Roofing paperwork, done properly

Roofing estimates are won on squares and decking. Two bids on the same house differ mostly in what they assume about layers to tear off and how much rotten sheathing they expect to find — and the bid that stays silent on decking is the one that produces an angry change order on day two. Price the tear-off by layer, carry a stated decking allowance with a unit rate, and separate the manufacturer warranty from your workmanship warranty.

Pick your document

  • Roofing estimate

    An estimate is your best professional judgment of what a job will cost, given before the work starts.

  • Roofing quote

    A quote is a fixed price for a defined scope of work — the number does not move unless the scope does.

  • Roofing invoice

    An invoice is the request for payment once the work is done — the document that actually gets you paid.

What belongs on roofing contractor paperwork

  • Roof area in squares and the pitch, since both drive labor
  • How many layers come off, priced per layer rather than assumed
  • A decking replacement allowance with a per-sheet rate for anything beyond it
  • Underlayment and ice-and-water coverage, named by product not by category
  • Both warranties, stated separately: manufacturer material term and your workmanship term
  • Dumpster, magnet sweep and debris haul-off — the parts customers notice when missing

How roofing contractors price work

Roofing prices per square (100 sq ft) for material and labor, with adders for pitch, height, layers and complexity. The unknown is always the deck. Experienced roofers quote a fixed price including a specific number of sheets of replacement decking, then a stated per-sheet rate beyond it — that keeps the headline number competitive without absorbing rot you could not see from the ground.

The builder ships with 12 roofing line items to start from, grouped into 2 sections. Edit the rates once and they save to your own price book.

Open the Roofing builder

Questions

How should a roofing estimate handle rotten decking?
With an allowance, not silence. Include a set number of sheets in the base price and state a per-sheet rate beyond it. The customer sees a real number up front, and replacing eleven sheets instead of four becomes an arithmetic conversation rather than an argument.
What is the difference between a manufacturer and workmanship warranty?
The manufacturer warranty covers the shingle defect and comes from the maker; the workmanship warranty covers your installation and comes from you. Customers routinely hear "50-year warranty" and believe you are on the hook for fifty years. Print the two separately with their own terms and you avoid that conversation entirely.
Should I collect a deposit on a roof?
Common practice is a deposit at material delivery rather than at signing, which is easier for a customer to accept because they can see what they paid for sitting in their driveway. Some states cap residential deposits, so check yours before setting a percentage.