What a Real Roofing Quote Should Tell You Before You Sign

A roofing quote is easy to skim and hard to actually read. Most homeowners look at one number at the bottom and decide from there. That number means very little without knowing what it does and doesn't include. Here's what a quote should spell out, and the questions worth asking if it doesn't.

Tear-Off or Overlay

A tear-off removes the old roofing down to the decking before the new roof goes on. An overlay lays new shingles over the old layer. Overlay is cheaper and faster, and it also hides whatever problems were underneath, including a rotten deck or damage nobody caught in the first place. Ask which one you're getting and why. Most reputable jobs, especially after hail, are tear-offs.

What Happens If the Decking Is Bad

You don't know what's under the old roofing until it comes off. A quote should say what happens if the crew finds rotten or damaged decking. Is replacement decking a separate line item, and roughly how is it priced. A contractor who can't answer this before starting is guessing, and you'll find out the hard way partway through the job.

Underlayment

This is the layer between the decking and the visible roofing, and it's your real backup against water getting in if a shingle or panel ever fails. The quote should say what underlayment is being used. It's not the part anyone notices looking at a finished roof, but it's doing a lot of the actual work.

Flashing and Valleys

Flashing around chimneys, vents, skylights, and in the valleys where two roof slopes meet is where the vast majority of leaks actually start, not out in the open field of shingles or metal. A quote should say whether flashing is being replaced or reused. Reused flashing on a brand new roof is a common corner cut, and it's one of the harder ones to spot after the fact.

Ventilation

A roof needs airflow underneath it to keep the attic from cooking the shingles from the inside and to manage moisture year round. If your quote doesn't mention ridge vents or some other ventilation plan, ask about it directly.

Cleanup

Ask specifically how debris and old materials get hauled off, and how nails get cleared from the yard and driveway. This sounds minor until a nail ends up in a tire or a kid's foot weeks later. It's also one of the easiest things to judge a crew by once the job's done. A clean site says something about the whole job.

Permits

Ask who pulls the permit, if one's required for your project and area, and confirm it's actually filed rather than assumed. This protects you, not just the contractor, if a question ever comes up down the line.

Change Orders

Ask what happens if something changes mid job, more decking than expected, a chimney flashing detail that turns out worse than it looked from the ground. A fair contractor tells you before doing extra work, not after, and explains the cost in writing rather than adding it to the final bill as a surprise.

References

Ask for references, especially from jobs similar to yours: a similar-age house, a similar material, a similar scope. A contractor with decades of local jobs should be able to point you at more than one.

Ten Questions Worth Asking Before You Sign

• Is this a tear-off or an overlay
• What happens if the decking is damaged underneath
• What underlayment is being used
• Is flashing being replaced or reused
• Is ridge or other ventilation included
• How is debris and nail cleanup handled
• Who pulls the permit
• How are change orders communicated and priced
• Can you provide references from similar jobs
• Is the quoted price the final price, or an estimate that can still move

The Last Question Is the One That Matters Most

Ask straight out whether the number on the quote is the number you'll actually pay. Excell Roofing gives a quote at the start of the job so you know the cost before work begins, and more than one review mentions the final bill matching the quote with nothing added on afterward. That's not the norm everywhere, which is exactly why it's worth asking before you sign anything.

If you want a second quote to compare against one you already have, call Rick at (254) 485-5615. Free estimates, no pressure to decide on the spot.