Roofers: what it costs and what to ask

Most single-family roofs are a one to two day tear-off and install. Here's what stretches it, what shortens it, and what a roofer should tell you first.

National roof cost averages are close to useless for your house. What actually drives the number, and how to read three bids against each other.

You don't have to leave, but you'll want to plan the day. What the noise, dust, and vibration actually do to a house during a tear-off.

What a roofer actually looks at during an inspection, how long it takes, and why a free inspection and a paid one have different incentives.

Nearly every full roof replacement needs a permit, and your roofer should pull it. What it buys you, and why being asked to pull it yourself is a warning.

A modest deposit is normal, full payment upfront is not. What roofing deposits are for, what's typical, and the payment terms that protect you.

The clauses that decide what happens when a roofing job goes wrong — scope, decking price, payment schedule, warranty, and the insurance clause.

You have two roof warranties from two different companies, kept in different places. How to track down both, including when the roofer is out of business.

The specific ways roofing jobs go wrong — storm chasers, deductible offers, phantom damage, vanishing deposits — and the check that stops each one.

A denial is a position, not a verdict. How to find the real reason in the letter and the escalation path many homeowners never use.

Decking is the one charge that appears after the roof is already open, when you can't shop or verify. How to make it checkable before you sign.

Measure your roof in squares and see what the work usually runs.

Already have a written quote? Check it line by line against published prices.