How to Read a Roofing Estimate, Line by Line

You've done the smart thing and gotten more than one bid. Now you're holding three sheets of paper with three totals, and they don't agree. That's normal. It's also the moment most homeowners pick the middle one and move on. Don't. Read the line items. Here's what each one means and what its absence tells you.

1. Roof measurement

The estimate should state the roof area in squares (100 sq ft each) and the waste factor added. A 2,400 sq ft roof surface is 24 squares; with 12% waste, the material order is about 27 squares. If one bid says 24 and another says 30 for the same house, someone measured wrong or padded the order.

Ask how they measured. Satellite reports and on-roof tape both work; "we looked at it from the truck" doesn't.

2. Tear-off and disposal

"Remove existing roofing, one layer" should be explicit, with a price or a note for additional layers. Disposal — the dumpster and haul fees — should be included. If a bid is quiet on tear-off, ask whether they're planning a layover. In the Austin market a layover is a shortcut we don't recommend and most manufacturers won't warranty.

3. Decking allowance

Nobody knows what the wood looks like until the shingles come off. A fair estimate includes an allowance — say, two sheets of OSB — and a per-sheet price for anything beyond that. Bids that skip this line aren't cheaper; they're incomplete, and the number arrives later as a surprise.

4. Underlayment

Two things to look for. First, synthetic underlayment (not 15-pound felt) across the whole deck. Second, self-adhering ice-and-water shield at the eaves, in the valleys, and around penetrations. Austin winters produce wind-driven rain; ice-and-water shield is what keeps meltwater from backing up under the shingles. Missing this line is the single most common way a low bid stays low.

5. Shingles — by name

"30-year architectural shingle" is not a product. The line should name the manufacturer and the line — a a leading shingle manufacturer architectural or Class 4 product — plus the color. If it's a Class 4 impact-resistant product, it should say so, because that's what you'll hand your insurance agent.

6. Starter strip and ridge cap

Starter shingles along the eaves and rakes, and dedicated ridge-cap shingles (not cut-up three-tabs) over the ridge and hips. Small lines, but they affect wind performance and the manufacturer warranty.

7. Flashing and penetrations

New drip edge along all eaves and rakes. New pipe boots on every plumbing vent. Step and counter-flashing at chimneys and sidewalls — new, not reused, unless the estimate explains why. Reused flashing is where the next leak comes from.

8. Ventilation

Ridge vent, box vents, or powered vents, plus intake at the soffits. A roof without balanced ventilation runs hot, cooks the shingles from below, and can void the manufacturer warranty. If the existing roof had ventilation problems (blistering, rot at the eaves), the estimate should address them.

9. Gutters, if included

Some replacements include gutter work, some don't. If the bid mentions gutters, it should price them per linear foot — typically $8–$15 installed in the metro — and note whether guards are included.

10. Cleanup and protection

Magnetic nail sweep, tarps over landscaping, plywood over AC units and windows, dumpster placement. It should be in writing. Nails in the driveway are the most common complaint after a roof job.

11. Warranties — both of them

Two separate warranties. The manufacturer's materials warranty (with its term and any registration requirement) and the contractor's workmanship warranty. Both should be on the paper. Kind Roofing puts a workmanship warranty on every install; the manufacturer warranty depends on the product and whether the full system was installed.

12. Payment terms and schedule

Deposit amount, when the balance is due, an estimated start window, and how weather delays are handled. Big deposits before materials are on site are a red flag. So is any language about "deductible assistance" — see the storm chaser red flags.

13. Insurance-claim language

If the job is going through a claim, the estimate should match the carrier's scope line for line, or explain every difference. It should never assign your claim or your insurance proceeds to the contractor. You stay in control of the money.

Now compare

Put the three bids side by side and check each of the 13 lines. Usually the cheapest one is missing ice-and-water shield, a decking allowance, or new flashing. Sometimes the most expensive one is padding waste or adding vents you don't need. The right bid is the one that describes the roof you'd want to have in ten years, at a price that's fair for the metro.

Kind Roofing writes every estimate this way, for a roof replacement or a repair, across Austin, Cedar Park, and Pflugerville. If you've got a bid from someone else and want a second opinion on what's missing, send it over — we'll tell you straight.