Before you sign with a roofer, ask how they will do the job, not only what it costs. Ask whether the old roof comes off, what a sheet of replacement decking costs, where the underlayment and ice barrier go, how the attic will be ventilated, who pulls the permit, who will be on your roof, how the yard gets cleaned and swept for nails, when each payment is due and which warranties you will receive in writing. A roofer who answers each of these plainly, and puts the answers in the contract, is easier to hold to them later. The questions below are specific to roofing; for the checks that apply to any contractor, such as licenses and references, see our guide to what to check before you hire a home improvement contractor.
The questions at a glance
| Ask | A clear answer includes | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Will the old roof come off? | Every layer removed, or a stated reason to re-cover | Codes limit layers, and some shingle warranty terms need a tear-off |
| What if the decking is rotten? | A price per sheet, in writing | Rotten decking is found only after tear-off |
| Where do the underlayment and ice barrier go? | The products and where each is laid | Shingle warranties exclude damage from ice dams |
| How will the attic be ventilated? | Intake and exhaust vents, named and placed | Shingle warranties can shrink or exclude damage on a poorly vented roof |
| Which shingle, and which warranty? | Brand, product line, color and the warranty document | The warranty's terms depend on the product and the installer |
| Who pulls the permit? | The roofer, with the inspection scheduled | A roofer who asks you to get the permit is a warning sign |
| Who will be on the roof? | The crew, the supervisor's name, any subcontractors | You need to know who to call and who must be paid |
| How is the site cleaned up? | Debris hauled away, a magnetic nail sweep, protection for plants and gutters | Nails and shingle scraps end up in the yard and driveway |
| When is each payment due? | A deposit, payments tied to stages, a final payment after inspection | Paying everything up front leaves you nothing to hold back |
| What papers will I get at the end? | Warranty documents, the invoice, lien waivers | You need them for a claim or to transfer the warranty when you sell |
Check the company before the roof
The general checks are in our contractor checklist; a few matter most for roofing:
- A license, where your state requires one. The Better Business Bureau advises confirming the roofer holds any license your state requires. Check it with the board that issued it.
- Insurance that lasts through the job. NRCA, the roofing contractors' association, advises asking for copies of both the liability insurance and the workers' compensation certificates and making sure they stay in force until your job is finished. The BBB adds property damage coverage to the list.
- A permanent place of business. NRCA suggests confirming the company has one, along with a working phone number and a business license.
- Manufacturer credentials. Shingle makers train and credential roofers, and some warranties are available only through them. The BBB suggests checking with the manufacturer that a roofer is certified for its system.
Tear-off, decking, underlayment and ice barrier
Will you tear off the old roof, or lay new shingles over it? Ask how many layers are on your roof now and whether the estimate removes all of them. NRCA says building codes allow no more than one re-cover before a full replacement is required. A layover also changes the warranty: CertainTeed's higher wind ratings do not apply to shingles installed over existing shingles, and Owens Corning's Platinum warranty requires the old roof removed down to a clean deck. If a roofer proposes a layover, ask why, and ask for the price of a tear-off beside it.
What happens if the decking under the old roof is rotten? Nobody can see the deck until the old roof is off. Ask for the price per sheet of replacement decking, and the thickness and material, written into the contract, and ask to be shown or sent photos of any sheet before it is replaced. A known price per sheet keeps a surprise from becoming an open-ended bill.
What underlayment goes on, and where does the ice barrier go? Ask for the product names and where each will be laid, especially along the eaves, in valleys and around chimneys and skylights. Where your local code requires an ice barrier along the eaves, the estimate should include it. Both shingle warranties we read exclude damage from ice damming, and Owens Corning's excludes ice damming above the area its leak barriers cover, so the barrier is what protects you there.
What flashing is new? Ask whether the flashing around chimneys, walls, vents and skylights, and the drip edge along the edges, will be replaced or reused. NRCA lists flashing work as its own item in a complete proposal.
