Roofing Contract Checklist: What to Check Before Signing

What should a roofing contract include?

A roofing contract should name the licensed contractor and its license number, describe the work on your specific roof, list materials by brand, product line and color, say who pulls the building permit, set start and completion dates, break the price into payment stages tied to finished work, explain how changes and hidden damage are priced, cover cleanup, and carry the cancellation and mechanics lien notices. Read every line before you sign, and never sign a page with blanks.

Why does the contract matter more than the estimate?

An estimate is a sales document; a contract is the thing you can hold someone to. If you are still deciding between bids, start with our bid comparison checklist. This page picks up when one proposal has become a contract waiting for your signature.

In California, the Contractors State License Board (CSLB, the state agency that licenses contractors) says in its consumer guide to home improvement contracts that "the terms of all home improvement projects over $500 (combined material and labor costs) must be in a contract." A reroof clears that bar easily. Anything promised at your kitchen table that is missing from the paper is, for practical purposes, a pleasant conversation you once had.

Who is the contract with, and who is signing it?

• Legal name, address and phone number of the contracting business. CSLB's page on contracts and binding agreements says the contract "must identify the contractor, and give their address and license number."
• The license number itself, which you can look up on the CSLB website before signing. The CSLB guide's homeowner checklist asks whether you have checked "the status of the contractor's license."
• The person signing for the company. The CSLB guide states that "a salesperson cannot legally sign a home improvement contract for the contractor unless they are a valid, CSLB-registered home improvement salesperson (HIS)."
• Insurance. The CSLB guide says workers' compensation insurance "is required by law if the contractor has employees or workers." The National Roofing Contractors Association's guidance on selecting a contractor recommends asking for "copies of the contractor's liability insurance coverage and workers' compensation certificates" and making sure "both are in effect through the duration of your job."

Verify license status with CSLB directly rather than relying on a photocopy of a card.

Does the scope describe your roof or a generic one?

The CSLB guide puts it plainly: a thorough contract "details who will do the work, what materials will be used, where the work will be done, when it will be done, and how much it will cost."

For a roof, a specific scope usually answers these questions in writing:

• Is this a full tear-off to the deck, or a layer over the existing roof?
• Which roof areas are included: main house, garage, patio cover, any low-slope section?
• What happens at flashing points such as chimneys, skylights, walls and valleys: replaced, or reused?
• What ventilation work is included, if any?
• How many square feet or roofing "squares" (a square is 100 square feet of roof surface) does the price assume?

If an answer lives only in your memory of a phone call, ask for it on the page. Our guide to roof replacement cost factors explains why each of these items moves the price.

Are the materials named precisely enough to check?

CSLB advises that a contract "should be as specific as possible regarding all materials to be used, such as the style, brand, model, quality, quantity, weight, color, size, or any other description that may apply." On a roof, that means the covering (manufacturer, product line, color), the underlayment, and any named accessory products such as ridge vents or drip edge.

Precision lets you confirm on delivery day that the pallets in your driveway match what you paid for, and it ties the job to the right manufacturer warranty.

Who pulls the permit, and is the fee included?

The CSLB guide's checklist asks two direct questions: does the contract "state whether you or your contractor will pull necessary building permits before the work starts," and "are the permit fees included in the contract price?" Get both answers in the document.

Permit and inspection rules depend on the jurisdiction. Around San Diego, the City, Chula Vista and the County each run their own building departments; our roofing permit guide for San Diego shows where to verify. For your address, check with your local building department.

How should payments be staged?

Three California rules, each from the CSLB guide, shape what a fair payment section looks like:

• Down payment cap. The down payment "cannot be more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less," and the guide adds that "there are no exceptions for special order materials." The exception is a contractor with a blanket performance and payment bond on file with CSLB. As a worked example: on a hypothetical $18,000 contract, 10 percent is $1,800, so the cap is $1,000; on a hypothetical $6,000 job, 10 percent is $600, so the cap is $600.
• A written schedule. "A home improvement contract must include a payment schedule," showing "the amount of each payment" and "what work, materials or services are to be performed for that particular payment."
• No paying ahead of the work. "Payments to the contractor cannot exceed the value of the performed work."

