Preparing to Contact a Roofing Provider and Comparing Written Proposals After Hail Damage

Stay Grounded and Document What You Can See Safely

Do not climb onto a hail-damaged roof yourself. Damaged shingles, wet decking, and loose flashing can fail without warning, and a fall is the most serious risk in this situation. Everything you need for a first conversation with a provider or your insurer can be collected from the ground.

Photograph the roofline from several angles, downspouts and gutters, dented or bruised siding, window screens, and any debris on the ground. Note the date and approximate time of the storm if you know it. Ground-level photos with a timestamp help everyone who later evaluates the property, and they are the raw material for your own notes, not a diagnosis of what the damage is or how severe it is.

• What can I safely observe and photograph from the ground before anyone visits?
• Which areas around the house, such as siding, gutters, and screens, should I photograph in addition to the roofline?

Build a One-Page Summary Before You Call

Write a short summary you can send or read to any provider: the storm date, what you observed, your address, whether the roof has been repaired or replaced before (and when, if you know), and whether an insurance claim has been opened. If you have the claim number and your insurer's contact information, keep those handy too.

This summary keeps your first call short and consistent across providers. It also prevents a common problem: two companies hearing different versions of your situation and producing bids that cannot be compared. Add any access notes, such as a locked gate, a dog, or limited parking, so the inspection visit goes smoothly.

• Has a claim been filed yet, and if so, what is the claim number and the adjuster's contact path?
• What roof information do I already have, such as the approximate age of the roof or paperwork from a previous replacement?

What to Ask in Your First Contact

Your first call or website form is for logistics and verification, not for a diagnosis over the phone. A company cannot tell you from a phone call what your roof needs, and you should be cautious of anyone who does. Ask who will perform the inspection, whether it costs anything, and whether you are expected to be home.

It is also reasonable to ask how the company handles insurance-related inspections, whether they will meet your adjuster if your insurer sends one, and what happens in writing after the inspection. You are not committing to anything by asking; you are finding out what their process actually is.

• Who performs the inspection, and will I receive a written report or written summary afterward?
• Is there any cost or obligation attached to the inspection?
• Will you document your findings in writing before any work is discussed or scheduled?

What a Written Proposal Should Itemize

A proposal you can actually compare breaks the work into specific, line-item scope rather than a single price for a roof replacement. When you request bids, ask each provider to address the same list of items: measured roof area and waste factor, number of existing layers to be torn off, any allowance for replacing damaged decking, underlayment type, flashing and penetrations, ventilation, the specific materials and fastening method, permit and inspection handling, disposal and cleanup, and both workmanship and manufacturer warranties.

When a bid names the products and quantities, you can check that all bids cover the same scope. When a bid says only a lump sum, you cannot tell whether it excludes something the others include, and the lower number may not be the smaller job.

• Can you provide the proposal with each scope item listed separately, including measured area and waste?
• Which materials, specifically by product name, does the bid include, and what warranty applies to the workmanship separately from the manufacturer's warranty?

How to Compare Two or More Proposals Side by Side

Put the bids in columns and go row by row through the scope items above. Differences usually hide in a few predictable places: whether decking replacement is an allowance or excluded, how many tear-off layers are priced, whether flashing is replaced or reused, whether permits and disposal are included, and what the payment schedule is. A difference in price almost always corresponds to a difference somewhere on this list, and your job is to find it.

Also compare what each proposal says about timeline, change orders, and how additions to the scope will be priced and approved. Ask each provider to explain any line where their bid differs from another, and get the explanation in writing or in an updated proposal rather than only by phone.

• Is decking replacement included, capped at an allowance, or excluded, and how is the per-unit price set if more is needed?
• Are permits, inspections, and disposal included in this price?
• What is the payment schedule, and what deposit, if any, is due before work starts?

How to Ask for Missing Details

Treat gaps in a proposal as requests, not accusations. A short written message works: name the item, state that you are comparing bids, and ask for it to be added or stated as excluded. For example, ask the company to confirm in writing the number of tear-off layers priced, to state the decking allowance per sheet or unit, or to list the specific underlayment and fastening products named in the bid.

If a provider resists putting scope in writing, that itself is information you can weigh. Every company has the option to answer with an updated document, and most scope questions take one revision to resolve. Keep all versions of each proposal so you know what changed between drafts.

• Can you send an updated proposal that lists this item explicitly, even if the answer is that it is excluded?
• If this item is excluded, what would be the process and pricing if it turns out to be needed during the work?

Confirming Who You Are Dealing With

Use each provider's own website to confirm their service area and how they ask to be contacted. For example, Baker Roofing Company publishes its locations and a contact path on its website and describes itself as a commercial roofing contractor serving the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, offering repair and maintenance, replacement, and restoration work; use their official locations page to confirm availability for your address rather than assuming coverage. Manufacturer directories are another way to search: GAF's official contractor finder lets you search by location, but a listing in a directory is not an independent inspection of your roof and is not an endorsement by anyone.

After a storm, be cautious with door-to-door solicitors who pressure you to sign the same day. You do not need to decide during a first visit, and any company worth comparing will give you time to review a written proposal.

• Does this provider's official website confirm that they serve my address?
• How long is the proposal valid, and can I take time to compare it with other bids before deciding?

Working With Your Insurer Alongside the Provider

If you have opened a claim, ask your insurer what documentation they need and whether an adjuster visit will be scheduled. You can ask a prospective roofing provider whether they will meet the adjuster on site and how they will share their written inspection findings, but coverage decisions belong to your insurer, not to a contractor and not to you predicting an outcome.

Keep your own folder: photos with dates, your one-page summary, each written proposal, and all insurer correspondence. If two providers describe the roof differently, your insurer's adjuster visit is the path to resolving the discrepancy, and your documentation makes that easier.

• What documentation does my insurer need from me, and in what format?
• Will the provider meet the adjuster on site, and will I receive their written findings either way?

Your proposal comparison checklist

• Measured roof area and stated waste factor for each bid
• Number of existing tear-off layers included in the price
• Decking replacement: included, capped by an allowance, or excluded, with the per-unit price if needed
• Underlayment type named specifically in the bid
• Flashing and penetrations: replaced, reworked, or reused
• Ventilation work included or not, and what exactly will be done
• Specific materials and fastening method listed by product name
• Permits and inspections: handled by the provider or by you
• Disposal and cleanup included, including where materials will be placed
• Workmanship warranty terms separate from manufacturer warranty terms
• Payment schedule, deposit amount, and when the balance is due
• Timeline, start date conditions, and how change orders will be priced and approved in writing
• Provider identity: official website confirms service area and a real contact path
• All agreements and revisions captured in writing, not by phone only

Provider sources and limitations

These first-party websites support the directory’s provider identities and published contact routes. The preparation questions above are editorial suggestions, not a diagnosis, repair specification, treatment recommendation, or professional review.

• GAF contractor finder official website — checked 2026-09-06
• Owens Corning contractor finder official website — checked 2026-09-06