Our Own Quote Went From $1,125 to $5,628. Here Is Every Line.
One roof in Springtown. We estimated $1,125.54 on 24 September. The invoice came to $5,628 on 21 October. Nobody changed their mind, and nothing was padded — and we are going to show you which lines moved, because the ones that did not are the real story.
The three lines that barely moved
Shingle material, installation with gutter colour match, and dump fees. Between the two documents, four weeks apart, those three went from $804.11 to $805.
That is a difference of eighty-nine cents. The work you can see from the driveway was priced correctly the first time.
Every line, both dates
| Line | 24 Sept | 21 Oct | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shingle material exact match, felt, cap nails, OSB | $298.90 | $299 | no change |
| Install and gutter colour match laminated shingles, steep slope | $338.54 | $339 | no change |
| Dump fees haulage and tipping | $166.67 | $167 | no change |
| Metal roof repair one replacement sheet became a panel run with decking and battens | $321.43 | $2,208 | +$1,886.57 |
| Hip and ridge not on the first estimate at all | — | $2,615 | +$2,615 |
| Total | $1,125.54 | $5,628 | +$4,502.46 |
Highlighted rows are the two that moved. Both totals reconcile against their own line items, which is why we can publish them.
Where the money actually went
The metal section. In September it looked like one damaged panel — a single sheet, matched and replaced, $321.43. Once the crew was on it, the decking and battens underneath needed replacing too. That line went to $2,208.
Hip and ridge. Seventy linear feet of capping that was not on the first estimate at all, because you cannot assess it properly from the ground. $2,615 — against $638 of field shingle work on the same roof. Four times the cost, on the strip of roof nobody budgets for.
Hips and ridges are the most weather-exposed lines on any roof: the first place wind gets under a shingle and the last place water leaves. Replacing them is slow hand work, and any ridge vents still doing their job have to be preserved and reused.
So why not just quote it right the first time?
Because decking condition is genuinely invisible until the shingles come off. Area and pitch we can measure — we build a 3D model from drone imagery rather than estimating — but what is underneath is not visible from the air, from a ladder, or from the ground.
What an honest quote can do is tell you which parts are measured and which are an allowance, and then name the element that changed when it changes. That is the difference between a revision and a padded bill, and it is a question you can ask every bidder before you sign anything.
What to ask before you choose
- Is the square footage measured or estimated? Every line is priced off it.
- Does the quote name the decking condition? Silence here means a revision is coming.
- Is hip and ridge itemised separately? It is often the largest single line.
- Are dump fees in the total or added later? Ours have run from $167 to $571.
- Is there photographic evidence? A bid with no imagery is an opinion with a price on it.
See the full invoices
We publish two of our own invoiced repairs, itemised by element, with the rate behind each line — and a free drone assessment that measures your roof rather than guessing at it.
Questions
Why did my roof quote go up after the work started?
Almost always because something under the shingles was not visible beforehand. The usual culprits are decking that has rotted, additional layers nobody counted, and hip and ridge capping that turns out to need replacing. A legitimate revision names exactly which element changed and why; a padded one gives you a bigger number and a vague explanation.
Should I just take the cheapest roofing quote?
Only if it covers the same work. Roofing bids differ far more on what they include than on price per square, and the lines that get quietly omitted are decking, hip and ridge, code-required upgrades and disposal. Ask all three bidders the same questions and the cheap one frequently stops being cheap.
How much does hip and ridge cost on a roof repair?
More than most people expect. On the Springtown roof in this article it came to $2,615 against $638 of field shingle work — four times the cost, on the strip of roof nobody thinks about. It is slow hand work along the most weather-exposed line of the roof, and any sound ridge vents have to be preserved and reused.
Can a roofer give an accurate quote without going on the roof?
Not for anything involving the deck. Area and pitch can be measured from the air — we build a 3D model from drone imagery rather than estimating — but decking condition is genuinely invisible until shingles come off. An honest quote says which parts are measured and which are an allowance.
Figures from our own estimate dated 24 September 2026 and invoice dated 21 October 2026 for one property in Springtown, Parker County. City and month only — no customer name, address or contact detail is published, and none ever will be.
