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Material prices went up again: how to keep a commercial roofing bid whole between bid day and the order
How long should a commercial roofing bid stay valid when material prices are rising?
No longer than the supplier's written job quote for that job. Several 2026 manufacturer letters invoice at the price in effect on the ship date, and say documented job quotes are honored through their expiration. Match your validity date to that quote.
The quantities do not change when prices do. Re-price the same takeoff.
Disclosure: Sharp Pencil sells commercial roofing takeoffs, so we have a stake in this topic.
This is a checklist, not contract or legal advice. Your bid documents, your supplier's terms and your own counsel decide the final wording.
Short answer
Several 2026 supplier letters bill at the price in effect when the order ships, not when you bid. So hold your number only as long as your supplier holds theirs. Get a written job quote, match your validity date to it, and put freight and fuel surcharges on their own line. If the job may order late, raise an escalation clause with your counsel. The quantities do not change when prices do, so re-price the same takeoff.
How long to hold a roofing bid when letters bill at ship date
Your bid price is only as good as the supplier price under it.
GAF's Commercial letters say orders shipped on or after the effective date are invoiced at the new price. Johns Manville's May 22, 2026 letter, effective July 13, says all orders are invoiced at the price valid at time of shipment.
Both also say documented job quotes or active quotes are honored through their expiration. So the written job quote is the thing that holds a price.
Ask your supplier for a written job quote with an expiration date, then set your bid validity to end on or before that date. A subcontractor association guide says the same: if your supplier's price is good for ten days, your price should be too.
What changed in 2026
| Manufacturer letter | Effective | Products named | Announced range | Billing basis stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GAF Commercial, as posted by Convoy Supply (revised Jun 2, 2026) | Jul 1 and Oct 1, 2026 | TPO and PVC membranes and accessories, polyiso, asphaltic rolls, adhesives, primers and sealants | 5 to 7 percent on TPO and PVC, 6 to 8 percent on polyiso and adhesives, each round. Asphaltic rolls 4 to 6 percent on Jul 1 and 5 to 7 percent on Oct 1 | Shipped on or after the date |
| Johns Manville | Jul 13, 2026 | TPO, EPDM, PVC, asphalt membranes, polyiso, low rise foam adhesives and primers | 5 to 8 percent by line | Price valid at time of shipment |
| IKO US Commercial | Jul 1, 2026 | TPO and accessories, ISO, other accessories | Up to 7 percent TPO, up to 8 percent ISO, 5 to 7 percent other accessories | Shipped on or after the date |
These are the ranges in the letters. Your supplier's written job quote sets your number.
Shingle and metal panel makers issue their own letters on their own dates. Check the letter for the product on your standing seam or shingle areas, not the membrane letter.
Freight and fuel surcharges get their own line
Letters raise per truck surcharges separately from product prices. GAF lists a US freight surcharge per truck from June 29, 2026. JM lists a fuel surcharge per truckload from July 13, 2026.
Show freight as its own line on the bid, tied to the truck count your order needs. Insulation ships by volume, so taper and stack thickness move the truck count. See how to price a TPO roof and tapered insulation takeoff.
What an escalation clause usually names
In a fixed price contract, a material increase after you sign is usually your cost unless the contract says otherwise.
Items these clauses usually name, to raise with your counsel:
- The materials it covers
- The base date the price is measured from
- The date the adjustment stops, such as when the material is bought or installed
- A threshold before it applies
- The proof you will provide (supplier price letters, quotes on bid day and at order)
- A matching credit if prices fall
Keep your bid day supplier quote and the letters. They are your proof later.
Re-price, don't re-measure
A price letter changes unit costs, not the roof. The square feet, linear feet and counts in the takeoff stay the same.
Keep the takeoff as it is, update the unit cost on the lines the letter names, and leave every other line alone. If the spec or an addendum changed, that is a takeoff change, not a price change. See how to update a roofing takeoff when addenda land.
| Takeoff line | Unit | Recheck when the letter names |
|---|---|---|
| Field membrane (TPO, PVC, EPDM) | SF or SQ | Membranes |
| Flashing membrane and accessories | LF or SF, EA | Membrane accessories |
| Insulation by layer and tapered system | SF per layer | Polyiso or ISO |
| Cover board | SF | Cover board or other accessories |
| Adhesives, primers, sealants | SF bonded, gallons | Adhesives |
| Mod bit or BUR plies | SQ | Asphaltic membranes |
| Edge metal and coping | LF | Metal or other accessories |
| Standing seam panels, ridge, hip, valley, rake, eave trim | SQ and LF | The metal panel maker's letter |
| Shingles, starter, hip and ridge, underlayment | SQ and LF | The shingle maker's letter |
| Freight | Trucks | Freight or fuel surcharge |
See roofing supplier takeoff, takeoff to material order, standing seam metal roof takeoff, asphalt shingle roof takeoff and edge metal takeoff.
Worked example
Example data, not a real job.
An example roof has 20,000 SF of field membrane, 20,000 SF of polyiso in two layers (40,000 SF of board), and 800 LF of edge metal. A membrane and polyiso letter lands before the order.
- What changes: the unit cost on the membrane, polyiso and adhesive lines, and freight if the surcharge moved.
- What does not: 20,000 SF, 40,000 SF of board, 800 LF.
Where the takeoff fits
Every quantity carries its source sheet and its basis.
Four files: START HERE, marked-up drawings PDF, Takeoff.xlsx with a Questions tab, and the material order list.
Pricing is optional. Send your cost data and we apply your prices to the quantities. Any line you have not priced comes back marked UNPRICED.
See what a roofing proposal shows after the takeoff and a sample takeoff.
FAQ
How long should a commercial roofing bid stay valid?
No longer than your supplier's written job quote for that job. Ask for one with an expiration date and set your validity date on or before it.
Why does the ship date matter more than the bid date?
Several 2026 manufacturer letters invoice at the price in effect when the order ships. A bid priced in September can be invoiced at October pricing when the order ships in October.
What is a material escalation clause?
Contract language that adjusts the price if named materials go up between a base date and a stated end date. Talk to your counsel about whether and how to use one.
Should freight be its own line on a roofing bid?
Yes. Showing freight and fuel surcharges on their own line makes a surcharge change easy to see and easy to update.
Do I need a new takeoff when material prices go up?
No. Prices change the unit costs, not the quantities. Update the cost on the lines the letter names. A new takeoff is for a changed scope or a new set of drawings.
What does Sharp Pencil send back on a takeoff?
Four files: START HERE, marked-up drawings PDF, Takeoff.xlsx with a Questions tab, and the material order list. Every quantity carries its source sheet and its basis. Usually within one business day. Delivered within 48 hours*.
*Clock starts once any questions we send you are answered.
Why send it to us
- We take off steep slope (standing seam, shingle) and commercial low slope (TPO, EPDM, PVC, mod bit, BUR) from the full set.
- Every quantity carries its source sheet and its basis.
- Four files: START HERE, marked-up drawings PDF, Takeoff.xlsx with a Questions tab, and the material order list.
- Pricing is optional. Send your cost data and we apply your prices to the quantities. Any line you have not priced comes back marked UNPRICED.
- Usually within one business day. Delivered within 48 hours*.
- A plan set you send us will never be used to compete with you, and plan sets are deleted whenever you ask.
- First takeoff free, one per contractor, on a job you're bidding or quoting.
Residential is not our focus today, but ask if you have a job in mind.
*Clock starts once any questions we send you are answered.
Try it on a job you are bidding
Get your first takeoff free · $395 per takeoff · See a sample takeoff
The Sharp Pencil team