Most residential roofing disputes are not caused by bad workmanship. They are caused by contracts that never specified what the work was, so both parties walk away with a different understanding of what was purchased. Here is what a roofing contract should contain, and why each item exists.
A contract that says complete roof replacement using quality materials has specified nothing. What you want is a component list.
Shingle manufacturer, product line, and colour. Underlayment by name and type. Whether self-adhered membrane is included, and where — eaves, valleys, penetrations. Starter strip and ridge cap products, since using cut shingles instead of purpose-made starter affects wind performance. Drip edge at eaves and rakes. And critically, flashing: whether step flashing, chimney counter flashing, boots, and kickouts are new or reused. Reused flashing is the single most consequential omission in a re-roof and it should never be implicit.
This is the clause that prevents the most common dispute in the trade. It needs three elements: how many sheets or boards are included in the base price, the unit rate for anything beyond that, and the procedure when additional work is discovered — specifically that the contractor stops, documents with photographs, and obtains your approval before proceeding.
Without a unit rate, you have granted open-ended pricing authority that gets exercised at the exact moment your roof is open and you cannot say no.
Specify what is being done, not that ventilation will be addressed. Ridge vent linear footage, whether soffit intake has been verified as functional, whether baffles are being installed, and whether existing gable vents are being closed off if a ridge vent is going in — mixing exhaust types short-circuits the airflow and leaves parts of the attic unventilated.
In Seattle this section matters more than most homeowners realise, because attic condensation rots more decking here than leaks do.
A reasonable structure is a modest deposit, a progress payment tied to a defined milestone such as completion of tear-off and dry-in, and final payment on completion after your walkthrough. Large deposits are the pattern most associated with problems — a contractor who needs most of the money before materials arrive is telling you something about their working capital.
Final payment should be due after you have inspected the work, not before.
In Washington, suppliers and subcontractors can place a lien against your property if the general contractor does not pay them — even if you have paid the contractor in full. This surprises homeowners badly, and it is entirely avoidable.
The protection is to require lien releases from the material supplier and any subcontractors before final payment. Ask for them by name in the contract. A legitimate contractor deals with this routinely.
There are two, and they cover different things. The manufacturer warranty covers defects in the shingle, is subject to installation conditions, and depreciates over time. The workmanship warranty covers the contractor's installation, and it is the one that matters for the failures most likely to occur — flashing, fastening, and detailing.
Get the workmanship warranty term in writing, along with what it covers and what voids it. Ask how long the company has operated locally, because a ten-year workmanship warranty from a business that will not exist in three years is a document rather than a protection.
State explicitly that the contractor pulls the permit. State what protection is provided for landscaping, siding, windows, and driveway. State that cleanup includes magnetic nail sweeps of the perimeter — roofing nails in a lawn or driveway are the most common post-project complaint and the easiest to prevent.
Confirm the contractor's Washington state registration is active, and that their bond and liability insurance are current. Ask for a certificate of insurance sent directly from the insurer rather than a photocopy. Confirm workers' compensation coverage, because an uninsured injury on your property can become your problem.
Then ask for three local references from the past year — recent and nearby, not a portfolio of the best work from a decade of operating. Call them. Ask specifically whether the final price matched the estimate, and if not, why.
Every one of these requests is routine for a contractor operating properly, and mildly uncomfortable for one who is not. That discomfort is the information you are buying.
This post is part of our in-depth coverage of roof replacement in Seattle.
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