In roofing, the contract is written for what you find under the shingles.

You price a roof from the outside and discover the job once the tear-off starts. Rotten decking, a second layer nobody mentioned, flashing that has to be replaced. A roofing contract that has no mechanism for that is a contract you will either eat the cost on or argue about on day two.

What goes wrong in this trade

Five things this document has to handle.

Unknown deck condition	Priced per sheet as a unit rate, with a stated allowance. Discovering rot with no clause is the single most common roofing dispute.
Layers	A second or third layer changes tear-off and disposal cost. Say what the price assumes and what an extra layer costs.
Insurance-funded work	You are working to an adjuster's scope, not yours. Supplements, depreciation and the deductible all need addressing, and you must not offer to absorb the deductible.
Two different warranties	Manufacturer warranty on materials, yours on workmanship. Clients hear one number. Say both, with both durations.
Weather and delay	Whether weather days extend the schedule, and who is responsible for protecting an open roof overnight.

The clauses

What to put in, and what each one is for.

Scope and roof system

Tear-off, underlayment, ventilation, flashing, the named shingle product and grade. Substitutions on availability.

Decking allowance and unit rate

Sheets included in the price, and the per-sheet rate beyond that, agreed before work starts.

Layers assumption

What the price assumes and the cost per additional layer.

Warranties, both of them

Manufacturer on materials with its duration, yours on workmanship with its duration, and what voids each.

Payment schedule

Deposit, on material delivery, on completion. Say what triggers each.

Weather and schedule

Weather days, overnight protection, and how a start date moves.

Permits and inspections

Who pulls them and who pays.

Debris, disposal and property protection

Dumpster placement, magnet sweep, landscaping and driveway protection.

Insurance work, if applicable

Whose scope governs, how supplements are handled, and that the deductible is the homeowner's.

Commercial norms

How roofing work is usually priced

Per square	The trade standard, priced by squares of roof area plus complexity factors.
Unit rate extras	Decking per sheet, additional layers, flashing. Agreed up front, applied as found.
Insurance scope	Priced to the adjuster's scope with supplements for items missed.
Payment	Deposit, material delivery, completion. Avoid taking full payment before work starts.

Worth its own section

Insurance work changes the document

When a job is funded by a claim, the scope is the adjuster's and the money arrives in stages, often with recoverable depreciation released only on completion. The contract has to say whose scope governs, how you handle a supplement when you find something the adjuster missed, and that the deductible is the homeowner's obligation. Offering to waive or absorb a deductible is unlawful in many states, and it should never appear in your paperwork.

One sentence in

This much is enough.

Full tear-off and re-roof at 14 Mill Lane, architectural shingles, price assumes one existing layer, 3 sheets of decking included then $95 a sheet, 10-year workmanship warranty, manufacturer warranty per product, deposit on contract and balance on completion.

Out comes the agreement with the clauses above, the figures computed from your catalog, the signers set and the signature fields placed. Send it as a link and they sign on a phone on site. Once signed, the terms are read back so a renewal or a defects period does not surprise you.

Questions people actually ask

Straight answers.

What should a roofing contract include?

The roof system and named products, a decking allowance with a per-sheet rate beyond it, what the price assumes about existing layers, both warranties with their durations, a payment schedule tied to stages, weather and overnight protection terms, and who handles permits. The decking clause is the one that prevents the most common dispute in the trade.

How should rotten decking be handled?

As a unit rate agreed before work starts, with a stated number of sheets included. You cannot know the deck condition until tear-off, and the fair mechanism is a price per sheet the homeowner has already agreed to rather than a conversation on day two with the roof open.

What is the difference between the two warranties?

The manufacturer warrants the materials for its stated period, and you warrant the workmanship for yours. They are different durations and cover different failures. Clients typically hear a single number, so state both explicitly, along with what voids each.

How does insurance-funded work differ?

You are working to the adjuster's scope rather than your own, payment arrives in stages with depreciation often released on completion, and the deductible is the homeowner's obligation. Say all three in the contract, and never offer to absorb a deductible; it is unlawful in many states.

General guidance for this trade, not legal advice. Requirements vary by state and by the work, particularly around licensing, insurance and lien rights. Have your standard agreement reviewed once by a lawyer who knows your jurisdiction, then produce every job from it.

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