Know what goes beneath your new shingles. Compare what each roofer offers. Settle county costs and funding rules before your old roof comes off.
Define what the roofer will replace
A quote to “replace the roof” needs to spell out what you are getting. Ask the roofer to mark which roof surfaces it covers. Ask which shingles they will remove. Check whether the price covers stripping the old roofing or laying new material over it. If they plan to leave old roofing in place, ask how they checked its condition. Ask which code provision allows that approach. Check which product instructions allow it too.
Ask for photographs showing why the roofer recommends replacing the covering. Have them show you the damaged area separately from the rest of the roof. Ask why a smaller repair would not solve the problem. A photograph of a ceiling stain alone does not explain why you need the proposed work.
Maryland requires your contract to describe the work and materials. Ask for the shingle manufacturer, product line and colour. Have the roofer specify the underlayment, edge metal, flashing and vent work too. “Architectural shingles” leaves too much undecided.
You can read about permits, structural work, historic restrictions and solar panels on the county roof-repair page. Put any decisions that apply to your job into the replacement contract. Identify any work another company must finish before the roofer can close the roof.
Source: Maryland Department of Labor, Maryland Home Improvement Contracts, contract scope and materials requirements; no effective date displayed. Scope questions above are homeowner recommendations. Gathered 2026-09-23.
Check the layers beneath the shingles
Howard County's adopted residential code requires a suitable wood deck, underlayment and flashing beneath asphalt shingles. Crews must also follow the manufacturer's instructions. A shingle brand alone does not tell you what goes into the whole roof.
Ask the roofer to identify low-slope areas separately. Pay particular attention to a porch or addition that meets a steeper roof. The code allows asphalt shingles at slopes of 2:12 or greater. It calls for double underlayment on slopes from 2:12 up to 4:12, subject to its underlayment provisions. Ask which approved roof build-up the bid includes for each surface.
Flashing directs water at walls, roof openings and changes in slope. Ask which chimney, pipe and wall flashings the roofer will replace. Ask which will stay. The code also requires drip edge along the eaves and rake edges. Underlayment goes above it at eaves. At rakes, it goes below.
Howard County lists an ice-barrier and drip-edge policy. We could not retrieve the linked document, so we could not verify its wording. Before you accept an omission or extra charge, ask DILP which ice-barrier detail applies.
Source: Howard County DILP, Adopted Codes, residential code adoption effective 2025-09-07; International Code Council, 2024 IRC, Chapter 9, roof-covering requirements, and drip-edge provisions; county amendments govern locally. DILP, Code & Permit Process, policy index undated; linked policy text unverified. Gathered 2026-09-23.
Price the work that could change after tear-off
We could not find a Howard County primary-source series of installed prices for residential asphalt shingle replacement. We cannot give you a supported local price range for the complete job, extra decking or a premium shingle. The county permit charges on the main page do not tell you those prices.
Compare what each written quote covers before you compare totals. Ask each bidder to show you what they measured. Check whether the quote covers all roof surfaces. Check for removing the existing covering, repairing the deck and replacing flashing. Check for protecting the house during work and hauling away debris too. If a line says “as needed,” ask how the contractor decides what is needed. Ask how they will record that work. Settle how they will charge for it.
Agree on a unit price for hidden deck damage before work starts. Be clear about the unit of measurement. Check whether that price covers removing damaged material, supplying and fastening the replacement, and hauling the waste away. Require photographs of any damage. Require your written agreement before extra work goes ahead. Settle how the roofer will reach you while the roof is open.
Settle who provides temporary weather protection if unexpected damage interrupts the job. These are contract terms we suggest you agree on, not a county price schedule. Maryland requires approximate start and substantial-completion dates. Neither tells you who protects an unfinished roof during a delay.
Source: Maryland Department of Labor, Maryland Home Improvement Contracts, written work description, price and schedule guidance; no effective date displayed. No county-specific installed-price or decking-price series was established from the primary sources reviewed. Gathered 2026-09-23.
Include the old shingles in the price
Howard County does not collect construction debris with regular curbside rubbish. Its disposal directory says you can take roofing shingles to Alpha Ridge Landfill for a charge. If your quote leaves you to handle the old shingles, part of the job is still yours to do.
The county's landfill schedule charges $106 per ton for construction and demolition debris, effective July 1, 2026. That covers disposal, not replacing your roof or the full cost of hauling the waste. It cannot tell you how much your roof's waste will weigh.
Residents and commercial vehicles must cross the scales at the transfer station. Commercial customers need an active landfill permit. Ask whether your roofer's contract covers the container, transport, disposal charges and final clean-up. If you will pay separately by weight, ask for the scale ticket. Agree on the terms for any extra handling charge.
Write down where the container will stand. Set out how the crew will protect your driveway and planting beds. Set out how they will collect loose nails and scraps too. These are terms we suggest you negotiate. The county does not require these contract clauses.
Source: Howard County Bureau of Environmental Services, Trash Collection, Know Before You Throw, and Transfer Station, undated guidance; FY27 Landfill User Fees and Charges, effective 2026-07-01. Gathered 2026-09-23.
Resolve county financing before committing to the job
Howard County's Reinvest Renovate Restore program lists roof replacements among the repairs it may fund for eligible homeowners. It may help if your roof needs work but you cannot cover the quote straight away.
The county says you must meet its income requirements. You must own the home you live in as your principal residence. It also checks your credit, debt, equity and whether your housing bills are up to date. The loan is secured against your property. Whether you repay it or have it forgiven depends on the terms and conditions that apply. A roof replacement being on the eligible-work list does not mean you or your proposal have been approved.
The program cannot repay existing construction work or outside loans. Its funds must pay for new work through the program. If you intend to use the program, check how your proposed roofing contract fits. Do this before you authorise replacement. Do not assume you can later swap a contractor's financing for county funds.
Have any immediate work to tackle an active leak clearly described. Keep its price separate. Ask the program how that affects your proposed roof project. The county does not promise emergency roof service on its webpage. It gives no promised date for a roofing crew to arrive.
Source: Howard County Department of Housing and Community Development, I Own A Home In Howard County — Reinvest Renovate Restore, current program guidance, no webpage effective date displayed; page identifies governing regulations adopted 2024-04-12. Gathered 2026-09-23.