The Only Roofing Estimate Template You’ll Ever Need

The top 20% of roofing contractor companies earn about $3 million a year. That sounds like a great business to be in, but it doesn’t mean that it’s a profitable business.

You can have a $3 million dollar business and still lose money. There are costs associated with every job, from labor to supplies. If you miscalculate them, you’ll lose money on the job.

The alternative is to charge your customers after the estimate. That frustrates clients and you’ll get a bad reputation.

A roofing estimate template saves your business from being known as a bait and switch company. You don’t have to underbid jobs or spend hours crunching numbers.

You’ll end up with a bid that is transparent to your customers and profitable for your business. How do you prepare a roofing estimate that always works?

Keep reading to find out.

Measure and Calculate Materials

This roofing price estimate template assumes that you’re bidding on a residential job that uses shingles. This is the most common roofing job.

You’ll need to figure out how many shingles you need for the job, and that’s going to be your biggest expense.

Measure the total square footage of the roof, including dormers and all planes. You’ll measure the length and width of each area and multiply them.

Add the totals together to get the total square footage.

Divide the square footage by 100 to get the number of roofing squares. Depending on the shingles you use, it could take about three bundles of shingles per square.

Be sure to add 10% to 15% more shingles to the order to account for waste.

Roof Inspection

The last thing you want to do is start a job to find that there are structural issues with the roof that have to get taken care of.

Even if the job calls for a quick repair or replacement of a few shingles, do a thorough inspection of the entire roof. Uncovering these issues now is good for you and the homeowner.

Check the condition of all of the shingles and flashing. Note any damage to the roof and inspect the eaves and valleys. Be sure to calculate the materials already on the roof.

You’ll be able to create a preliminary plan for the roof and communicate that with the homeowner.

Calculate Costs

You know you have to estimate materials and labor. Do you include overhead items in your estimates? This is one of the main reasons why so many roofing contractors underestimate their costs.

You still have to pay for rent, insurance, vehicle payments, fuel, and office supplies. Take these costs and add them as well. You can calculate some of these costs by taking the total and dividing it by the number of jobs you do each month.

Now calculate the materials. It’s not just the shingles you need. You’ll also need nails, flashing, underlayment, and vents.

Do you need to rent special equipment, such as a dumpster for the work? There might be delivery and transportation costs that have to get factored in.

Calculate labor by knowing how many people need to work on the job, how long it will take, and how you pay employees.

Review the building codes in your area. Complicated building codes could prolong the project and increase labor time.

Add in contingencies for bad weather and the complexity of the work. A roof that has a lot of angles will take longer to work on.

Determine Cost and Margins

What does the job really cost? You have preliminary figures, but those are only your costs to perform the work.

Figuring out the profit margin seems simple, but it’s where roofing contractors miss the mark. If you want to make a 10 percent profit, you’d calculate 10 percent and add that on.

Let’s say you have a $1500 job. If you used that method to calculate your profit margin, you’d charge $1650.

The reality is that you’re underbidding. Divide the costs by .9 and you’ll come up with $1666. It’s a slight difference, but when you bid on enough jobs in the thousands of dollars, it adds up to a profitable business.

Prepare your estimate so you give homeowners a few options to consider. You should have a low-range, mid-range, and high-range. These are largely based on the materials used.

You can explain to the customer the advantages and disadvantages of each option.

Leverage Your Time

This roofing estimate template is a framework to use when you’re bidding on projects. You’ll get accurate estimates every time, but the process is time-consuming.

Roofing estimate software considers all of the factors mentioned above and lets you enter data. It takes care of the calculations for you.

The best roofing estimating software has features like digital signatures. The software can be cloud-based, letting you and your team access the estimates from anywhere on any device.

You cut down on waste and save a lot of time in the process.

Presenting Your Estimate to Customers

In the end, you should have a clear picture of what a roofing job costs. You have to communicate that with the customer.

All of the information should be presented clearly. You can itemize the details to make the estimate transparent. This builds trust with the customer.

Make the estimate professional with your logo, contact information, and in a readable format.

Be prepared to answer questions that the homeowner might have.

A Simple Roofing Estimate Template

Are you ready to close more leads and get paid what you’re really worth? This roofing estimate template helps you do both.

This template reminds you to add the hidden costs of a job, such as insurance and operational expenses. You’ll bid at the right price each and every time.

Be sure to check out the blog for more tips to help you grow your business.

Adam Hansen
 

Adam is a part time journalist, entrepreneur, investor and father.