Whether or not you win a job depends on a lot of factors. Homeowners pay attention to the level of service provided and the materials used, of course. But one of the most overlooked parts that can win you a job is the roof proposal or quote you give a homeowner.
The accuracy, level of detail, personal touch, and professionalism of an estimate affect a homeowner's trust in you. Having a high-quality quote helps you stay competitive and stand out from other quotes they get, too.
In this blog, we're diving into roof proposals, including:
- The difference between estimates and quotes
- Why the quality of an estimate matters
- What to include in your roof estimate
- How to create a roofing estimate
We'll also give you an example of a high-quality quote that converts.
Did you know you can build digital estimates in Roofr? We'll talk a bit about that, too.
The difference between estimates and quotes
Although these phrases are frequently used interchangeably, they do have some key distinctions.
An estimate for roofing is what a contractor estimates the general cost of a project to be. The project's actual cost may be higher or lower than the stated estimate. You can give a verbal estimate after a roof inspection, provide one over the phone, or email it. Roofr's Instant Estimator is a great way to visualize the purpose of an estimate — it's usually the first step before a homeowner asks for a quote. They're just getting an idea of price.
Meanwhile, a roofing quote — also called a bid or proposal — is a detailed document that covers the project. Once signed, it acts as a contract. A quote or proposal should not be verbal.
Although we make this distinction, many roofers and homeowners do refer to quotes as estimates. Be careful with your language when talking to homeowners. When they ask for a quote, it's the detail they're looking for. For the purpose of this article, we're talking about the quote: The detailed document that homeowners use to choose a roofer.
The value of quality roof quotes
In a Roofr Report podcast episode, a roof-buyer made this observation: "I had no digital proposals, and one proposal I got was a scanned form. I think that they reused the form because you could see where they had taped pieces of paper over it to reuse it. It was kind of crooked when it got emailed to me. And so I know it was not a fresh piece of paper or contract. It made me wonder if what kind of care and attention they'd have on my roof."
The quotes you give are one of the first major impressions you can make on a homeowner. They can either build that trust up, or tear it down.
Quality roof quotes can also make you stand apart from the competition. In the same episode, the homeowner said:
"It would've absolutely blown me away if I would've gotten a nice, beautiful digital proposal with a picture of my house on the front and my name. I would've just signed just because it looked good. Modern homeowners: We're impressed by little things like that. None of the other roofing companies were doing that so they would have stood out to me."
Example of a high-quality roof estimate
You can view a roof estimate example here.
This estimate was built using Roofr's proposal tool. You can customize the estimate for your company and build templates that make proposal creation super easy. Roofing companies can build proposals quicker with Roofr's proposal tool — And they win more jobs with them!
Read on for more info on what to include in your estimate, and how to build one.
What should you include in a roofing quote?
While you can customize your roofing proposals or quotes for your business, there are a few features that should 100% be included.
Company contact info
Make sure the homeowner knows what roofing company the quote is from. Most homeowners will get 3+ quotes, so you better include your contact info.
Include your roofing company’s name, address, phone number, and email address.
BONUS: Go one step further and do a whole "about us" page in your estimate! Tell your story and make yourself memorable.
A full work description
You want to include a detailed outline of what you'll be doing on the roof. You roof every day, but homeowners don't. If it's not in the work description, they won't know you plan on doing it.
In the work description, you can include roof components, the type and thickness of the underlayment, the positions of the flashing, and even the size of the nails and fasteners that will be utilized.
If you found any major damage or concerns in your inspection, you should put that in the work description too. A few examples include water damage, second (or third!) layers of shingles, rotting sheathing, etc.
Be sure to include any clean-up actions, post-installation follow-up, guarantees, inspections, and anything else.
Remember: If you have it on your quote and your competition doesn't then you look way more thorough in comparison.
Approximate timeline
Be super clear with homeowners on how long their roof will take. Include a project's start and anticipated completion dates. If you require homeowners to be home during the installation, be clear on that, too.
It's always a good idea to include a condition that any additional damages found on the roof could impact the timeframe.
