Get three roofing quotes on Long Island and you will usually get three numbers far enough apart to be describing different projects — because they are. The quotes are not prices for the same roof; they are descriptions of three different roofs, and the description is the part almost nobody reads.
The line items that must appear, or the quote is a guess
- Tear-off, and to what. "New roof" over existing layers and tear-off to deck are different products at different prices.
- Deck repair contingency, with a unit price. Nobody knows what the sheathing looks like until the shingles are off. A quote with no stated per-sheet price is a quote that becomes a negotiation on the morning your roof is open.
- Ice-and-water shield — where, exactly. Eaves, valleys and penetrations at minimum. "Includes ice and water" without locations is not a spec.
- Underlayment type across the rest of the field.
- Ventilation math. Intake and exhaust, both numbers. A ridge vent with no soffit intake is decoration.
- Flashing: replaced or reused. The single most common hidden difference between bids. Reused step flashing is where the cheap bid lives.
- The shingle, by name and line — manufacturer, product, wind rating. "Architectural shingle" spans a wide price and quality range.
- Disposal, permit if needed, and who protects the landscaping.
Where the cheap bid hides its money
A quote a few thousand under the others is not generosity; it is subtraction. The usual suspects, in order: reused flashing, no deck contingency (it becomes a change order instead), thinner or unnamed underlayment, three-tab caps cut from field shingles instead of a ridge product, no ventilation work, and a crew paid by speed on a roof nobody supervises. None of these are visible from the driveway on the day the crew leaves. All of them are visible in year six.
The expensive bid deserves questions too
The highest number is not automatically the best roof. Ask what the extra money buys — a heavier shingle line, full flashing replacement, extended workmanship coverage — and whether those upgrades are ones your house needs. A premium designer shingle on a plain ranch three blocks from the bay is money that would have been better spent on stainless fasteners and ventilation.
Warranty language: read the noun
Manufacturer warranties cover the shingle against defect — they do not cover installation error, and installation error is what actually fails. The warranty that matters day to day is the contractor's workmanship warranty: how many years, in writing, and whether the company will plausibly exist to honor it. A twenty-five year workmanship promise from a truck with out-of-state plates is worth the paper.
Long Island specifics worth checking
Wind rating matched to your exposure — south shore and elevated homes need the higher-rated install pattern, which is more nails per shingle and a real line item. Hardware upgraded near salt water. And the license: Suffolk and Nassau each license home improvement contractors separately, and the number should be on the quote itself. If it is not on the paperwork, ask why not.
The one-page test
Put the three quotes side by side and check them against the list above. The honest ones answer every line. The vague one is not cheaper — it is unfinished, and you will finish it later, at change-order prices. We write ours so this test is easy to run against anyone, including us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my three roofing quotes so far apart?
Because they describe three different roofs. The spread usually lives in what is not written: reused versus replaced flashing, tear-off versus roof-over, deck contingency versus morning-of change orders, real underlayment versus the cheapest felt, and ventilation work versus none. Make every bid answer the same checklist and the spread usually collapses.
What is a deck repair contingency and why does it matter?
Nobody knows the condition of the sheathing until tear-off. An honest quote states a per-sheet price for replacing rotted decking before the job starts. A quote without one converts that discovery into a negotiation held while your roof is open — which is not a negotiation you win.
Does the manufacturer warranty cover a bad installation?
No. Manufacturer warranties cover the shingle against manufacturing defect. Installation error — which is what actually fails on most roofs — is covered only by the contractor's workmanship warranty. That is the number to compare: years, in writing, from a company that will exist to honor it.
Should I just take the middle bid?
No — take the complete bid. The middle number can be the vaguest paperwork of the three. Run every quote against the same line-item checklist; the one that answers everything in writing is the one describing a real roof, whatever its rank on price.
Related Reading
- Roof Replacement Cost on Long Island — the honest number ranges
- Hiring a Roofing Contractor — the questions before the quotes
- Roof Ventilation — the line the cheap bid always drops
- What a Real Inspection Covers — before anyone quotes anything
- Storm Damage Roofs — when insurance is part of the math
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