What could change your price — published in advance
Most roofing complaints are not about the original number. They are about the second number, the one that appeared after the shingles came off. So here is every rate we could ever add to your roof, what triggers it, and what the wider market charges for the same thing. Read it before you sign anything, from us or from anyone else.
The rule that matters more than the rates
Nothing on this card is charged without the homeowner approving it in writing first — in the portal, with a photo of the condition that triggered it. A crew never proceeds on a discovered item and invoices for it afterwards.
The rate card
These are our published retail rates, set at or near the top of the 2026 Maryland and Northern Virginia market. Each line shows what the wider market charges for the same work, so you can check us against it rather than take our word for it.
| What it is, and why | Our rate | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Tear off a second layer of roofingTwice the material to strip, carry and dump, and a second layer usually hides deck damage. | $95per square | Discovered on tear-off, or visible at the eave on inspection.Market: One-layer tear-off averages $1.25/sq ft installed, two layers $2.10 — a spread of about $85/SQ. |
| Tear off a third or subsequent layerCode generally forbids re-covering over two layers, so this is usually mandatory rather than optional. | $130per square | Discovered on tear-off.Market: Extrapolated from the one-to-two-layer spread; no clean published third-layer figure exists. |
| Replace a sheet of roof decking (4x8 OSB or plywood)Rotten or delaminated sheathing will not hold a nail. It is the most common discovered item on any roof over 20 years old. | $120per sheet | Found once the shingles are off. Photographed sheet by sheet.Market: Contractors quote $80-$120 per 4x8 sheet installed as a deck-repair allowance; $70-$100 installed is also published. |
| Full re-deck over spaced or failed sheathingOlder homes with skip sheathing cannot take modern shingles or hold a warranty without a solid deck. | $4.50per sq ft | Identified on inspection where the attic is accessible, otherwise on tear-off.Market: Roof decking replacement runs $2-$5 per sq ft installed. |
| Replace rotted fascia boardGutters hang off the fascia. Rotten fascia means the new gutter has nothing sound to fasten to. | $16per linear foot | Visible at the eave, confirmed when the gutter comes off.Market: Fascia repair runs $6-$16 per linear foot. |
| Cut in and install ridge ventMost older roofs are under-ventilated, which cooks shingles from underneath and voids the manufacturer warranty. | $15per linear foot | Ventilation calculated against code at inspection; usually known BEFORE the contract, not discovered.Market: Ridge vent installation runs $7-$15 per linear foot. |
| Re-flash a chimney (step and counter flashing)The most common leak point on any roof with a chimney, and the one place a reused flashing will fail. | $600each | Assessed at inspection. A masonry chimney over 15 years old nearly always needs it.Market: Chimney step and counter flashing replacement runs $200-$600. |
| Re-flash a skylightA skylight kept and re-flashed is far cheaper than one replaced, but flashing it properly is hand work. | $450each | Assessed at inspection.Market: Between the chimney flashing band and a full skylight replacement; no clean published figure. |
| Replace a plumbing vent bootRubber boots crack in about 12 years — well before the shingles fail — and are a top-three leak source. | $65each | Always replaced on a full roof. Listed so it is never a surprise line.Market: Small-part replacement; priced from labour plus material. |
| Steep-pitch work (8/12 and above)Above 8/12 a crew needs staging, harnesses and roof jacks, and works materially slower. | $90per square | Known from the measurement, so this is priced INTO the quote rather than discovered.Market: Steep sections add about $90-$130 per square, as published on our own cost guide. |
| Third storey or higherLonger ladder work, more staging, and material has to be lifted further. | $45per square | Known from the property record and the site visit.Market: Height and access premiums are standard in commercial takeoffs; extrapolated for residential. |
| Difficult access (no dump-trailer position, hand-carry only)If the trailer cannot get near the house, every bundle and every piece of debris is carried by hand. | $650flat | Assessed at the site visit, before the contract.Market: Mobilisation premium; no published figure — costed from crew hours. |
Rates are current retail list and can change with material costs; the rates on your contract are the ones fixed for your job. Items marked as known from the measurement or the inspection are priced into your quote rather than discovered later — only the genuinely hidden conditions, principally decking, can appear once the roof is open.
Straight answers
Can a roofing contractor change the price after you sign?
Only for work outside the signed scope, and only with your written approval first. United Developers publishes every rate that could be added, with the condition that triggers it, before you sign. Nothing on that list is charged without you approving it in the portal with a photo of the condition that caused it — a crew never proceeds on a discovered item and invoices for it afterwards.
What is the most common roofing change order?
Replacing rotten roof decking. It is the most common discovered item on any roof over 20 years old, because rotten sheathing will not hold a nail and cannot be seen until the shingles are off. It is charged per 4x8 sheet, photographed sheet by sheet.
Why does a second layer of roofing cost more to remove?
There is twice as much material to strip, carry and dump, and a second layer usually hides deck damage that a single layer would not. Code generally forbids re-covering over two existing layers, so a third layer normally has to come off rather than being covered.