Cost & hiring
How to read a roofing estimate and compare two
Two roofing quotes for the same house can differ by thousands and both be honest. Lining them up item by item shows why.
What a complete estimate contains
A roofing estimate is a scope of work with a price. The price only means something next to the scope. A complete estimate for a shingle reroof lists:
- Measurements. Roof squares, and whether they include waste. Pitch and number of storeys.
- Tear-off. How many layers, disposal, and protection of the house and yard.
- Deck. Inspection after tear-off, and a unit price per sheet for replacing damaged sheathing.
- Underlayment. Type (synthetic or felt), and double coverage on low slopes.
- Ice barrier. Where it goes (eaves, valleys, penetrations) and how far up.
- Drip edge. New, at eaves and rakes, and its colour.
- Shingles. Manufacturer, product line, colour, and the starter and hip and ridge products.
- Flashing. New step flashing, chimney flashing (new counter flashing or reuse), pipe boots, valley treatment.
- Ventilation. Ridge vent or other exhaust, intake, and closing redundant vents.
- Permit, inspections and cleanup, including a magnetic nail sweep.
- Warranty. Workmanship years from the contractor; the manufacturer’s material or system warranty.
- Payment terms, schedule and what happens if weather delays the job.
A one-line quote, “reroof, $14,500”, is not wrong, but it cannot be compared with anything.
The clauses that prevent arguments
Price per sheet of decking. Rotten sheathing is found only after tear-off. A unit price, typically $70 to $120 per sheet installed, settles the cost before anyone sees the rot.
Price per square for an extra layer. If the quote assumes one layer and the crew finds two, the second layer costs another $100 to $200 per square in tear-off and disposal. The quote should say so.
What is not included. Gutters, skylights, chimney masonry, fascia and soffit repair, and interior damage from an existing leak are usually excluded; seeing them listed as exclusions is better than finding out later.
Putting two quotes side by side
| Item | Quote A | Quote B | Same? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squares | 24 (with waste) | 22 (bare area) | No: different basis |
| Tear-off | 1 layer, included | 1 layer, included | Yes |
| Underlayment | synthetic | #15 felt | No |
| Ice barrier | eaves 2 courses + valleys | eaves 1 course | No |
| Drip edge | new, eaves and rakes | reuse | No |
| Shingles | architectural, same line | architectural, same line | Yes |
| Ventilation | new ridge vent | not mentioned | No |
| Decking | $95 per sheet | “as needed” | No |
| Workmanship warranty | 10 years | 2 years | No |
| Price | $18,500 | $14,900 |
In this example the cheaper quote leaves out ventilation, uses lighter underlayment and less ice barrier, reuses the drip edge and gives a shorter warranty. Some of those may be acceptable; all of them are worth knowing. Converted to price per square on the same basis (24 squares), Quote A is $771 and Quote B $621, both within the published range for architectural shingles with tear-off.
Checking a quote’s price per square
Quote A: $18,500 for 24 squares of architectural shingles, one layer off.
- $18,500 ÷ 24 = $771 per square, $7.71 per square foot
- Published 2025 range for that scope: $550 to $1,000 per square (shingles $450 to $800, plus tear-off $100 to $200)
- Within the range, about halfway up
From the cost per square calculator.
Checking the measurements
Measure the roof yourself from the ground, which the measuring guide explains, and run the shingle calculator. If a quote’s squares are 20 or 30 percent above your figure plus a sensible waste allowance, ask how they were measured. Satellite-measurement reports are common and usually accurate; hand measurements by a rushed estimator sometimes are not.
Contractors’ side: building the estimate
For roofers, the same list is the estimate’s skeleton: quantities from measurement, materials at supplier prices with tax, labor hours at cost, disposal, permit, then overhead and profit. The mistake that costs small contractors most is confusing markup with margin: a 20 percent markup on cost is only a 16.7 percent margin on the price. The estimate builder keeps the two apart and shows the price per square a homeowner will check.
Questions worth asking
Beyond the line items, a few questions separate contractors quickly. Who will be on the roof: the company’s own crew or a subcontractor? Who supervises the job day to day, and who do you call if something goes wrong? Is the company licensed where your jurisdiction requires it, and can it show certificates of liability and workers’ compensation insurance? Will the manufacturer register the system warranty, and who handles a warranty claim in year eight? How will the yard, the landscaping and the attic be protected during tear-off? The answers matter as much as the price, and a contractor who answers them in writing is easier to hold to them.
Red flags
- Pressure to sign the same day, or a large deposit before materials are delivered.
- No written scope, or no physical business address and insurance certificate.
- “We’ll use what’s left from another job” for shingles: lots and colours will not match.
- Storm-chasers offering to “cover your deductible”, which can be insurance fraud.
- A price far below the others with no explanation.
When the estimate is for a repair
Repair estimates are shorter but should still name the cause, the materials and a warranty on the repair. A minimum service charge is normal. The repair cost calculator gives typical ranges, and repair or replace discusses when a repair estimate is the wrong document. For the replacement side, what roofers charge per square and tear-off, layers and disposal explain the two biggest lines, and the replacement cost calculator builds a range to compare against.