Roofing Contract: What to Include Before You Sign

The one-page checklist (print this)

Legal entity name, physical street address, Wisconsin credential numbers

• Certificates of general liability and workers' compensation naming you as certificate holder
• Whether the crew is in-house or subcontracted, and who insures them
• Full scope by product name: shingle line and color, underlayment, ice-and-water shield and where it goes, starter, ridge cap, drip edge, all new flashing, ventilation, fasteners
• Tear-off vs. overlay stated in words, with layer count and disposal included
• Decking replacement priced per sheet, agreed before tear-off
• Permit pulled by the contractor, fee included
• Payment schedule, deposit amount, financing terms if you are using them, final payment after completion and permit close
• Material price escalation clause (capped, or struck)
• Wisconsin construction lien notice, plus lien waivers from suppliers and subs at final payment
• Manufacturer warranty tier and the separate workmanship warranty length, transferable or not
• Cleanup, magnetic nail sweep, property protection
• Change orders in writing, signed before work
• Start and completion window with weather language
• Dispute resolution, venue and attorney fee language
• Written cancellation rights, including the Wis. Stat. 100.65 insurance-restoration notice if a claim is paying

The legal entity, the license, and who actually swings the hammer

Your contract should name the legal business entity (LLC, Inc., or the person's actual name), a physical street address, a phone number, and the Wisconsin credential numbers. A "doing business as" name alone is not enough. If there is ever a dispute, you need to know who you are dealing with.

In Wisconsin, a company that contracts for and obtains building permits on one- and two-family dwellings must hold a Dwelling Contractor certification, with an individual at the company holding the Dwelling Contractor Qualifier certification. Without those, the permit does not issue. Verify both on the DSPS license lookup. It takes two minutes.

A P.O. box, a cell number and a magnet on a truck door is not a business address. After hail rolls through Dane, Rock or Green County, that combination shows up in driveways everywhere.

Insurance certificates that actually name you

Ask for certificates of general liability and workers' compensation sent directly from the agent, with your name and property address listed as certificate holder. In our experience, this is the step homeowners skip most.

Here is why it matters. If an uninsured crew member gets hurt on your roof, or a ladder goes through your bay window, the claim can land on your homeowner's policy. Legitimate contractors do not blink at the request.

In-house crew or subcontractors? Put it in the contract.

Either arrangement can produce a good roof. What you need in writing is which one you are getting, whether subcontracted crews carry their own liability and workers' comp coverage, and who honors the workmanship warranty if that sub is no longer working in the area in year six.

The right answer is that the company whose name is on your contract owns the warranty, regardless of who installed it. If the salesperson gets vague here, that is your answer.

What a fair price looks like in south-central Wisconsin

For a straightforward full tear-off with architectural shingles, installed pricing in our market commonly lands somewhere around $450-$750 per square (a square is 100 square feet of roof). On a typical 22-28 square Madison-area house, that works out to roughly $10,000-$21,000, with a simple gable ranch near the bottom and a steep, cut-up roof with dormers and valleys near the top. Multiple layers, hard dumpster access or upgraded systems push it further. These are ranges, not quotes, because the roof decides.

So when one bid comes in $4,000-$6,000 under the others, there is almost always a reason in the paperwork:

• It is an overlay, not a tear-off
• Felt instead of synthetic underlayment, or no ice-and-water shield at the eaves
• Reused flashing and cut-up field shingles for ridge cap
• No permit, no dumpster, or decking billed later at whatever it costs
• Uninsured or 1099 labor with no workers' comp
• A plan to make it up on change orders once the roof is open

Compare scopes, not totals. Two numbers on two pages mean nothing until the components match.

The full scope, by product name and quantity

"Tear off and install new architectural shingles" is not a scope. Every component should be named.

