Trying to choose a contractor can be exhausting sometimes. There is so much you have consider like licensing and insurance. When you contact a roofing contractor to get an estimate, there are some costs that are included or should be included when the contractor does his estimate. You should ask questions to see if you are getting what you paid for.
Things that are included in an estimate are:
- Structure of the roof
- Materials
- Tear Off
- Debris removal
- Labor
The structure of the roof can affect the pricing. When there is a two story, very steep, lots of valleys it can involve extra materials and more exertion than standard pitched roofs or flat roofs.
The materials all depends on what materials you want for your roof. Some materials can be higher than others especially sometimes colors, dimensions and other styles that shingles can come in. Then you have metal than is higher than shingles and so on. The roofing contractor will have measured your roof using square footage or squares and that is what they use to determine how much they need in materials. Another cost that is included in materials is underlayment that must be used, and if there are other damages like flashing or vents they will include this also. You should not have surprises in materials after they have finished the roof. The hardest material to give an exact price on is sheeting because it is underneath the shingles or other roofing materials. Sometimes the contractor can tell a estimated amount that may need to be replaced, what you should be told from a contractor is this is how much it could cost per sheeting that needs replaced. It is better that it is replaced than the contractor leaving bad sheeting under a new roof. If the contractor tells you a price over the phone without seeing the roof, you can bet there may be some surprise costs added after the fact. This is one reason why a contract stating everything should be signed. 
Tear off and debris removal is normally in an estimate. Sometimes though it may be good to ask and make sure that it is included and that they are going to remove the debris.
The last thing that is used in an estimate is labor cost. We would all love to not have to be labor but that is a necessary cost that the contractor has to cover. There should be a consideration that an expert roofing installer are paid higher wages because they are certified installers. Some materials that can be used from venders must be ordered by a certified installer and the reason is that they are trained to install that roofing material. This also means that they have the necessary requirements to do the roof like licensing, liability insurance and workman's compensation. They are not just workers out of a truck working for cash. Many certified roofing companies will offer a guarantee from their work and also be able to show you warranty for the material you have chosen.
It is very important when you contact a roofing contractor to ask questions and make sure you get something in writing and have a clear understanding of the work they are going to do and be cautious when choosing a contractor. Sometimes people get 3 or more estimates and just pick the cheapest cost, but before taking the cheapest cost make sure to do some research on that contractor or company. This can save you a lot of headache and costs in the long run.