Ventilation
How will my attic be ventilated, and will you change it? Ask what intake vents at the eaves and exhaust vents at or near the ridge the roof will have, and whether the roofer checked the attic. NRCA says that in a balanced system about half of the ventilation area must be at or near the ridge, and it advises checking the shingle maker's minimum ventilation requirements, because warranties can depend on them.
This is not a detail. CertainTeed limits shingles on an inadequately ventilated deck to a 10-year warranty without its full-coverage years, and Owens Corning excludes damage caused by inadequate ventilation. Ask the roofer to write the ventilation plan into the estimate. Our guide to roofing warranties explains what else can void one.
Credentials and warranty paperwork
Which shingle are you installing, and what warranty comes with it? Ask for the type of shingle, the manufacturer and the color, which NRCA lists in a complete proposal, along with the product line, and ask for the manufacturer's actual warranty document for that product. Read the full-coverage period, what it pays for and the exclusions.
Do you offer an enhanced manufacturer's warranty, and are you credentialed for it? Enhanced warranties have strict conditions. Owens Corning's Platinum Protection warranty, for example, requires one of its Platinum Preferred contractors to install the whole roof with a set of its own products and to register the warranty within 60 days. If a roofer offers one, confirm the credential with the manufacturer and ask for the registration confirmation after the job.
What does your own workmanship warranty cover, and for how long? The shingle maker's standard warranty does not cover installation errors. NRCA says many contractors give one or two years of workmanship coverage and that there is no industry standard, so compare the length and terms across estimates, and get it in writing. The BBB advises that the contract state the length of the warranty and what it covers.
Permit, schedule, crew and cleanup
Who pulls the permit? Ask whether your job needs a permit and who will get it. The FTC lists a contractor who asks you to get the permits as a warning sign. The roofer should apply for it and schedule any inspection.
When will you start, and how long will it take? NRCA advises that the proposal give approximate start and completion dates. Ask what happens if it rains mid-job; the BBB suggests asking how the roofer will protect your home from rain or snow while the roof is open.
Who will be on my roof? Ask whether the roofer's own employees or a subcontracted crew will do the work, and who will supervise. NRCA suggests asking for the name of the person who will oversee your project and how the company checks the quality of the work.
Will you use subcontractors or buy materials on credit? It matters for payment. FindLaw explains that subcontractors, laborers and material suppliers who are not paid can place a lien on your home even if you paid the roofer in full. Ask for lien waivers from the roofer and from any subcontractor or supplier as you pay.
How will you protect the house and clean up? The BBB advises confirming that the roofer will haul away all old materials and clean the site, and asking how they will keep ladders from damaging gutters and plants. Ask specifically for a magnetic sweep of the yard, driveway and beds for nails, who is responsible for anything damaged, and where the dumpster will go.
Payment and the contract
What is the payment schedule? The FTC advises never paying the whole cost up front, notes that some states limit the size of a down payment, and suggests not making the final payment until you are satisfied with the work. Ask for a schedule that ties each payment to a stage of the job, with the last one after the final inspection and cleanup.
What will the contract say? The FTC says a home improvement contract should give the contractor's name, address, phone number and license number, the estimated start and finish dates, the payment schedule and every promise made about the work. NRCA adds, for a roof, the roof covering by manufacturer and color, the removal of the old roof, flashing, ventilation, the installation method and who is responsible for damage to landscaping or the inside of the house. Fill in or strike every blank space before you sign.
Can I cancel? If you sign at home or somewhere other than the seller's place of business, the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule generally gives you until midnight of the third business day to cancel for a full refund, for a sale of $25 or more, and the seller must give you the cancellation forms. The rule does not apply to emergency repairs.
Red flags
Be wary when a roofer:
- Knocks on your door unasked, says they happen to be working in the area, or offers a deal on materials left over from another job. The FTC and the BBB both name these.
- Pressures you to decide today.
- Wants the whole price up front, or cash only.
- Asks you to get the permit.
- Steers you to a lender they choose to pay for the job.
- Leaves blanks in the contract. The FTC says every blank should be filled in before you sign.
And, from the questions above, treat it as a warning when a roofer will not name the shingle, will not give you the warranty document, or will not put the price per sheet of decking, the ventilation plan or their workmanship warranty in writing.
