Describe the building and roof geometry
Start with the property type, number of storeys, roof access and visible roof forms. Mark steep-slope and low-slope areas, valleys, ridges, walls, additions, chimneys, skylights, vents, gutters and internal drains. Include detached structures only when they belong in the requested scope. A labelled sketch does not replace measurement, but it helps each bidder price the same planes and transitions. Note landscaping, neighbouring buildings, overhead lines and other constraints that may affect staging or protection without telling a contractor how to perform the work.
Define removal and disposal boundaries
State whether the requested price assumes complete tear-off, removal to a particular layer, or another clearly described approach. Ask the proposal to identify disposal, cleanup and any excluded materials. If the number or type of existing layers is uncertain, require the uncertainty to be stated rather than converted into fact. Confirm how the building will be protected while the roof is open and how weather interruptions will be handled. This makes the removal plan and its risk visible instead of treating tear-off as a single undifferentiated line item.
Set a process for deck findings
Deck condition can remain concealed until the covering is removed. Ask how representative areas will be documented, how unsuitable material will be identified and how replacement quantities will be measured. A useful proposal includes unit pricing or another transparent pricing method, a written approval step and photographs tied to roof locations. If structural movement or extensive deterioration is suspected, identify the need for appropriate professional review rather than expecting a material allowance to answer a structural question.
List each water-shedding layer and transition
Name the proposed covering, underlayment, eave or valley protection, flashings and transition membranes. Clarify treatment at walls, chimneys, skylights, plumbing vents and connections between low- and steep-slope areas. Product names alone are not a complete scope; the proposal should show where each component belongs and whether existing pieces are replaced, reused or excluded. Keep current manufacturer documents with the estimate file and flag details that require design or authority confirmation for the particular building.
Address ventilation and drainage as systems
Record existing intake and exhaust locations, attic divisions and obvious blocked paths without promising that a product count will solve a moisture problem. Ask for the basis of any proposed ventilation change and identify where specialist assessment may be needed. For drainage, include gutters, scuppers, downspouts, internal drains and discharge interfaces that touch the roofing scope. A roof covering cannot compensate for an unresolved drainage or building-envelope condition, so exclusions and coordination points should be visible before award.
Plan access, protection and weather response
The written scope should identify occupied areas, entrances, vehicles, landscaping and sensitive exterior finishes that require coordination. Ask how materials will be delivered and stored, how open work will be protected and who communicates weather-related schedule changes. Safety methods remain the contractor's responsibility, but the owner can require confirmation that the site plan accounts for occupants and property. WorkSafeBC's fall-protection guidance is an authority reference for the hazard; it is not a substitute for the contractor's own compliant work plan.
Specify the closeout package before work starts
List the records expected at completion: final invoice, approved changes, product information, warranties, maintenance instructions, disposal confirmation where applicable and photographs of important concealed or completed details. Ask how deficiencies will be recorded and resolved. Confirm that permit or inspection documentation is included when the final scope requires it. A defined closeout package improves future maintenance and gives the next owner or strata council a reliable account of what was actually installed.