Guide
Preparing for a flat roof quote
A quote is only as good as the information behind it. Ten minutes with a tape measure and a phone camera can get you a firm number sooner and keep the price from drifting later.
Why preparation changes the quote
A roofer works out a price from area, material, layers, access and condition. Every missing fact becomes a range, an allowance or an assumption. Give the facts up front and the quote has fewer of those. It also lets you compare quotes fairly, because every roofer prices the same information.
You do not need to climb on the roof. Most of what matters can be gathered from the ground, a window or a ladder at a safe height.
The checklist
Roof size
Length and width of each flat section in feet or metres. If you have a drawing or a survey, include it. For an addition, measure the room below and add overhang.
Photos
The whole roof from a distance, each corner, drains and scuppers, all flashings at walls, vents and skylights, and any damage. Add the ceiling stain from inside.
Age and history
Year of the last roof, if you know it; any repairs or leaks; whether the roof has been coated or overlaid.
Number of layers
If you can see the edge, note how many layers there are. If not, say "unknown". Many roofs have more than one. See how long a flat roof lasts.
What is on the roof
Rooftop units, vents, a deck, a skylight, antennas or solar panels. Each adds detail work.
Access
Where a ladder or lift can stand, whether a dumpster fits, whether there is a side yard, a lane or a locked stair. For buildings, who holds the keys.
Building use below
A heated room, an unheated garage, a store, a server room. It affects insulation and how careful the work must be.
Your goal
Stop a leak, extend the roof, replace the roof, or prepare for a new deck. See repair or replace.
Timing
When the work has to be done by, and any dates to avoid (an event, a renovation, a lease expiry).
Sending it through the quote form
Open the quote form
Go to request a quote and pick the closest interest, such as leak, repair, replacement or inspection.
Describe the roof in a few lines
Size, material if known, age, the problem and where you are in Ontario.
Add your photos
If the form does not take attachments, describe what they show and say that you can send them by email to info@flat-roof-repair.ca.
Tell us how to reach you
Name, a contact method and a good time to reply.
Mark urgent leaks
If water is coming in now, say so in the first line.
What happens next
A reply normally asks follow-up questions or sets up a roof visit. For small, simple jobs, photos and measurements may be enough for a starting estimate. For larger jobs, or anything where hidden damage is likely, the written quote follows a look at the roof.
A good written quote lists the scope item by item: tear-off, deck repair allowance with a unit price, insulation, membrane, flashings, edge metal, drains and cleanup. Compare it with others only on matching scope. See flat roof cost in Ontario and hiring a flat roofer.
For buildings and condos
Add the building name, the number of roof sections, any past roof reports and a contact for access. If the board wants to compare options, say so, and ask for repair, coating and replacement as separate lines. See condo roof planning and the pages for apartment buildings or retail plazas.
Safe ways to take the photos
Take photos from the ground, from a window or from the top of a ladder you are not stepping off. Use the zoom instead of walking closer to an edge. A phone held up on a pole or a camera from an upper window shows more than you would expect.
Do not walk a wet, icy or snowy roof, and do not go up alone. If you cannot see the roof at all, say so in the form. A roofer will take photos on the visit.
Ask for the quote in a form you can compare
Ask for the price broken into lines, with the product, the thickness and the number of layers to be removed. Ask what happens if the deck is soft: who decides, how it is priced and how you will see it. Ask what is not included, such as permits, painting of the ceiling or electrical disconnects for rooftop units.
Bids for the same scope can differ by 30 to 50 per cent in Ontario, so a broken-down quote is the only way to see why. See flat roof cost in Ontario.
Questions about getting a quote
Do I need to be home for a roof visit?
For a house, it helps if someone can show access and the ceiling stain. For a building, a manager or key-holder is needed.
What if I do not know the roof material?
Say so and send photos. A roofer can often tell from the seams and surface.
How do I estimate the area if the roof is irregular?
Split it into rectangles, measure each, and add them up. Rough numbers are fine for a first estimate.
Leak, damage or an old flat roof?
Send a few details and photos. We reply by email with next steps and a written quote.