Roofing subcontractor scope and flashing handoffs
You need a roofing subcontractor whose scope covers the points where water can enter and the plan when weather interrupts installation. Compare the roof system, flashing responsibilities, and leak-response contact before comparing totals. Ask for evidence from the same type of roof you specify.
Separate covering from the full assembly
For a new home, ask the quote to identify covering, underlayment, edge metal, valleys, penetrations, and roof-wall flashing. PNNL treats deck preparation, underlayment, flashing, and fastening as coordinated elements of an asphalt roof. Asphalt roof guidance Use the selected manufacturer’s instructions for the actual product.
For a reroof, define removal, deck assessment, temporary protection, and the process for discovered damage. Mark retained components and replacement flashings. Ask who removes and resets anything crossing the roof, including equipment or accessories outside the roofer’s contract.
Do not carry asphalt details into a metal, tile, or low-slope bid without review. Ask for system-specific installation experience and documentation. Identify who orders compatible accessories and who approves a substitution. Keep the price basis tied to the agreed assembly and plan revision.
Resolve roof-wall and gutter handoffs
Receive the deck from framing with damaged areas and unresolved conditions recorded. Coordinate roof-wall flashings with the wall drainage plane before siding closes the interface. PNNL assigns this coordination to roofing and siding trades, with responsibility stated in the contract. Roof-wall flashing guide
Ask the siding crew to attend the interface check. Use the kick-out flashing guide to show the gutter installer the accepted water path. Assign later penetrations to a named party and require a documented restoration process. Keep the original roofing contact informed when another trade opens the finished roof.
Raleigh’s framing inspection expects the roof covered and relevant flashing visible. Inspection instructions Ask your local authority whether the reroof needs additional deck, dry-in, or completion checks. Leave required details available until the official accepts them.
Ask about the crew and protection plan
Interview the working supervisor about your chosen system, open-roof protection, and response to changing weather. Request the crew committed to the job. Ask who checks the deck and who can approve a pause when conditions differ from the bid.
Get written workmanship coverage and its exclusions. Separate the installer’s response from the manufacturer’s product warranty. Ask for the callback contact and the records needed to evaluate a leak. Avoid substituting a product warranty brochure for the roofer’s own responsibility list.
Check NC credentials separately
G.S. 87-1 ties the $40,000 GC threshold to the undertaking and who contracts for it. It distinguishes work for a licensed GC from work for an unlicensed customer. Ask the board how your contract fits that definition. NC contracting definition S(Roofing) is the relevant specialty to check. Board rules
Match the claimed license to the contracting entity. Licensure alone does not establish insurance coverage. Contractor FAQ Request current insurance evidence from the insurer. Obtain the assigned foreman’s name, committed crew, concurrent-job plan, and written callback responsibility before hiring.
Review details before they disappear
Request exposed-deck views, underlayment transitions, valleys, penetration boots, and roof-wall flashing before siding. For asphalt work, ask for fastening views before the next course conceals the nails. PNNL notes that nail position and driving affect attachment. Asphalt shingles
Missing or poorly integrated flashing can direct water into a wall. Roof-wall intersections Use that mechanism to frame a callback investigation. Record weather, leak location, assembly details, and later roof work. Ask the installer to inspect the interface before accepting repeated surface-sealant repairs as the final answer.
Pair finished-roof photos with those concealed-stage images. Use references to ask how the roofer handled one real return visit. A distant roof view can show layout, but ask for the documents and details needed to assess the installation itself.
Record the roof-wall release
Before siding covers the interface, record who installs step flashing, integrates the wall drainage plane, and accepts the kick-out into the gutter. PNNL’s step and kick-out flashing guide explains that water path. Ask the gutter installer to confirm the receiving location with roofing and siding. Keep concealed-stage photos and the accepted detail with the handoff.
For roofing subs
Show builders the systems you install and the interfaces you own. Distinguish new-home dry-in from occupied-house tear-off. State whether your bid includes deck repairs, custom metal, roof-wall coordination, and return work after another trade adds a penetration.
Prepare a portfolio around one complete job. Start with the deck, show underlayment and flashings, and finish with the roof. Caption the product and your scope. Keep homeowner names and addresses out of shared images. Ask permission before sharing any private project detail.
For a new builder introduction, send relevant work and ask for drawings, roof geometry, access, and the target dry-in date. Offer a written weather-delay process and a named supervisor. Ask how the builder handles scope changes and roof access by later trades.
To encourage repeat work, report deck problems before covering them. Give the superintendent a clear handoff and a callback contact. Ask for an endorsement about the work you completed together, including flashing coordination and response. Do not promise that a product badge or a finished photo establishes the performance of every concealed interface.
Examples from the field
Illustrative examples, not member stories
Roof-wall flashing before siding (illustrative)
Your roof meets a wall awaiting cladding. Review the flashing integration with the siding crew and document the accepted interface before it disappears.
Reroof with discovered deck damage (illustrative)
Your tear-off exposes damaged decking outside the priced repair scope. Record the condition and obtain the repair and protection decisions before covering it.
Later penetration through a finished roof (illustrative)
Another trade needs an opening after roofing is complete. Assign the penetration and restoration work and give the original roofer the accepted change record.
Where Cercha fits
Cercha portfolios and Gallery can show roofing details alongside completed projects. Builders can review builder endorsements and use Messages to ask about the selected system, weather plan, and flashing handoffs.