Money, Paper and People
Lesson 13. How Roofing Is Priced
Roofing is priced per square, which is one hundred square feet, and once you know your square count you can compare any two bids honestly.
At a Glance
- A square is a ten by ten patch of roof surface
- Steepness, layers and detail move the price most
- Deck repair should be a rate per sheet, agreed up front
- The cheapest bid is usually missing something specific
The Unit
Everything in roofing is counted in squares. One square is one hundred square feet of roof surface, not floor area, so a steep roof has far more square footage than the house footprint suggests.
A typical Davenport two story home is eighteen to thirty squares. A large house with dormers and a garage can be forty.
What Goes Into the Number
| Line | Roughly What Share |
|---|---|
| Labor | Usually the largest single part |
| Shingles and accessories | The next largest |
| Underlayment, ice and water shield, drip edge, vents | A real and often hidden share |
| Tear off, dumpster and disposal | Doubles if there are two old layers |
| Permits and inspection | Small but required |
| Overhead, insurance and warranty | The part a fly by night bidder skips |
The Four Things That Move It Most
- Pitch. Past eight in twelve the crew works off staging and slows down
- Layers. Two old roofs is twice the tear off and twice the disposal
- Complexity. Valleys, dormers, chimneys and skylights are slow careful work
- Access. A house tight to a fence or over a garden costs more to stage and protect
Why the Cheapest Bid Is Cheapest
There is almost always a specific reason, and it is usually one of these five. Ask directly which one it is.
- Reusing old flashing and pipe boots instead of replacing them
- Minimum ice and water shield, or none where it is needed
- Felt paper instead of synthetic underlayment
- No deck repair allowance, so it becomes a surprise later
- No workers compensation insurance, which makes you the insurer if somebody falls
Worth knowing. That last one is the expensive one. Ask every bidder for a certificate of insurance naming you, and call the number on it. Ask us too.