What a Roofing Estimate Should Include

Say you have two roofing estimates for a house in Anderson. One is a single page with a total. The other is three pages of line items with a higher number at the bottom. It is tempting to pick by the total, and the SC Department of Insurance, the FTC and the National Roofing Contractors Association all warn against that: an estimate far below the others is not automatically the better deal, and NRCA says clearly written, detailed proposals are a good sign the contractor is being thorough.

This guide explains what the lines on a complete estimate mean, which words to look for, and how to put two estimates side by side so they describe the same roof. It names no prices; those belong to your roof, your materials and the contractor you choose. The older post why should I get a roof estimate covers why to ask for one; this covers how to read it.

The FTC says a written estimate should include a description of the work to be done, the materials, the completion date and the price. The SC Department of Insurance says bids should detail the materials, their prices and labor on a line-by-line basis. On a roof, that means:

• Measurements. The roof area, the pitch, the number of facets, and the lengths of eaves, rakes, ridges, hips and valleys. These drive every other quantity.
• Tear-off or roof-over. Which one, how many existing layers, and where the old material goes. Disposal and dumpster fees should be their own line.
• Decking. An allowance for sheets replaced if rot is found, with a unit price per sheet written in. This is the line most often missing from a short estimate.
• Underlayment. The product, whether it is synthetic, felt or self-adhered, and where ice-and-water membrane goes (valleys, eaves, around penetrations).
• The roof covering, fully named. For metal: panel profile, gauge, substrate, coating system and color. For shingles: the product line and color. Fasteners and clips should be named for metal, since exposed-fastener and concealed-fastener systems differ.
• Flashing and trim. Drip edge, step and counter flashing at walls and chimneys, pipe boots, valley metal, ridge cap and gable trim: replaced, reused or new.
• Ventilation. Ridge vent, soffit intake or other vents, and whether anything changes from what is there now.
• Permit, cleanup and magnet sweep. Who pulls the permit and whether its cost is included; what cleanup covers; whether a magnetic sweep for nails and screws is included.
• Dates, payment terms and warranties. NRCA says a proposal should carry start and completion dates, payment procedures, and warranty length and coverage.

An allowance is a placeholder for something the roofer cannot see yet, usually decking. It says: we have assumed this many sheets; if fewer are used you are credited, if more are used you pay the unit price for each extra. An estimate with no allowance and no unit price is not cheaper; it has moved the unknown onto the final invoice.

A unit price is what one extra sheet of decking, one extra length of flashing, or one extra vent costs if the scope grows. Ask for unit prices on the items most likely to change. The questions-to-ask guide explains why that price should be set before the old roof comes off.

The word included needs a noun after it. 'Flashing included' could mean new step flashing at every wall or a bead of sealant on the old metal. 'Ventilation included' could mean a ridge vent or nothing new at all. When a line is vague, ask the roofer to write what is physically going on the roof.

Anderson Metal Roofing and Shingles offers free quotes and virtual consultations by Zoom or FaceTime, and the quote page says all measurements must be verified on site, which could adjust the price. That is the honest version of how any remote quote works: a video call can show the roof's condition and your goals, but the area, the pitch, the number of layers and the condition of the decking are confirmed in person.

So treat a virtual or aerial-measurement number as a scope conversation, and expect the site visit to produce the estimate you compare. When you fill in the request a quote form, you can choose a reroof inspection, repair inspection or new purchase inspection, say whether the job is an insurance claim, and choose a call, email, Zoom or FaceTime consultation. The site visit is also where decking condition and ventilation questions get real answers.

Put the estimates side by side and work down this list. Anything one estimate has and another lacks is a question, not a point against the longer one.

• Same scope? Tear-off on both, or a roof-over on one. The repair-versus-replace guide helps if one roofer proposes a repair and another a replacement.
• Same product? Match the panel or shingle name, gauge, coating and color. A different gauge or coating is a different roof.
• Same underlayment and ice-and-water coverage?
• Same decking allowance and unit price? If one estimate is silent, ask for it in writing before you compare totals.
• Same flashing plan? New flashing at walls and chimneys versus reused is often the biggest hidden difference.
• Same ventilation, permit, disposal and cleanup lines?
• Same dates, payment schedule and warranty documents? NRCA says to read the warranty carefully and understand the provisions that will void it.
• Then look at the totals. The SC Department of Insurance says to get an estimate from more than one contractor and make sure all the quotes include the same things.

Sometimes the right move is not another estimate. If the roof is leaking now, contain the water and ask for a repair inspection before anyone prices a replacement. If an insurance claim is open, the SC Department of Insurance says not to make permanent repairs before talking with your insurer, and under S.C. Code Section 40-59-25 a roofer may evaluate the roof and give you an estimate to use with your insurer but may not negotiate the claim for you. Anderson Metal Roofing and Shingles provides photos and an itemized estimate you can use with your insurance company.

If every estimate you have is a single number, ask each company for the line items before you compare, and read the contractor guide for the licence and insurance checks that come before any of this. When you have estimates that describe the same roof, the choice gets easier. Our office can walk through ours by phone during the hours on the contact page.