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Roofing estimate template for repairs and reroofs

One page that shows what you found up there and what it takes to fix it. Copy it, fill in your measurements, and send it while the homeowner is still thinking about the leak.

2 min read

The short answer

A good roofing estimate template lists the roof's size in squares, the layers coming off, the decking you expect to replace, the new materials, flashing, vents, permits and disposal, each as its own line. It says what isn't included, how soft decking is handled if you find more, and how long the price holds. One to copy is below.

On this page
  1. A roofing estimate template you can copy
  2. How to write a roofing estimate the homeowner trusts
  3. Roof repair estimate for smaller jobs
  4. What's the 25% rule for roofing?
  5. Sending it while they're still thinking about the leak

A roofing estimate template you can copy

Write the lines the way you'd walk the homeowner around the house. When they can match each line to something you showed them, the estimate reads like a plan instead of a number.

Roofing estimate

From
[Your business name], [phone], [license number if your state needs one]
For
[Homeowner name], [property address]
Estimate number
[R-301]
Date
[Today]. This price holds for [30 days].
Roof
[Squares], [pitch], [layers now on it], [type of roof]
WorkQtyAmount
[Tear off existing layers, down to the deck][squares][amount]
[Replace soft decking, up to this many sheets][sheets][amount]
[Underlayment, ice and water barrier at eaves and valleys][squares][amount]
[New shingles or metal, color and line][squares][amount]
[Flashing: chimney, walls, pipe boots][count][amount]
[Ridge vent or other ventilation][feet][amount]
[Permit, dumpster and cleanup]1[amount]
Total[total]

Not included: [gutters, skylights, interior repairs, or anything else you're leaving out].

Extra decking past [sheets] is [price per sheet], and we'll show you photos before we replace it.

Workmanship warranty: [years]. Materials warranty: per the manufacturer.

To go ahead: sign below or reply yes, and we'll set a start date. [Deposit terms]

How to write a roofing estimate the homeowner trusts

Most homeowners get two or three roofing estimates and can't tell them apart. The one that wins usually explains itself.

  • Lead with what you found. Two layers, soft spots by the chimney, a lifted flashing. Attach the photos.
  • Break it into lines. One total with no detail looks like a guess.
  • Name the materials. The shingle line and color, not just "architectural shingles".
  • Say what's not in it. Gutters and skylights cause the most surprise calls.
  • Put the decking rule in writing. How many sheets are in the price, and what happens past that.

Roof repair estimate for smaller jobs

A leak around a pipe boot doesn't need a full page of lines. It needs what's wrong, what you'll do, and a note that you'll call if you find more once the shingles are up. Keep the same layout so a small job and a reroof look like they came from the same shop.

Repair estimate by text

Hi [name], it's [your name] from [shop]. Found the leak: the boot around your bathroom vent pipe is cracked. We'd replace the boot, reseal the shingles around it and check the decking underneath. [Amount], done in about two hours. If the wood under it is soft, I'll send you a photo before we touch it. Want us on [day]?

What's the 25% rule for roofing?

In many places, building code says that if you repair or replace more than a quarter of a roof within a year, the whole roof has to be brought up to current code. It changes whether a patch is really a patch. Check your local code and put the answer in the estimate, so the homeowner isn't surprised by a bigger job later.

Sending it while they're still thinking about the leak

The roofer who sends the estimate the same day often gets the job. The hard part is typing it up after dark from a notepad and a camera roll. Get your measurements and photos into one place on site, or have them turned into a draft estimate that's waiting for your prices when you get to the truck.

By hand5 steps
  1. Find the notepad from the roof
  2. Scroll the camera roll for the photos
  3. Type every line into the estimate
  4. Save it as a PDF
  5. Email it to the homeowner

For every roof, usually after dinner.

Set up onceWaiting on you

Your notes from 31 Cedar St are in. Here's the estimate, with your prices left blank.

Roofing estimate for Lena Brooks, 31 Cedar St: tear off two layers on 24 squares, up to 6 sheets of decking, new underlayment and shingles, chimney flashing and ridge vent. Five photos attached. Your price on each line.

Site notes turned into a draft estimate the same day. You price it and send it.

See the estimates job →
NextEstimates drafted from your site notesSee how the estimates job turns notes and photos into a draft you price.

Questions about roofing estimates

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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Measure the roof in squares, note the pitch and how many layers are on it, and check the decking, flashing and vents. Then list each part of the work as its own line, with materials named, what's not included, how extra decking is handled, and how long the price holds.

Start from the size in squares, add a waste allowance for cuts, valleys and hips, then add tear-off, decking, underlayment, flashing, ventilation, permits, disposal and labor for the pitch and height. Your own past jobs are the best guide to how long each part takes.

Many building codes say that if more than about a quarter of a roof is repaired or replaced within a year, the whole roof must meet current code. Rules differ by state and town, so check your local code before you price a big repair as a patch.

Keep your measurements and photos in one place on site, so the estimate is mostly filled in before you leave. In a Commonhouse setup, AI drafts the estimate from your site notes and a person on your team adds the prices, checks it and sends it.

Send it the day you climb down.

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