• Shingle line and color. The actual product line, not a category. Grades differ in wind rating, warranty and price. Class 4 impact-rated shingles are worth asking about in a hail corridor.
• Underlayment. Synthetic or felt, and which product.
• Ice-and-water shield, and where. In Wisconsin this is the clause that matters most. Eaves (state how many feet up from the edge), valleys, around chimneys and skylights, along walls. Ice dams do not care how nice the shingles are.
• Starter strip and ridge cap. Manufacturer starter and hip/ridge, not cut-up field shingles. Cut-ups are both a wind problem and a warranty problem.
• Drip edge. Eave and rake, with the gauge.
• Flashing. New step flashing at walls, new pipe boots, chimney counterflashing. On a Janesville re-roof we were called back to fix, the previous crew had reused old step flashing at a chimney and caulked it. It leaked the following spring into a finished bedroom ceiling. "Reuse existing flashing" should be a decision you made, not a default.
• Ventilation. Ridge vent linear footage, intake at the soffit, bath and kitchen fans terminating outside the attic.
• Fasteners. Nails, not staples, and the nail count per shingle.

Tear-off or overlay, stated explicitly

The contract should read "complete tear-off to the decking, all layers" or "overlay of one existing layer," with the number of layers being removed. Wisconsin code generally limits you to two layers of roofing, so a second layer usually means tear-off anyway. Disposal, dumpster and landfill fees belong in the price, not in a later invoice.

Decking priced per sheet, before the tear-off

This clause prevents more arguments than any other. Get a stated dollar amount per 4x8 sheet of 7/16 OSB or 1/2 plywood, agreed before anyone opens the roof, plus a line saying rot is photographed as it is found.

On a Stoughton ranch last year, the eave decking was soft about six feet up from the gutter line across the whole north side after years of ice damming. That was 11 sheets nobody could have seen from the driveway. Because the per-sheet price was already in the contract, it was a line item the homeowner had already approved instead of a negotiation on the lawn at 11 a.m.

Pre-1978 homes: lead-safe and asbestos language

Older Madison, Janesville and Beloit housing stock deserves a sentence in the contract. If the tear-off disturbs painted siding, soffit, fascia or trim on a home built before 1978, EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) lead-safe work practices can apply, and the firm should be certified. Some very old roofing felts and mastics contain asbestos, which cannot be ripped out like ordinary shingles. Ask how each is handled and who pays for testing if it comes up.

> Not sure the scope you were handed is complete? Call (608) 909-9109 and we will walk the estimate you already have, line by line, at no charge. If it is a good contract, we will tell you so.

Payment schedule, permits, financing and price escalation

The contract should state the total price, what triggers each payment, and that the final balance is due after completion, permit close and your walkaround. Be careful with any large payment demanded before materials are even ordered.

Financing. If you are covering a deductible plus upgrades out of pocket, get the payment terms in the paperwork, not in a handshake. We offer roofing financing and payment plan options, and so do many contractors. Ask for the term, the rate, whether there is a prepayment penalty, and who the actual lender is. A lender's name you can look up beats "we'll work with you."

Permits. Most south-central Wisconsin municipalities, including the City of Madison, require a building permit for a re-roof, and rules shift town to town. The contract should say the contractor pulls the permit and the fee is included. If a contractor asks you to pull it in your own name, that shifts responsibility for code compliance onto you. There is no good reason for it.

Material escalation clauses became common after 2021. They let the contractor pass along shingle or lumber price increases between signing and installation. That is not automatically unfair, but it should be capped (for example, only increases above a stated percentage, documented with a supplier invoice) and it should not apply if the delay is the contractor's fault. An open-ended escalation clause is a blank check.

The Wisconsin lien notice and lien waivers

Wisconsin law requires this one. Under Wis. Stat. 779.02(2)(b), a prime contractor on residential improvement work over $1,000 must give the owner a written notice of construction lien rights, usually printed right in the contract. If your contract has no lien notice anywhere, that alone tells you how carefully it was written.

