How to Read a Metal Roofing Quote, Line by Line

The Measurement Basis

The quote should state how much roof it covers and how that number was arrived at — measured on site, from drawings, or from aerial or satellite measurement. Roofing is commonly counted in squares, where a square is a hundred square feet of roof surface. Two quotes with different area figures for the same house are not comparing the same roof, and one of them has made an error. Ask what the area is and how it was measured before you look at anything else.

Tear-Off Versus Going Over

The quote must say whether existing roofing is being removed, and if so how many layers. Installing over existing material changes what can be inspected, changes the fastening, can trap moisture and may affect manufacturer coverage. If the quote proposes a go-over, it should say so explicitly and explain why. If it proposes tear-off, it should say how many layers are assumed and what happens if more are found.

Deck Inspection and Repair

Nobody knows the condition of the sheathing until the old roof is off. A good quote handles this honestly: it states that the deck will be inspected, defines what is included, and gives a stated unit rate for replacing sheathing beyond that, with a written approval process before that work is done. A quote that is silent on deck repair is not saving you money. It is deferring an unpriced conversation to a day when your roof is open and your leverage is gone.

Underlayment — Type, Coverage and Where

This line is frequently vague and it matters. Look for the type of underlayment (synthetic versus felt), whether a self-adhered ice and water membrane is included, and specifically where that membrane goes — eaves, valleys, around penetrations, along sidewalls, or the full deck. In Ontario, eave and valley membrane coverage is the detail that protects you when water backs up in winter. A quote that says only 'underlayment included' is not telling you what you are buying.

The Panel Specification

This is the heart of the document, and it should be precise enough that another contractor could order the same material from it.

The Trim and Flashing List

Panels are the easy part. Roofs leak at edges, transitions and penetrations, which means the trim list is where the real work lives. The quote should name each component rather than saying 'all necessary flashing'. Look for eave trim or drip edge, rake or gable trim, ridge cap, hip trim, valley flashing and how valleys are formed, sidewall and headwall flashing, kickout flashings where a roof meets a wall, transition flashing at pitch changes, and chimney or skylight flashing with the method described. Every one of those is a place where a corner can be cut invisibly.

Ventilation and Penetrations

The quote should say what happens to intake and exhaust ventilation. Ridge vent, existing box vents, bathroom and range exhaust terminations, plumbing stack boots and any powered vents all need a stated plan. Metal-specific pipe boots rated for the panel profile and for temperature cycling are not the same as generic asphalt boots. If ventilation is not mentioned at all, the assumption is that whatever is there now is being reused — ask whether that was assessed.

Rainware, Snow Retention and Related Scope

If eavestrough is included, the same detail applies as for the roof: profile, size, material and thickness, downspout size and count, hanger type and spacing. If it is not included, the quote should say so. Snow retention should be addressed explicitly on any steep metal roof where sliding snow would land on a walkway, a lower roof, a deck, a driveway or the eavestrough. Leaving it off is a legitimate choice only if it is a stated, discussed choice.

Site Protection, Disposal and Cleanup

Look for who provides the bin, where it goes, what protection is used for landscaping, siding and the driveway, whether a magnetic sweep is included and how often, and what condition the site will be left in. This is also where you find out whether disposal costs are included or billed separately.

Permits, Insurance and Documents

The quote should state who is responsible for obtaining a permit if one is required, and what happens if the municipality requires inspections. It should be accompanied by, or offer, proof of liability insurance and WSIB clearance. It should name which manufacturer warranty applies and state the contractor's own workmanship warranty in writing rather than describing it verbally. Verbal warranty terms are worth exactly nothing when the person who said them no longer works there.

Payment Terms, Exclusions and Change Orders

Payment should be a written, staged schedule tied to progress — something due at agreed points as the work advances, with a final amount payable after the walkthrough and deficiency list. Be cautious with any arrangement that front-loads heavily before materials are on site. Separately, look for a written exclusions list: what is specifically not included. A quote with no exclusions section is not simpler, it is less complete. And there should be a stated process for change orders — in writing, priced, and approved before the work happens.

Questions That Expose a Thin Quote

Ask what happens if the deck is worse than expected. Ask which specific product is being installed and to see the manufacturer's installation instructions for it. Ask where ice and water membrane goes. Ask for the trim list. Ask what is excluded. Ask what the workmanship warranty covers and to see it in writing. A contractor who has thought the job through answers all six comfortably. A contractor who has not will start talking about the price instead.