Tear-off and disposal
Removal of existing roofing layers, dumpster rental, dump fees, and any required permits for hauling and disposal
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Download a free roofing bid template covering tear-off, deck repair, underlayment, roofing material, flashing, ventilation, gutters, labor, and exclusions.
01 · Guide
A roofing bid template is the structured form a roofing contractor uses to submit a competitive price for a defined roofing scope. It organizes the bid into the categories a homeowner, property manager, or general contractor expects to see: tear-off and disposal, deck inspection and repair, underlayment and ice barrier, roofing material, flashing and penetrations, ventilation, gutters, warranty, permits, and cleanup. A complete roofing bid translates the on-site inspection or aerial measurement into a price that is defensible, traceable, and easy to evaluate against competing bids.
Roofing bid risk often comes from missing scope rather than square count alone. Review decking repair allowances, flashing, ventilation, access, disposal, warranty terms, exclusions, and the date and validity of every material quote.
Keep the roofing bid aligned with the verified field or plan measurement, specifications, and selected system. BuildVision AI can support reviewed geometry on PDF or image plans; it does not provide satellite or drone measurement, field inspection, waste rules, live prices, or warranty decisions.
02 · Required fields
Removal of existing roofing layers, dumpster rental, dump fees, and any required permits for hauling and disposal
Allowance or unit price for replacing rotted, soft, or damaged decking discovered after tear-off
Synthetic or felt underlayment, ice and water shield at eaves and valleys per code, and starter strips at all eaves
Shingles, metal panels, single-ply membrane, modified bitumen, or built-up roofing per spec, with manufacturer and model documented
Step flashing, valley flashing, drip edge, pipe boots, chimney flashing, and any wall transitions or skylights
Ridge vents, soffit vents, off-ridge vents, or powered vents calculated per code intake and exhaust ratios
New or refurbished gutters, downspouts, splash blocks, and any leaf guards or accessories where in scope
Manufacturer warranty registration, contractor workmanship warranty, roofing permit, magnetic nail sweep, and final cleanup
03 · Example
| Scope Category | Material | Labor | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tear-Off & Disposal (1 layer + dumpster) | $520 | $1,800 | $2,320 |
| Deck Repair Allowance ($85/sheet, up to 8 sheets) | $680 | — | $680 |
| Underlayment (synthetic) & Ice/Water Shield (eaves, valleys) | $640 | $520 | $1,160 |
| Architectural Shingles (30 sq, manufacturer A class 4) | $3,300 | $3,150 | $6,450 |
| Starter Strip & Hip/Ridge Cap | $280 | $220 | $500 |
| Drip Edge, Step Flashing, Valley Flashing | $420 | $580 | $1,000 |
| Pipe Boots & Penetration Flashing (4 ea) | $120 | $240 | $360 |
| Ridge Vent (continuous) | $240 | $200 | $440 |
| Permits, Magnetic Sweep & Cleanup | $240 | $320 | $560 |
| Subtotal Direct Cost | $6,440 | $7,030 | $13,470 |
04 · Instructions
Walk the roof or fly the property with a drone before pricing the work. Measure each plane, note the pitch, count layers of existing roofing, and identify visible damage to decking, fascia, soffit, flashings, and penetrations. Photograph everything. The on-site inspection is the difference between a bid that wins money and a bid that loses money. Anything you cannot see from the ground belongs in your assumptions or your unit price schedule.
Roofing is priced in squares (one hundred square feet of roof area). Calculate squares by plane and total. Take off the linear feet of eaves, rakes, valleys, ridges, and hips because each drives accessory costs. Count penetrations, skylights, and chimneys. Categorize as you go: roof area, underlayment, flashing, ventilation, gutters, accessories. Tracking by category gives the customer a clear bid and gives you a way to spot missing scope.
Asphalt shingles, single-ply membrane, and metal panels move with commodity cycles. A bid built on stale pricing wins the job and immediately loses margin. For long-lead specialty colors or low-stock products, confirm availability with your distributor and lock in pricing in writing for the bid validity period. Build escalation into the bid for items you cannot lock down.
Roofing labor is best calculated by crew-hour productivity for tear-off, install, and detailing, multiplied by your loaded crew rate. Pitch, height, deck condition, and access drive productivity more than total square footage does. A 12/12 pitch is dramatically slower than a 4/12. Steep slope premiums, fall protection requirements, and tight site access all affect labor and need to be priced into the bid.
On top of material and labor, add small tools and consumables, equipment rental for lifts and dumpsters, supervision, fringe benefits, overhead, and profit. Include a deck-repair allowance or unit price because once tear-off begins you may discover unanticipated rot. Include warranty registration costs and any premium-warranty fees if the customer wants enhanced coverage. Use a fixed checklist on every bid.
List what is not included: structural framing repairs, fascia and soffit replacement beyond an allowance, electrical or HVAC penetrations, gutter cleaning prior to start, and any work beyond the roof itself. List your assumptions: working hours, deck condition acceptable for re-roof, owner removes satellite dishes, and access is unobstructed. State the warranty terms in writing: manufacturer warranty by product line, contractor workmanship warranty for the period stated, and what voids each. Clean exclusions and warranty language protect both sides.