The notice exists because unpaid suppliers and subcontractors can file a lien against your home even if you paid the contractor in full. Protect yourself at the end: before releasing the final payment, ask for signed lien waivers from the shingle supplier and any subcontractors used on the job. Any established company can produce them.

If insurance is paying: ACV, RCV, supplements and Wis. Stat. 100.65

The contract price should reconcile to your approved insurance scope, and the paperwork should say so. Here is the plain-English version.

On storm damage restoration in Dane County and the surrounding counties, we meet your adjuster on-site and document the hail and wind damage with them. What we do not do is take over your claim.

The 100.65 notice and your right to cancel if the claim is denied

Wisconsin has a statute written specifically for insurance-restoration work, and most homeowners have never heard of it. Under Wis. Stat. 100.65(2), a residential contractor selling goods or services to be paid from a property insurance claim must give you written notice (in conspicuous type) that you may cancel the contract until midnight of the 5th business day after you receive written notice from your insurer that all or any part of the claim or contract is not a covered loss. Cancel in writing within that window and the contractor has to return your deposits and payments, aside from emergency services you already requested and received.

Two more things live in that same statute. A contractor may not advertise or promise to pay or rebate any part of your deductible (100.65(3)), and a contractor may not represent or negotiate your insurance claim on your behalf unless properly licensed to do so. Documenting damage with your adjuster is fair game. Acting as your adjuster is not.

So look for two cancellation provisions in a storm job: the general home improvement cancellation language, and the 100.65 denial notice. Also watch for a page that is actually an assignment of benefits, which hands your claim rights to the contractor. You never have to sign one to get insurance work done right.

Two warranties, not one

Manufacturer coverage and workmanship coverage are separate, and both belong in writing.

The manufacturer warranty covers the shingles, and on certain enhanced systems, the full assembly of that manufacturer's components. The tier matters, and enhanced coverage is generally only available through certified contractors, which is part of why our GAF Master Elite certification exists. The contract should name the specific warranty being registered and confirm the contractor registers it after the job.

The workmanship warranty covers the installation, which is where most leaks actually start. Ours is 10 years on a full asphalt shingle roof replacement, written into the contract. Whatever number another contractor gives you, get the length, the exclusions, and whether it transfers to a buyer if you sell. "We stand behind our work" is worth nothing in year four.

Schedule, weather, cleanup and change orders

Most single-family re-roofs in our area are a one to two day tear-off and install once the crew starts, longer on large, steep or complex roofs. Weather moves jobs here, and a contract that says so is being honest. What you want in writing:

• Rain protection on an open roof. How the deck gets dried in each night, and responsibility for interior damage if a storm hits mid-tear-off.
• Magnetic nail sweep of drive, lawn and beds, daily and again at completion.
• Property protection. Tarps over landscaping, plywood over AC units and decks, protection for siding and gutters during tear-off.
• Change orders in writing, signed by you before the work happens. No verbal add-ons.
• Start and completion window with reasonable weather language, not a promised exact date in April.

Photograph your property before the tear-off

Do this the weekend before the crew shows up. It costs nothing and it is your only real leverage if something gets damaged.

Walk the house with your phone and take dated photos of the landscaping and beds, the siding and gutters on every elevation, the driveway and walks, the deck, the AC condenser, window screens, and the ceilings in every room plus the attic. If a gutter ends up dented or a ceiling gets a stain, a before photo ends the argument in about a minute. Email the photos to yourself so the date is locked in.

Install day logistics homeowners always ask about

• You do not need to be home for the tear-off, but you should be reachable by phone, because decking decisions happen fast.
• Move cars out of the driveway and off the apron. Crews need dumpster and truck access, and nails end up in driveways.
• Pets inside and away from the ceiling. A tear-off overhead sounds like a drum. Dogs and cats do much better in a basement room or at a friend's house.
• Attic dust is real. Decades of dust and old nail debris come down through the decking. Cover anything stored up there, and take fragile items off the walls in upstairs rooms.
• Noise runs roughly 7 a.m. to dusk. Plan naps and work calls accordingly, and give the neighbors a heads-up.
• Be home for the final walkaround. Check the magnetic sweep, gutters and downspouts cleared of debris, ridge vent, pipe boots and flashing, no shingle scraps in the beds, no new dents in gutters or siding, and look in the attic for daylight or stray nails. Then collect your permit close-out, the registered manufacturer warranty, the signed workmanship warranty and lien waivers before the final check leaves your hand.