If a storm damaged your roof, there are more to watch for, such as offers to cover your deductible or to deal with your insurer for you; our guide to roof insurance claims covers them.
Frequently asked questions
Should I pick the lowest estimate?
Not on price alone. NRCA calls price only one criterion, and the FTC advises asking for an explanation when estimates differ widely. Compare what each estimate includes: tear-off, the decking price per sheet, underlayment, ventilation, flashing and warranties. Our roof replacement cost guide shows how to compare them per square.
Who should get the roofing permit, me or the roofer?
The roofer. The FTC lists a contractor asking you to get the permits as a warning sign. Ask the roofer to apply for it and to schedule the final inspection.
Is a roof layover a bad idea?
Not always, but it has limits. NRCA says codes allow no more than one re-cover before a full replacement, the old deck stays hidden, and some shingle warranty terms, such as CertainTeed's higher wind ratings, do not apply over existing shingles.
What is a lien waiver, and do I need one?
It is a signed statement that someone who worked on or supplied your job has been paid and gives up the right to place a lien on your home. FindLaw advises asking for them as you pay, so an unpaid subcontractor or supplier cannot come to you for money you already gave the roofer.
Can I cancel a roofing contract after I sign it?
If you signed at home or away from the seller's place of business, the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule generally lets you cancel by midnight of the third business day for a full refund. Read your contract for any other cancellation terms, and cancel in writing.
Where this information comes from
HomeAnvil does not publish contractor data of its own. Each fact on this page comes from the source named beside it, all read on September 26, 2026. Manufacturers are named only as examples of how warranties are written, not as recommendations.
- NRCA (National Roofing Contractors Association), Selecting a contractor: a permanent place of business, insurance and workers' compensation certificates, supervision and the project's overseer, and price as one criterion.
- NRCA, Resources for consumers: what a written proposal should include, ventilation at the ridge, manufacturers' ventilation requirements, workmanship warranties and the limit on re-covering.
- Better Business Bureau, Hire a trusted roofing contractor, updated May 28, 2025: licensing where required, insurance, manufacturer certification, tear-off or cover, the warranty in the contract, cleanup, weather protection, gutters and landscaping, and storm chasers.
- FTC Consumer Advice, How to avoid a home improvement scam, July 2022: red flags, permits, down payments, the final payment and what a contract should include.
- FTC Consumer Advice, Buyer's remorse: the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule may help, September 2025: the three-day right to cancel, the $25 threshold and the emergency repair exception.
- FindLaw, Understanding mechanic's liens, updated December 28, 2023: liens by unpaid subcontractors and suppliers, and lien waivers.
- Owens Corning, Standard product limited lifetime warranty on roofing shingles and components, publication dated January 2026, read from the copy hosted by BuildSite: exclusions for ventilation and ice damming.
- Owens Corning, Platinum Protection limited lifetime warranty, publication dated August 2026: the credentialed installer, tear-off and 60-day registration requirements.
- CertainTeed, Asphalt shingle residential products 2026 limited warranty, read from the copy hosted by BuildSite: ventilation, ice damming and wind ratings over existing shingles.
Rules on licenses, permits, down payments and cancellation vary by place, and your contract and local code decide. We will update this page when these sources change, and the date above will say when.
Related guides
What to check before you hire a contractorFive things to ask for before you sign with a roofing, siding, window, bath or HVAC contractor, wherever you live in the United States.
What does a roof warranty actually cover?A shingle warranty covers manufacturing defects, a contractor's warranty covers installation. How prorating, wind, algae, transfers and voiding work.
How much does a roof replacement cost?A roof replacement typically costs $5,900 to $13,400, or $400 to $1,100 per square installed. How to measure your roof, what moves the price and how to compare estimates.
What happens during a roof replacement, step by step?An asphalt shingle roof usually goes on in one to three days. What happens before, during and after, from tear-off and deck repair to flashing and cleanup.
How does a roof insurance claim work after a storm?Insurance usually pays for sudden wind or hail damage, not wear. Wind/hail deductibles often run 1% to 5% of your home's insured value. How a claim works.