Free Roofing Estimate Template & Generator
A roof estimate is an area calculation with a disposal problem attached. This template records what the inspection actually found, meaning measured squares, pitch, how many layers come off and whether the crew can reach the roof from a truck, then prices tear-off, underlayment, shingles, flashing and ventilation as separate lines. Concealed decking sits on a carried per-sheet rate and rafter repair on a per-each rate, so what the tear-off exposes is billed at a published number rather than guessed at in advance.
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| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tear-off and disposal (squares) | 24 | $115.00 | $2,760.00 |
| Architectural shingles installed (squares) | 24 | $465.00 | $11,160.00 |
| Decking replacement allowance (sheets) | 6 | $105.00 | $630.00 |
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Use-case checklist
What to include in a roofing estimate
Every roof hides its decking until the last course comes off, and that is where re-roof estimates fail. A homeowner who accepted one lump-sum price has no line that can absorb eleven sheets of rotten plywood at the rear valley, so the crew stops mid-tear-off with the house open and the conversation becomes a renegotiation on a roof that cannot wait for one. Publishing a per-sheet rate up front turns that discovery into arithmetic. Layer count and access do the same work: a second layer nobody priced doubles the disposal weight and the dumpster hauls, and a two-story rear with no truck access adds most of a day of hand-carrying that never shows up in a price built from ground measurements.
- roof area, pitch, layers, and access
- tear-off and disposal
- underlayment, roofing, flashing, and ventilation
- decking repair unit price
- permit, warranty, weather, and validity assumptions
Example starting lines
| Description | Qty | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Tear-off and disposal (squares) | 24 | $115 |
| Architectural shingles installed (squares) | 24 | $465 |
| Decking replacement allowance (sheets) | 6 | $105 |
Complete it cleanly
Record roof area, pitch, layers, access, material system, disposal, and warranty basis. Use per-sheet or per-linear-foot rates for concealed decking and flashing work rather than hiding them in contingency.
How to make a roofing estimate in 6 steps
Open the estimate generator
Start from this page so the estimate opens with fields and sample lines already set up for roofing contractors. No account is needed to create or preview.
Enter both parties
Add your business name, address and contact details, then the customer name and address exactly as they should appear on the record.
Add the roofing lines
Replace each sample line with the real work or goods. Make sure the document shows roof area, pitch, layers, and access, tear-off and disposal, underlayment, roofing, flashing, and ventilation.
Check the figures
Totals calculate as you type. Confirm quantities, rates, any tax line and the final total against your own records before you send anything.
Set the reference and dates
Give the estimate a unique number and the correct date so it can be traced later and matched to related documents.
Review and download the PDF
Record roof area, pitch, layers, access, material system, disposal, and warranty basis. Use per-sheet or per-linear-foot rates for concealed decking and flashing work rather than hiding them in contingency. Preview is free; a PDF download costs $4.99, or is included with Unlimited.
Worked example
Two layers off a 28.5-square roof with no rear truck access
Marrow Ridge Roofing inspected the Delgado house on Sept 11, 2026 and walked the roof. It measures 2,850 sq ft at a 6:12 pitch with two existing layers, and the rear elevation is two stories with a fenced side yard, so everything is hand-carried from the front drive.
- Measured roof area from the walked inspection: 2,850 sq ft at 6:12, two layers, one chimney, two wall intersections
- 28.5 squares
- Tear-off of both layers, cleanup and disposal, 28.5 squares at $95.00 per square, includes one 20-yard dumpster
- $2,707.50
- Synthetic underlayment throughout plus ice barrier at eaves and both valleys, 28.5 squares at $42.00
- $1,197.00
- Architectural asphalt shingles installed, 32 squares ordered to cover 28.5 squares plus hip, ridge and valley waste, at $128.00 per square
- $4,096.00
- Flashing: 64 lf of step and counter flashing at two walls at $14.00/lf, 2 pipe boots at $65.00, one chimney apron and cricket at $480.00
- $1,506.00
- Ventilation: 46 lf of ridge vent at $18.00/lf and 6 new soffit intake vents at $55.00 each
- $1,158.00
- Permit allowance and rear-elevation staging, hand-carry from the front drive because the side yard will not pass a dump trailer
- $890.00
- Estimate subtotal of priced work
- $11,554.50
- Carried unit rates, billed only for what the tear-off exposes: 1/2 in. CDX decking at $92.00 per 4x8 sheet installed, rafter sistering at $145.00 each, extra dumpster haul $525.00. Base assumes zero sheets
- $0.00
- Estimate total as written, valid 30 days from Sept 11, 2026
- $11,554.50
The costliest mistake is ordering shingles against the measured 28.5 squares instead of the 32 that cover waste, then paying a second delivery three days into a four-day job. The next is quoting a layer count from the driveway when a second layer doubles the disposal.
When this document is the right choice
Use this estimate to set a realistic expected cost before the final scope is known. An estimate is an informed approximation, not a final invoice. State the assumptions that could move the price and replace it with a quote or invoice once scope is confirmed.
Frequently asked questions
How much material should I order above the measured roof area?
Order against the cut pattern, not a habit. A simple gable with two straight runs wastes very little, while hips, valleys, dormers and a starter and ridge course all consume stock the measured area never shows. On the Delgado roof, 28.5 measured squares are covered with 32 ordered, roughly 12% over, because of two valleys and a chimney cricket. Put both figures on the estimate, since a homeowner who sees 32 squares priced against a 28.5-square roof will otherwise assume an error.
How should I price decking replacement I cannot see until the tear-off?
Exclude it from the base and publish the rate instead. Write that the price assumes sound decking, and that sheathing found delaminated, rotten or unsupported is replaced at $92.00 per 4x8 sheet installed, counted by the foreman and confirmed with the owner by photo before it goes down. That sentence is far easier to collect on than a change order invented with the roof open. Do the same for rafter or fascia repair, since those are labor operations rather than sheet goods and will not price at the same rate.
The homeowner has a lower quote for the same roof. What does my estimate need to show?
The gaps are almost always in lines the cheaper number left out. Show layer count, because tearing one layer is not tearing two. Show flashing as a measured item, since a competitor reusing existing step flashing at the wall intersections saves $896.00 on this roof and buys a leak. Show ventilation, underlayment type, disposal and access. A homeowner cannot compare two totals, but they can compare two lists, which is the only comparison that helps you.
How long should a roofing estimate stay good?
Put a date and a trigger on it rather than an open-ended number. Thirty days is a common window, but say what actually reopens the price: a supplier increase on the shingle line, or a scope change once the roof is opened. If your supplier is holding a price to a specific date, name that date on the material line. Also say what happens if the job slips into a season where staging or weather delay costs more.
The insurance adjuster's scope is lower than my estimate. Can I send this document to the carrier?
You can send it, but treat it as your contractor estimate rather than a claim document. Adjusters generally price from their own estimating software and their own measurements, so the productive move is to line up your items against theirs and show what is missing: a second layer, ice barrier footage, ridge vent, or flashing they scoped as reusable. Attach photos from the inspection. Coverage, deductible and the carrier's own rules live in the homeowner's policy, so have them confirm anything you write with their carrier. Invoity produces the estimate PDF only, and it is not a claim submission, an appraisal or an adjuster's report.
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