Someone has been out to look at the roof, and now there is a folded set of pages on the kitchen table with a total at the bottom. Your first instinct may be to let your father sign so the stain on the ceiling stops being your problem. Take a breath first. The total is the least useful number on the page. What matters is what the work includes, what it leaves out, and who answers for it if water still comes through the ceiling after the next hard rain.
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Read the Scope Before the Number
Sit down with the quote and a pen, the way Mom would have. Look for the lines that describe the actual job: how many layers of old material come off, whether the wood under the damaged area gets replaced or only patched, what kind of underlayment goes down, and the name of the new covering. If a line says only 'replace roof,' ask the company to write out the full scope. Two quotes that look alike on the first page can describe very different work once you read the details.
Check What the Quote Leaves Out
Most of the trouble with roof work lives in the items nobody mentions. Ask each company, in writing, about these:
Tear-off and hauling. Is the old material removed and carried away, or is it left for the household to deal with?
The permit. Who pulls it, who pays for it, and is the inspection included? Ask the local building office what a roof repair there requires, since the rules vary by place.
Flashing, vents and the chimney area. Are the metal edges, pipe boots and vent parts replaced, or only the shingles? Leaks often start at these spots, not in the middle of the field.
Gutters and downspouts. Are they removed for the work and put back, or is that charged separately?
Cleanup and protection. Does the crew run a magnet over the yard for nails, cover the shrubs, and protect the walkway? Ask what happens to the price if the crew cannot start on the day they name, because weather pushes everything back.
Check Who Answers for the Work
Make sure the company name on the quote matches the name on the truck and the invoice. Ask for a street address, not only a phone number. Ask for a certificate of liability insurance and proof of workers' compensation coverage, and ask whether the insurer can send the certificate straight to you. Look up the company's license with the state or city licensing office if your area requires one, and ask the office what applies to roofing where your father lives.
Warranties come in two kinds, and they are different papers. The manufacturer covers the material. The contractor covers the labor. Ask for both in writing. For each one, find out how long it lasts, what it covers, and whether it depends on a particular product being used. Ask who to call after the job is finished, and get that person's name, not just the office number.
Compare Like With Like
Get at least three quotes built from the same written scope. Give every company the same measurements, the same list of items, and the same questions. If one number comes in far below the others, do not celebrate. Ask what was dropped. Often the answer is a line from the list above.
Put the quotes side by side on one sheet, one row per item. Mark each blank. A blank on a quote is a question you still need to ask. Then look at the payment schedule. A deposit is normal, and so are progress payments tied to the work. Be cautious about a large payment before materials arrive, and about any company that wants the full amount in cash before the crew shows up. Read each schedule against the work it pays for.
Keep Your Father in the Room
This is his house and his signature, and he should decide with you, not around you. He may say he has handled roofs his whole life. Let him. Sit with him and ask him to read the warranty lines aloud, the way he would check a part for a truck. Ask which company he trusts from past work, and whether a neighbor has used one. He will likely catch something you missed, and he will feel like the house is still his. If you are not sure who has the authority to sign for the property, ask an attorney you trust before anyone signs anything.
What to Do Tonight
Find every paper that mentions the roof and put them in one folder. Write three questions on an index card and keep it by the phone: Who pulls the permit? What is removed and hauled away? Whose warranty covers the labor, and for how long? Do not sign tonight. Tell the company you will call them back, and then call the second and third companies and ask each for a written quote built from the same scope you just read.