Your mother says the roofer found a problem. You have photographs of shingles, two estimates with different totals and no clear way to tell whether one contractor saw more damage or simply included more work.
Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.
Do not start by asking which quote is cheaper. Start by asking whether the quotes describe the same roof.
A roof total can move because of its size, slope, height, number of existing layers, condition of the wood below, access for workers, disposal plan, flashing details and permit requirements. If those items are missing, you are comparing totals instead of jobs.
First, identify the roof each contractor measured
Ask each contractor to mark the work area on the same set of photographs or a simple roof sketch. The quote should identify the main house, porch, addition, garage and any flat or low-slope sections separately.
Then ask for the measured roof area and the method used to measure it. A contractor may measure from the roof, use an aerial report or work from building dimensions. You do not need to favor one method. You need to know whether both bids include the same surfaces, overhangs and waste allowance.
Count the features that require extra cutting or sealing: chimneys, skylights, plumbing vents, valleys, dormers and places where a roof meets a wall. If one estimate lists them and the other does not, the difference may be scope rather than markup.
Separate removal from replacement
Find the line that says what happens to the existing roof. Does the contractor plan to remove all roofing down to the deck, remove only one layer or install new material over what is there?
Removal adds labor, hauling and disposal. It also exposes the wood underneath. Covering an existing layer may produce a smaller quote, but it is not the same job.
Ask for photographs of the roof edge, an attic view if safely accessible and any spot where the contractor can see the number of layers. No one should damage the roof merely to answer your question. If the number cannot be confirmed before work begins, the contract should say how the contractor will document it after removal.
Put damaged decking on a written rule
The wood beneath the roofing is one of the largest unknowns. A contractor may not be able to see every soft, split or deteriorated section until the old material is removed.
Do not accept a blank promise to replace bad wood as needed. Ask each bidder to state:
What type and thickness of decking is assumed, how replacement will be measured, what evidence you will receive, who can approve additional work and whether work pauses while you review it.
Ask for one wide photograph showing the location and one close photograph showing the condition before removed decking is covered. If your mother cannot inspect the work, arrange for someone local to receive those photographs and confirm that the address and roof section match. Local help for a St. Louis parent can be useful when the decision depends on what is physically at the house.
Compare the water-control details
A quote that says complete roof does not tell you how water will be directed around openings and edges. Compare the underlayment, edge metal, valley treatment, flashing and ventilation as separate lines.
Ask whether chimney and wall flashing will be replaced, reused or repaired. Ask whether vent boots are included. Ask what will happen where different roof materials meet. If the house has gutters, ask whether they stay in place, come off temporarily or are excluded from the job.
These details can explain why one proposal carries more labor or material. They also give you something specific to verify in completion photographs.
Account for access to your parent's house
A steep roof, narrow driveway, close neighboring building or limited place for a debris container can change how the crew stages the work. So can power lines, landscaping, a detached garage behind the house or a gate too narrow for equipment.
Ask each contractor where the crew will park, where materials will be delivered, where debris will go and what parts of the yard or driveway must remain clear. Find out whether a vehicle needs to be moved before the crew arrives.
Also settle the door rule. Your mother should know whether anyone needs to enter the house, use an electrical outlet, inspect the attic or speak with her during the work. Put one local contact between her and the crew if she should not be answering job questions.
Check the permit question against the actual scope
The City of St. Louis Building Division distinguishes ordinary roof replacement from work involving different materials, substantial sheathing replacement or structural changes. Properties in historic districts or designated as landmarks can have additional review requirements.
Ask each contractor, in writing, whether the described job requires a permit or another approval at that address. If the answer is no, ask which part of the scope makes it exempt. If the answer is yes, the contract should identify who applies, who schedules inspections and what record you receive when the work is closed.
Do not assume the rules are identical if your parent's mailing address is outside St. Louis City. The contractor should name the authority for the property, not merely say that permits are included.
Make cleanup measurable
Cleanup can be a real difference between quotes. Ask whether the bid includes removal of old roofing, packaging, nails and damaged wood. Ask how the contractor will protect the driveway, siding, windows, outdoor equipment and plants.
Specify the areas to be checked for nails, including the driveway, front walk, side paths and any place a pet uses. Ask who moves patio furniture and who returns it. Require final photographs after the debris container and leftover materials are gone.
If a contractor plans to leave extra matching material, state how much, where it will be stored and who will label it. Otherwise, one person's useful spare bundle can become another person's abandoned debris.
Compare the paperwork, not the sales conversation
The Federal Trade Commission advises homeowners to obtain written estimates that describe the work, materials, completion timing and total. The Missouri Attorney General likewise tells consumers to get the work, cost and expected completion in writing and to research a contractor before signing.
For each quote, record the contractor's legal business name, contact information, proof of insurance, proposed material, removal plan, decking rule, flashing work, ventilation work, permit responsibility, cleanup, payment stages and written warranty. Ask who provides the material warranty documents and who handles a problem with the installation.
Do not let the comparison depend on phrases such as premium system, standard cleanup or all necessary repairs. Ask the contractor to replace each phrase with a material, task or limit you can verify.
A useful comparison has one row for every part of the job and one column for each bidder. Leave a cell blank when the quote is silent. The blank spaces will show you which questions matter before the difference in totals does.
Public guidance behind these checks is collected on the Sources page, including material from the City of St. Louis Building Division, the Federal Trade Commission and the Missouri Attorney General.
What to do tonight
Put the estimates side by side and highlight every reference to roof area, removal, decking, flashing, ventilation, permits, access and cleanup. Send both contractors the same short request: mark the included roof sections, state the number of layers assumed, explain the decking approval rule and identify every part of the job that can add to the total after work starts.
Ask a local person to take one set of wide photographs from the ground: front, back, both sides, driveway, gate, garage and the places where the roof meets a chimney or wall. No one needs to climb onto the roof.
What to leave with the doctor
Leave the roofing contract out of the medical folder. If the work could affect an appointment or a call with the doctor's office, leave only the relevant logistics: the work window, whether the driveway may be blocked, whether your parent will be away from the house and the name of the local person handling contractor calls. Keep the quote comparison, photographs, approvals and completion record in the house folder.