Roofing quotes are an essential part of the roof repair or replacement process. They tell you how much a contractor will charge for specific work on your roof. But with most roofs lasting several decades, many customers won’t be familiar with the quoting process – and could be caught out as a result.
In this post, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about roofing quotes – including why they’re important, what they should include and how many you should get.
The importance of roofing quotes
Roofing quotes might seem like a trivial matter. After all, isn’t it more important that you get the work done, rather than worrying about paperwork? Not entirely.
A roofing quote gives you evidence of an agreement between you (the customer) and your roofer (the contractor). That can be vital further down the line, should anything go wrong. Without a quote or any sort of written guarantee, you wouldn’t have a leg to stand on if the work isn’t completed properly or on time. Not to mention if a contractor unexpectedly demanded more money to complete the work – which some disreputable roofers may do.
It outlines what the work includes, which also gives you a better idea of how a roofer intends to repair or replace your roof. This can be a big help when it comes to comparing contractors and choosing the best one for the job. Above all else, roofing quotes are pretty standard and don’t take long to prepare, so you won’t be waiting around for any longer than you would have been without one.
What they (should) include
As you can see, roofing quotes are essential if you want to make the right choice and protect yourself – as well as your property. But they’re not all the same and there are some important things to look out for…
Get it in writing
First and foremost, roofing quotes should be written (or typed), so you have a copy of them that you can refer back to.
Some less rigorous roofers will simply tell you how much it’s going to cost and expect you to take their word for it. In an ideal world, this would be fine – but we’ve all heard the horror stories about roofers refusing to finish jobs because of a disagreement about costs.
If a roofer offers you an estimate in person, make sure it’s backed up with a proper quote you can read through and keep for your records. Remember, the final quote might be slightly more than their estimate, once they’ve taken everything into account.
Make sure it’s fully costed
The difference between an estimate and a quote is that the latter is detailed and specific. Rather than just giving you a rough idea or ballpark figure, it should include everything required for the job with costs for each of them.
Labour
Firstly, there’s labour – the number of roofers that will be working on your property and the time it will take them. In most cases, this will be agreed upon in your quote, with any extra time covered by the roofers at no extra cost.
Materials
From roofing battens and underfelt to tiles and gutters, roofers will get a price for the materials they need and then include it in your quote.
Extras
There are also some extras to take into account, especially for roof replacements. These include scaffolding for safe access to your roof or a skip to dispose of any old roofing materials like tiles and timbers.
Condition of your roof
While it’s not essential, another common feature of roofing quotes is a diagnosis for your roof itself. This is simply to explain the pre-existing problem with your roof and provide context for the recommended repairs in the quote and why they’re necessary.
Contractors may include photos of the damage with captions to explain what is wrong and link this to the repairs they recommend to remedy the problem.
Don’t forget the guarantee
Last but certainly not least is the guarantee or warranty. That could be a manufacturer warranty for materials, but more important is your roofer’s guarantee for their workmanship. Ideally, you’ll get a guarantee of at least 5 years to cover you for any teething problems with your new roof.
Typically, guarantees will be a bit shorter for roof repairs, as it’s harder to guarantee that other problems won’t develop on older roofs. However, roofers may guarantee a specific part of your roof that they’ve worked on.
How many should you get?
While you might think you can count on a single quote, it’s always best to get a few so you can compare the course of action, costs and what’s included in the quote itself. As a rule of thumb, we recommend getting three quotes for both roof repairs and replacements.
Why do quotes vary?
When you get multiple quotes, you might be surprised by how much they can vary. A roof replacement on a small, terraced home can cost anywhere from £3,000 to upwards of £10,000, for example.
Thankfully, your quote can often explain why, with some of the reasons including:
- Materials – Sometimes, it’s possible to cut costs by reusing materials such as roofing tiles that are in a decent condition. Other roofers might instead want to start completely afresh, which will cost a little more.
- Labour – Deploying a larger team for your roofing job will generally cost more but make the job much quicker. Essentially, you’d be paying a premium to get your roof sorted sooner.
- Quality – Above all else, some roofers simply charge more due to their reputation or the quality of their work. Check for reviews, previous projects and accreditations to see whether it’s worth paying a little extra for their services.
Choosing the best quote for you
When comparing roofing quotes, don’t just choose the lowest price. If that price includes everything you need and is from a reputable company, then by all means go for it. However, make sure a lower price doesn’t cut corners in terms of quality, materials, guarantees and so on.
Remember the old saying – buy cheap, buy twice.
Get a quote as soon as you can
The final piece of advice in our guide to roofing quotes is to act quickly. If your roof is leaking or looking worse for wear, now is the time to get a quote.
As with any year, good roofers will be busy in 2023, so there could be a short wait before they can fit you in. By getting quotes early, you can get the ball rolling and take one step closer to a leak-free roof.
If you’re based in Leeds or the surrounding areas, DPR Roofing is on hand to provide a quote for both domestic roofing jobs and commercial projects. Arrange a site visit by calling us on 0113 335 0043 or emailing [email protected].