Last year we decided to replace our roof. We received estimates from 3 reputable roofers but they are differed in price, terminology, and level of detail. To compare multiple quotes and find the best value for our home, I developed a Roofing Quotes Comparison Tool which proved to be invaluable. And now I’m passing on this tool onto you….
Backstory
When we moved into our home back in 2012 the roof was already considered “end of life”. We had no idea how old the roof was. But we had more pressing home improvements (and life events, like the birth of our twins girls – Surprise!!!) that put roof replacement on the back burner.
In the fall of 2020 we knew we were pushing our luck with our old roof so we identified 4 reputable contractors to provide replacement roof quotes.
We received 3 quotes (the 4th contractor never responded). And the presentation of these 3 quotes were completely different. One quote contained multiple pages plus a shiny thick brochure, other quote was a handwritten one-pager. These quotes ran the gamut in level of detail and transparency.
So…..which quote was the better value? I had no idea….
Roof replacement is an expensive home improvement project. According to HomeAdvisor, the average roof replacement ranges between $5,300-$10,830. While we have a basic, simple hip style roof, it’s significant cash to our little family! So I want to understand what I’m paying for.
How Do You Compare Multiple Roofing Quotes?
Researching tips from the experts, I discovered these 6 critical elements to compare multiple roofing quotes.
- Reputation/ Safety
- Roofing System Materials
- Services/ Expectations
- Warranty
- Payment
- Options/ Add-ons
Now this list isn’t exhaustive what you may find in a roofer’s bid. There may be a lot more detail. But based on what I read from the experts, these 6 elements are the most critical that the average homeowner (like myself) should know in order to compare multiple roofing quotes.
Replacement Roof Quotes Comparison Tool
How did I develop this tool? Quite simply, I created the simple Microsoft Excel spreadsheet shown below. The 3 roofers who submitted quotes are listed across the top of the tool. And the 6 critical elements (with sub-elements) run vertically down the left hand column.
And now I’m passing on this new roof comparison tool to you!
[Disclaimer – I’m just an average homeowner trying to help others. I am not liable for any decisions, errors, omissions, or issues that arise due to use of this comparison tool.]
Working through this comparison tool was a HUGE help. We found clarity on what services, materials and warranties were being offered by each roofer. We could balance price with services and materials to ultimately determine which quote we considered the best value.
And I think it could help you too, so I’ve converted this spreadsheet into a FREE PRINTABLE for your use.
For this post, I’ve only included the pdf version in this post. BUT if you want the Microsoft Excel version, please feel free to reach out to me through social media or at EverydayOldHouse over at gmail. I’m happy to email it to you.
Now that you have the Roofing Quotes Comparison Tool for homeowners in hand, here’s more detail on how to complete.
1. Reputation/ Safety
This section provides information on the quality of the roofer’s work. Of course you want an experienced, reputable roofer. But how do you determine if a roofer is trustworthy and a true professional?
This comparison tool tries to capture a roofer’s character by addressing questions such as:
- Do they have proper insurance?
- Is their state license current?
- What is their Better Business Bureau (BBB) Rating?
- Did they provide client references? Examples of similar roof replacements?
- How long have they been in business?
- Did they visit your home to see the old roof in person?
Our quotes were from two established roofers with 15+ years in business, the third with 8 years. All had proper insurance and licensing, and either were accredited by the BBB or had positive reviews. Two of the roofers made appointments to take measurements and discuss the project, while one provided a quote without seeing the roof or having a conversation with us.
2. Roofing System Materials
I call this section of the roofing quotes the “nuts and bolts”. This dives into the nitty gritty on the physical roofing system – all the parts and materials that will be installed on your home.
I had no idea going into this just how many different materials go into a roofing system. Naively, I thought it was just tacking up some shingles. After going through the process, I’d like to apologize to any roofers out there reading this post. Roofing is a very intricate, sophisticated trade!
If you don’t know what all these parts of a roof, I’d recommend that you check out this diagram.
This section of the Roofing Quotes Comparison Tool breaks down the materials of a typical asphalt home roofing system – which includes the following:
- Decking
- Drip edges
- Underlayment
- Shingles
- Ventilation
- Flashing
To complete the comparison tool, compare the quotes by manufacturer, type, and amount of physical materials. Do online research. Read up on the manufacturer of the products in the roofers’ quotes. Read reviews. Google pros and cons of different products and techniques.
To give you a better sense on how to complete this section of the Roof Quotes Comparison Tool, here’s what we did. In general, our 3 roofing contractors quoted very similar roofing systems. BUT there were a few differences I thought were noteworthy:
1. Decking
Our roof is old – we have no idea how old. Not knowing the age of your home’s components is definitely a challenge of owning an old house. And there was a good chance the roofer would find rotted wood decking under our old shingles.
All of our roof quotes included a certain amount of decking, with pricing for additional plywood if needed. And there was a wide range. One quote provided an extra 100ft2 of roof decking within the price, the second included 32ft2, and the last one included two free sheets of plywood (unsure of dimensions).
I learned that while all quotes provided a portion of decking, if we had significant rot and needed additional plywood it could results in a hidden cost that could blow our budget.
