is open?
Warranties and closeout
A new roof can carry two warranties: the manufacturer's on the material and the roofer's on the workmanship. Ask what each covers, for how long, who registers the manufacturer's, and whether either can transfer to a buyer. At the finish, ask for the inspection result, the warranty papers, the final invoice marked paid, the lien waivers and photos of the finished roof, and keep them together.
A quote comparison list
Copy each quote onto one sheet with the same rows: measured area and waste, layers removed, disposal, decking allowance or per-sheet price, underlayment and membrane, flashing, pipe boots, drip edge and starter, ventilation, material line, permit, cleanup, payment schedule, and both warranties. A blank row is a question for that roofer.