Dispute resolution and the fine print on the back page

Read the back page. This is where the language that matters if things go wrong usually hides.

• Mandatory arbitration. Many contracts require arbitration instead of court, which can be fine but waives your right to a jury. Know before you sign.
• Venue and governing law. It should be Wisconsin, and ideally your county. An out-of-state venue clause on a Wisconsin roof is a red flag.
• Attorney fees. Watch for one-sided clauses where the contractor recovers fees and you never can.
• Late fees, interest and collection costs. Reasonable is reasonable. Punitive is worth negotiating out.
• Cancellation rights in writing. If a salesperson solicited the sale at your house, Wisconsin's consumer approval transaction law (Wis. Stat. ch. 423) generally gives you three business days to cancel, and the contractor must give you that notice in writing. That right turns on how the sale was solicited, so it does not automatically attach to every contract signed at a kitchen table, and if you initiated contact yourself it may not apply. Separately, the DATCP home improvement rules in ATCP 110 require the agreement to be in writing with the work, materials and dates spelled out. Ask which rules the contractor believes apply to your job and get the answer in the contract.

Red flags in the paperwork itself

Blank or vague scope. Blanks get filled in later, and not by you.

• A page that is really an assignment of benefits.
• "This price is only good today." Roofing prices do not expire at 8 p.m.
• A large deposit on a job not yet ordered or scheduled.
• An offer to cover, waive or eat your deductible. Prohibited by Wis. Stat. 100.65(3), and misrepresenting the price to a carrier is fraud. Your name is on the claim.
• No 100.65 cancellation notice on an insurance-restoration contract.
• No physical address, no credential number, out-of-state plates. Crews that appear after a hailstorm are gone before your first ice dam.
• One number on one line with no components listed.

If it goes wrong after you sign

Handle it in this order, in writing, and keep copies.

1. The contractor first. Email or certified letter with photos, a clear description and a requested repair date. Reference the workmanship warranty clause by name. Most legitimate problems end here.
2. The manufacturer second, if it looks like a material defect rather than installation. You will need the registered warranty and the product information from your contract, which is exactly why the shingle line belongs on the page.
3. Wisconsin DATCP third. The Bureau of Consumer Protection takes complaints on home improvement work under the ATCP 110 rules. Also call your municipal building inspector if the permit was never closed, since an open permit follows the house to closing.
4. Court last. Wisconsin small claims handles disputes up to $10,000. If you paid by credit card or financed the job, ask the lender about your dispute options too.

None of this works if the contract was vague. Every step above depends on a written scope you can point to.

Have somebody walk your estimate with you

We have run roofing, siding, gutters and windows out of Madison since 1979, family owned the whole way, and roofing is what our crews do every week of the season rather than something picked up after a hailstorm. We would still rather you sign a good contract with someone else than a bad one with us. A homeowner who understands their scope is easier to work with and happier five years later.

Bring us whatever you have. We will read the shingle line, the ice-and-water coverage, the ventilation, the decking language, the lien notice, the 100.65 notice and the warranty tier, and tell you what is solid and what is missing. If you want our number alongside it, we will write a real scope you can compare apples to apples, whether that is an asphalt shingle roof replacement or a targeted roof repair.

The on-site inspection and estimate are free, there is no pressure, and nothing gets signed in your driveway. Read what your neighbors in Dane, Rock and Green counties say in our customer reviews, then call (608) 909-9109 or reach out here and we will come take a look.