2. Shingle manufacturer
Not surprisingly, our quotes proposed the two leading manufacturers of roofing systems – GAF and CertainTeed.
And it was interesting (and valuable) to read online reviews and opinions of these two manufacturers. It appeared that one shingle was considered higher-quality and more expensive. Since our highest quote proposed this particular shingle (the others quoted the other manufacturer), the higher quote price made sense.
3. Ventilation
Each roofer proposed difference ways to handle the ventilation. One contractor proposed two vents in the back part of the roof, another wanted to install ventilation along the ridgeline, while the third quoted the ridgelines as well an option for additional ventilation.
Which ventilation strategy is the best? Honestly, I have no idea. My takeaway on ventilation was sometimes you just have to rely on the roofing expert.
3. Services/ Expectations
This portion of the Roofing Quotes Comparison Tool captures the services and expectations around the roofing job. These elements may not seem important at first glance, but if you and your roofer aren’t on the same page, it can lead to major headaches and additional money coming out of your pocket.
- Timeline – how long will I need to be out of my house? (although in all honesty, we stayed for part of it)
- Building Permits – will the roofer or you pull the permit?
- Layers of shingles to remove – each estimate assumes a certain # of layers. Removal of additional layers may cost extra.
- Waste removal – ensure that the contractor will bring their own container and dispose all refuse – old shingles, plywood, nails, etc.
Our quotes were consistent in all these elements.
4. Warranty
Roofs are meant to last. But sometimes they don’t. Whether it’s a defect in the materials, or an error in workmanship. Admittedly, warranties are boring to discuss. But when you find yourself with a leaky roof only 2 years after a roof replacement, it’s important to understand who is on the hook to fix.
You should find two types of warranties in your roofing quotes – Manufacturer and Workmanship Warranties.
Manufacturer Warranty
All of the roofing materials – shingles, underlayments, etc… should be covered under the manufacturer warranty. This warranty addressed defects of the physical roofing system.
Shingles material warranty commonly come with “limited lifetime” warranties. These warranties span from 25 to 50 years and have excellent protection during the initial years of the roof’s lifespan, and pro-rated after a certain number of years.
Note that the warranty term for algae or wind tends to be a shorter period, so I’ve called those out separately in this Roofing Quotes Comparison Tool.
Lastly, some warranties are transferable to new owner in case you decide to sell your home. It could be a helpful selling point.
For our proposals, the warranties for roofing system from GAF and CertainTeed seemed fairly similar. (Although in full discloser, it’s a bit difficult to decipher all that legal mumbo-jumbo used in warranties, so I may be wrong and there could be a major difference).
Workmanship Warranty
The manufacturer warranty merely covers the products. You also need a warranty on the installation of those products. Workmanship warranty covers the errors made by the roofing contractor during installation. Obviously, each contractor decides their length of their workmanship warranties, but they are usually are 10 years.
Our quotes for workmanship warranties ranged from 10 to 20 years. My takeaway was that 20 year workmanship warranty (provided by the highest quote) could be significant if we plan to stay in this home for awhile.
5. Payment
You’ll notice that I didn’t put payment as the top of this Roofing Quotes Comparison Tool. And for good reason. While I tend to be a frugal person, I firmly believe that price is not the #1 reason to hire a contractor. In fact, the lowest bid for any project make me nervous.
But total price is a critical element, as well as terms required for the down payment, end payment and the types of payment methods a contractor will accept (cash? credit? check?).
For our 3 quotes, 2 expected full payment in cash, while one gave us a finance option. Two roofers expected a down payment or around 1/3rd of the total payment to start, while the third didn’t require payment until the job was complete.
6. Options/ Add-ons
This section of the Roofing Quotes Comparison Tool is specifically for you. I wanted to give you space to add any additional parts of your roofing quotes that you want to better understand and compare. Or perhaps you are considering various options – different shingle types, or new gutters, or additional ventilation options. This is your space to do as you want.
For our roof, we didn’t request specific options. But we did have one roofer (Roofer #3) who was concerned about ventilation and volunteered additional ventilation for extra premium.
Which Roofer Did We Choose?
Here’s what our Comparison Tool looked after we completed it with our 3 replacement roof quotes.
This process of entering our quotes into the Roofing Quotes Comparison Tool helped us find clarity on which roof was the best value.
After weighing our options, we ultimately picked Roofer #2. While he was the most expensive quote, he provided us with the best value. Why?
- Shingles: Based on the online reviews, Roofer #2 was offering a higher quality shingles.
- Decking: Our roof was old. And likely had rotted decking. Roofer #2 included the most additional decking within his quote. (and we needed it all plus more!)
- Warranty: Roofer #2 had the longest workmanship warranty
- Service: We were extremely intrigued with Roofer #1’s very compelling lowest price. But there was one thing that didn’t sit well with us. We never met or talked with anyone during the quoting process (we met the other two roofers). When we specifically requested to meet someone in person to discuss, we were met with resistance. If this roofer couldn’t meet with a potential client, what are the chances he would come if we needed him after the roof was installed and he had cashed the check?
And one year later, we are still very pleased with our decision!
Do you need a new roof? Need to compare multiple roofing quotes? Try out our roofing bid comparison tool! If so, what did you think? Did it help? Not help? Did I miss something? Please comment below!
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