By QuoteIron TeamUpdated 10 min read
Key takeaways
- An estimate needs the address and scope, the roof measured in squares (100 sq ft each), itemized lines, exclusions, payment terms, a warranty and an expiry date. Copy the template in this guide.
- Turn the footprint into roof area with the pitch multiplier: 1,500 sq ft at 6:12 is 1,677 sq ft, or 17 squares rounded up (illustration).
- At the $95 sample rate a per-square tear-off and re-shingle is $480 and locating and sealing a leak is $225; a 17-square re-roof built from book lines is $9,230.
- Quote rotted decking up front as a unit price ($130 per 4x8 sheet at $95) so any overage is a number the customer already agreed to.
- Replace the book’s mid-grade materials cost with your supplier’s price before you send a re-roof estimate.
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Searches for a roofing estimate template mostly return a blank form. A form is the easy part. What makes an estimate close is the number behind each line, and a measurement the customer can follow. This guide gives you the form, the measuring math and priced lines from the roofing book (priced September 2026): labor hours times your rate, plus materials with a 30% markup, rounded up to the next $5. Every figure not labeled an illustration comes from that book.
What every roofing estimate must include
Whatever software or paper you use, these are the parts a customer, an insurance adjuster or a later dispute will look for:
- Who and where: your business name, license or registration number if your state requires one on estimates, contact details, the customer’s name and the job address.
- Estimate number and date, so you can find it again and so a stale price cannot be claimed against you.
- Roof description: material (asphalt shingle, metal, tile, flat membrane), pitch, number of layers, and the measured size in squares.
- Scope of work: tear-off or overlay, underlayment, flashing, vents, drip edge, decking replacement rules and cleanup.
- Itemized price lines with quantity, unit and amount, and a total.
- Exclusions and unknowns: rotted decking found after tear-off, permits, structural repairs, interior damage.
- Payment terms: deposit, balance, accepted methods and when the balance is due.
- Warranty: your workmanship warranty in writing, and a note that the shingle manufacturer’s warranty is separate.
- Valid until: an expiry date, because material prices move.
- Signature and date lines for you and the customer.
The estimate page from Method (read October 19, 2026) lists the same core items and adds one distinction worth repeating to customers: an estimate is not a contract. Say so on the page, then turn the accepted estimate into a signed agreement.
A roofing estimate template you can copy
Paste this into a note, an email or your quoting tool and fill in the brackets. Delete any line that does not apply.
ROOFING ESTIMATE [Your business name] - [phone] - [email] [License or registration no., if required] Estimate no.: [number] Date: [date] Valid until: [date, usually 14 to 30 days] Customer: [name] Job address: [address] ROOF Material: [asphalt shingle / metal / tile / flat] Pitch: [x:12] Layers to remove: [n] Measured area: [n] squares (1 square = 100 sq ft) SCOPE [Tear off existing roofing to the deck. Install underlayment, drip edge, flashing and new shingles. Clean up and haul away.] PRICE [Line 1 - quantity x unit price] $[amount] [Line 2 - quantity x unit price] $[amount] [Line 3 - quantity x unit price] $[amount] Disposal / dumpster $[amount] Permit (at cost) $[amount] TOTAL $[amount] NOT INCLUDED [Rotted decking: $[price] per 4x8 sheet if found. Structural repairs, interior damage, permit fees if not listed.] PAYMENT Deposit: [amount or %] due at signing. Balance: due on completion by [methods]. WARRANTY [Workmanship: n years from completion.] Shingle manufacturer warranty is separate and registered by [who]. Accepted by customer: ____________ Date: ______ Contractor: ____________________ Date: ______
The “not included” block does the most work. Rotted decking is the classic surprise: the book has it as its own line at $130 per 4x8 sheet at $95, so you can state the unit price before the tear-off and the overage is a number the customer already agreed to, not a fresh argument.
“Rotted decking is the classic surprise”
Measure the roof in squares
Roofing is priced per square, so the first number on the estimate is area. Measure the footprint of the house (length times width of each section, or pull it from satellite imagery as in how to measure lawns, roofs and pools from satellite imagery), then multiply by the pitch factor, because a sloped roof has more surface than the floor beneath it. The factor is the hypotenuse of the pitch triangle: the square root of 1 plus (rise over 12) squared.
| Pitch (rise:run) | Area multiplier |
|---|---|
| 3:12 | 1.031 |
| 4:12 | 1.054 |
| 5:12 | 1.083 |
| 6:12 | 1.118 |
| 7:12 | 1.158 |
| 8:12 | 1.202 |
| 9:12 | 1.250 |
| 10:12 | 1.302 |
| 11:12 | 1.357 |
| 12:12 | 1.414 |
Illustration: a 1,500 square foot footprint at a 6:12 pitch is 1,500 × 1.118 = 1,677 square feet of roof, or 16.77 squares. Round up to 17 squares and add waste where your material needs it (hips, valleys and cut-heavy roofs waste more). For anything steeper than 8:12 the book has a steep-pitch surcharge line, priced per square, covered below.
