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

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

Written and edited by Robert McLoughlin, founder of AustralianRoofers.com.

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

Listen on every podcast app

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

The AustralianRoofers.com Podcast is produced by Australian Roofers — Australia's verified directory of roofers. More episodes at australianroofers.com/podcast. The script and editorial were written and edited by Robert McLoughlin, founder of AustralianRoofers.com.

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