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Roofing contract template for reroofs and repairs

The estimate got you the yes. The contract says what happens once the old roof is off. Copy it, fill in your terms, and get it signed before the dumpster shows up.

3 min read

The short answer

A good roofing contract template names both sides and the property, points to the estimate for the work and materials, and spells out the start date, payment schedule, how extra decking is handled, weather delays, changes, cleanup, warranty and how the homeowner can cancel. Keep it in plain words and have a local attorney look it over once. One to copy is below.

On this page
  1. A roofing contract template you can copy
  2. What to include in a roofing contract
  3. Roofing contracts on insurance jobs
  4. Can a homeowner cancel a roofing contract?
  5. When the job changes once the roof is open

A roofing contract template you can copy

Keep the contract short by pointing to the signed estimate for the line items. The contract is for the rules: when you start, when you get paid, and what happens when something changes.

Roofing contract

Between
[Your business name], [license number], [phone], and [homeowner name]
Property
[Address]
The work
As listed in estimate [R-301], dated [date], attached
Materials
[Shingle or metal line and color], [underlayment], [ventilation]
Start
On or about [date], weather allowing. About [days] working days.
Insurance
[We carry liability and workers' comp. Certificates on request.]
PaymentWhenAmount
[Deposit][At signing][amount]
[Materials][When materials are delivered][amount]
[Balance][When the work is done and you've walked it with us][amount]

Decking: up to [sheets] sheets of replacement decking are in the price. Past that, [price per sheet], and we'll show you photos first.

Changes: any change to the work or the price is written down and signed by both of us before we do it.

Weather: we don't tear off when rain is coming. Delays for weather don't change the price.

Cleanup: we haul away the old roof, run a magnet for nails and leave the yard the way we found it.

Warranty: workmanship [years]. Materials: per the manufacturer, once registered.

Cancelling: [Your state's cancellation notice for contracts signed at the home].

Signed: [homeowner] [date] [your name] [date]

What to include in a roofing contract

Most roofing disputes come from something nobody wrote down. These are the lines worth the extra paragraph.

  • The decking rule. How many sheets are in the price and what each one past that costs.
  • The payment schedule. What's due at signing, at delivery and at the end, and what "done" means.
  • Changes in writing. No extra work on a handshake once the roof is open.
  • Weather and delays. Who decides when it's safe to tear off.
  • Damage and cleanup. Gutters, landscaping, the driveway and the nails in the yard.
  • Lien rights. Many states want a notice in the contract about liens. Check yours.

Roofing contracts on insurance jobs

When insurance pays for the roof, the contract should still be between you and the homeowner. Say that the homeowner pays their deductible, that the price follows the adjuster's approved amount plus any approved supplements, and what happens if the insurer denies part of the claim. Some states bar contractors from covering a deductible or acting for the homeowner with the insurer, so check your state's rules before you sign insurance work.

Can a homeowner cancel a roofing contract?

Often, yes, for a few days. Federal rules give buyers three business days to cancel many sales made at their home, and many states add their own rules for home repair contracts. If you sign contracts at the kitchen table, put the right cancellation notice in the contract and give the homeowner a copy. Don't order materials until the window has passed.

  • Ordering materials the day the contract is signed
  • A contract with no cancellation notice when it was signed at the home
  • Starting work before the homeowner has a signed copy

When the job changes once the roof is open

Rotten decking past the allowance, a second layer nobody knew about, a chimney that needs new flashing. The contract says changes go in writing first, but on a roof with a crew waiting, that paper rarely gets written. Send the change by text with photos before the crew moves on, or have it drafted from your notes for you to check and send.

By hand5 steps
  1. Call the homeowner from the roof
  2. Scribble the change on the estimate
  3. Type up a change order that night
  4. Email it and hope they sign
  5. Argue about it at the final bill

For every surprise, after the work is already done.

Set up onceWaiting on you

Your crew found 9 more sheets of soft decking at 31 Cedar St. Here's the change for the homeowner.

Hi Lena, it's Marcus from Ridgeline Roofing. Once the old layers came off we found 9 more sheets of soft decking than the contract covers, near the back valley. Photos attached. The extra decking is [amount]. Reply yes and we'll replace it today so the crew can keep going.

Changes written up with photos before the crew moves on. You send them.

See the change orders job →
NextChanges signed before the workSee how the change orders job turns a change on site into a note the customer signs.

Questions about roofing contracts

Something else on your mind? Ask us on the fit call. No pitch, and we'll say if it isn't a fit.

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Name both sides and the property, point to the signed estimate for the work, then set out the start date, payment schedule, how changes are handled, the warranty and how either side can end it. Use plain words and have a local attorney review your version once.

The work and materials, the start date, the payment schedule, the decking allowance, weather delays, changes in writing, cleanup, warranty, insurance and the cancellation notice your state asks for.

Often within a few days. Federal rules give buyers three business days to cancel many sales made at their home, and states add their own rules. Put the right notice in the contract and wait for the window to pass before ordering materials.

Send the change by text or email with photos before the crew does the extra work, and get a yes in writing. In a Commonhouse setup, AI drafts the change from your crew's notes and photos, and a person on your team checks it and sends it.

Signed before the dumpster shows up.

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