If financing is involved, the guide says finance charges "must be calculated and laid out in detail, separate from the contract amount." The Federal Trade Commission's advice on home improvement scams is blunt on timing: "never make the final payment until the work is done and you're satisfied with it."

Roof prices vary widely by region and roof; the figures above only illustrate the cap and are not estimates of what a roof costs.

How are changes and hidden damage handled?

Roofs keep secrets until the old layers come off. Rotted sheathing (the wood deck under the roofing) is the classic surprise, and its price is easier to agree before the tear-off than during it.

CSLB says that if the price changes, "it MUST be done with a written change order that becomes a part of the contract," and the agency's contracts page notes that "after a change order is signed, it becomes part of the written contract." In our view, a good roofing contract also states a unit price for deck replacement (per sheet or per square foot), says the contractor will show you the damage, ideally with photos, before replacing it, and caps how much can be added without your signature. A verbal "we'll take care of it" is not a change order.

What protects you from mechanics liens?

A mechanics lien is a claim recorded against your property by someone who helped improve it and was not paid. The CSLB guide warns that "even if the contractor is paid in full, unpaid subcontractors, suppliers, and laborers involved in the project may record a mechanics lien," and that an owner "could be forced to pay twice." The same guide says contractors are required to give consumers a "Mechanics Lien Warning," so look for it in your paperwork.

CSLB's page on how to prevent a mechanics lien lays out the routine:

• "Before making a payment, get a signed conditional release from the possible lien claimants."
• "After you pay, the contractor should provide you with an unconditional release."
• "By law, you may withhold the next payment until you get the unconditional releases for the previous payment."

The CSLB guide also suggests asking the contractor for a list of the subcontractors and material suppliers on the job, and mentions paying with a joint check made out to both the contractor and the subcontractor or supplier. For anything about a lien already recorded, talk to a California construction attorney.

What are your cancellation rights?

The CSLB guide says state law gives the buyer "three (3) business days (or five business days if the buyer is 65 or older)" to cancel, by written notice, and that the contractor must return any money paid "within 10 days of receiving the cancellation request." The guide also notes this right "does not apply" if the contract is negotiated at the contractor's place of business, and that emergency "service and repair" contracts are an exception. The FTC lists "a written statement of your right to cancel" among the things a contract should include. If the notice is missing, ask why before you sign.

Does the contract cover cleanup and protecting the property?

CSLB recommends the contract include everything agreed, "up to and including complete cleanup and removal of debris and materials." For a tear-off, spell out who pays for the dumpster or haul-away, how landscaping, solar panels and side yards will be protected, and whether the crew will do a magnetic sweep for nails in the driveway and lawn.

What documents should you have when the job is done?

Write the handoff list into the contract so it is not a favor you have to request later:

• Signed change orders and the final invoice showing every payment
• Unconditional lien releases for the final payment
• The building department's final inspection sign-off, where a permit was required
• The contractor's written workmanship warranty; CSLB advises that the contract "should specify which parts of the work are covered and the duration of the warranty"
• Manufacturer warranty paperwork, including any registration step and who completes it; NRCA advises you to "understand the provisions that will void it"

Keep these with your house records. The CSLB guide notes that consumers have "four (4) years to file a complaint" with CSLB about a faulty project.

Roof work is dangerous. Do your final check from the ground, a window or with binoculars, and ask the contractor for photos of anything you cannot see; do not climb onto the roof to inspect the work yourself.

Sources

• Contractors State License Board: Terms of Agreement, A Consumer Guide to Home Improvement Contracts (PDF)
• Contractors State License Board: What Should I Look for in a Contract and Binding Agreements?
• Contractors State License Board: How to Prevent a Mechanics Lien
• Federal Trade Commission: How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam
• National Roofing Contractors Association: Selecting a Contractor