What three quotes tell you that one can't
A single quote is a number with no context. You can't tell whether $18,000 for your roof is fair, high or suspiciously low, and you can't tell what's been left out. With three quotes side by side, the picture appears on its own: the price range for your roof, the scope each roofer thinks it needs, and which company explains itself best.
Lower Mainland roofers who publish their prices say the same thing in their own words: quotes well below the going rate are usually incomplete. The cost guide has the ranges; three quotes show you where yours sit.
Why the scopes differ
Roofing has more hidden line items than most trades. One roofer prices a tear-off, a plywood allowance, synthetic underlayment, ice and water membrane in the valleys and at the eaves, new flashing at every wall and chimney, new vents sized to the attic and a ten-year workmanship warranty. Another prices new shingles. Both are "a new roof" on the first page of the quote.
The differences that matter most here, in our wet climate: whether the old roof comes off, how the deck will be repaired and at what price per sheet, where the membrane goes, whether flashing is new or reused, and whether anyone has looked at the attic ventilation. The line-by-line comparison guide lists the twelve things every quote should spell out.
Why the companies differ
Roofing isn't a licensed trade in BC, and anyone can call themselves a roofer. The companies that join our network have shown us a business licence, liability insurance and WorkSafeBC coverage, but beyond that they vary in what they specialise in, how they staff a job and how they communicate. Three site visits tell you a lot: who got on the roof, who looked in the attic, who explained the options and who just measured from the driveway.
How our matching works
You describe the roof once: your area, the type of work, what's on the roof now, how urgent it is and anything else you know. We send that to up to three vetted roofing companies that cover your area and do that kind of work. Never more than three, so you aren't fielding calls for a week. They contact you to arrange a look and send their quotes. You compare, ask questions, and hire the one you trust, or none of them.
Roofing companies pay us for the matched requests they receive. Homeowners never pay, and that fee doesn't change the price you're quoted. Your agreement is with the roofer you hire, not with us.
What to do with the three quotes
- Put them side by side and match the lines. Where one quote has a line the others don't, ask the others why.
- Ask each roofer what they'd do about the attic ventilation and whether they saw anything that worries them on the deck. The answers separate the ones who looked from the ones who didn't.
- Ask for the exact product name, the manufacturer's warranty document and the workmanship warranty in writing.
- Ask for a WorkSafeBC clearance letter and a certificate of insurance. Both are routine for a legitimate company.
- Don't treat the lowest price as the winner or the highest as the best. Pick the complete scope from the company you trust at a fair price.
Questions about comparing quotes
Isn't three quotes a lot of hassle?
Each roofer visits for 30 to 60 minutes and sends a written quote. For a purchase of $15,000 to $40,000, that's time well spent, and comparing them is how you learn what a fair price looks like.
Should I always pick the cheapest?
No. The cheapest quote is often missing something: tear-off, plywood allowance, flashing, ventilation or insurance. Pick the complete quote from the company you trust at a fair price.
How do you choose which roofers get my request?
By area and type of work. Your request goes to up to 3 vetted companies that cover your city and do what you described, and never to more.