The Change Order Clause Can Change the Winning Bid

Two roofing proposals can show the same total and still expose you to very different costs after tear off. The difference is often buried in the change order clause. One contractor may list prices for damaged decking, extra layers and unexpected flashing work. Another may reserve the right to charge for anything outside the original scope without saying how the price will be calculated. Before you decide which roofer has the better number, find out how each company handles work that cannot be confirmed until the shingles come off.

Roofer comparison

A change order is a written adjustment to the original agreement. It should identify the condition that was discovered, the additional work being proposed, the price or pricing method, and any effect on the schedule. It is not supposed to be a vague permission slip for an open bill.

Roofing does contain legitimate unknowns. Shingles and underlayment conceal the deck. Metal flashing can hide deteriorated wood at a chimney or wall. A roof measured from outside may also turn out to have an extra layer that was not visible at the eave. St. Louis weather makes some concealed conditions more likely. Repeated wetting and drying can weaken wood around penetrations. Freeze thaw cycles can open small flashing failures. Ice damming at an eave can leave damaged decking several feet above the gutter even when the visible edge looks sound.

The existence of unknowns is not the problem. The comparison question is whether the roofer has defined how those unknowns will be documented, priced and approved.

Put the change order language from each proposal side by side. Look for answers to these points:

• Which concealed conditions can produce an additional charge?
• Are unit prices stated for common items such as decking replacement?
• Does the contractor provide photographs before covering the condition?
• Who is allowed to approve added work?
• Must approval be written?
• What happens if immediate work is necessary to keep the roof weather tight?
• Does the change affect the completion date?

A proposal that answers those questions gives you a usable comparison. A clause saying only that unforeseen conditions will cost extra does not tell you enough to estimate your exposure.

Separate a change from a correction

Not every additional task belongs on a change order. If a contractor omitted an ordinary part of the promised roofing assembly, correcting that omission is different from discovering concealed damage. For example, a proposal may already promise replacement flashing at a sidewall. The contractor should not later describe that same flashing as extra merely because it takes longer than expected.

Ask each bidder to distinguish three categories in writing: work included in the base price, optional upgrades chosen by you, and concealed conditions priced after discovery. This prevents an included item from quietly moving into the third category after work begins.

Product substitutions also deserve attention. If the written scope names an Atlas or Malarkey shingle, underlayment, intake vent or exhaust vent, a different product should not appear without your approval. A substitution may change color, installation requirements, ventilation performance or warranty eligibility. The change order should name the replacement product and any price difference. Words such as comparable material leave too much room for interpretation.

What it costs

The most useful cost terms are unit prices. A unit price tells you what one additional unit will cost if it becomes necessary. Decking is commonly priced by sheet, although plank decking may be priced by board foot, linear foot or a defined section. Extra layers may be priced by roofing square. Specialized flashing can be priced by linear foot or as a stated amount for each chimney, wall or penetration.

Units must be defined. A roofing square means 100 square feet of roof surface. It is not the same thing as one sheet of plywood or oriented strand board. A plywood sheet normally covers 32 square feet before cuts and waste. If one contractor quotes deck replacement per sheet and another quotes it per square, convert both figures to the same basis before comparing them.

Suppose one bid is $700 lower, but its decking rate is $45 higher per sheet. If tear off reveals 20 damaged sheets, that difference adds $900. The lower opening price would then become the higher price, even before considering other changes. You do not need to predict exactly how much wood is damaged. You need enough information to calculate a few reasonable scenarios.

Make three columns for each proposal:

1. The fixed contract price.
2. The listed unit prices for concealed work.
3. Items that have no stated price or pricing method.

The third column is the one to question. An unknown quantity is normal before tear off. An unknown rate does not have to be.

Decking deserves its own line

Older St. Louis houses may have plank decking rather than modern sheet decking. Gaps, splits and uneven boards can become visible only after removal of the existing roof. A roofer should explain what condition requires replacement or overlay and how that work will be measured. Ask whether the quoted rate includes material, labor, fasteners, disposal and any required adjustment at the eaves or rakes.

Do not treat every dark stain as proof that wood must be replaced. The relevant question is whether the deck is sound, adequately fastened and suitable for the specified roofing system. Photographs should show the location and condition clearly enough that you can understand why added work is being proposed.

Three tab shingles introduce another practical cost decision. Once a three tab roof is old enough that the shingles are brittle, losing granules and difficult to seal after manipulation, a small repair may stop being sensible even if the immediate leak is limited. That does not create permission for an unlimited change order. It means the contractor should pause, document what was found and give you a written choice between the defined repair and a broader scope.

What to ask

Start with one direct question: What can raise this price after tear off? Let the estimator answer before you suggest examples. The response will show whether the company has a routine process or relies on decisions made by the crew during installation.

Then ask these questions and have the answers added to the agreement:

• What is the price per sheet for damaged decking, and what sheet thickness is included?
• How is deteriorated plank decking measured and priced?
• What is the charge for removing an additional roof layer?
• Which flashing is included, and which flashing could become additional work?
• Will I receive photographs showing the condition before it is covered?
• Who contacts me, and how do I approve the work?
• Can the crew proceed without approval, and if so, under what narrowly defined emergency?
• Will every change order show both the added price and any schedule change?
• Does the stated unit price include labor, material and disposal?

Also ask who will be present when the roof is opened. A salesperson who wrote the proposal may not be the person supervising the crew. You need the name or role of the person authorized to explain a discovered condition and prepare the written change.

Permit requirements can affect changes too. St. Louis County contains many municipal permit desks, and requirements are not identical from one city to another. If newly discovered work changes the permitted scope, ask who contacts the applicable building department and whether added permit or inspection fees are included. The answer should be tied to the actual municipality where the house sits, not a general statement about St. Louis County.

Set an approval boundary

A practical agreement can allow a small, stated amount of necessary work without stopping the entire crew, while requiring written approval above that amount. If you accept such a provision, the dollar limit and eligible work should be explicit. Permission to perform up to $500 of verified decking replacement is specific. Permission to complete all work deemed necessary is not.

Ask how approval will be recorded. A signed document is clear, but an email or text can also create a readable record if the contract permits it. The message should identify the work, quantity, rate and total. A photograph without a price is documentation, not approval.

A useful change order answers four questions: What was found? Where is it? What work is proposed? What will it add to the bill?

If a bidder will not state common unit prices before signing, leave that uncertainty in your comparison sheet. Do not fill it with an optimistic estimate. Call the other bidders and ask the same questions using the same units. Keys Roofing can provide a written roofing scope with photos and measurements for the homeowner to review. To discuss a St. Louis roof and the terms you want defined before work begins, call (314) 220-2333.