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Questions to ask before you sign a roofing contract
Roofing by Guttrz: one flat written quote good for one year, from the owner who inspected the roof, with no sign-today pricing.
Before you sign a roofing contract, ask who inspected the roof and whether you get photos, exactly what the price includes, how long the price is good for, whether it is a full tear-off, how decking is priced, where ice and water shield goes, which shingle and wind rating, who pulls the permit, what insurance the company carries, what the warranties say in writing, the payment schedule, how gutters tie in, and how the yard is cleaned up. In Ohio, a contract signed in your home comes with a right to cancel until midnight of the third business day under Ohio Revised Code 1345.21 to 1345.28. Guttrz in North Canton, Ohio answers every one of these in a written quote good for one year.
What are the questions to ask a roofer before signing?
The questions to ask a roofer before signing come down to four things: who looked at the roof, what exactly is in the price, what happens when something goes wrong, and what the paper says. A good company answers all of them without being asked.
This checklist has 14 questions and why each matters. It leans on the difference between a local roofer and a storm chaser, because the questions that expose a storm chaser also protect you from any bad contract. The Guttrz answer is given where there is one.
Who looked at the roof?
1. Who inspected my roof, and can I see the photos?
If the quote came from a drone flyover, a satellite measurement, or a salesperson who never went up, you are buying a guess. Ask for photos of the decking edges, flashing, valleys, and attic. At Guttrz the owner inspects the roof himself and sends a photo report with a Good, Watch, or Replace Soon rating before any quote. The free roof inspection page explains what it covers.
2. Do I need a new roof, or would a repair hold?
A company that sells only replacements has one answer. A rating scale with a Watch option means the inspector is allowed to tell you to wait. Guttrz does not sell repairs, so a Watch rating simply means no sale yet.
What exactly is in the price?
3. Is this a flat price or an estimate?
An estimate can grow. A flat written quote cannot, except for items it names in advance. Ask which one you are holding. Guttrz gives one flat written quote.
4. What does the price include, line by line?
Full tear-off, synthetic underlayment, ice and water shield at eaves and valleys, drip edge, starter strip, ridge vent, architectural shingles, dumpster, magnet sweep, and cleanup should all be on the page. If a line is missing, it is either not happening or it is a change order waiting to happen. Every one of those is included in a Guttrz replacement.
5. How long is the price good for?
A price that expires tonight is a pressure tactic, not a price. The Guttrz quote is good for one year, so you can plan the install for spring 2027 without the number changing.
6. Are you tearing off the old shingles or going over them?
An overlay is cheaper and hides the decking, which is the whole problem. Ohio follows the Residential Code of Ohio, which like the IRC allows at most two layers, so a roof with two layers must come off. The roof overlay vs tear-off page covers the trade-offs. Guttrz does full tear-off only.
7. How is rotted decking priced if you find it?
Nobody can see the wood until the shingles are off. Ask for the per-sheet price in writing before the install, not on the day.
8. Where does the ice and water shield go, and what underlayment is it?
In Northeast Ohio the code calls for ice and water shield at the eaves extending at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line, and good practice adds valleys and penetrations. Synthetic underlayment is lighter and tougher than felt. Ask for the brand names so you can look them up.
9. Which shingle, and what wind rating?
Architectural shingles typically carry 110 to 130 mph wind ratings against 60 to 70 for 3-tab, and last 25 to 30 years in the Midwest against 15 to 20. The architectural vs 3-tab shingles page has the comparison. Guttrz installs architectural shingles.
What happens when something goes wrong?
10. Who pulls the permit?
Some towns in Stark County require a permit for a reroof and some do not. Ask who applies, who pays, and who meets the inspector. Guttrz pulls the permit where one is required.
11. Are you insured, and can I see the certificate?
Ask for a certificate of general liability insurance naming the company, and ask about workers' compensation coverage. Ohio has no statewide license for roofing contractors, so insurance and a local address do more of the work than a license number does.
