Five Roofing Words to Define the Same Way for Each Bid

Two roof bids can use the same word and mean different work. A homeowner in Kirkwood or Affton comparing three St. Louis roofers will see squares, dry-in, tear-off, drip edge and exposure in nearly every packet, and those words rarely come with a definition. Before anyone compares totals, each word needs one meaning that every roofer agrees to in writing.

This page takes the five words that cause the most trouble when a homeowner lays two bids side by side. None of them is hidden or unusual. The trouble comes from each roofer using the word a little differently and nobody asking.

Squares

A square is 100 square feet of roof surface. Most bids price shingles, underlayment and labor by the square, so the square count sets the base for every line that follows. A roof measured at 28 squares and one measured at 31 are different jobs before anyone has discussed shingle grade or crew size.

Ask each roofer two things. First, is the count gross, meaning the full area before skylights, chimneys and vents are removed, or net, meaning the area after those openings come out? Second, is waste added on top, and if it is, at what percentage? Waste is usually a separate line, and it changes the shingle order. If a roof measures 26 squares net and the bid adds 10 percent waste, the shingle order is 28.6 squares, not 26. Two roofers can quote the same 26 squares and order different amounts of shingle without either one misrepresenting anything.

When you compare, put both bids on the same basis first. Divide each total by the same net square count, then compare the results. The word squares needs a footnote on every bid, because the footnote is what makes the price per square mean anything.

Dry-in

Dry-in means the roof is closed against weather. Underlayment is down, the deck is covered, and rain cannot reach the attic through the new roof. It does not mean the roof is finished. Shingles may be unloaded and not yet installed, the ridge cap may be missing, and the cleanup and final walk are still ahead.

Dry-in matters for money because some bids tie a payment to it. If the bid says dry-in triggers a payment, ask what dry-in includes on your house. Ask specifically whether step flashing, valley metal, pipe boots and starter strip are finished before the word applies. A bid that calls the roof dried in while the pipe boots are still in a box has not reached dry-in in any sense you would want to pay for.

St. Louis weather makes the question sharper. A deck left open overnight during a spring storm can take water through the seams, so the bid should say who inspects the deck and the tarp at the end of each day. The word dry-in should be tied to a specific list of finished items, not to a feeling the crew has at four o'clock.

Tear-off

Tear-off means removing the old roof, but bids describe it in very different ways. Some mean the shingles only. Others include the old underlayment, the nails left in the deck, the drip edge, the debris and the haul-away. Some include a second layer if one turns up, and some assume one layer and price any extra layer later.

Older houses across St. Louis County often have two layers. A roof that looked like one layer from the ground can reveal a second once the first course comes up. Ask each roofer how many layers their bid assumes, whether that number was counted on your roof or taken from a street view, and what they charge if the count comes in higher. Ask whether disposal is a separate line, billed by the load or by the ton, and whether the bid says where the old material goes.

A tear-off line that only says remove existing roofing tells you almost nothing. A tear-off line that names the layers, the underlayment, the nails and the haul is something you can check when the dumpster arrives.

Drip edge

Drip edge is the metal flange along the eaves and rakes that directs water past the fascia and into the gutter. It also gives the shingle edge a clean line. Bids handle it in two ways. Some list drip edge as its own line with a length and a metal type. Others fold it into a general edge metal figure, or leave it out and assume it will be there.

When the drip edge is missing or vague, the roof can look finished from the street and still differ at the eave. Ask whether the bid replaces drip edge on every eave and rake, or only where the old metal is damaged. Ask what metal and what finish, and whether the piece sits under or over the underlayment at each edge. Those details are short to write and easy to compare across bids.

If you plan to keep your gutters, ask whether the bid disturbs them and who reattaches them. That question belongs with the drip edge question, because the two lines meet at the fascia.

Exposure

Exposure is the portion of each shingle course that shows after installation. It is set by the shingle product and its installation instructions, and it determines how many courses fit between the eave and the ridge. Roofers do not always put exposure on a bid, but it is a real number, and two roofers installing the same product should arrive at the same figure.

Ask each roofer what exposure their bid assumes, in inches, and ask them to confirm it matches the manufacturer's instructions for the product named on the bid. A roofer who says standard install has told you nothing you can check. A roofer who gives a number can be held to it on the day the shingles go up. Ask to see the chalk lines before the first course is nailed, so the number is visible on your roof, not just on paper.

Five words, one written reply

Send each roofer the same short list and ask for a written reply. A reply given on a phone call does not settle anything by itself. The answer should appear in the bid or in an email you keep with the bid. Use the same five words in the same order for each roofer so you can read the answers side by side.

Keep the replies in one folder with the bids. When two replies disagree, go back to the roofer whose answer is different. Ask them to restate the line in their own words and to say where in the bid it appears. Do not split the difference or pick the lower number before the disagreement is resolved.

What to ask, in order

1. Is the square count gross or net, and is waste added on top, at what percentage?
2. Does dry-in include step flashing, valley metal, pipe boots and starter strip?
3. How many layers does the tear-off assume, and what happens if the count is higher?
4. Is drip edge its own line, with a length, a metal type and a finish?
5. What exposure in inches does the bid assume for the shingle named on the bid?

A worked example

Suppose two bids arrive for the same house. Roofer A lists 26 squares with no waste line and an order that matches 26 squares. Roofer B lists 26 squares with 10 percent waste and orders 28.6 squares. A homeowner comparing the totals may see Roofer B as higher and decide Roofer A is cheaper. The real comparison is the same roof with the same shingles, and the difference is whether waste sits inside the price or on its own line. Neither bid has to be wrong for the totals to mislead.

Now add drip edge. Roofer A folds it into edge metal. Roofer B lists it by the foot. The bids look close until you ask what each one includes, and then one may be carrying metal the other has not priced at all. The fix is the same as before: put the word in writing, and read every bid against the same list.

Calling the office

If a roofer's answer on any of these words is vague, call and ask again with the list in front of you. Keys Roofing can be reached at (314) 220-2333. Whichever roofer you talk to, the answers on the phone should match the written scope you receive. If they do not, trust the written scope, and put the difference back to the roofer before you decide.