Materials needed
Cost estimation requires consideration of all materials that will be used to complete the roofing project. Common roofing materials you can add to your quote include:
- Asphalt shingles
- Starter shingles
- Flashing
- Vents
- Underlayment
The amount needed depends on the roofing square measurements done. (Roofr can help you calculate that, too)
Total cost
You definitely want the big, final roofing cost number in an easy-to-read place, but we encourage you to break down that cost, too. Doing line items in a cost breakdown actually builds transparency between you and homeowners. It can help to educate them. You could include:
- Labor costs
- Shingles, flashing, starting shingles, and other material
- Bin rentals
- Travel costs
- Underlayment
Doing line items in a cost breakdown actually builds transparency between you and homeowners.
Waste management
The removal and cleanup of waste materials are part of repairing or replacing a roof, and your quote should consider these costs. We mentioned including it in cost, but if you take any special steps for waste management, you should include that.
Permits
Depending on where you work and where the job is located, local and city building codes may demand permits for a roof repair or replacement job. If so, be sure to include that in the quote so homeowners know you've done your homework.
This is a key example of how a thorough quote can help you stand out from the competition. Imagine that no other roofers include permits but you do; That can put doubt in the homeowner's mind about the professionalism of your competition.
Licensing
Proof of your roofing license and evidence of liability insurance and workers' compensation should be included in your roofing bid. This demonstrates your reputation and work authorization.
Homeowners should be able to see the insurance and licenses on the quote so that they can verify your legitimacy. Customers are more likely to go against hiring a roofing contractor who doesn’t take the necessary precautions.
If you roof in an area without any required licensing, adding customer quotes, reviews, or other social proof can help to build that trust.
Warranty
Finally, be sure to include a complete description of any warranties offered in your quote. Be sure to include:
- How long it lasts.
- Whether it can be transferred if they move/sell the home.
- Steps to take if they have any concerns about their roof.
- Anything they need to do to keep up with the warranty. Eg. Book a yearly inspection.
Things to keep in mind when creating a quote
We covered all the basics and must-includes in a roof quote. Here's a few other things to keep in mind when writing your quote.
- Your roofing quote should be based on the nature of the work you'll do for the client. A more expensive estimate will involve slightly more extensive work, or may require a total roof replacement. Be sure that your quote reflects the work, the roof, and the client's needs.
- Depending on how far away you are from the client, you should include transportation expenses in your roofing quote. This may not be necessary if you only operate locally.
- For a very steep roof, think about adding a safety plan or precautions your team will take during roof installation.
- Be sure to identify the type of roofing material and any specific requirements for that material. For example, if the homeowner is getting a metal roof for the first time, use your quote to educate them on maintenance, potential hazards, things to watch for, and recommendations for inspections.
- If you offer any additional upgrades like gutters, siding, windows, etc, include that too! The homeowner may not know. Your quote can also help to promote these add on services.
- When choosing between a roof repair and a complete roof replacement, some clients may ask why you suggest a particular course of action. To help your clients make more informed choices, you should have estimates that cover both tasks.
- You may also want to include a good-better-best quote to give homeowners different options. Providing options keeps the homeowner in the driver's seat and in control. It'll help establish you as an educational roof partner as opposed to a salesperson.
How to build a roof quote
Roof quotes can be built in a few different ways.
- In a Google document or Microsoft Word doc
- In a tool like Roofr
- In Canva or other graphic design tools
To save you time and effort, we'd recommend building a template that you can duplicate and customize for each job. Using templates will save you a lot of time an effort in the long run.
As we talked about before, we do not recommend handwriting proposals. There are a few reasons for this:
- There's way too much information that you should be including. It'll take you forever to write it by hand.
- Homeowners have digital expectations. If you give a handwritten estimate, they may question your level of skill or professionalism.
- Your competition is not doing hand-written proposals.
- Homeowners expect digital communication. It's so much easier to build digital proposals and email them to homeowners. Especially with tools out there to help you build them.
However you build your quotes, be sure to include all the points above and consider the tips we included, too.
Once again, here's an example you can check out for an idea of what a modern high-quality proposal looks like.
Using Roofr to build digital quotes and roof proposals
Having clean proposals that are quick to build and customizable will not only save you time, but help you stand out to homeowners and win you more jobs. Roofr's proposals are basically roof estimate templates: Make them your own, add in your own information, and win more bids.
Roofr lets you generate quotes using a predefined price list and perform automatic material calculations using a measurement report. You can also get a roof report within hours or create one yourself in minutes using a drone, satellite, or blueprints. Send high-quality, professionally prepared proposals to your client in just a few clicks.
Try Roofr for free today or book a demo to chat with an expert.