How to Compare Roofing Quotes
Three bids for a roof are usually three different jobs at three different prices. This is how to line them up so you are comparing the same thing — including ours.
The twelve lines every quote should contain
Print this, or keep it on your phone while you collect bids. If a line is missing, ask — the answer tells you as much as the number does.
- Tear-off or overlay, and how many layers are coming off
- The exact shingle line and color, not just a brand name
- Underlayment type, and where ice and water shield is going
- Whether flashing is new or reused — at the chimney, walls, skylights and valleys
- Drip edge and gutter apron included
- Ventilation: what is there now and what is being changed
- A per-sheet price for replacing bad decking
- Who pulls the permit
- Cleanup, including a magnetic sweep for nails
- The written warranty terms, both workmanship and manufacturer
- Certificate of insurance and workers’ compensation
- Payment schedule and what triggers each stage
A quote that is one line and one number is not a quote, it is a price. You cannot compare it to anything and you cannot hold anyone to it.
Four questions worth asking every roofer
“What happens if you find rotten decking?”
You want a per-sheet price agreed before the work starts, and a commitment that you are shown what was found. Vagueness here is where change orders come from.
“Is the flashing new?”
Most roofs leak at flashing rather than in the middle of a slope. Reusing old flashing under a new roof saves a few hundred dollars and is the most common corner cut in roofing.
“Who is actually on my roof?”
Employees or subcontractors, and either way, are they covered by workers’ compensation? If someone is hurt on your property and they are not covered, that is a problem that becomes yours.
“Can I see the warranty in writing before I sign?”
Not a summary, the actual terms. What is covered, for how long, what voids it, and whether it transfers if you sell. Ours is set out here.
Look up the license. It takes two minutes.
Washington keeps a public record for every registered contractor. It is the single most useful check available to you and almost nobody does it.
It shows whether the registration is active, who the bond is with, whether general liability is in force, and whether anyone has filed a claim against the bond. A contractor with a lapsed registration or an unresolved bond claim is telling you something before you have spoken to a single reference.
| Our registration | BRIXTWR790QN |
|---|---|
| General liability | $1,000,000 |
| Bond | $12,000 |
| Better Business Bureau | Accredited since December 2023, A+ rating |
Questions about choosing a roofer
Three is the usual advice and it is about right. Fewer and you have no reference; more and you are mostly collecting sales calls.
What matters more than the count is that you compare the same scope. Three bids for three different jobs tell you nothing.
A deposit is normal. A large deposit before any material is ordered is not. In Washington, be wary of anyone asking for a large share of the job up front, and never pay the full amount before the work is finished and you have walked it.
Every contractor working legally in this state has a registration number, and the record is public. It shows whether they are active, bonded and insured, and whether there are claims against the bond. Look ours up: BRIXTWR790QN, and look up everyone else bidding on your roof while you are there.
Ask what is different rather than assuming the work is the same. Usually it is an overlay instead of a tear-off, reused flashing, thinner shingles, or no allowance for deck repair. Occasionally it is genuinely a leaner operation with lower overhead, which is fine — you just want to know which one it is.
Get one of the three quotes from us
Daniel does the inspection himself and leaves you an itemized written estimate. Compare it against anything.