Compare roofing quotes on what they actually include

Two quotes for the same house can be thousands of dollars apart, and the difference is usually not the shingle. It is a line that one quote names and the other leaves out. Tick what each of yours specifies, and the gaps become visible.

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Quote A Quote B Quote C

Does the quote specify…	A	B	C
The layer assumption, and the price if the tear-off finds more Why it matters Florida allowed re-covering over an existing roof for years. Pulling two layers is far more labour and disposal than one, and a bid that assumes one on a house carrying two is a different bid wearing the same total.
A per-sheet rate for decking, with an assumed count Why it matters Soft boards only show themselves once the roof is open. A stated rate and count turns the main unknown of the job into a bounded number instead of a surprise on day one.
The underlayment, named by product Why it matters Under a daily summer downpour, the membrane is the real waterproofing and the covering is its umbrella. A word like felt or included is not a specification.
Sealed-deck or peel-and-stick coverage: where exactly Why it matters Taped seams or self-adhered membrane over the whole deck, the valleys only, or the minimum the code asks for. Each answer is a different quantity of material and a different roof under heavy rain.
Flashings at walls and transitions: replaced or reused Why it matters Reusing and re-sealing old metal is quicker on the day, and it is the usual reason a young roof starts staining a ceiling. On the coastal half of this arc, old flashing is also the most corroded part of the system.
Vent boots and penetrations: what goes in Why it matters The rubber collars around plumbing vents run on a faster clock than the covering in this sun. Upgraded boots cost little at install and push the first leak past mid-life instead of before it.
Fasteners, drip edge and valley metal: the grade, in writing Why it matters Near salt water the hardware sets the schedule for the whole roof. Stainless or coated components are a real line item, and silence usually means builder grade.
Attic ventilation: corrected, or reinstalled as found Why it matters A cooked attic ages a covering from below through every summer afternoon. Intake, exhaust and baffles are least costly to fix while the roof is off, and reinstalled as found means the question was skipped.
The permit: who pulls it and where it sits in the price Why it matters Included, billed separately, or left to the owner are three different deals. The permit also becomes the documentation the next owner of the house will wish existed.
Tear-off disposal, dumpster placement and yard protection Why it matters A roof comes off in pieces and lands somewhere. Who pays for the container, where it sits, and how landscaping and pool screens are protected all belong in the number.
A start window and what happens on rain days Why it matters Summer afternoons interrupt roofing here on a schedule of their own. How the crew closes the roof against the daily rain, and what a weather delay does to the timeline, are worth two sentences in writing.
The labour warranty, separate from the shingle warranty Why it matters The manufacturer covers the material and the contractor covers the workmanship, and workmanship is what fails first. Who stands behind the labour, and for how long, is the line worth more than the brand name.
Items specified	0/12	0/12	0/12

How to read the result

A quote that specifies more items is not automatically the better deal, and a cheaper quote is not automatically incomplete. What the comparison shows is where two numbers are answering different questions. If one quote prices the ductwork repairs and another says nothing about ductwork, those two numbers are not describing the same job — and the difference will appear later rather than disappear.

The useful next step is not to pick the longest list. It is to go back to whichever contractor left a line blank and ask them to fill it in, then compare again.

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This checklist may be reproduced or linked to freely, with attribution to flatwoodsroofing.com. If it is useful to a homeowners association, a housing counsellor or a community group, it is meant to be shared.