Updated November 9, 2026. Prepared for Superior Roofing, serving Portland, Casco and Alfred, Maine. Free on-site estimates: (207) 702-7663.
Direct Answer
A roofing contract in Maine must be in writing and signed by both sides for any home job over $3,000. It must list the price, dates, work and materials, a warranty statement, a dispute choice and a change order clause, and cap the first payment, counting everything paid by signing, at one-third.
TL;DR
- Maine requires a written, signed contract for any home roofing job over $3,000 in materials or labor, with a copy for each side before work starts.
- The first payment can’t exceed one-third of the price, and every payment made before or at signing counts toward that cap.
- The cap can be set aside only if the roofer explains your rights under the law and you both agree to a contract without it.
- Every contract must carry Maine’s warranty statement, a dispute resolution choice and a written change order clause.
- A strong roofing contract also names the products, ice and water shield coverage, tear-off layers, a per-sheet decking price, cleanup and permit duties.
- The three-day cancel right covers door-to-door and unsolicited sales, not a contract signed after you asked for the estimate.
One liner: Check the Maine law items first, then the roofing details, and add up what you’ll pay by signing day before you sign.
Key Numbers
| Stat | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Written contract required | Jobs over $3,000 in materials or labor | 10 M.R.S. §1487 |
| Initial down payment cap | One-third of the total contract price | 10 M.R.S. §1487(5) |
| What counts as the down payment | Every payment made before or at signing | 10 M.R.S. §1486(2) |
| Required contract parts | 14, some only when they apply | 10 M.R.S. §1487 |
| Dispute methods to choose from | 3, plus small claims | 10 M.R.S. §1487(8) |
| Door-to-door cancel window | 3 full business days | 32 M.R.S. §4664 |
| Civil fine per violation | $100 to $1,000 | 10 M.R.S. §1490 |
| Homes covered | 3 or fewer living units | 10 M.R.S. §1486(5) |
The roofing contract is on the kitchen table, and the signature line is at the bottom. Before you sign, slow down. That page is the document you’ll pull out if anything goes wrong on the job.
Maine doesn’t leave it entirely up to the roofer. Under the state’s home construction contracts law, any home construction or repair job over $3,000 in materials or labor needs a written contract signed by you and the contractor, and you each get a copy before work starts. Most roof replacements clear that bar easily.
That means the roofing contract Maine homeowners sign has a legal floor, plus the roofing details that protect your house. Once you’ve worked through your questions for the roofer, the contract is where those answers get locked in. Here’s what it should say, whether your home is in Portland, Casco or Alfred.
What Should Be in a Roofing Contract in Maine: The Full Checklist
In short: Maine law sets 14 contract parts for home jobs over $3,000, from both parties’ contact details to an Attorney General notice. A strong roofing contract adds roofing specifics such as tear-off layers, ice and water shield coverage and a per-sheet decking price.
A roofing contract in Maine should name both parties, the property, start and finish dates, the total price, the payment method with a down payment of no more than one-third, the work and materials, a warranty statement, a dispute resolution choice, and a change order clause, plus roofing specifics like underlayment and cleanup.
Those first items, along with a few that apply only in certain cases, make up the home construction contract Maine law requires on any job over $3,000. The contract also has to hold the entire agreement, so anything the roofer promised in person belongs in writing too. The law covers homes with three or fewer living units, and buildings used for business aren’t covered.
| Contract item | What it should say | Required by |
|---|---|---|
| Names and contact info | Name, address and phone for you and the roofer | Maine law |
| Property location | The address where the work happens | Maine law |
| Work dates | Estimated start date and estimated date the job will be substantially complete. Dates can move for things outside the roofer’s control, like material delays | Maine law |
| Total price | The full price including all costs, or for cost-plus work, the agreed price plus a labor and materials estimate | Maine law |
| Payment method | How you’ll pay, with the first payment capped at one-third of the total | Maine law |
| Work and materials | A general description of the work and the materials | Maine law |
| Warranty statement | The warranty wording set by state law, covered below | Maine law |
| Dispute resolution | A choice of binding arbitration, nonbinding arbitration or mediation, alongside small claims | Maine law |
| Change orders | A clause saying any price change needs a written change order | Maine law |
| Cancel rights | Your right to cancel, if the sale started with a door-to-door visit or unsolicited call | Maine law, when it applies |
| Insulation disclosures | Required disclosures, if insulation goes into an existing home | Maine law, when it applies |
| Energy standards | Whether new construction or an addition meets state energy standards | Maine law, when it applies |
| Attorney General addendum | A copy of the Attorney General’s consumer protection information on home construction and repair | Maine law |
| Attorney General notice | A clear notice pointing you to the Attorney General’s website and phone number | Maine law |
| Tear-off | How many old layers come off | Roofing detail |
| Underlayment and ice and water shield | Product and coverage at eaves, valleys and penetrations | Roofing detail |
| Flashing and ventilation | New or reused flashing, and vents added or replaced | Roofing detail |
| Decking | Price per sheet if rotted decking turns up | Roofing detail |
| Disposal and cleanup | Dumpster, haul-away and nail sweep | Roofing detail |
| Permit | Who pulls it and who pays | Roofing detail |
| Insurance | Proof of liability and workers’ compensation coverage | Roofing detail |
| Warranties beyond the statute | Manufacturer warranty and the roofer’s workmanship warranty, with lengths | Roofing detail |
If the quote you’re holding is missing several of the Maine law rows, ask the roofer to add them before you sign. The Maine Attorney General publishes a free model home construction contract you can compare yours against.
