Roofing quotes in the Lower Mainland for the same house routinely differ by 30 to 50%, and the difference is usually scope, not greed. One roofer has priced a tear-off, plywood allowance, synthetic underlayment, eave membrane, all-new flashing, sized ventilation and a ten-year workmanship warranty; another has priced shingles. Put the quotes side by side, match the lines, and the picture is clear in twenty minutes. Here are the twelve lines every quote should spell out, how to read the warranties and what a fair price looks like.
Before you compare: are they quoting the same roof?
Check the roof area each roofer used. One may have measured 22 squares and another 26 for the same roof (a square is 100 sq ft). If the areas differ by more than about 10%, ask; the difference is waste allowance, or someone measured from the driveway. Then check they're quoting the same material grade: architectural shingles from the same tier, the same metal gauge and finish, the same membrane system. A quote for a lighter shingle or 26-gauge steel isn't cheaper; it's for something else. The cost guide has the per-square-foot ranges by material.
The twelve lines every roofing quote should spell out
- Tear-off and disposal. How many layers, where the debris goes, dumpster and dump fees included. Expect about $1 to $3 per sq ft for one layer of shingles, $3 to $5 for cedar.
- Deck inspection and plywood allowance. The price per 4x8 sheet to replace rotten sheathing ($80 to $150 installed) and how they'll show you what they replaced. A quote with no plywood price has an open-ended extra built in.
- Underlayment. Synthetic or felt, over the whole deck, named by product.
- Eave and valley membrane. Ice and water shield at the eaves (at least 900 mm up), in valleys, around penetrations. Not code-required in the Lower Mainland's climate zone, but BC's roofing association and most roofers treat it as standard. Where exactly it goes.
- Drip edge and starter. Metal drip edge at eaves and rakes, a proper starter strip. See drip edge, soffit and fascia.
- Flashing. New step flashing at every wall, new counter flashing at chimneys, new valley metal, new pipe boots, skylight flashing kits. "Reuse existing where possible" is the line that leaks.
- Ventilation. Intake and exhaust by type and count, with the resulting vent area against the 1-in-300 rule. See roof ventilation.
- The roofing itself. Manufacturer, product line and colour, fastening (nails per shingle; clip spacing and gauge for metal), hip and ridge cap product.
- Accessories. Skylights replaced or reflashed, snow guards on metal, gutter work, soffit and fascia, chimney caps, anything else on the roof.
- Site protection and cleanup. Tarps over landscaping, plywood over decks, magnetic nail sweep, gutters cleared of debris.
- Price, taxes, payment terms. Total before and after GST, deposit (for contracts signed at your home, BC consumer law limits a direct seller's deposit to $100 or 10%, whichever is less), progress payments, and what triggers an extra.
- Warranties, both of them. The manufacturer's material warranty by name and term, and the roofer's workmanship warranty in writing with its length and exclusions. Plus the company's business licence, insurance certificate and WorkSafeBC clearance letter.
Make a grid with the twelve lines down the side and the three quotes across. Blanks are questions.
Reading the warranties
Manufacturer warranties cover defects in the material, not installation, and "lifetime" generally means as long as the original owner keeps the house, with a non-prorated period (often around ten years) followed by prorated coverage and reduced terms on transfer. Metal paint warranties split into film adhesion (long) and fade and chalk (shorter); PVDF finishes carry better fade terms than SMP. Read the document, not the brochure.
The roofer's workmanship warranty is the one that pays for a leak at a flashing. Two to ten years is common; longer exists. Ask what voids it (other trades on the roof, satellite dishes, solar mounts) and whether it transfers to a buyer. Extended warranties sold through manufacturer-certified installers add workmanship coverage backed by the manufacturer, worth asking about. RCABC members can offer the RoofStar guarantee on qualifying systems, with independent inspections and coverage that survives the contractor closing.
What a fair price looks like
For a 2,000 sq ft roof in architectural shingles with a single-layer tear-off, Lower Mainland roofers' published 2025 and 2026 prices overlap at about $11,000 to $20,000 before GST; for standing seam steel, $24,000 to $40,000. Vancouver and the North Shore sit at the upper end with surcharges for steep sites and access; Surrey publishes prices about 5 to 10% lower; the eastern valley quotes around Surrey levels. A quote well below the range is usually missing something from the twelve lines; a quote well above should come with a reason you can see (steep pitch, three layers, a heavy premium product). Roofers who publish their own prices say the same thing: cheap quotes are incomplete quotes.
Low, middle or high?
Not the lowest by default, and not the highest. Take the complete scope from the company that got on the roof and into the attic, explained what it saw, named its products and put both warranties in writing, at a price inside the range. If that's the middle quote, good. If two quotes are complete and $2,000 apart, ask the higher one why; sometimes it's a better shingle, sometimes it's a better margin.
Questions that sort the quotes
- Which items on your quote are not on the others, and why do you include them?
- Which of my roof's details worried you?
- What's the plywood price, and how do I know how many sheets you replaced?
- Who is on my roof, and who supervises?
- What happens if it rains mid-job?
- Can I see the insurance certificate and the WorkSafeBC clearance letter?
The how to choose a roofer guide covers the company checks in more depth. If you'd like three quotes from vetted roofers to compare this way, start your request; we send it to no more than three companies in your area, and you compare and choose.
Common questions
What should every roofing quote include?
Tear-off and disposal, plywood allowance per sheet, underlayment type, ice and water membrane locations, new flashing, ventilation, the exact product and warranty tier, workmanship warranty, insurance and WorkSafeBC confirmation, start date and payment terms.
Should I tell roofers what the others quoted?
You can, but it's more useful to ask each one to explain their scope. A roofer who can tell you why their price is higher, line by line, is often the one to hire.