05 · Review before sending
Once the existing roof is torn off, decking damage that was not visible suddenly is. Bids that price a clean re-deck to the original square footage end up arguing with the homeowner over a thousand dollars of plywood. Always include either a deck-repair allowance with a unit price for additional sheets or a clear written assumption that decking replacement is by change order.
Steep slopes, complex valleys, restricted access, and second- or third-story heights are not the same job as a single-story 4/12 ranch. Bids that price every project with the same crew productivity lose money on the hard ones and fail to compete on the easy ones. Adjust labor for project conditions.
Asphalt shingle pricing moves with oil markets and freight costs. Single-ply membrane and metal panel pricing is even more volatile. A bid built on three-month-old pricing is a bid that loses margin on the day it is awarded. Refresh material pricing for every active bid period and lock in long-lead items in writing.
A re-roof that does not replace flashing in kind is a re-roof that leaks. Bids that price the field but not the flashings often end up replacing the flashing on the contractor’s dime to honor the workmanship warranty. Same with ventilation: code requires a balanced intake and exhaust system, and bids that miss vent scope generate change orders the moment the inspector shows up.
Customers expect warranties. Bids that vaguely say "fully warrantied" are bids that turn into disputes the first time a shingle blows off. State the manufacturer warranty by product line, the contractor workmanship warranty for the period stated, and what voids each. Specifics earn trust at bid time and protect the contractor when the warranty is called on.
Answers
A roofing bid is the formal price submission a roofing contractor sends to a homeowner, property manager, or general contractor for a defined roofing scope. It typically includes the lump-sum price for the work, a breakdown by category (tear-off, deck repair, underlayment, roofing material, flashing, ventilation, gutters), the warranty terms, the project schedule, and the qualifications and assumptions that the price is based on. The bid is the document the customer reads to compare offers and the document the project relies on after acceptance.
Roofing estimating starts with a site inspection and measurement, either in person or with drone-based aerial measurement. Calculate roof area in squares, take off linear feet of eaves, rakes, valleys, and ridges, and count penetrations, skylights, and chimneys. Apply current material pricing. Calculate labor with your crew productivity, adjusted for pitch, access, and conditions. Add small tools, equipment, dumpster, supervision, overhead, profit, and a deck-repair allowance. The most common errors are missing pitch and access premiums, stale material pricing, and forgetting flashing or ventilation scope.
A complete roofing bid covers tear-off and disposal, deck inspection and repair allowance, underlayment and ice barrier, roofing material with manufacturer and model documented, flashing at all penetrations and transitions, ventilation per code, gutters and downspouts where in scope, warranty registration, the roofing permit, magnetic nail sweep, and final cleanup. Each category should be priced and listed so the customer can see what their dollars are buying. The bid should state the schedule, exclusions, warranty terms, and the assumptions the price is based on.
Preparation time depends on roof geometry, access, field conditions, drawing or imagery quality, specification depth, material selection, supplier quotes, warranty requirements, and review effort. Record the inspection basis and verify every measurement and scope assumption rather than relying on a universal turnaround estimate.
In residential roofing the terms are often used interchangeably, but technically an estimate is the internal cost calculation the contractor builds (material, labor, equipment, overhead, profit) and a bid is the external document the contractor presents to the customer. The estimate is the basis of the bid. Keep the two documents reconciled so what was estimated is what was bid is what gets installed. Many disputes during construction trace back to a bid that did not faithfully reflect the estimate.
Yes, almost always on a reroof. Once the existing roof is torn off, decking damage that was not visible from above suddenly is. A bid that prices a clean re-deck to the original square footage and offers no allowance for damaged sheathing puts the contractor in a tough conversation with the customer when rotted deck appears. Include either an allowance with a unit price for additional sheets or a clear written assumption that decking replacement is priced separately by change order.
A roofing bid should state two warranties separately: the manufacturer warranty on the roofing product (often 25 to 50 years prorated, with limited workmanship coverage if the manufacturer is involved in installation) and the contractor workmanship warranty (typically 5 to 10 years, covering installation defects). The bid should also state what voids each warranty: improper repairs by others, lack of ventilation, ice damming, or storm damage. Specifics earn trust at bid time and protect the contractor when the warranty is called on.
No. BuildVision AI does not ingest satellite or drone imagery and does not issue a final roofing bid. It can open supported PDF, PNG, or JPEG plans and support reviewed counts and calibrated measurements. CSV preserves takeoff rows and their review state; accepted AI and manual work can become editable quote lines. Field conditions, pitch, waste, materials, labor, pricing, and warranty scope remain estimator responsibilities.
This roofing bid template is a downloadable template and manual workflow. BuildVision AI does not generate or manage this document type. Use reviewed takeoff work as input to a complete-document CSV or editable quote lines.