Check the Bundle Count on the Shingle Delivery Before the Crew Unloads

The delivery ticket is the first document on your roof job that describes the shingles themselves. Before the crew tears off the old roof, someone should count what came off the truck and check it against the square count the spec was written from. A short delivery on a 30-square roof is not a small problem. It means the crew either stops mid-slope to wait for a supplier run, or it finishes the last slope with a different batch than the first.

Material and spec

A square is 100 square feet of roof surface, and shingles are sold by the bundle, with a set number of bundles needed to cover one square. Most laminated asphalt shingles sold for residential work come three bundles to the square, but the figure is printed on the wrapper, and it varies by product. The wrapper usually states the coverage per bundle. That number is the one to multiply against your measured squares, not a figure from memory or from a different brand's sheet.

The measured square count is not the same as the shingle order. The order includes waste, which covers the cuts at valleys, hips, rakes and the ends of each run. Ask the roofer to write both numbers on the same line: the measured squares and the bundles ordered. If the spec says 28 squares measured and 34 squares ordered, the difference is the waste allowance, and you can check it against the quote. If the truck delivers 84 bundles, that is 28 squares of coverage. It matches the measurement, but it leaves nothing for waste, so the first cut at a valley will come up short.

Look at the lot or batch number on each bundle, not only the count. Bundles from the same production run carry the same lot number and match in color. Bundles from two lots may not. A count that looks right can hide a mixed delivery, so check that every bundle on the truck carries the same lot number before the crew opens any of them.

The delivery should also show the product name exactly as it appears in the spec, and the wrapper should say the same thing. If the bundle names a different line from the one on your quote, that is a material question, not a counting question. It goes back to the roofer before the crew starts, and it should be settled in writing.

Check the supplier's return terms for unopened bundles before anyone cuts a strap. A surplus bundle can sometimes go back, but the terms vary, and a restocking charge may apply. If the delivery is over, ask whether the extra bundles are yours to keep, returned to the supplier, or left on the roof with the rest of the waste. The answer changes who pays for them.

What it costs

Shingles on a quote are priced by the square, and the bundles are where that price becomes physical material on your property. A short delivery does not reduce the bill. It delays the job, and a delay can push the crew off a dry window. In St. Louis, the window matters. A roof opened in late October with rain in the forecast may have to be closed in the evening, and the bundles that did not arrive have to be ordered and trucked again before the crew can finish.

Waste is the line that often moves the material cost. A quote that adds a 10 percent waste allowance on a simple gable roof and a quote that adds 15 percent on a roof with four hips, two valleys and a dormer may both be correct for their roofs. The difference shows up as extra bundles. Ask each roofer to state the waste percentage in writing, and ask them to show the bundle count that results from it. A quote that folds the waste into a single total can leave you unable to tell which bundles you paid for.

If the delivery is short and the roofer places a second order, ask whether the second trip carries a fee. Some suppliers charge for a second delivery, and some roofers pass that charge through. That line belongs in the written quote before the order is placed, not on the final invoice. The same goes for a restocking charge on unneeded bundles, which should be named before the first order leaves the yard.

Price is not the only cost. A crew that waits on a short truck is paid for the wait, and the wait can add a day to the schedule. Ask how the quote treats a stop caused by a material shortage, and whether the schedule moves at no cost to you or at a daily rate.

What to ask

Before the truck arrives, ask the roofer these questions and write the answers down:

• How many bundles per square does this exact product require, and what does the wrapper say?
• How many squares did you measure, and how many squares did you order?
• What waste percentage is in the order, and where is it stated in the quote?
• Who counts the bundles at the truck, and does the crew sign the delivery ticket?
• Will every bundle carry the same lot number?
• If the count is short, who orders the rest, and does a second delivery carry a fee?
• What are the return terms for unopened bundles, and who pays a restocking charge?

Ask the crew lead to count at the truck, not the next morning. If the bundles are stacked on a driveway where the crew needs to park, or on a slope that makes counting awkward, count them where they land. Photograph the stacked bundles with the delivery ticket in the frame. A dated photo of the bundles and the ticket is the record you will need if a short or mixed delivery turns into a disagreement about what was ordered and what arrived.

If the answers do not match the paper, call the roofer before the crew starts. Keys Roofing's office is at (314) 220-2333, and that is the number to use for a count question, a product question, or a question about what the delivery should have contained. Ask for the answer in writing if it changes the bundle count, the lot, or the cost of the order.