12. What are the warranties, in writing?
There are two: the shingle manufacturer's warranty on the material, and the installer's workmanship warranty on the labor. A manufacturer warranty does not cover a bad install. Ask for both documents. A Guttrz roof comes with a manufacturer warranty on the shingles and a written Guttrz workmanship warranty, terms on your quote.
13. What is the payment schedule?
A deposit to schedule and the balance after the walk-through is normal. Paying in full before the dumpster arrives is not. Never sign over an insurance claim or an assignment of benefits to a roofer; that is the storm chaser model, and Guttrz does not do insurance work.
What does the paper say?
14. How will you handle my gutters, the yard, and the cleanup?
Ask whether the drip edge will lap into your existing gutters, whether the gutters get cleared of grit at the end, and whether a magnet sweep is included. If the gutters are spike-hung or sagging, ask for a separate line to replace them the same week; the roof and gutter replacement page explains how Guttrz does that.
What is Ohio's three-business-day right to cancel a roofing contract?
If you sign a roofing contract in your home, at your door, or anywhere other than the company's regular place of business, Ohio's Home Solicitation Sales Act gives you the right to cancel until midnight of the third business day after signing, under Ohio Revised Code 1345.21 to 1345.28. The seller must give you a written notice of cancellation form, and the three days do not start until you have it. Sundays and legal holidays do not count as business days. If you cancel, your deposit must be refunded within ten business days. The text of the law is at codes.ohio.gov, section 1345.22, and the Ohio Attorney General publishes a plain-language summary.
A contract you can cancel for three days is still one you should read before signing. A company that is not in a hurry does not need you to sign in the driveway, and Guttrz quotes are written, good for one year, with no sign-today discount.
What are the red flags?
- A price that drops if you sign tonight.
- A knock on the door the week after a storm, with an out-of-county address on the truck. The local roofer vs storm chaser page has the full pattern.
- A quote with no photos and no line items.
- Any request to sign over an insurance claim.
- No certificate of insurance, or one you are not allowed to copy.
Bring these 14 questions to any roofer, including Guttrz. The free inspection, photo report, and flat written quote answer most of them before you ask. Now booking spring 2027 roof replacements. Free roof inspections now. Book a free roof inspection in North Canton, or start with the Roofing by Guttrz overview and the roof replacement cost page.
Common questions
Can I cancel a roofing contract after signing in Ohio?
If you signed at home or anywhere other than the company's regular place of business, Ohio's Home Solicitation Sales Act gives you until midnight of the third business day to cancel, under Ohio Revised Code 1345.21 to 1345.28. Send the cancellation in writing and keep a copy. If you signed at the company's office, the three-day right generally does not apply, so read the contract's own cancellation terms.
Does a roofer need a license in Ohio?
Ohio does not issue a statewide license for roofing contractors, though some cities require a local contractor registration. That makes a certificate of insurance, a verifiable local address, and a written quote the practical checks. Ask for the insurance certificate and call the agent listed on it.
How many roofing quotes should I get?
Two or three is enough if each one includes photos and line items you can compare. More than that usually means comparing different scopes, which is harder than it sounds. Compare tear-off versus overlay, the underlayment and ice and water shield, the shingle, the warranties, and how decking is priced before you compare the bottom line.
Should I pay a roofer a deposit before the work starts?
A deposit to hold the schedule and order material is normal. Paying the full price before the dumpster arrives is not, and signing over an insurance claim to a roofer is a red flag. The balance should be due after you have walked the finished roof.
What should a roofing contract include?
The company's legal name and address, the full scope line by line, the shingle and underlayment by brand, how decking replacement is priced, the start window, the payment schedule, both warranties, who pulls the permit, cleanup and magnet sweep, and the Ohio notice of cancellation if you signed at home. If a line is missing, ask for it to be added before you sign.
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Written by Christian Schaffner, owner of Guttrz. Updated November 7, 2026.
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