Job costing for roofing contractors
Roofing jobs move fast, often a day or two per roof, so there’s no time to sort out costs later. And the biggest surprise usually shows up at tear-off: rotten timber nobody could see at the estimate. JobFigure keeps each roof’s costs and changes straight while the crew is still on it.
What roofing contractors track in JobFigure
- Bids by the square metre. Price tiles or slates by the square metre (m²), ridge and eaves trim by the metre, and vents and flashings by each.
- Tear-off and disposal as its own cost. Skip bin swaps and extra layers show up here first.
- Rotten timber and hidden damage. Log replacement boarding as a variation the day you find it, while the homeowner or adjuster can still see the damage.
- Crew hours per roof. Crews clock in to each roof, so fast multi-roof weeks still cost out correctly.
Set up for roofing from the first day
When you pick Roofing as your trade, JobFigure loads these cost categories for budgets, receipts, and job costs. You can rename or add your own at any time.
- Roofing Materials
- Labour
- Tear-Off & Disposal
- Underlayment & Flashing
- Equipment Rental
- Fuel
- Permits
- Subcontractor
- Other
Bid line items use the units roofing actually bid in: square metres (m²), metres (m), each (EA), and lump sum (LS).
Example: what a roofing job looks like mid-way
New tiles over new breathable membrane. Tear-off is done and the roof is about 75% dried in. Eighteen sheets of rotten roof boarding were replaced.
| Cost category | Budget | Spent so far |
|---|---|---|
| Roofing Materials | $14,700 | $14,480 |
| Labour | $11,400 | $8,850 |
| Tear-Off & Disposal | $3,300 | $3,680 |
| Underlayment & Flashing | $3,150 | $3,080 |
| Equipment Rental | $900 | $600 |
| Permits | $520 | $520 |
| Other | $750 | $1,770 |
| Total | $34,720 | $32,980 |
The boarding replacement ($1,770 in Other) and an extra skip bin pushed two categories over budget. If your contract prices replacement boarding per sheet, that’s a variation to write today, not after the roof is closed up.
Invoices the Australian way
Set your company to Australia and every progress invoice is a GST tax invoice with your ABN and retention. Tick one box to make it a payment claim under your state’s security of payment Act, and at year end the TPAR report totals what you paid each contractor. Prices are in Australian dollars. More in our guide: Payment claims under Australia’s security of payment laws.
Guides and tools for roofing contractors
Payment claims under Australia’s security of payment laws
Australia: what a payment claim needs, the payment schedule deadline, and when adjudication is an option.
GuideJob costing for contractors: a step-by-step guide
What counts as a job cost, and a six-step system to know what every job made before it’s over.
Free toolProfit margin and markup calculator
Margin and markup from cost and price, or the price to charge for a target margin.