How to read a roofing quote — and the gaps that cost you

Three roofing quotes, one of them thousands cheaper — which do you trust? The price is the easy part. This episode decodes a roofing quote line by line: the six things a good quote should always tell you, from scope and exclusions to licensing, the two separate warranties, payment terms, and the small signals that separate a professional from a cowboy. The cheapest quote is usually cheap because it left something out.

In this episode:

• A real quote spells out scope: area in square metres, materials by name, and what happens to the old roof
• Exclusions matter as much as inclusions — old-roof disposal, scaffolding, rotten battens and asbestos are the classic catches
• Licence number plus public liability and home warranty insurance should be on the document, not promised verbally
• There are two warranties — manufacturer's on materials and the roofer's on workmanship — and you need both in writing
• Be wary of large up-front deposits; a fixed price beats an open-ended 'we'll see what we find'
• Professional signals: company letterhead, a valid ABN, a named contact and a realistic timeframe
• The cheapest quote is often cheap because it left something out — and you pay for it later

Resources mentioned:

• Roof repair costs in Australia
• Licences, insurance and warranties to check before hiring a roofer

Full show notes and transcript: australianroofers.com/podcast/reading-a-roofing-quote

The AustralianRoofers.com Podcast is produced by Australian Roofers — Australia's editorial directory of roofers. More episodes at australianroofers.com/podcast.