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Roof Replacement Quote Comparison: Tear-Off, Decking & Flashing

Put roof quotes on the same footing: covering, tear-off, repairs and the work around every edge.

Put your quotes side by side

Quote B is $1,000 lower. 14 scope answers still need asking.

Example: Quote A at $10,000, the typical roofing job owners reported to the Census Bureau (2023), and Quote B 10% lower. Type your own prices and the example clears.

Quote A
Costs outside the quote & your reserve

This is money you set aside. It is not a contractor charge or a recommended percentage.

$10,000 to budget

$10,000 quote and added costs + $0 set aside

Quote B
Costs outside the quote & your reserve

This is money you set aside. It is not a contractor charge or a recommended percentage.

$9,000 to budget

$9,000 quote and added costs + $0 set aside

Quote C (optional)
Costs outside the quote & your reserve

This is money you set aside. It is not a contractor charge or a recommended percentage.

Enter a quoted price

Two quotes or three; the third is optional. Type the price of each written quote, then mark what each one includes. A cheaper quote often leaves work out: mark that work Extra with its price and the totals add it back, so you compare the same job.

Before you sign: six checks
  • Get three written quotes, and do not pick the lowest on price alone.
  • Hire a licensed, insured contractor. Your state or local building department says which licence the work needs; ask for current insurance certificates.
  • Get a written contract with the contractor’s name, address and licence number, start and finish dates, the payment schedule and who gets the permits.
  • Do not pay it all up front: tie payments to finished stages, never pay in cash or by wire transfer, and make the last payment when the work is done. Some states limit the down payment.
  • If you sign at home, you have three business days to cancel, and the contract should say so in writing.
  • Be wary of a contractor who knocks on your door, pushes you to decide now, or asks you to get the permits yourself.

From the Federal Trade Commission’s advice: How to avoid a home improvement scam.

Check what each quote includes

Leave anything unclear as “Ask.” Choose “Extra” to add a separately priced item to that quote’s budget. Do not also put it in the general left-out costs below.

Materials

Roof covering

Ask for the exact shingle or panel, color and ordered quantity. A roofing-square figure should identify whether it is measured area or purchase area.

Underlayment and ventilation

Record the products and areas included, plus any changes to intake or exhaust vents.

Labor

Decking repairs

Ask for a per-sheet or per-area price for unexpected replacement, and how approval works once the old covering is off.

Flashing and roof edges

Identify valleys, walls, chimneys, penetrations, drip edges, starter strips and ridge caps. “As needed” is not a measurable allowance.

Equipment, access and disposal

Tear-off and disposal

Record which existing layers are being removed, who supplies the container and whether cleanup is included.

Protection, permits and terms

Permits and protection

Ask who handles permits, landscape protection, access, temporary weather protection and final debris pickup.

Warranty and exclusions

Keep the workmanship term, product warranty registration and excluded repairs with the quote, not in a separate conversation.

Nothing is sent to a contractor. Saving keeps these entries in this browser; downloading makes a text file.

Before asking for a price

Keep roof area, pitch, number of layers and the covering choice with each quote. Ask how roof area was measured and whether the stated quantity already includes cuts.

Reading the totals

Compare the price per square, not only the totals: bring your roof size from the roofing calculator and each quote shows it. Check the rows still marked “Ask” before treating a lower price as a saving.

The budget adds the quoted price, separately priced Extra items, other costs left out and any tax not already included. Your chosen reserve is added to that subtotal. Treat every “Ask” row as work that is not yet confirmed as included. Get the answer in writing before comparing totals.

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