What Should a Roof Replacement Contract Say Before You Sign?

Updated 2026-10-24 · Sources checked

"I have a hail damage claim and the company I contacted wants me to sign a contract stating I will stick with them to do the roof."

A homeowner who started a thread on r/Roofing wrote that, and it names the worry well: a signature that locks you in.

A contract protects only what it writes down. In California, a home improvement contract should list the description of the work, the price, the payment schedule, who pulls the building permits, and when the job will begin and end¹. Look for those items in any roof replacement contract, wherever you live. If one is missing, ask for it in writing before you sign.

Quick answer:

Ask for the work, named materials, price, payment schedule, permit and start and end dates in writing.
Pay in stages tied to finished work, and be wary of any roofer who demands full payment up front.
Check your policy and your deductible before you sign, and stop at any clause that signs your insurance claim over to the roofer.
Get any price change, including for damaged wood, in a written change order before the extra work starts.

On this page

What should a roof replacement contract spell out?
What if the roofer wants you to sign over an insurance check?
How to pay: tie money to finished work
What if the roofer finds rotten wood?
Cancelling after you sign: Georgia and Minnesota
Warning signs in the sales pitch
Checklist: what to have before you sign
Compare it with a second written quote
Quick questions

Today you can do one thing: ask the roofer to put every missing item in writing, then take the paper home and read it like you would any legal contract.

What should a roof replacement contract spell out?

It should say what work is done, with what, for how much, and when. A full replacement needs more detail on what comes off the roof.

Ask whether the old roofing is removed. A full replacement can mean removing all existing roofing material and replacing any damaged wood². Have the contract name the shingle brand and type.

On the permit, in College Station, Texas, replacing shingles requires a building permit³. Ask your local building department, then write into the contract who pulls it.

On the warranty, in California a labor or materials warranty should be in writing, with the parts of the work it covers and its duration⁴. Ask for the manufacturers' written warranties too.

Want to check the contract against what a replacement covers? What is included in a roof replacement.

What if the roofer wants you to sign over an insurance check?

Stop at that clause and ask what it does. It may be an assignment of benefits (AOB). Never sign one unless you fully understand the legal implications⁵. An AOB is a clause transferring your insurance claim rights to a third party⁶. If the roofer's paper has one, ask the roofer to take it out, or explain what the clause does, in an email.

Then there is the "we'll cover your deductible" promise. Your deductible is the part of a claim you pay before insurance pays, and in Texas it is illegal for a contractor to offer to waive, rebate or absorb it⁷.

If insurance is paying or may pay, this order keeps you prepared:

Read your policy to see your responsibilities⁸, and find your deductible.
Write down your questions from the checklist below, for the roofer and for the insurer.
Before you sign a contract or pay for repairs, call your insurance agent or company⁹ with those questions.
Sign only when the contract answers those questions.

What your policy covers is a question for your insurer, not for the roofer.

Wondering who is on the insurance check and when the rest arrives? Is roof depreciation recoverable, and how to get it back.

How to pay: tie money to finished work

Pay in stages that follow finished work. A roofer who demands full payment upfront is a warning sign¹⁰.

In California, a down payment cannot exceed 10 percent of the project price or $1,000, whichever is less¹¹. Consider writing into the contract that you withhold ten percent of the total price until the job is done, you are satisfied, and you have proof that all subcontractors and employees have been paid¹².

Wherever you live, ask your state or local consumer office whether there is a limit, and put the schedule in the contract.

What if the roofer finds rotten wood?

Decking is the wood under the shingles, which a roofer sees only once the old roof is off. One r/Roofing reply asks the question to put to your own paper: "Does your contract for the roof spell out what happens in the case of decking replacement?"

In California, a change in the contract price must be made in a written change order that becomes part of the contract¹. A change order is a signed paper that changes the price before extra work starts.

Ask each roofer to put the price per sheet of decking and the approval step in writing before you sign, not after the job is done. You can send this:

Please add to the contract the price for replacing any damaged decking, and say that no extra work starts until I sign a written change order. Please also send photos of any damaged wood you find.

If a roofer won't put this in writing, that is an answer too: weigh it against the bids that do.

Cancelling after you sign: Georgia and Minnesota

In Georgia, a buyer in a door-to-door sale has the right to cancel a written contract within three business days after signing it¹³. In Minnesota, when insurance proceeds pay a residential roofer's written contract, the insured can cancel within 72 hours after the insurer denies the claim¹⁴. If the contract depends on your insurer approving the claim, ask in writing what you owe if the claim is denied or pays less than the quote, and how you can cancel¹⁴.

Wherever you live, ask the roofer how you can cancel and what you would owe, and have the answer written in.

Not sure whether the roofer who knocked after the storm is legitimate? How to tell a real roofer after a storm.

Warning signs in the sales pitch

Pressure to sign today. Never let yourself be pressured into signing a contract for repairs or a new roof¹⁵.
No license or proof of insurance. Confirm the license with your state or county government, ask for proof of insurance and get a written contract¹⁶.
Spoken promises. A price, a date or a warranty that is not on the paper.

Checklist: what to have before you sign

Any "no" below is something to ask for in writing.

Work and materials: are the materials named, and is damaged wood covered?
Money: is the payment schedule tied to finished stages?
Permit and dates: who pulls the permit, and when does the job start and end?
Paper: is the warranty written, and have you seen the license and proof of insurance?
Insurance: if a claim is involved, have you read your policy and found your deductible?

Compare it with a second written quote

One r/Roofing commenter put the next move this way: "I think I’m going to cancel the contract and get another quote…" Two written quotes side by side show what each one leaves out.

Quick questions

What happens if a contract has no end date?

Nowhere in the contract does it say when the job ends, so you have no date to hold the roofer to. Ask for an end date in writing, and keep the reply.

How do I negotiate a roof replacement with insurance?

Your contract with the roofer is a separate paper, independent of what insurance says about your claim. Ask your insurer in writing which repair it would accept, who does it and by when.