Trades and field services
The bid that wins is the one that says what happens when the deck is rotten.
Every roofing proposal is a bet on what is under the shingles. The contractor who writes down the per-sheet decking allowance, the tear-off layer count and who is responsible for the satellite dish is the one who does not lose the margin in week two. The Proposal Maker drafts that language from the roofs you have already sold, so the protective wording is there before you need it.
Where this fits
You already run AccuLynx, JobNimbus, EagleView or Xactimate. This is not that.
The gap
Roofing software is strong on measurement, production and claim workflow. AccuLynx and JobNimbus will move a job through the pipeline, EagleView will give you an accurate square count, and Xactimate will price a claim to an adjuster's satisfaction. None of them writes the homeowner-facing narrative — the findings, the allowance explanation, the property-protection commitments — which is why so many roofing proposals are a measurement report with a total stapled to the front.
What this does not do
This does not measure roofs, generate aerial reports, price to Xactimate, or manage your production pipeline. Keep EagleView, AccuLynx or JobNimbus for those. This writes the proposal a homeowner reads and compares.
Scope
What a roofing contractor's proposal actually has to itemise
- Tear-off: number of existing layers, disposal, and dumpster placement and protection
- Decking inspection with a stated per-sheet replacement allowance and unit price beyond it
- Underlayment specification, and ice and water shield coverage at eaves, valleys and penetrations
- Flashing: step, counter, chimney, wall, and whether existing metal is reused or replaced
- Ventilation: ridge vent, soffit intake, and the net free area the assembly achieves
- Shingle or membrane system by manufacturer and product line, tied to the warranty being offered
- Gutters, drip edge, pipe boots, and detached items such as solar arrays or satellite dishes
Pricing
How roofing contractors price the work
Per square, installed
Priced by square with the square count shown, so a homeowner comparing bids can see whether two contractors measured the same roof.
Fixed price with a decking allowance
One number that covers the visible work, with a stated allowance for sheets of decking and a unit price for anything beyond it.
Insurance claim scope
Priced to the adjuster's scope with supplements itemised separately, and the homeowner's deductible responsibility stated plainly.
System tiers
Architectural, designer and full manufacturer system options, each carrying the specific warranty that comes with it.
The document
What comes out the other end
- 01Inspection findings, including photographs of what you actually saw on the roof
- 02Square count and how it was measured, whether by hand, drone or aerial report
- 03Scope of work in installation sequence, from tear-off through final cleanup
- 04Decking and unforeseen-conditions allowance, and how overage is approved
- 05Exclusions: interior repairs, mould, structural framing, code upgrades, landscaping damage
- 06Warranty section separating manufacturer system warranty from your workmanship warranty
- 07Property protection: driveway, landscaping, magnetic nail sweep, and daily cleanup commitment
- 08Payment schedule, deposit, and whether financing or insurance proceeds are involved
Compliance
The details that belong on the document, not in a follow-up email
- Contractor licence and, in several states, the specific roofing registration number required on written proposals
- Permit responsibility and whether the price includes code-required upgrades triggered by a full tear-off
- Manufacturer certification named where an enhanced system warranty depends on the installer holding it, along with the registration step and who performs it
- Insurance claim work: the prohibition in many states on a contractor rebating or absorbing the homeowner's deductible, stated so nobody assumes otherwise
- Certificate of insurance and workers' compensation, which property managers and commercial clients will ask for before award
General guidance, not legal advice. Requirements vary by state and jurisdiction — confirm yours with counsel or your licensing board.
Straight answers
The three things you are probably thinking
“I already produce estimates from aerial measurement reports.”
Keep doing that. The measurement gives you squares and a price. This writes the inspection findings, the allowance language and the warranty section that the measurement report does not contain.
“Storm work moves too fast for extra steps.”
Storm canvassing does not need this. The retail replacement a homeowner is weighing against two other bids for a fortnight does, and that is where the protective wording earns its keep.
“Will it get the warranty terms right? Those are manufacturer-specific.”
It reproduces the warranty language from your own past proposals. If you have been offering a specific manufacturer system, that is what it drafts. You confirm it before sending, every time.
FAQ
Roofing proposals: common questions
Does it integrate with AccuLynx or JobNimbus?
No. There is no data sync today. You bring the job details and the square count, and it drafts the document around them.
Can it price an insurance supplement?
No. Claim pricing stays in Xactimate or whatever your carrier expects. This writes the homeowner-facing explanation of what the claim covers and what it does not.
Will it include photos from the inspection?
Yes. Upload the roof photos with the job and they are read for context and can be carried into the finished document.
How does it handle my decking allowance wording?
It picks that up from your past proposals. Most roofers have a settled way of writing the allowance and the unit price beyond it, and it reuses yours rather than inventing new terms.
Can I produce a version for the adjuster and a version for the homeowner?
Yes, they are separate proposals from the same job details, and each stays editable before it goes out.
Related
Other trades we have written this up for
See what it writes from your last roofing proposal.
Upload three or four you were happy to send. The next one drafts in the same voice.