Print this checklist, ask every bidder the same questions, and let the weak answers eliminate themselves.
Compare My Free Quotes →Before signing with a roofer, ask for their CSLB license number, proof of liability and workers' comp insurance, and an exact materials specification in writing. Then pin down who does the work, how decking repairs are priced, the warranty terms, and a milestone-based payment schedule. Asking all fifteen questions of three competing bidders makes vague or evasive answers stand out immediately.
A roof replacement is one of the largest checks most homeowners ever write to a contractor, yet many people interview a roofer for less time than they'd spend choosing a phone. The fifteen questions below fix that. Ask every bidder the same list, write down the answers, and the comparison does most of the vetting for you.
1. What's your CSLB license number? Any hesitation here ends the conversation. Take the number and verify it yourself at cslb.ca.gov: active status, C-39 roofing classification, current bond, workers' comp on file. Our guide to hiring a roofing contractor in California walks through the full check.
2. Who actually does the work — your own crew or subcontractors? Neither answer is wrong, but you need to know. A company that runs its own crews controls training and quality directly. If the answer is subs, follow up immediately with question 3.
3. If you use subcontractors, are they licensed and insured too? This is where homeowners get burned. The company you hired may be fully covered while the crew on your roof is not. Ask for the subs' license numbers and insurance certificates, not just a reassurance.
4. Can you send certificates for liability and workers' comp directly from your agent? Certificates emailed by the insurance agent are much harder to fake than a photocopy from a binder. Workers' comp matters most: an injured, uninsured worker on your property can become your legal and financial problem.
5. Who pulls the permit? The only acceptable answer: "We do." Every California re-roof needs a permit, and a legitimate roofer obtains it and schedules inspections as routine. A contractor who suggests you pull it yourself, or skip it, belongs on our red flags list, not on your roof.
6. Exactly what materials will you install? Demand the manufacturer, product line, color, and the underlayment type — in writing, in the bid. "Architectural shingles" is a category, not a spec. Vague materials language is the number-one way a low bid turns into a cheap roof.
7. Tear-off or overlay — and why? Laying new shingles over old ones costs less up front but can hide rotten decking, add weight, and shorten the new roof's service life. If a bidder recommends an overlay, make them justify it for your specific roof, and compare that reasoning against the other bids.
8. What do you charge per sheet to replace damaged decking? Rotten plywood is the most common mid-job surprise, and it's only discovered after tear-off. Get the per-sheet replacement price in the contract before work starts. A roofer who won't commit to a number is reserving the right to name any price once your roof is open.
9. Are you replacing the flashing or reusing it? Flashing — the metal at valleys, chimneys, walls, and pipes — is where most leaks start. Reusing decades-old flashing under a brand-new roof is a classic corner-cut. If a bid is silent on flashing, assume reuse and ask.
10. What's your ventilation plan? Poor attic ventilation cooks shingles from below and can void manufacturer warranties. A good roofer will talk about intake and exhaust balance for your specific attic, not just "we'll add a couple of vents."
11. Will the materials meet cool-roof and Title 24 requirements for my climate zone? California's Title 24 energy code imposes cool-roof requirements on many Southern California re-roofs, and homes in designated fire hazard zones need a Class-A rated assembly. A roofer working in San Diego, Pasadena, or anywhere in between should know your zone's requirements cold — this question quickly separates pros from pickup-truck operations. If the answer is a blank look, imagine how the inspection is going to go.
12. What's the timeline, and what happens if weather moves in? You want a start window, a duration, and a plan for protecting an open roof if rain arrives mid-job. "We'll tarp it" should come with specifics.
13. How do you handle cleanup — and do you run a magnet sweep? A tear-off scatters thousands of nails. A professional crew does a magnetic sweep of your lawn, driveway, and flower beds — daily on multi-day jobs. Ask, and get it in the contract.
14. What's your workmanship warranty, and is it transferable? There are two warranties on every roof: the manufacturer's warranty on materials and the roofer's warranty on installation. Most failures in the first decade are installation failures, so the workmanship warranty is the one that matters most. Get the length in years, what it covers, and whether it transfers if you sell — a transferable warranty is a genuine selling point in markets like Long Beach.
15. What's the payment schedule — and what happens if you find something unexpected? California caps the down payment at $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less. After that, payments should be tied to completed milestones — tear-off done, dry-in complete, final inspection passed — never to dates on a calendar. And ask directly: "If you open the roof and find a surprise, what happens?" The right answer involves a written change order with your signature before any extra work or charges. See our cost guide for what typical line items should run.
Any single roofer can talk around one or two of these questions. What they can't survive is comparison. When you ask all fifteen questions of three competing bidders, patterns emerge fast: one names the exact shingle line while another says "top-quality materials"; one commits to $85 per sheet of decking while another shrugs; one volunteers their workmanship warranty in writing while another changes the subject. The weak answers don't need to be argued with — they eliminate themselves.
That's the whole logic behind comparing quotes, and it's why we built the matching service: answer a few questions about your home and get free competing quotes from up to three vetted, licensed local roofers. Every contractor in the network has already cleared license and insurance screening, so your fifteen questions become confirmation rather than detective work. Have questions the checklist doesn't cover? Our FAQ covers the rest.
Start with the CSLB license number, before price or timeline. Verifying it at cslb.ca.gov confirms active status, the C-39 roofing classification, the required contractor bond, and workers' comp coverage in about two minutes. If a roofer hesitates, stalls, or offers excuses instead of a number, you've learned everything you need to know and can end the interview early.
Using subs is common and not automatically bad, but you must ask the follow-up: are the subcontractors themselves licensed and insured? The company you sign with may be fully covered while the crew actually on your roof is not, and an injured uninsured worker can become your liability. Ask for the subs' license numbers and insurance certificates before signing.
Because rotten decking is only discovered after tear-off, when your roof is open and you have no leverage. Agreeing on a per-sheet replacement price in the contract turns the most common mid-job surprise into simple arithmetic instead of a negotiation under duress. A roofer who refuses to commit to a decking price in advance is preserving the ability to charge whatever they want later.
The manufacturer's warranty covers defects in the shingles or other materials. The workmanship warranty, issued by the roofer, covers installation errors — and installation errors cause most early roof failures. Ask how many years the workmanship warranty runs, exactly what it covers, and whether it transfers to a new owner if you sell. Get both warranties described in the written contract.
A down payment no larger than California's legal cap — $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less — followed by payments tied to completed milestones such as tear-off, dry-in, and passed final inspection. Never agree to payments tied to calendar dates, never pay in cash, and always hold the final payment until inspection passes and you have warranty documents.
Ask every bidder the same set of questions and put the answers side by side. Line up the materials spec, tear-off versus overlay, flashing plan, decking price, warranty length, and payment terms. Differences in price usually trace back to differences in scope, so a dramatically low bid typically omits something. Three competing quotes make omissions and vague answers obvious in a way one quote never can.
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