What a roofing proposal should include
Tear-off and disposal with the number of layers. The shingle line with the exact product, the underlayment, and ice and water shield placement. Flashing and penetrations as their own line. A per-sheet sheathing rate with a stated allowance, because rotted decking is the number one source of change orders and pricing it in advance turns a fight into a checkbox.
Then the warranty split: workmanship from you, materials from the manufacturer registered in the homeowner's name. And the two-day timeline with the magnetic sweep at the end, which homeowners remember. Add the permit, who pulls it, and a sentence on ventilation, since a ridge vent is the kind of detail that shows the estimate was written by someone who has been on the roof.
How to price a roof replacement
Roofers price by the square, one hundred square feet of roof surface, and homeowners think in total dollars, so the proposal should show both. In 2026 an architectural asphalt roof installed runs about $450 to $800 per square, or $4.50 to $8.00 per square foot, which puts a typical 20 to 25 square home between $9,000 and $20,000. The sample is a roughly 20 square roof: tear-off of two layers at $2,400, architectural shingles installed with ice and water shield, synthetic underlayment, and a ridge vent at $11,800, and flashing and pipe boots at $680, for a base of $14,880.
Tear-off runs $100 to $200 per square per layer, dumpster included, and a third layer or cedar underneath pushes it higher. Pitch, stories, and complexity move the shingle number: a steep roof, a second story, or a lot of valleys and dormers adds ten to thirty percent for the extra labor and safety setup. Sheathing is priced per 4 by 8 sheet at $75 to $125 installed, and the sample sets four sheets at $95 as an allowance the client sees before agreeing to it. Gutter guards run $8 to $12 per linear foot, so a full perimeter on an average house lands between $1,200 and $1,800; the sample uses $1,450.
Metal roofing is its own tier at $10 to $16 per square foot installed, and premium shingle lines add $50 to $150 per square over the standard architectural product. Permits run $200 to $500 depending on the town. Coastal, mountain, and metro markets run above these ranges, sometimes by a third, and insurance work is priced to the adjuster's scope, so check the numbers against the roofs going on in your county this month.
How to price the optional items
Sheathing is optional and off by default with the quantity set to a realistic allowance, so the client sees the exposure before agreeing to it. Gutter guards are the natural add-on while the crew is at the eaves; price them as a full-perimeter line and leave them off. A quarter of clients turn them on, and the ones who do would have called someone else for them next spring.
Mistakes that lose roofing bids
Hiding the sheathing risk. When it appears on the final invoice as a surprise, you lose the review. Product names missing. Homeowners search the shingle by name; give them something to search. No deposit. Materials are ordered before you start; a 30 percent deposit at signing is expected and protects both sides.
Quoting from a satellite measurement without a walk. The measurement is fine for area; it does not see the soft spot by the chimney or the third layer at the eave. A lump sum with no line for flashing. When the chimney leaks in March, the client needs to be able to see that flashing was part of the job.
Deposit and payment
Thirty percent at signing covers the shingle order. Balance on completion after the final inspection, requested from the proposal so the client pays by card or you record the check, and the signed scope and the payments stay on one record. A 30-day expiry suits roofing because insurance and financing take time.
Sending it and following up
Send the proposal the same day as the inspection, with the photos from the roof in an image block. Homeowners get three roofing bids on average, so the one that arrives first and reads clearest sets the frame the others are judged against. A reminder goes out on day three and day seven. When rot turns up beyond the allowance, a change order adds the extra sheets with its own signature before they go on.
Questions
- How should I handle rotted sheathing?
- Price it per sheet as an optional line with an allowance, and require the client's approval before installing beyond it. The template makes both explicit, and a change order signed from the driveway adds the extra sheets to the contract before the crew nails them down.
- Is a materials deposit normal for roofing?
- Yes. Thirty percent at signing is common and covers the shingle order, which goes in before the crew arrives. Collecting it by card on the proposal page removes the days between a verbal yes and a funded order, and the client sees the deposit amount before they sign.
- Can I include the manufacturer warranty?
- State it and say it is registered in the homeowner's name, with the years for materials and for your workmanship as two separate numbers. Reference the manufacturer's document in the terms block, and attach it to the signed copy if the manufacturer requires it for registration.
- What does a roof replacement cost per square?
- In 2026 an architectural asphalt roof installed runs about $450 to $800 per square in most markets, tear-off included, with steep or complex roofs and premium shingle lines above that. Show the square count in the description so the homeowner can compare bids on the same basis.
- How do I quote an insurance roof?
- Price to the adjuster's scope and put the deductible as the deposit, since that is what the homeowner owes by law in most states. List any upgrades the policy does not cover, such as gutter guards or a shingle step-up, as optional lines the homeowner pays for themselves.
- Should I offer financing on the proposal?
- If you have a lender, mention the monthly figure in the text above the pricing table and keep the total honest. A 30-day expiry gives the client time to get approved, and the reminders on day three and seven keep the roof on their list while the application goes through.
