Compare the Questions Each Roofer Asks Before Your Visit

When a roofer calls back about your job, the first thing they ask tells you what they plan to measure. Some want the age of the roof and the number of layers. Some ask about the pitch before they ask about the shingle color. Some never ask anything at all and go straight to a date. Each of those patterns predicts a different kind of bid, so the questions are worth comparing before you book a visit or agree to a walk.

St. Louis homeowners usually hear from several contractors after a storm or after a stain shows up on the hall ceiling. The calls blur together. Writing down the first three questions each caller asks, in the order they ask them, gives you a record you can compare when the written proposals arrive. You do not need to be an expert to do this. You need a sheet of paper and the same five questions for each company.

Roofer comparison

Start with what the roofer asks about the house. A careful estimator asks which side of the house gets the most sun, whether there is a second story, whether the garage roof joins the main roof, and whether anything is mounted on the roof, such as a satellite dish, a vent or solar panels. Those questions show the estimator plans to walk the whole roof, not just count squares from the street. A caller who asks only for your address and the year the house was built may give you a number before anyone has looked at the valleys.

Next, notice whether the roofer asks about the decking or the attic. Useful questions include whether the attic is finished, whether there has been a known leak, and whether you have had repairs before. Repairs matter because an earlier patch can change what sits under the shingles, and a new bid should say how it will handle that. A roofer who never asks about past repairs has not yet thought about the part of the roof you cannot see.

Then listen for questions about timing. In St. Louis the calendar matters. A roofer who asks whether you need the work finished before the first hard freeze, or whether a shingle order should go in ahead of a dry stretch, is thinking about the weather that will govern the job. A roofer who asks only whether you can be home on Tuesday is thinking about their own schedule. Both questions are fair, but they point to different priorities, so write down which one came first.

Finally, compare how each caller treats your answers. Some roofers take notes and repeat your answer back. Others move on without reflecting it. The repeat matters because it is the first sign that the bid you receive will reflect what you said. If a roofer gets the number of stories wrong on the phone, the proposal may carry the same mistake into the price.

What it costs

A first conversation does not carry a price, and you should not accept one before anyone has measured the roof. The question that affects your money is whether the roofer charges for the visit and whether that charge is credited to the job if you sign. Ask this during the first call, not after the crew is on the ladder. Write the answer next to your other notes so the cost of each visit sits beside the quote that follows it.

Some roofers ask for a deposit before they will schedule a walk. Others take no money until a contract is signed. Neither approach is wrong on its face, but they change what you can compare. A deposit paid before the walk is a commitment that makes it harder to walk away from a weak bid. The fairer comparison is the total cost of reaching a signed proposal, including any visit fee, rather than the price of the shingles alone.

Ask also whether the estimate will show the square footage, the pitch and the number of layers, and whether those numbers will appear in the proposal itself. A quote that lists one lump sum gives you no way to check whether the crew measured the same roof as the next company. A quote with a stated square count and pitch lets you compare two bids on the same ground.

What to ask

Use the same five questions with every roofer. First, ask who will walk the roof and whether that person will also write the proposal. Second, ask what the estimator will measure and whether those measurements go in writing. Third, ask how many layers they expect and how they will confirm it. Fourth, ask whether a deposit is required before the walk. Fifth, ask what they need from you to schedule the visit.

Write the answers as you hear them. Do not rely on memory when the proposals arrive a week later. A short list with one line per company is enough. Mark any answer that was vague, such as "we will see when we are up there," because that answer suggests the bid may carry allowances rather than fixed scope.

If a roofer asks for your insurance information during the first call, pause and ask why. Keys Roofing can document damage, put a written scope with photos and measurements in your hands, and attend as the contractor while you deal with your own insurer. A roofer may not represent or negotiate your insurance claim, and Missouri law under RSMo 407.725 forbids a roofing contractor from doing so and from saying anything about paying, waiving or covering a deductible. A contractor who offers to handle the claim for you is asking you to accept a role the statute does not allow.

Keep the list in the same folder as the proposals. When the written bids arrive, lay them beside your notes and check whether each one answers the questions you asked on the phone. The bid that matches what was said in the first call is usually the one that will be easier to hold to. If you want to ask Keys directly what its first visit includes, the office line is (314) 220-2333.