Ask Each Roofer Which Bid Lines You Can Check Yourself

Every roof bid asks you to accept facts you did not measure yourself. The square count, the age of the existing layers, the number of vents, the shingle line, and the insurance certificate for the crew all arrive as typed lines. Some of those lines can be checked without relying on the roofer. Others can only be confirmed by asking, and the answer belongs in writing. Before you compare two or three bids, sort the lines into those two piles, then ask each roofer which lines they expect you to check and what they will give you to make the check possible.

Lines the county records can check

St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis both keep property records that the public can search online. The assessor's record for your parcel usually lists the living area, the year the house was built, and the lot size. It does not list the roof area, so it cannot give you a square count. It can, however, catch an address or parcel that does not match the house. If a bid names a different parcel number, a different street number, or a house size far off the assessor's figure, raise that before anyone climbs a ladder.

The footprint gives you a rough check on the roof itself. Roof area is larger than the floor area below it because of the pitch, and a steep roof, a porch, or a dormer adds surface the footprint does not show. Ask each roofer which pitch factor they used and how they arrived at the square count. A large gap between your rough figure and their count is a question to settle, not proof that either number is wrong.

The same record check works on the contract. Compare the parcel number, the address, and the owner name on each bid against the assessor's listing. Owners who share a deed, or who have a trust holding title, will see a difference in the name line, and that difference should be settled before signing rather than after the crew arrives.

A roof permit is also a public record. Many roof replacements in St. Louis County need a permit from the municipal building desk where the house sits, and cities within the county run their own desks. Ask each roofer which desk will issue the permit, who will be named as the applicant, and whether the permit will be pulled under the roofer's business name or under yours. Then call that desk and ask whether a permit application is on file for your address. A roofer who says the permit is handled should not mind that call.

Lines only the roofer can confirm

Missouri does not license roofers at the state level, so a state license number on a bid tells you very little. A city or county may require a business license or registration, and a roofer should be able to name which one applies in your community. Ask for the number and the issuing office, then check it with that office directly. The point of the check is to confirm that the business named on the bid is the business that answers to the local desk.

Shingle lines are worth separating from the rest. The bid should name the manufacturer, the product line, and the color, and the bundle wrapper should match the name on the bid when the pallet arrives. Keys installs Atlas and Malarkey shingles, so a bid that names another brand is a line to question. Ask the roofer to show you the bundle wrapper or the manufacturer's product sheet for the exact line before you approve the order, and ask what happens if that color is discontinued before your roof is scheduled. Shingles that sit through a St. Louis winter in a stack, or a summer in full sun, can also change how they handle on the roof, so ask where the bundles will wait between delivery and install.

A certificate of insurance on a bid is a document you can verify. It should name the policy holder, the policy period, and the coverage limits, and it should come from the issuing agent, not only from the roofer's file. Call the agent number printed on the certificate and confirm the policy is active on the start date. This check is about the crew being covered while they work on your property. It has nothing to do with any question about your own policy.

Crew scheduling is the line that changes most often, and it is also the one most worth asking about in writing. Ask who is on the calendar for your start date, how many other jobs that crew is running in the same weeks, and what the roofer will put in writing if the start moves. Hail season in the metro runs through spring and early summer, and a roofer working storm jobs may be stretched in those months.

Questions to send each roofer

• Which bid lines do you expect me to verify myself, and what will you give me to do it?
• Which permit desk will issue the roof permit, and under whose name will it be pulled?
• What is the business license or registration number that applies in my city or county, and which office issued it?
• Can you send the bundle wrapper or product sheet for the exact shingle line on this bid?
• Which agent issued the certificate of insurance, and what is that agent's phone number?
• How did you arrive at the square count, and what pitch factor did you use?
• If a line cannot be checked by me, what is the reason, in your words?

When the answers disagree

Two roofers will sometimes give you two different answers to the same checkable question, such as the permit desk or the shingle line. Do not pick the answer you like better. Write both answers down with the date and time you received them, then make the check yourself. A call to the permit desk settles the permit question. A call to the agent settles the certificate. A product sheet settles the shingle. If the public record and a roofer disagree, ask the roofer to explain the difference in writing before the crew is scheduled.

Lines that stay unverifiable after you have asked are not automatically a problem, but they do change how much weight the bid can carry. A roofer who says the square count came from a drone flight can send the flight date and the measurements. A roofer who says the count came from a sketch can name who drew the sketch. Either answer is usable. A roofer who cannot name a source is giving you a number with nothing under it.

If you are comparing bids this week, start with the permit desk and the assessor record, since both can be checked in an afternoon. Keys Roofing takes questions at (314) 220-2333, and the same questions above apply to any roofer on your list.