A roofing estimate fails in three places, and none of them is the price. The square count is wrong, tear-off and disposal never made it onto the page, or the decking repair was left as “if needed” and became a conversation instead of a line item.
Roofing is the least forgiving trade for vague estimates. The client cannot see the work, the job takes days, and every surprise shows up under a nail. A template does not fix that by itself, but the right fields do, because they force you to write down what you already know.
What a roofing estimate has to contain
These are the lines an adjuster, a homeowner and a court will all look for, in roughly the order they matter:
- Measurement basis. Squares, plus the pitch and the number of stories. If you write “roof” instead of “28.5 squares,” every later argument is about whether the price was fair.
- Material specification. Shingle brand and line, underlayment type, ice and water shield where required, ridge vent, drip edge.
- Tear-off and disposal. Number of layers, dumpster size, and the disposal fee as its own line.
- Decking allowance. A per-sheet figure for rotten sheathing, with the price per additional sheet written in advance. This single line prevents most change-order fights.
- Flashing and penetrations. Chimney, skylights, vent boots, and whether they are replaced or reused.
- Labor. Either per square or as a total, but stated.
- Permits. Who pulls it, who pays it.
- Access and height surcharge. Two stories, steep pitch, tile removal, or a long carry all cost money.
- Warranty. Manufacturer warranty and your own workmanship period, kept separate, because they cover different things.
- Validity and payment terms. How long the price holds, the deposit, and when the balance is due.
The square count, done properly
One square is 100 square feet of roof surface, not 100 square feet of floor plan. Start with the footprint, then correct for pitch, because a steep roof has more surface than the plan suggests.
Multiply the footprint by the pitch factor: 4/12 is 1.054, 6/12 is 1.118, 8/12 is 1.202, 10/12 is 1.302, 12/12 is 1.414. A 2,000 square foot footprint at 8/12 pitch is about 2,404 square feet of roof, or roughly 24 squares before waste.
Add waste: 10 percent for a simple gable, 15 percent for hips and valleys, more if there are many dormers. Then convert to bundles. Three-tab and most architectural shingles run three bundles to the square, so 24 squares plus 15 percent waste is about 28 squares, or 84 bundles, and you order 90 because the last three bundles of a run always look different.
A line-item table you can copy
The structure below is what a template should look like once it is filled in. Every row has a quantity, a unit and a price, and nothing is bundled into “labor.”
- Tear-off, 2 layers: 28 squares at $55 per square
- Dumpster and disposal: 1 at $450
- Architectural shingles: 90 bundles at $38
- Underlayment, synthetic: 28 squares at $18
- Ice and water shield, eaves and valleys: 6 rolls at $95
- Ridge vent: 60 linear feet at $9
- Drip edge: 180 linear feet at $3.50
- Decking allowance: 8 sheets included, then $95 per sheet
- Labor, install: 28 squares at $180
- Permit: 1 at $310
- Steep and two-story surcharge: 28 squares at $25
The three numbers that decide whether you made money
On a residential re-roof, materials usually land between 35 and 45 percent of the price, labor between 35 and 40, and overhead plus profit takes the rest. If materials come out at 60 percent, the job is either underpriced or the material spec is wrong, and no amount of fast work fixes it.
Run the numbers before you send the estimate, not after. The free job profit calculator does this in about a minute: enter the price, the material cost and the hours, and it tells you what you actually earn.
Word, Excel or paper
Word is faster to make look professional and easier to send as a PDF. Excel wins the moment you have more than a handful of line items, because quantities recalculate when the measurement changes and you can keep a materials price list in a second tab. Paper survives the truck, and then gets retyped at 9 pm, which is where most arithmetic errors happen.
If you want the general version of this document, the free estimate template covers the fields that work across trades. This page is the roofing-specific version of the same idea.
Change orders, written before the surprise
The decking allowance is the honest part of a roofing estimate and the one most often left out. A one-page change order, signed before the extra work starts, turns a difficult conversation into an invoice line. Note the date, the reason (soft sheathing at the north slope), the quantity, the unit price already agreed, and get a signature. The guide to charging for extra work covers the wording.
Three prompts that do the boring part
1. Turn job notes into a line-item estimate
You are a roofing estimator. Job notes: 2000 sq ft footprint, 8/12 pitch, 2 layers of three-tab, two dormers, replacing 8 sheets of decking, two-story, chimney flashing reused. Produce a line-item estimate with quantity, unit, unit price and line total for tear-off, disposal, shingles, underlayment, ice and water shield, ridge vent, drip edge, decking allowance, labor, permit and steep surcharge. Show the square count and the waste factor you used. Flag anything that looks under-specified.
2. Audit an estimate for missing money
Here is my roofing estimate. Check it against this list: measurement basis, material spec, tear-off layers, disposal, decking allowance with a per-sheet price, flashing and penetrations, labor, permits, access surcharge, warranty, validity period and deposit terms. Tell me which lines are missing or ambiguous, and what a client could argue about later.
3. Write the change order
Write a one-page change order for a roofing job. Original scope: full re-roof, 28 squares, decking allowance 8 sheets. Added: 6 additional sheets of 7/16 OSB at the north slope, discovered after tear-off on day two. Use plain language, list the reason, quantity, agreed price per sheet, the new total, and a signature line for the client.
Frequently asked questions
How many bundles of shingles do I need per square?
Three bundles per square for three-tab and for most architectural shingles. Check the wrapper, because a few heavier lines run four bundles to the square, and ordering on the wrong assumption leaves you short at the worst moment.
What deposit should a roofing estimate ask for?
Enough to cover materials, not the whole job. A common split is 30 to 50 percent on signing and the balance on completion, with the deposit stated on the estimate itself so it is agreed before work starts.
Should I charge for the estimate?
Not for a drive-by measurement. Yes for a full inspection with a written scope, photographs and a material spec, because that is an hour of skilled work. If you do charge, deduct it from the invoice when the job is approved.
Do I include the permit in the estimate?
Always, as its own line, even when the homeowner pulls it. If it is buried in labor, the client assumes it was free, and the first inspection becomes your problem.
Related guides
- Free Estimate Template for Google Docs, Word and Excel
- Contractor Invoice Template: What to Include
- How Much to Charge for Pressure Washing
- Payment Reminder Email: 5 Templates That Work
- Free Quote Builder
Last reviewed and updated on November 14, 2026.
