What is included in a roof replacement, and what should be?
Short answer. A full roof replacement should include tear-off to the deck, disposal, replacement of bad decking at a stated unit price, new drip edge, underlayment and leak barrier, starter, shingles and ridge cap, new flashing and pipe boots, ventilation, cleanup with a magnet sweep, and warranty registration. Items often priced separately include extra layers, large decking repairs, chimney rebuilds, skylights and gutters.
Should be included
- The permit, where your jurisdiction requires one.
- Tear-off of the existing layer and haul-away.
- Deck inspection, with replacement of damaged sheets at a per-sheet price.
- New drip edge at eaves and rakes.
- Underlayment over the deck, and leak barrier in valleys, at walls and around penetrations.
- Starter strips, field shingles, and hip and ridge cap.
- New step flashing and pipe boots, with chimney flashing replaced or properly resealed.
- Exhaust ventilation, such as ridge vent, matched to the attic.
- Protection of landscaping, cleanup and a magnet sweep for nails.
- Manufacturer warranty registration and a written workmanship warranty.
Often extra, and should be priced in writing
- Removing a second or third layer.
- Decking beyond a few sheets, or a full redeck over old plank boards.
- Building a chimney cricket or cutting counterflashing into mortar.
- Skylight replacement.
- Adding soffit intake vents.
- New gutters and guards, or fascia repair.
- Detaching and resetting solar panels or satellite dishes.
Contract wording to watch
"Reuse existing flashing," "decking as needed" with no price, and "ventilation per existing" all leave room for shortcuts or surprise charges. Ask for each item to be named. For the full price picture, see roof replacement cost in Georgia; for the parts, roof anatomy explained.