Things to Ask a Roofer Before You Hire Them

Things to Ask About Licensing and Insurance

Before discussing shingles or colors, establish who you are hiring and whether the business carries appropriate coverage. A professional contractor should be able to explain the company name on the contract, who supervises the work, and what insurance applies.

1. What is the exact legal name of the company I would be contracting with?
2. Are you licensed or registered where this project is located, if required?
3. Can I verify that license or registration?
4. Do you carry general liability insurance?
5. Do you carry workers' compensation coverage where required?
6. Can you provide current certificates of insurance?
7. Will employees or subcontractors perform the work?
8. If subcontractors are used, how do you verify their insurance and qualifications?
9. Who will be responsible for the job on site?
10. How long has the company been operating under its current name?

Things to Ask About the Existing Roof

A good proposal should be based on the condition of the roof, not only its approximate size. Ask what the contractor observed and what remains unknown until tear-off. This is especially important when there may be leaks, soft decking, multiple layers, flashing problems, or ventilation issues.

1. What problems did you observe during the inspection?
2. Do you see signs of active or previous leaks?
3. Are there areas of soft or damaged decking?
4. How many roof layers are currently installed?
5. Do you recommend a full tear-off or another approach, and why?
6. What is the condition of the flashing around chimneys, walls, skylights, and penetrations?
7. Are there signs that ventilation is inadequate?
8. Do you see problems with gutters, fascia, soffits, or roof edges that affect this project?
9. What cannot be known until the old roofing is removed?

Things to Ask About the Written Scope

Ask the contractor to make the scope specific enough that you can compare it with another bid line by line. “Replace roof” is not a complete scope. The proposal should identify the roofing system, underlayment, flashing, ventilation, starter materials, edge details, penetrations, disposal, and other major components relevant to your roof.

1. Exactly what materials are being removed?
2. Exactly what new materials are being installed?
3. What underlayment is included?
4. What ice- or water-protection membrane is included where applicable?
5. Will existing flashing be reused or replaced?
6. How will valleys be handled?
7. How will pipe boots and other penetrations be handled?
8. What drip edge or edge metal is included?
9. What ridge or hip materials are included?
10. What ventilation work is included?
11. Are gutters or gutter guards removed and reinstalled if needed?
12. What cleanup and disposal are included?

Things to Ask About Materials

Do not compare bids based on brand alone. Ask for the exact product line and system components. Roofing manufacturers often sell multiple grades under one brand, and the installation details can matter as much as the name printed on the bundle.

1. What exact roofing product and product line are you proposing?
2. Why do you recommend it for this roof?
3. What color and style choices are available?
4. Which manufacturer-approved accessories are included?
5. What underlayment product will be used?
6. What starter and ridge products will be used?
7. How will materials be stored and protected before installation?
8. What happens if the selected product becomes unavailable before the job starts?
9. Are there meaningful alternatives at a different price point?

Things to Ask About Decking and Hidden Damage

Decking is one of the most common places for a roofing price to change after tear-off because damaged wood may not be visible beforehand. The contract should explain how replacement is priced and who authorizes it.

1. How do you determine whether roof decking needs replacement?
2. What decking material and thickness would be used?
3. Is any decking replacement included in the base price?
4. How is additional decking priced?
5. Will you photograph damaged areas before replacement?
6. Who contacts me before work beyond the allowance is performed?
7. What other hidden conditions could create a change order?
8. How are change orders documented and approved?

Things to Ask About Flashing, Ventilation, and Details

Many roof problems occur at details rather than in the middle of an open roof plane. Ask how walls, chimneys, valleys, skylights, vents, and other penetrations will be treated. Ventilation also needs to work as a system rather than being added casually.

1. Will step flashing be replaced where the roof meets walls?
2. How will chimney flashing be handled?
3. How will skylights be flashed?
4. Are any skylights old enough that replacement should be considered during the roof project?
5. What type of attic intake and exhaust ventilation do you recommend?
6. How did you determine the amount of ventilation needed?
7. Will existing ventilation be removed, reused, or changed?
8. How will bathroom or kitchen exhaust ducts be handled if they terminate near the roof?
9. What details are most likely to cause leaks on this particular roof?

