A roofing proposal is competing with two or three others that all quote a price per square, and the one that wins usually explains what the customer is actually buying: how many layers come off, what happens if the deck is bad, which flashings are replaced rather than reused, what ventilation is included, and what the warranty covers. Those five answers are also the five that protect you when the job opens up.
State the layers and the deck position
Tear-off by number of layers, disposal included, and a deck repair allowance with a price per sheet beyond it. Every roofing dispute in the trade is one of those three, and every one of them is settled by a sentence written before the work started.
Say which flashings and vents are new on the roof estimate form
Reusing flashing is a legitimate choice and an invisible one. A roof estimate form that lists chimney, wall, valley and penetration flashing, and the ventilation, tells the customer why one proposal costs more than another and stops the conversation being only about the shingle.
Measure with a free roof measuring app, then price it with your own roof estimating calculator
A free roof measuring app or an aerial report gives you the squares and the linear feet quickly, and a roof estimating calculator turns them into a price using your own material and labour rates. The measurement can be bought; the rates have to be yours or the proposal cannot be defended.
Questions people ask about roofing proposal
How do I present the warranty?
Separate the manufacturer's material warranty from your own workmanship warranty, state the length of each, and say what voids them. Customers assume one number covers everything, and the assumption surfaces at the worst moment.
Should the proposal include photographs?
Of the existing roof, yes, particularly anything that looks marginal. It justifies the allowance and it prevents the later claim that the damage was caused by your crew.
What wins a roofing job besides price?
Clarity about the unknowns. Homeowners comparing three proposals are choosing who they trust with a surprise, and the proposal that explains what happens if the deck is rotten is the one that reads as competent.