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Why Is One Roofing Bid Tens of Thousands Cheaper Than the Others
It is almost never because that contractor found a cheaper way to do the same work. It is because the scope is different in three specific places, and all three are invisible once the roof is finished. Here is where to look.
Three Places a Bid Gets Cheaper
Almost every large gap between two quotes on the same building lives in these three lines. Get them in writing from everyone bidding and the numbers become comparable.
The cheaper bid
Thickness not stated, or stated lower than the warranty requires.
No mention of moisture, so nobody measured it.
Manufacturer warranty mentioned, not registered.
You cannot see any of it once the roof is finished.
The thorough bid
A specified mil thickness, in writing.
How much insulation is wet, how it was measured, and what the price does about it.
Registration confirmed after the work, and sent to you.
Same roof. Different job.
Four Questions That Expose the Gap
What mil thickness is specified?
Ask every bidder. If the answers differ, you have found most of the price gap and you are no longer comparing like with like.
What happens to the wet insulation?
Ask how much was found, how it was measured, and what the bid does about it. A bid that never mentions moisture was written without looking for it.
Will the manufacturer warranty be registered?
Ask to be sent the registration after the job rather than told about it beforehand.
Who services this roof in year three?
The question that has nothing to do with materials and predicts the most. Listen for whether the answer is a person and a process, or a change of subject.
Bid Comparison Questions
Could the cheaper contractor simply have lower overheads?
Sometimes, and it is worth allowing for. A smaller operation can genuinely be cheaper. But overheads do not account for gaps of tens of thousands on a single roof. That size of gap is scope, and the questions above will find it in about ten minutes.
Is the most expensive bid automatically the best?
No. Price alone tells you as little as it does at the cheap end. What tells you something is whether the scope is written down: thickness, moisture treatment, detail work, registration. Compare those and the prices start to make sense.
What actually happened in your case?
A competitor came in sixty thousand dollars under our quote and the owner took it, which was a rational decision on the information available. That roof failed. The company that installed it folded. We are installing the replacement, and the owner has paid for two roofs.
So how do I avoid that?
Get the scope in writing from everyone bidding and compare the scopes before the prices. Nearly every unpleasant surprise in this trade lives in the gap between what was quoted and what was assumed.
What if I have already accepted the cheap bid?
Then get it inspected before and during the work rather than afterwards. Thickness and preparation are checkable while the job is happening and impossible to check once it is finished.
Still not sure which of these matter most for your building? Call 814-720-1081 and ask.
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