How to read a roofing quote in Las Vegas

The seven lines

1. Square count, measured. Did they walk the roof and draw a plan, or estimate from the street or a satellite? Ask for the plan. A roof quoted at 24 squares by one contractor and 30 by another is not two prices; it is two different measurements, and one of them is wrong.
2. The underlayment, named. "Underlayment" is not a product. The bid should name the manufacturer and product, and for a tile roof in this climate it should be a high-temperature synthetic or SBS-modified membrane. "30# felt" or a blank is a bid for the cheapest option.
3. Flashings, itemised. Valley metal, pipe jacks, vent flashings, wall flashings: new, or reused? A relay that reuses 20-year-old valley metal leaks at the valleys in three years.
4. Deck repair as an allowance with a per-sheet price. "Deck repair if needed, additional" is a blank cheque. The right structure is a stated number of sheets included and a stated price per sheet beyond that, approved by you before it is cut.
5. Disposal. Tear-off haul and dump fees as their own line. If it is missing, ask where it is.
6. Permit. Re-roofing in Clark County and the cities is permitted work. The bid should say who pulls it and what it costs. A contractor who suggests skipping the permit is telling you something.
7. Warranty terms in writing. The manufacturer's material warranty and the contractor's workmanship warranty, each with its term. "Lifetime warranty" with no document is a sales phrase.

Red flags

• One number, no lines.
• A price good "today only" or a discount that expires when the salesman leaves.
• Financing woven into the price so you cannot see the cash number.
• A full replacement quoted on a roof where nobody lifted a tile.
• Pressure to sign an assignment of benefits or contingency agreement before any scope exists.
• A large deposit requested before the contract. Nevada caps the deposit on owner-occupied residential work at the lesser of $1,000 or 10% of the contract (NRS 624.970); see below.

Comparing three bids

Line them up by the seven items. First check the squares agree; if they do not, someone measured wrong and you need to know who. Then compare the underlayment product, the flashing scope and the deck terms. Only then compare totals. A bid that is far below the others usually got there by leaving out flashings, using felt, or skipping the permit, and the "saving" comes back as a leak. A bid that is far above should be able to show you what the extra buys.

What belongs in the contract

The scope and price from the quote, unchanged. A start date and expected duration. The deck per-sheet price. The payment schedule. The permit. Certificates of insurance (general liability and workers' compensation) attached. Both warranties with their terms. And the contractor's Nevada licence number, which state law requires on the contract. If anything on that list is missing, ask for it before signing, not after.

Nevada basics: bond, deposits, recovery fund

Nevada licensed contractors carry a bond, and homeowners who hire a licensed contractor for residential work may have access to the state's Residential Recovery Fund if things go badly wrong; that protection does not exist if you hire an unlicensed contractor. Nevada also limits what a contractor can take up front on an owner-occupied residential job: NRS 624.970 caps the down payment at the lesser of $1,000 or 10% of the contract price (unless the contractor has filed a separate consumer bond), requires change orders in writing, requires the contractor's licence number and monetary limit on the contract, requires a written Residential Recovery Fund notice (NRS 624.520), and makes the contractor responsible for obtaining permits. Ask to see the bond and insurance certificates before you sign.

Whoever you hire, make them show you the paper.