Insurer says replace the roof - how do I judge quotes?

What to ask every bidder for

• The shingle line and the warranty that comes with it, in writing.
• Whether the deck is being re-nailed to current code, and whether bad sheathing is replaced at a stated price per sheet.
• Whether a secondary water barrier or self-adhered underlayment is included.
• New drip edge and valley metal, or reuse of the existing.
• New pipe boots, and how the ridge vent is handled.
• Whether the permit is pulled in their name, and whether they carry workers compensation rather than an exemption.

Why the cheapest bid is cheapest

It is rarely the shingle. The savings almost always come from the deck re-nail and the secondary water barrier — which are exactly the two items that earn you insurance credit afterwards. A roof that costs less and insures worse is not a saving.

The second common gap is sheathing. If bad sheathing is not priced per sheet in the contract, it becomes a change order on the day, at whatever rate is convenient.

The paperwork is part of the job

1. 1Permit pulled in the contractor name, not yours. A homeowner permit moves the liability onto you.
2. 2Insurance certificate confirmed with the agent named on it, not accepted as a PDF.
3. 3Final inspection passed, and a copy of the closed permit for your file.
4. 4A wind mitigation inspection afterwards, so the new roof actually reduces your premium.

One more thing while the crew is there

Ask what else is being touched: attic ventilation, the condition of the boots, whether the gutters come off and go back. A roof is the one time those are easy, and the incremental cost is small compared with a second mobilisation later.

The related questions are which retrofits lower the bill and, if you are buying rather than owning, when to get a Florida insurance quote. If you would rather have someone run the roof job for you, that is what the contractor side does.

Timing, and what a storm season does to it

Roofing capacity here is seasonal and event-driven. After a significant storm the good crews are booked and the pricing reflects it, which is the worst moment to be choosing between three quotes for a roof that was already overdue.

If the roof is at the end of its life, plan it rather than react to it. It is also the only way to get the insurance-credit items done properly, because a crew working through a backlog will not stop to re-nail a deck that nobody put in writing.