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Roofing contract template

Most roofing disputes are not about workmanship. They are about what was in the scope, who pays for the deck, and when money changes hands. This skeleton puts all three in writing before the crew arrives — ten clauses, editable in the page, printable as a working draft.

Two-colour print of a document weighted on a tailgate
A folded document weighted by a reel on a tailgate.
Roofing contract — working draft

Ten clauses, each editable. This is a skeleton to fill and take to your own attorney — not legal advice, and not a substitute for your state’s required notices.

1. Parties and property

2. Scope of work

3. Expressly not included

4. Materials

5. Deck contingency

6. Contract sum and payment schedule

7. Change orders

8. Warranties

9. Schedule, access and site

10. Insurance, licence and lien

Contractor signature / date

Owner signature / date

This is a skeleton, not legal advice

Consumer-contract law is state law. Right-to-cancel notices, mechanic’s lien wording, licence disclosure and insurance-claim clauses vary and several states make specific language mandatory. Take a filled draft to a lawyer in your state before you use it on a job.

The three clauses that prevent arguments

Exclusions. Naming what is not included is more useful than naming what is. Chimney masonry, gutters and interior repair are the usual surprises.

The deck contingency. A percentage allowance plus a stated per-sheet rate — sheathing runs $2 to $8 a square foot installed — turns the worst conversation on the job into a line both sides already signed. See the decking guide.

Change orders in writing. One sentence saying no verbal change binds either party removes the entire category of “but you said”.

Payment schedules that protect both sides

A deposit that covers material, a progress payment on delivery, and the balance on completion is the shape that works. A demand for most of the money before anything arrives is the single loudest warning sign in residential roofing, and several states cap what can be taken up front. Never pay a final balance before the final inspection.

Insurance work needs two extra lines

If the job is being paid by a claim, say so, and say what happens if the carrier approves less than the contract sum or issues a supplement for more. A contractor offering to “cover the deductible” is proposing insurance fraud in most states — see the claim guide. Build the estimate on the estimate template first, then move the accepted scope here.

Related

Sources

  1. Fixr, Roof Replacement Cost (updated 4 February 2026) — read 2026-09-04