What a general contractor should expect from a pre-qualified roofing sub

Prequalification: ready before you ask

Your risk and precon teams shouldn't have to chase a roofing sub for paperwork. A pre-qualified sub should have a standard packet ready and be able to fill out your own prequal form quickly. Expect:

• Certificate of insurance naming additional insureds and including endorsements your contract requires, such as primary and noncontributory wording and waiver of subrogation.
• Insurance limits that fit the job. General liability, workers' comp on every employee and umbrella coverage at levels your owner contract requires.
• A bonding letter stating capacity, plus the ability to provide bid and performance bonds when required.
• A written safety program and safety history your team can review.
• Licenses and registrations for the jurisdictions where you build. Front Range cities handle contractor licensing differently, so confirm the sub is set up in yours.
• Business certifications such as MBE, DBE, SBE or EBE if you have participation goals.
• Manufacturer standing: a letter showing the sub is an approved applicator for the specified system, so the warranty can actually be issued.
• A W-9, capability statement and references on comparable work.

The bid: complete, with the gaps named

The most expensive roofing bid is the one that's low because it left something out. A good roofing bid follows the specification section by section and states clearly what's included, what's excluded and what's assumed.

Expect the bid to cover the specified system and thickness, insulation thickness and R-value per the drawings and energy code, tapered insulation and crickets, cover board, flashings and sheet metal, the manufacturer warranty named in the spec, and alternates you requested. If the sub proposes a substitution, it should be listed separately, not quietly swapped in.

Scope items that most often fall between trades

A sub with general contractor experience will flag these on their own. If your roofing bids don't mention them, ask.

Preconstruction: submittals and the pre-roofing meeting

Once the subcontract is signed, the roofing sub should move quickly on submittals so materials can be released. Typical submittals include product data, the tapered insulation layout, sheet metal shop drawings, wind uplift and fire ratings for the assembly, the manufacturer's acceptance of nonstandard details, and a sample of the warranty to be issued.

The National Roofing Contractors Association recommends a pre-roofing conference before work starts. It brings together the GC, roofing sub, architect, owner's representative and often the manufacturer's representative to settle sequencing, details, inspections, staging and protection. It's the cheapest place to resolve problems.

Expect a schedule of values that lines up with your pay application format, and a material lead-time list so long-lead items like specific membranes, tapered packages or custom sheet metal don't hold up dry-in.

On site: sequencing, weather and safety

Sequencing

Roofing depends on the work before it. Deck, blocking, curbs and penetrations should be in place before the roofer mobilizes, or the sub will be back for multiple trips. A good sub will walk the deck before mobilizing and tell you in writing what's not ready.

Colorado weather

Front Range weather changes quickly. Expect the sub to:

• Plan for cold-weather adhesives and installation limits in winter, and for the shorter working days.
• Make the roof watertight at the end of every day, not just at the end of each section.
• Secure insulation, membrane rolls and debris against high winds, including chinook events near the foothills.
• Stop and protect the work ahead of afternoon thunderstorms and hail in summer.

Safety

Roofing carries fall exposure on every project. The sub should work under a written safety program with a site-specific fall protection plan, train its crews, and coordinate with your superintendent on hoisting, crane picks, overhead protection and site logistics. Hot work permits apply when torch-applied or hot-asphalt systems are used; heat-welded single-ply systems like TPO use hot-air welders instead of open flame.

Communication and changes

• One point of contact for the project, plus a foreman on site every day the crew is working.
• Daily reports with crew size, work completed, weather and photos.
• RFIs submitted early, especially on details that don't match the manufacturer's standards.
• Change orders in writing before the work, and time-and-material tickets signed the same day.
• Inspections coordinated: city inspections, the manufacturer's inspection for warranty, and any owner's roof consultant visits.

Closeout without chasing

The roof isn't closed out when the crew leaves. It's closed out when you have the paperwork your owner needs. Expect your roofing sub to deliver:

• Punch list items completed promptly after the walkthrough
• The manufacturer warranty issued, not just applied for
• The roofing contractor's workmanship warranty
• Operation and maintenance information and care instructions for the owner
• As-built information where required
• Conditional and unconditional lien waivers in the form you use
• Updated insurance certificates if your contract requires them through closeout

Red flags in a roofing bid or sub

Most problems with roofing subs are visible before award if you know where to look:

• A bid well below the others with no explanation, or with exclusions buried in fine print
• No mention of the specified manufacturer warranty, or a vague "warranty per manufacturer"
• Slow or incomplete responses to prequalification and insurance requests
• No approved applicator status for the specified system
• No written safety program, or one that isn't site-specific
• A crew size that can't realistically meet your dry-in date

A short scope review call before award, walking the bid line by line, catches most of these and costs everyone less than a dispute during construction.

How Truman works with general contractors

We started as a general contractor in 2003 and have been roofing since 2009. In 2019 we rebuilt the company around large commercial work as a pre-qualified roofing subcontractor for Front Range general contractors. We hold a Class-A general contractor license, carry $2M general liability, workers' comp on every employee and a $5M umbrella, have bonding capacity over $1M, and are certified MBE, DBE, EBE and SBE in Denver and regionally. As an approved applicator, we can offer extended manufacturer warranties on commercial projects.

Estimating is led by Andrew Rickert, our Operations Manager, a CPA who also holds a Class-A GC license. Bids are line-itemed, exclusions are stated plainly, and our prequalification packet is ready when you need it.

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