A Roof Price Range Needs a Scope at Each End

A roof estimate that arrives as a range, a low figure and a high figure with several thousand dollars between them, is not yet a price. It is a guess with two ends. Some of the gap is honest, because the roofer has not yet seen every layer, valley and soft spot under the shingles. Some of it keeps the number open so the final bill can land wherever the day takes it. You cannot tell which kind you have from the range alone. You can tell by asking what sits at each end.

Why a range shows up at all

A roofer measures the roof, counts the squares, notes the pitch, and prices the materials and labor for the work the roof appears to need. Some of that work can be known from the ground and the ladder. Some of it cannot be known until the old shingles come off. The decking under them may be sound or may be soft, the flashing around a chimney may be sealed or may be rusted through, and the number of old layers may not match what the homeowner was told. A range is one honest way to say that some things are unknown. The problem is that a range with no list behind it gives the homeowner nothing to check.

A square is 100 square feet of roof surface. A roof that measures 28 squares and a roof that measures 31 squares are different jobs, so a range that quietly spreads across three squares is a range about the measurement, not about the crew. Ask whether the low and high figures use the same measured square count. If they do, the gap is about something else. If they do not, the gap started before anyone climbed the ladder.

What moves the low end

The low end of a range should be a complete price for a defined scope. That means the tear-off method, the number of layers removed, the underlayment type, the drip edge, the starter course, the ridge, the flashing at walls and penetrations, the vents, and the cleanup and disposal are all named. It also means the low end assumes the decking is in the condition the roofer saw from the ground or from an inspection, and says so. If the low figure leaves out flashing, assumes no decking replacement, or assumes one layer when the homeowner has two, then the low end is not a real starting number. It is the lowest number the roofer could write.

Ask for the low figure in writing with its scope attached. A short sentence that says the low figure assumes one layer removed, original decking, standard drip edge and no chimney rebuild tells you exactly what would have to be true for that number to hold. If any of those assumptions turns out to be wrong on the day, you will know which line changed and why.

What moves the high end

The high end should name the items that would push the bill up and the conditions under which they would appear. Common examples on a St. Louis roof are rotted decking that needs replacement by the sheet, a second layer of old shingles, an unexpected chimney or valley repair, damaged soffit or fascia uncovered during tear-off, and a change in material. Each item should carry its own unit price, or at least its own line, so that if it shows up you can see what it costs without renegotiating the whole bid.

The high end should also say who decides. A decking rate written as an allowance, with a price per sheet, is different from a decking figure that the crew sets when they find the soft spots. Ask who confirms the replacement, when they confirm it, and whether the homeowner is asked before the work is done. Ask also whether the roofer will photograph each soft area and each replaced sheet, because that photo log is what lets you check a change order against the day it was made.

What it costs

Ask for three numbers on the same sheet: the low figure with its scope, the high figure with its named conditions, and the price for the fully defined scope if every unknown turns out to be known. Some roofers call that third figure the expected price. If the roofer will not write it, the range is doing a job the homeowner has not agreed to.

A range can also be a sign of careful work. A roofer who has measured, photographed and written down exactly what could not be seen is giving you more to work with than one who wrote a single number and called it done. The question is whether the open items are listed, priced and tied to a condition, or whether they are only described as possibilities.

Keys documents what it finds, puts a written scope with photos and measurements in the homeowner's hands, and attends as the contractor on the job. Keys installs Atlas and Malarkey shingles only, so the shingle line on a Keys quote names one of those two brands. If you want to talk through a range before you decide, the Keys office is at (314) 220-2333.

What to ask

1. Are the low and high figures built on the same measured square count, and where does that count appear on the sheet?
2. How many layers does the low figure assume, and what does the high figure assume?
3. Which items are priced by the sheet or by the foot, and which are fixed lump sums?
4. Who decides when a decking replacement is needed, and does the homeowner approve it before the crew starts?
5. What is the price for the full scope with every open item resolved?
6. Which lines are allowances, and what happens to any unused allowance at the end of the job?

A range that answers these questions in writing is a usable estimate. A range that answers them with a shrug is still a range, and the gap between its ends is the part you should price before you sign.