Three roofing quotes, one of them thousands cheaper — which do you trust? The price is the easy part. This episode decodes a roofing quote line by line: the six things a good quote should always tell you, from scope and exclusions to licensing, the two separate warranties, payment terms, and the small signals that separate a professional from a cowboy. The cheapest quote is usually cheap because it left something out.
A real quote spells out scope: area in square metres, materials by name, and what happens to the old roof
Exclusions matter as much as inclusions — old-roof disposal, scaffolding, rotten battens and asbestos are the classic catches
Licence number plus public liability and home warranty insurance should be on the document, not promised verbally
There are two warranties — manufacturer's on materials and the roofer's on workmanship — and you need both in writing
Be wary of large up-front deposits; a fixed price beats an open-ended 'we'll see what we find'
Professional signals: company letterhead, a valid ABN, a named contact and a realistic timeframe
The cheapest quote is often cheap because it left something out — and you pay for it later
Roof repair costs in Australia
Licences, insurance and warranties to check before hiring a rooferFull show notes and transcript: australianroofers.com/podcast/reading-a-roofing-quote
The AustralianRoofers.com Podcast is produced by Australian Roofers — Australia's editorial directory of roofers. More episodes at australianroofers.com/podcast. Produced with AI narration.