Roof Proposal and Estimate: A Breakdown of Essentials

Are you looking to deal with the storm damage on your roof, or perhaps you’re planning a commercial roofing installation this season? Whatever the roofing project, it will always start with a professional inspection and a comprehensive proposal about the work involved. But what exactly are the essentials that your roof proposal or estimate should include? The trusted roofing company in the area, Kingdom Roofing, breaks them down here.

1. Estimated Project Timeline. The roof proposal should spell out both the start and completion dates. Just note that this can still change should your roofer discover more damage to your system. Unwelcome surprises are not at all uncommon in roofing projects. This is especially true in a roof installation, where hidden damage has to be repaired before the work can proceed.

2. Roof Estimate Materials. You’ll want to learn more about the materials that will be used in your residential roofing project. These include asphalt shingles, underlayment, ventilation and flashing. What brand are they? How thick or durable are they? Where will they be installed, and how? The information about them in the roof proposal should be highly specific.

3. Payment Information. Your roof estimate must explain which parties are responsible for specific aspects of the project. If some of the work will be being outsourced to other companies, these parties should be identified in detail. That’s not all–every last detail about payment terms should be expounded. This may range from down payments and progress payments, to end payments and payment methods. More importantly, the roof proposal should have a provision that allows you to hold back the final payment if you’re not fully satisfied with the job.

4. Costs. These aren’t limited to material and labor expenses. The costs of pulling building permits should be printed on the estimate, as well. If the work resulted in mess of any sort, the paperwork should explain if the roofing contractor will be responsible for cleanup and disposal.

5. Full Description of the Work. You and your residential roofing contractor would want to be on the same page about the work about to be done. That’s why an exhaustive description of the project, along with workmanship and material guarantees, and post-repair or installation cleanup expectations, should be included in the proposal.

6. License, Insurance, and Warranty Details. Every roof proposal should have these information because they will cover you in case anything untoward happens while the work is in progress. If your choice of contractor can’t provide you with license, insurance, and warranty information, hire someone else.

7. A Way Out. A well-defined termination clause should be included in your roof estimate. This should provide exact reasons why you or your roofer are terminating the agreement without any kind of penalty when the terms of the contract are violated.

Learning more about the details of your roof proposal or estimate can save you a lot of headaches later on. And if you want to protect yourself better, you should also watch out for deals that seem too good to be true. You should, for example, be wary of too-low bids because you might end up getting subpar materials and poor workmanship. Not only that–you should drop contractors who offer to waive or reduce your deductible–this is a violation of the law!

Choosing the Right Roofing Contractor

Now that you know what goes into a standard roof proposal or estimate, it’s time to look for a roofer who can provide not only a detailed one, but can deliver more-than-satisfactory results in project execution, as well. It might seem daunting, but finding the right contractor for the job becomes easier when you know what to look for. Here’s how to get started:

1. Ask family and friends for local referrals. This method is a bit old-fashioned, but a referral can actually give you a clearer and more accurate idea of what your experience will be like with a given roofing contractor. All you need to do is place a call to your family or friends, and get a few good names from them.

2. Do your homework. Once you have a list of potential roofing contractors, it’s time to do some background checking. First things first–make sure they have a business website–an updated one. Visibility is important for every business, and given how almost everything is online these days, it’s a bit odd when a contractor who supposedly has years of experience doesn’t have an online footprint. On the other hand, if your choice of roofer does have an existing website, you’ll want to check for:

• A physical business location
• Working phone number and email
• A page focusing on the founder and leadership team, preferably with pictures of the members so you know exactly who you’ll be working with.
• A testimonials page so you can read the reviews left by previous clients
• A page about the products and services they offer

  You can also look up your residential or commercial roofing contractor on industry organizations like the Better Business Bureau® so you can check their scores and ratings, along with any outstanding complaints. Another site where you can look them up more is Google Reviews.

3. Look for the necessary credentials. These include state or local business licenses and insurance, along with worker’s compensation and liability coverage. A roofer with these essentials can protect you better should anything go awry during the project. But the essentials you should look for aren’t limited to just these–you should also check them for manufacturer certifications.

   Kingdom Roofing, for instance, is a GAF® Master Elite® roofing company. These allow you access to some of the highest quality shingle roofing systems available today, along with the extensive warranty coverage included with them. What’s more, working with a certified roofer like ourselves ensures your roof installation will be completed right the first time.

4. Take industry experience into account. You’ll want to work with someone experienced in your roofing project. This way, there’s less chance of costly mistakes and callbacks. Kingdom Roofing has over 30 years of combined experience. In every project we take on, we ensure timely and efficient workmanship that leaves no room for mistakes.

5. Work with a customer-centric roofing company. It pays to hire a roofer that is available to answer any questions or address any concerns you might have about the project. Kingdom Roofing is exactly that. We are ready and able to answer your questions in detail and provide the appropriate solutions to your concerns. Your complete satisfaction is one of our top aims, after all.

Whatever your roofing need–from roof repair and maintenance, to roof replacement–Kingdom Roofing can effectively meet them. Expect only a smooth and worry-free experience when you work with us for your project. We proudly serve Venice, FL, and the surrounding areas. Call us today at (941) 217-2411 or fill out this contact form to schedule your roof evaluation.