Things to Ask About Permits, Scheduling, and Weather

Understand who handles permits and inspections, how the project is scheduled, and what happens if weather interrupts the work. A start date may be an estimate because roofing is weather dependent, but the contractor should still be able to explain communication and protection procedures.

1. Is a permit required for this project?
2. Who obtains it?
3. Are permit fees included?
4. What inspections are required?
5. What is the expected start window?
6. How long should the project take once work begins?
7. What weather conditions cause you to stop work?
8. How is the home protected if the roof is open and weather changes?
9. How will I be notified about schedule changes?
10. What access do you need to the driveway, yard, attic, or electrical outlets?

Things to Ask About Property Protection and Cleanup

Roof replacement is messy. Nails, old shingles, debris, ladders, trailers, and falling material can affect landscaping, siding, windows, driveways, decks, vehicles, and neighboring property. Ask how the crew prepares the site and what the final cleanup includes.

1. How will you protect landscaping and exterior surfaces?
2. Where will the dumpster or trailer be placed?
3. How will you protect the driveway?
4. Should vehicles be moved before work begins?
5. How do you control debris around the property?
6. Do you use magnetic nail cleanup?
7. How many cleanup passes are normally performed?
8. Who handles damage if the crew damages landscaping, siding, or another part of the property?
9. What should I inspect before making final payment?

Things to Ask About Price and Payment

Get the price structure in writing. Understand deposits, progress payments, final payment, financing, allowances, exclusions, and how additional work is approved. A low bid is not useful if important work has simply been omitted.

1. What is the total contract price?
2. What is specifically excluded?
3. What deposit is required?
4. When are later payments due?
5. What must be complete before final payment?
6. How are unforeseen repairs priced?
7. Are permit, disposal, delivery, and cleanup costs included?
8. Is financing available, and what are the terms?
9. What happens if material prices change before the scheduled start?
10. Will I receive lien releases or other payment documentation where appropriate?

Things to Ask About Warranties

Separate the manufacturer's product warranty from the contractor's workmanship warranty. Ask what each covers, what can void coverage, who handles a problem, and whether registration is required.

1. What manufacturer warranty applies to the materials?
2. What workmanship warranty does your company provide?
3. What is excluded from the workmanship warranty?
4. Who do I call first if the roof leaks?
5. Is warranty registration required?
6. Who completes it?
7. Does the warranty transfer if I sell the house?
8. What maintenance is required to keep coverage valid?
9. Can I see the written warranty terms before signing?

How to Compare Roofing Bids Line by Line

Once you have two or three proposals, create a simple comparison table rather than looking only at the bottom-line price. Put each contractor in a column and list tear-off, underlayment, edge metal, flashing, ventilation, roofing product, ridge and starter components, decking allowance, permit, disposal, property protection, cleanup, payment schedule, workmanship warranty, and estimated schedule in rows. Mark anything that is missing or described vaguely.

A missing line item does not always mean the contractor plans to omit the work; it may mean the proposal is poorly documented. Ask. If one contractor says all flashing will be replaced and another says nothing about flashing, you need clarification before calling the second bid cheaper. The same is true of ventilation, damaged decking, permits, and manufacturer-specific system components.

Also compare communication. Did the estimator arrive when promised, inspect the roof rather than guessing from the driveway, explain uncertainty, send the proposal when expected, and answer detailed questions without becoming evasive? Those behaviors do not guarantee perfect workmanship, but they are evidence about how the company handles a project before it has your money.

1. Which important scope item appears in only one bid?
2. Which allowance could create the largest price change?
3. Which warranty is actually written rather than described verbally?
4. Which contractor explained the roof-specific risks most clearly?
5. Which proposal makes change orders easiest to understand?