Price repair lines from the book
Most roofing calls are repairs, and repairs are where a flat-rate book saves the most time. Here are seven common lines with the book’s typical hours and mid-grade materials, priced at the three sample rates:
| Book line | Hours / materials | At $75/hr | At $95/hr | At $125/hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service call & diagnostic, first hour | 1 h / $5 | $85 | $105 | $135 |
| Roof inspection & written report | 1.5 h / $5 | $120 | $150 | $195 |
| Locate & seal active leak | 2 h / $25 | $185 | $225 | $285 |
| Replace pipe boot / vent flashing | 1.5 h / $20 | $140 | $170 | $215 |
| Replace blown-off shingles, up to 100 sq ft | 2 h / $50 | $215 | $255 | $315 |
| Replace chimney flashing | 4 h / $70 | $395 | $475 | $595 |
| Replace fascia board, per 16 ft | 3 h / $55 | $300 | $360 | $450 |
Take locating and sealing an active leak ($225 at $95): two hours of labor is $190, the $25 of sealant and materials carries a 30% markup of $7.50, and the total of $222.50 rounds up to $225. Your rate and markup move all of these at once; see the full roofing flat-rate price book for all 64 lines.
Price a re-roof from per-square lines
A re-roof is a handful of per-square lines multiplied by the squares you measured, plus a few lump items. These are the book lines that build one:
| Book line | Hours / materials | At $75/hr | At $95/hr | At $125/hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tear off & re-shingle, per square (100 sq ft) | 3 h / $150 | $420 | $480 | $570 |
| Tear off extra layer of shingles, per square | 0.6 h / $15 | $65 | $80 | $95 |
| Steep-pitch surcharge, 8/12 and steeper, per square | 0.75 h / $8 | $70 | $85 | $105 |
| Install ice & water shield at eaves and valleys, per square | 0.5 h / $68 | $130 | $140 | $155 |
| Dumpster, debris haul-off and magnet nail sweep | 1.5 h / $400 | $635 | $665 | $710 |
| Roofing permit and municipal inspection coordination | 1.25 h / $220 | $380 | $405 | $445 |
Illustration, using the 17 squares measured above and only lines from the table: tear off and re-shingle at 17 × $480 = $8,160, plus the dumpster line ($665) and the permit line ($405), is $9,230 at $95/hour. The same job is $8,155 at $75 (17 × $420, plus $635 and $380) and $10,845 at $125 (17 × $570, plus $710 and $445). A tear-off of one square is 3 hours and $150 of materials: at $95 that is labor $285, parts $150 and markup $45, so $480.
Two cautions. First, the book’s materials cost is a mid-grade placeholder: shingle prices change with the supplier, so replace the $150 with your own invoice number before you send a re-roof estimate. Second, add the lines this job might need: a second layer to tear off ($80 per square at $95), steep-pitch work over 8:12 ($85 per square) or ice and water shield ($140 per square) at eaves and valleys.
Offer three options: Good, Better, Best
A customer with a leak will usually pick from a clear menu faster than from one number. At the $95 sample rate, built only from book lines:
| Option | What is in it | Price at $95/hr |
|---|---|---|
| Good | Locate and seal the active leak | $225 |
| Better | Good, plus replace the cracked pipe boot (vent flashing) | $395 |
| Best | Better, plus the annual tune-up that reseals all penetrations and flashings | $695 |
The Better price is $225 + $170 and the Best price adds the $300 tune-up. Each line is priced and rounded separately in the book, so adding them gives the total shown.
When the customer pushes back on the price
- “The other roofer is cheaper.” Compare scope, not totals: squares, layers removed, underlayment, flashing, disposal and warranty. Put your itemized lines next to theirs.
- “Why is there a charge for a dumpster?” It is its own line ($665 at $95) because it is a real cost that varies with the roof; listing it separately shows it is not padding.
- “What if you find rotted wood?” The estimate states the per-sheet price up front ($130 at $95), so any extra is the agreed unit price times the count.
- “Can you do it for less?” Offer the Good option rather than cutting your markup. Dropping the markup means working for free on every bundle of shingles.
- “I will think about it.” Leave the written estimate with its expiry date, so the next call starts from your number and a price that is not open forever.
How to quote it in about two minutes
- Set your real labor rate, materials markup and rounding once. Every number in this guide is the book’s sample, not yours.
- Measure the roof in squares and enter it as the quantity on the per-square lines.
- Open the Roofing book and add the matching lines: repair lines for a leak, per-square lines plus dumpster and permit for a re-roof.
- Replace the mid-grade materials cost with your supplier’s price on any line where shingles or metal drive the number, and add your exclusions and expiry date.
- Send the estimate for a signature and a deposit, then turn the accepted estimate into an invoice with one tap.
Prices checked October 19, 2026 against QuoteIron’s price book (priced 2026-09) at three sample hourly rates. Competitor and reference facts: Method roofing estimate template page (read October 19, 2026). The pitch table and the 17-square example are arithmetic with stated assumptions; the re-roof total is an illustration built by multiplying book lines. Not legal advice; check your state’s rules on licensing, estimates and contracts.
