Residential Roofing Contract Template

A verbal agreement is not a contract you can enforce. When a homeowner refuses to pay, disputes scope, or walks away mid-job, the piece of paper you signed at the kitchen table is what determines whether you collect or take the loss.

Every state has a threshold above which residential contracts must be in writing to be enforceable. In most states, roofing work exceeds that threshold on the first job. Even in states with a higher threshold, you should never do roofing work without a contract.

The contract also protects the homeowner — it defines what you'll deliver, at what price, on what timeline, with what warranty. Reputable roofing companies use contracts because they want to be judged on results, not disputes.

Under federal law (FTC Cooling-Off Rule), any sale over $25 that happens at the buyer's home has a 3-business-day right to cancel. Roofing sales are almost always covered by this rule, and violating it is one of the fastest paths to a state complaint and a license investigation.

The right-to-cancel notice must be given in writing, at the time of sale, in the same language the sale was conducted in. Include it as a page in your contract with a signature line — that proves the homeowner received it.

You cannot start work during the 3-day window unless the homeowner signs a written waiver citing a bona fide emergency (like an active roof leak). Storm chasers ignore this and get in serious trouble; reputable companies respect it and use the window to order materials.

The standard residential roofing payment schedule is deposit-progress-final: 30-50% at contract signing to secure materials and schedule, remaining balance due on completion. Some companies split the final into progress (at tear-off) and final (at cleanup completion).

In some states (California, Maryland, Nevada, and others), the maximum deposit is capped by law — often 10% of the contract or a fixed dollar amount. Know your state's cap before writing the deposit line.

Never structure payments where the homeowner has paid more than the value of work completed. That's a lien trigger and a dispute trigger.

Split the warranty into two parts: manufacturer (covers the shingle itself, comes from GAF/Owens/CertainTeed) and workmanship (covers your installation, comes from you). The manufacturer warranty runs 25 years to lifetime; your workmanship warranty is typically 5-10 years, sometimes 25 if you're a certified installer.

Be explicit about exclusions: acts of God (hail, tornado, hurricane), damage from tree fall, damage from ice dams, damage caused by unauthorized work on the roof by others. Without exclusions, you're implicitly insuring against events insurance is supposed to cover.