How Long Each Roofer Takes to Put a Written Bid in Your Hands

A roof bid that arrives three weeks after the site visit is not the same document as one that arrives the next morning, even when the numbers match. The gap matters because a homeowner comparing roofers usually has to hold a decision open while shingle prices move, crew calendars fill, and the weather changes its mind. This page covers one narrow question: how long each roofer takes to put a written bid in your hands after the visit, and what that delay tells you before you sign anything.

Roofer comparison

Start by writing down the date of each site visit. Many homeowners remember the visit and forget the date, which makes the turnaround impossible to measure later. Put the date on the same sheet as the roofer's name, the phone number and the name of the person who walked the roof. If a roofer walked the roof with you, the date is the day you stood in the yard together. If someone measured from the street or used an aerial image, note that too, because a bid built from a screen starts from a different place than one built from the roof itself.

Next, ask each roofer for a written date by which the bid will reach you. Ask it in one sentence and write down the answer exactly as given. A roofer who says about a week has offered a range you can check. A roofer who says when it is ready has not offered a date at all. Keys Roofing puts a written scope with photos and measurements in the homeowner's hands, so the comparison should cover what arrives with the number, not only the total. A bid that includes photos of each slope and a measurement sheet takes more work to produce than a single line with a price, and you should expect that difference to show up in the turnaround.

Then compare the turnaround against your own calendar. If a lender, a family member who is helping pay, or your own schedule needs a written scope by a certain date, the turnaround becomes a deadline. Work backward from that date. A bid that arrives four days before you need it leaves time to read it, call the office with questions and compare line items across bids. A bid that arrives the afternoon before the deadline leaves you choosing between roofers on price alone, which is exactly the comparison this page is meant to help you avoid.

Turnaround also shows how a roofer runs the rest of the job. A roofer who promises a bid by Friday and delivers it Friday is showing you a process you can check again at the start date. A roofer who misses the promised date without calling first is showing you how the calendar will run once the crew is on your roof. Write down the missed dates as plainly as the on-time ones. They belong in the same column.

Ask whether the turnaround changes if you request a revision. Many homeowners ask a roofer to remove a line, change the underlayment, or add a gutter run after the first bid comes in. Each revision is a second document, and the second document has its own clock. Ask each roofer how long a revised bid takes and whether the revised bid resets the expiration date printed on the first one.

Finally, keep the visit date, the promised date and the actual delivery date together in one file. The record is short, but you will want it if the start date moves later in the season. A dated record is also the simplest way to see whether two roofers who quoted close to the same number were working at the same pace.

What it costs

The turnaround itself does not carry a dollar figure, but the delay affects what the bid is worth. Material prices move while a bid sits on a kitchen table. Asphalt shingle prices, underlayment rolls and metal drip edge can all change between the day a roofer runs the numbers and the day a crew places the order. Ask each roofer whether the price holds for a stated number of days, and whether it can change if materials rise before the order goes in.

Crew scheduling is the second cost. In St. Louis the roofing season is busy from spring through fall, and a roofer who holds a crew for your job may release that slot if the bid sits unanswered. If you request a bid and then wait three weeks to decide, the start date you were given can move. Ask each roofer what happens to the scheduled start if you accept after one week, after two weeks, or after the expiration date. The answer is a cost, even when no money changes hands on the day you ask.

Trip charges can come back into the picture too. Some roofers include a second visit for measurements or a follow-up look at a flashing detail. Others bill for a return trip. If a roofer's timeline depends on a second visit, ask whether that visit is included in the price and when it would be scheduled. The line for a second visit should appear on the written bid, not only in a text message or a phone call.

There is also the cost of your own time. A bid that arrives early gives you days to read it, compare it with other bids and call the office with questions. A bid that arrives late compresses that reading time. Homeowners often make the final decision in the last two days before a deadline, which is when a missing line, such as the drip edge or the ridge vent, is most likely to be overlooked. A quick turnaround does not make a bid correct, but it leaves room to find the errors before the crew arrives.

Keys Roofing can be reached at (314) 220-2333 to ask about its own bid timing for your address. Call before you compare numbers, so the dates you write down match the dates the office gives you.

What to ask

Ask each roofer these questions in writing, and keep the answers with the bid:

• On what calendar date will the written bid reach me, and how will it be delivered?
• Does the bid include photos of each roof slope and a measurement sheet, and when will those arrive?
• How many days does the bid price hold, and does it change if shingle or metal prices rise before the order is placed?
• If I request a revision, how long does the revised bid take, and does the expiration date reset?
• Is a second visit included in the price, and when would it be scheduled?
• If I accept after the expiration date, what happens to my start date?

Write the answer under each question, along with the date you asked and the name of the person who answered. Keep the sheet with the bid when you open it again. If a roofer answers by phone, send a short email or text that repeats the answer, so there is a written version of the date.

Ask one more question that is easy to skip: which person in the office will send the bid, and who will answer questions about it. A bid that comes from a named person is easier to follow up on than one that arrives from a general inbox. It also tells you whom to call if the date slips.