Roofing Estimating & Bidding Software
Roofing is one of the more measurable trades — squares, pitch, and layers give you most of the estimate. The variance is in what's underneath: decking condition and tear-off scope can move a job substantially once the old roof is off. Pro Spec IQ prices the known work and gives contingency a real place in the bid.
What Pro Spec IQ tracks on a roofing bid
Beyond material, labor, and equipment, roofing bids get inputs specific to the trade:
Roof Squares
squares (100 sq ft)Roof area in squares (1 square = 100 sq ft)
Tear-Off Layers
layersNumber of existing layers to remove
Ridge / Hip Linear Ft
linear ftLinear feet of ridge and hip caps
Flashing Points
pointsNumber of flashing and penetration points
Dumpster Loads
loadsEstimated dumpster loads for debris
Starting markups for roofing
10%
Overhead
20%
Profit
5%
Contingency
These are editable defaults, not fixed rates. Set them per bid to match your own cost structure and the risk on the job.
What drives cost on roofing work
- Roof area in squares, the primary unit almost everything else scales from
- Pitch, which affects both labor rate and required fall protection
- Number of existing layers to tear off and dispose of
- Decking replacement, usually unknown until tear-off begins
- Penetrations, valleys, and flashing detail, which are labor-dense relative to area
Where these estimates go wrong
- Bidding decking replacement at zero and eating it as a change order fight
- Using a flat labor rate across pitches that need different crews and safety setup
- Forgetting dumpster and disposal cost on multi-layer tear-offs
- Underestimating flashing labor on roofs with many penetrations
Roofing estimating questions
How do you estimate a roofing job?
Measure the roof in squares, note pitch and layer count, and price material from the square count plus waste. Add tear-off and disposal, then labor adjusted for pitch. Include flashing and penetration detail, then apply overhead, profit, and contingency. Pro Spec IQ tracks squares, pitch, and layers as explicit inputs.
How should I handle unknown decking damage in a bid?
The common approaches are a contingency percentage, a stated unit price for decking replacement, or both. Pro Spec IQ includes contingency as a standard field on every bid, defaulting to 8% on roofing, which is higher than most other trades for exactly this reason.
Does it handle both residential and commercial roofing?
Yes. The inputs are unit-based rather than tied to a building type, so steep-slope residential and low-slope commercial both estimate cleanly.
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