Why Two Roofing Quotes for the Same Florence, SC Home Differ by Thousands
Why does one roofer quote your home at $9,800 and another at $16,500 for what sounds like the same job? That is one of the most common questions we hear in the Pee Dee, and the honest answer is that “the same job” is rarely as identical as it looks on paper. The scope, the materials, and the parts a roofer plans to replace can vary a lot, even when both estimates say “new roof.” Let’s walk through a real-world scenario, then turn it into a simple way to compare quotes without getting lost.
If you want the underlying numbers before you compare bids, our roof replacement cost guide for Florence homeowners lays out what each line should run.
A Real Scenario: The Timmonsville Ranch With Two Estimates
A homeowner off Highway 76 near Florence had a 1,900-square-foot ranch with an aging asphalt shingle roof that had started leaking near a valley. She got two written estimates.
- Quote A: $10,200. This roofer planned to lay new shingles over the existing layer, reuse the current flashing, and replace only the plywood he could see was rotted.
- Quote B: $15,400. This roofer planned to tear off the old shingles completely, replace all the flashing (the thin metal that seals joints and edges), swap the pipe boots, add new underlayment, and budget for replacing several sheets of decking.
At first glance, Quote A looks like the clear winner. It saves more than $5,000. But the two roofers were not pricing the same work. One was patching the house forward a few years. The other was resetting the roof from the deck up. Neither is automatically “right,” but the homeowner needed to know which problem she was actually solving before she compared prices.
Where the Dollar Gap Really Comes From
When quotes differ by thousands, the gap almost always traces back to a handful of decisions. Understanding them puts you back in control.
Tear-Off vs. Roof-Over
Laying new shingles over old ones (a “roof-over”) is cheaper because it skips the labor and dump fees of removing the old roof. But it hides whatever is going wrong underneath, adds weight, and often shortens the life of the new shingles. A full tear-off costs more up front but lets the crew inspect and repair the wood deck. For our Timmonsville homeowner, the leaking valley was a sign that a roof-over might just trap the problem.
How Much Decking and Flashing Gets Replaced
Estimators handle hidden damage differently. Some assume the best case and quote low, then add change orders later. Others build a realistic allowance into the number you see. In Florence’s humid summers and after wind-driven rain, rotted decking and worn flashing are common, so a quote that ignores them may not stay that price for long.
Materials and Accessories
Basic three-tab shingles, architectural shingles, ridge vents, ice-and-water membrane in the valleys, drip edge, and starter strips all move the total. If you want to see how material choice alone changes the math, our breakdown comparing asphalt, metal, and tile roof costs lays out the trade-offs for Pee Dee homes.
Reading the Line Items Instead of the Bottom Number
The single most useful habit is to stop comparing bottom-line totals and start comparing line items. A trustworthy estimate should spell out the scope clearly enough that you can match it against the next one.
Here is a simple side-by-side for that same ranch home once we broke both quotes into pieces:
| Item | Quote A ($10,200) | Quote B ($15,400) |
|---|---|---|
| Old roof removal | Not included (roof-over) | Full tear-off included |
| Underlayment | Reused/partial | All new |
| Flashing & pipe boots | Reused | All replaced |
| Decking allowance | Visible rot only | Up to 8 sheets |
| Cleanup & disposal | Minimal | Full haul-off |
Seen this way, the $5,200 difference is not one roofer gouging and another being generous. It is two different amounts of work. Our post on where your roof replacement dollars go walks through each of these cost buckets in more detail if you want to see what a fair allocation looks like.
When the Cheaper Quote Costs More Later
Consider a second example. A homeowner in the Ebenezer area took the lower of two bids, $8,600 for a roof-over, to save money after a tight year. Eighteen months later, a summer storm exposed a soft deck section the roof-over had covered up. The repair, plus a partial re-do, ran roughly $4,900. The “savings” had mostly evaporated, and the disruption came at the worst time.
That is not an argument for always buying the expensive quote. It is an argument for matching the fix to the actual problem. If your roof is genuinely sound and just aging, a lighter scope can make sense. If there is a leak, storm damage, or hidden rot, cutting scope tends to defer the cost, not remove it. When you are not sure which camp you are in, a paid roof inspection is the honest first step, and it usually costs a fraction of either roof estimate.
How to Compare Fairly Before You Sign
A few practical moves keep the comparison honest:
- Ask each roofer to quote the same scope. If one includes tear-off and the other does not, ask both to price it both ways.
- Get the decking allowance in writing. Know how many sheets are included and the per-sheet cost for anything beyond that.
- Confirm what “flashing” and “underlayment” mean on each quote. Reused or all-new? It matters for leaks down the road.
- Match warranties. A longer material warranty often assumes specific accessories were installed. Make sure both quotes meet those terms.
If your quotes came in after a storm, keep documentation for your insurer, and see our guide to emergency tarping and storm damage repair so temporary protection does not become permanent damage while you decide.
We are happy to walk any Florence homeowner through a competitor’s estimate in plain language. Learn more about our roof repair services or how we work across Florence and the surrounding Pee Dee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Isn’t the lowest quote just the best deal if the roof looks fine to me?
Not always. Roofs hide their problems under the shingles, so “looks fine from the ground” tells you little about the decking and flashing. A low quote can be a great deal if it covers the real scope, or an expensive mistake if it skips work your roof actually needs. Compare the line items, not just the total.
Are the expensive roofers just padding the price?
Sometimes higher totals reflect real added scope, like a full tear-off, all-new flashing, and a generous decking allowance for hidden rot. Padding does happen, which is exactly why itemized estimates matter. If a roofer cannot explain what each line covers in normal language, that is a fair reason to keep looking.
Should I just split the difference and pick the middle price?
Price is a poor way to choose scope. Two middle-priced quotes can still describe completely different work. Decide first what your roof needs, a repair, a roof-over, or a full replacement, then compare roofers who are quoting that same plan. That is a far more reliable way to protect your budget than averaging numbers.