Dad Agreed to a Roof Repair. Make the Quote Name the Leak, the Decking, and the Warranty.

Dad has agreed to let somebody fix the roof. Good. Do not turn that small victory into a vague contract for “roof repairs as needed.”

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The leak you can see is not necessarily the work the contractor intends to perform. One roofer may be pricing a patch around a flashing joint. Another may be pricing new underlayment, damaged decking, shingles, flashing and interior cleanup. Both papers can say “repair roof.” They are not selling the same job.

Your job is not to overrule Dad or turn his kitchen into a bid office. Your job is to get the paper specific enough that he can tell what he is approving.

Start with the place water entered

Ask each contractor to mark the suspected entry point on a photograph or simple roof diagram. Then have the quote identify the roof surface, penetration, valley, wall joint, chimney or flashing area that will be opened.

The quote should also distinguish the entry point from the stain inside. Water can travel before it appears. A contract that promises only to work “above the ceiling stain” may be describing a guess, not a scope.

Ask these questions before comparing totals:

What material will be removed? How large an area is included? Will flashing be reused or replaced? Is underlayment included? What happens if the contractor finds soft or rotten decking? Who photographs concealed damage before covering it again?

The Missouri Attorney General’s consumer guidance recommends getting the agreement in writing and making sure it describes the work and materials. The Federal Trade Commission likewise tells homeowners to obtain written estimates and understand the contract before signing. Those authorities and the desk’s other primary materials are collected on the Sources page.

Put unknown decking on a short leash

A roofer may not know how much decking is damaged until the roof is opened. That is a real unknown. It is not a reason to leave a blank check in the contract.

Have the quote state how additional decking will be measured, what material will replace it and how approval will be obtained before the extra work begins. The paper should say whether Dad, you or another named person receives the photographs and approves a change.

If Dad is the customer, he remains the customer. Being copied on photographs does not make you the buyer. Do not let a hurried change order quietly add your name as a responsible party.

A workable change-order clause says that added work requires a written description and Dad’s approval before installation, except for temporary steps needed to keep an opened roof from taking on water. That exception should be narrow. “Anything we find” is not narrow.

Separate the three promises

Roof paperwork often bundles three different promises under the word “warranty.” Pull them apart.

The first is the manufacturer’s warranty on shingles, membrane, sealant or another product. The second is the contractor’s workmanship warranty. The third is any promise that this particular leak will stop.

Ask the contractor to put each promise in writing. For the workmanship warranty, check what work is covered, who must be called, whether inspection or service charges can apply, what conditions are excluded and whether the warranty transfers if Dad sells the house.

For the product warranty, ask who registers it and what document proves registration. Also ask whether the selected installation method is required for that coverage. A product brochure is not proof that Dad’s installation qualifies.

For the leak itself, make the contractor say whether the contract promises to stop water at the identified location or merely to perform the listed construction. That distinction matters if the stain returns after the first hard rain.

Make the edges of the job visible

A roof repair affects more than shingles. The quote should say who handles permits when the local jurisdiction requires one, who protects landscaping and paved areas, where removed material goes, whether magnetic nail pickup is included and who repairs incidental damage caused by the work.

Ask whether gutters, siding, masonry, satellite equipment or rooftop equipment must be moved. If another trade is needed, the contract should say whether that trade is included or hired separately.

Municipal requirements differ across the St. Louis metro. Confirm the property’s actual jurisdiction, then call that building department and ask whether this scope needs a permit or inspection. Do not accept “we never need one around here” as a substitute for the answer from the office that enforces the rule.

Check the contractor named on the paper

The company name on the quote should match the company expected to perform and stand behind the work. Ask for the legal business name, physical contact information and proof of insurance sent by the insurer or agent. If subcontractors will do the work, ask who supervises them and who answers a warranty call.

Check whether the contract permits the company to assign the job or warranty to someone else. If it does, Dad may be hiring one company and receiving another.

Missouri consumer guidance also warns against relying on verbal promises and paying the entire amount before the work is complete. Put the payment stages, completion condition and final paperwork into the contract. Avoid turning the last payment into an argument about whether “finished” includes cleanup, inspection and warranty documents.

Define the finish line

The contract should say what Dad receives before the job is considered complete. That list may include photographs of opened areas, photographs of concealed repairs, permit closure when applicable, product information, written warranties and a final invoice showing approved changes.

Ask what paperwork protects Dad if a supplier or subcontractor says it was not paid. The contractor should explain what lien releases or waivers it will provide and when. Forms and requirements can depend on the job and jurisdiction, so uncertain lien language belongs with a Missouri lawyer, not an improvised sentence from the salesman.

Also write down the callback route. Dad should know the company number to call, what information to provide and how the company decides whether a return visit falls under its warranty. If the answer is only “call me,” the warranty may depend on one person keeping the same phone number.

Do not make Dad defend a spreadsheet

Bring him a one-page comparison instead. Use the same rows for every quote: identified leak area, removal scope, flashing, underlayment, decking rule, permit responsibility, cleanup, payment stages, workmanship warranty, product warranty, leak promise and change-order approval.

Blank cells are not automatic reasons to reject a contractor. They are questions to send back. The useful quote is the one that can absorb clear answers without becoming evasive.

If Dad will allow only one more conversation, spend it on scope and surprises. Ask the contractor to sit at the table, point to the roof diagram and explain exactly when the agreed job could cost more or fail to stop the leak. Dad does not have to enjoy the meeting. He only has to know what his signature buys.

Your next move: Put the leading quote beside a blank sheet tonight. Write these four headings: opening, hidden damage, warranty and completion. Circle every heading the quote does not answer, then send those questions to the contractor in writing before Dad signs.