What should a roof replacement quote include?

Should my new roof go over the old one or down to the deck?

A full replacement means tearing off to the deck, and a new layer over the old one is only allowed in limited cases.

The California Residential Code is clear on what a replacement is. Section R908.3 says roof replacement "shall include the removal of existing layers of roof coverings down to the roof deck."

Going over the old roof is called a recover, and Section R908.4 lists when it is not allowed: when the existing roof is water-soaked or deteriorated to the point that it cannot serve as a base, when the existing covering is slate, clay, cement, or asbestos-cement, and "where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering."

So the first thing to find on any quote is the word tear-off, and how many layers they expect to remove. A quote that does not say is a quote you cannot compare.

What line items should a roof quote have?

Tear-off and disposal, deck repair pricing, underlayment, drip edge, flashing, ventilation, the roofing product by name, the permit, cleanup, and the warranties.

Put your quotes side by side and check each one for these. A missing line is not a savings. It is either a gap or a change order waiting to happen.

• Tear-off and disposal, including how many layers and who hauls it away.
• Deck repair, priced per sheet of plywood or OSB and per foot of fascia or rafter tail. More on this below.
• Underlayment, named by type, not just "felt."
• Drip edge at the eaves and rakes.
• Flashing at walls, chimneys, skylights, and valleys, and whether it is new or reused.
• Ventilation, meaning ridge vents, intake vents, and pipe boots.
• The roofing product by brand, product line, and color, so you can look it up.
• The permit, who pulls it, and who is there for the inspection.
• Cleanup, including a magnet sweep for nails in the yard and driveway.
• Gutters, if they have to come off and go back on.
• Start date and weather plan, meaning what happens if it rains with the roof open.

How should rotted wood be priced in a roof quote?

As a unit price per sheet or per foot, written into the quote before work starts, so nobody has to make up a number once the old roof is off.

Nobody can see the deck until the old roofing comes off, so no honest roofer can promise a fixed price for rot. What they can do is price it in advance: so much per sheet of decking replaced, so much per foot of fascia. Then the only question later is how many, and you can count them yourself.

Ask them to photograph the bad sections before they cover them. A contractor who is comfortable with that request is one you can work with.

Does California's cool roof rule apply to my reroof?

In much of California, including Vacaville, replacing more than half of a steep-slope roof requires roofing that meets a minimum reflectance rating, unless the house qualifies for an exception.

This comes from the state Energy Code, Section 150.2(b)1I, and it applies "where more than 50 percent of the roof is being replaced." For steep-slope roofs in Climate Zones 4 and 8 through 15, new roofing needs "a minimum aged solar reflectance of 0.20 and a minimum thermal emittance of 0.75, or a minimum SRI of 16."

Vacaville is in Climate Zone 12, so this applies here. There are exceptions tied to things like attic insulation and radiant barriers. Ask your roofer which product rating they are quoting and whether your house needs it. A roofer who works here should answer that without looking it up.

Does a permitted reroof require new smoke alarms?

Yes, but battery-operated alarms are allowed because the work is on the outside of the house.

Section R310.2.2 of the California Residential Code requires smoke alarms that meet the new-construction standard whenever permitted alterations or repairs occur, and a reroof permit counts. Section R310.6 allows battery-operated alarms where the work is limited to exterior surfaces, such as roofing or siding. So it is a hardware store run, not an electrician.

Carbon monoxide alarms are different. Section R311.2.2 specifically exempts "work involving the exterior surfaces of dwellings, such as the replacement of roofing or siding," so a reroof does not trigger them.

Who should do the work, and what can they ask for up front?

A licensed roofing contractor should do it, and the down payment cannot be more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract, whichever is less.

Roofing has its own license classification in California, the C-39 Roofing Contractor. Look up any roofer on the CSLB website and confirm the license is active.

The down payment cap comes from Business and Professions Code section 7159.5(a)(3): it "shall not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) or 10 percent of the contract amount, whichever amount is less." On a $15,000 roof, that is $1,000. After that, payments should follow work actually done.

In Vacaville, re-roofs are on the city's list of basic residential replacement permits issued through its eTRAKiT portal. Get the permit number on the contract.

This is general information, not legal advice. Local rules can be stricter than the state code. Verified against the 2025 California Residential Code Sections R310, R311, R908.3 and R908.4, the 2025 California Energy Code Section 150.2(b)1I, the CSLB classification list, Business and Professions Code section 7159.5, and the City of Vacaville's permit pages as of September 29, 2026.