The Deposit Rule Most Roofing Contract Guides Get Wrong
In short: The first payment can’t be more than one-third of the price, and that includes anything paid before or at signing. The only way around the cap is a mutual agreement after the roofer explains your rights.
In Maine, the first payment on a home roofing job over $3,000 can’t be more than one-third of the total contract price. That cap covers more than the check labeled “deposit,” because state law defines the down payment as every payment made to the contractor before or at the time you sign.
Deposit ranges quoted online often run as high as half the job. Those figures are written for a national audience. In Maine, anything above one-third falls outside the rule unless you’ve agreed to set it aside, and that only happens one way.
Say the roof costs $15,000. One-third is $5,000. If you paid $1,000 last week to hold a spot on the schedule and the roofer asks for $4,500 at signing, here’s how it adds up:
| Payment | Amount | Counts toward the cap? |
|---|---|---|
| Fee to hold a spot on the schedule, paid last week | $1,000 | Yes |
| Deposit asked for at signing | $4,500 | Yes |
| Total paid by signing day | $5,500 | Over the $5,000 limit |
That’s over the limit, even though neither payment looked large on its own.
A deposit itself is normal. It lets the roofer order your shingles or metal panels and book a crew. Payments due later in the job, such as when materials arrive or when the work is finished, are set by the contract’s payment schedule, not by the one-third rule.
The rule can be waived only if the roofer specifically tells you your rights under the home construction contracts law and you both then agree to a contract without that part. The Maine Attorney General’s consumer guide says the same: a contractor can’t require more than one-third down unless the two of you agree to exempt yourselves from the requirement. If a contract asks for more and nobody walked you through the rule, ask about it before you sign.
Before signing day, add up everything you’ve paid or will pay by the time the contract is signed, and compare it to one-third of the price. If the total runs higher, ask the roofer to adjust the schedule.
Scope of Work and Materials Named in the Contract
In short: The law asks only for a general description of the work and materials. A useful scope names the products, colors, underlayment, ice and water shield coverage, flashing, ventilation and which roof areas get which material.
Maine law only asks for a general description of the work and the materials. That’s the floor. On a roof, a general description leaves a lot of room, and details left off the page are hard to hold anyone to later.
Here are two ways of writing the same job:
| Vague wording | Specific wording |
|---|---|
| Replace roof with architectural shingles | Tear off two existing layers down to the deck, then install architectural shingles with the product line and color named |
| New underlayment | Synthetic underlayment across the field, with ice and water shield at the eaves and in all valleys |
| Flashing as needed | New step and chimney flashing, plus new drip edge on all eaves and rakes |
| Installed per standard practice | Installed to the manufacturer’s instructions, including any nailing pattern the shingle’s wind warranty requires |
| Cleanup | Dumpster on site, debris hauled away, and a magnetic nail sweep of the yard and driveway |
If you’re going with metal roofing, the materials line should name the panel style, such as standing seam, along with the metal, the gauge and the color. Many homes also have a low-slope porch or addition that takes a different system, like rubber (ethylene propylene diene monomer, or EPDM) or rolled asphalt. The scope should say which part of the roof gets which material, so nothing is left to a judgment call on install day.
Ventilation belongs in the scope too. If ridge vents or soffit vents are being added or replaced, the contract should say so.
Price and Payment Schedule
In short: The contract must show the full price and how you’ll pay. Look for what’s included, unit prices for surprises, and payments tied to visible milestones, with the final payment after cleanup and a walkthrough.
The contract has to show the total price, including every cost of doing the work properly. If the job is priced cost-plus, it has to show the agreed price plus an estimate of labor and materials instead. It also has to state how you’ll pay.
A complete price line says what’s included: tear-off, disposal and the permit. It should also list unit prices for anything that can’t be known until the old roof comes off, like rotted decking priced per sheet. To check whether the total sits in a sensible range, compare it with current roof replacement pricing in Portland.
Once the deposit is settled at no more than one-third, the rest of the schedule should tie each payment to something you can see:
- At signing: the deposit.
- Mid-job: a payment linked to a clear point, such as materials delivered or tear-off complete.
- At the end: the final payment, after the roof is finished, the yard is cleaned up and you’ve walked the job with the crew lead.
A schedule built on calendar dates can come due before the work does. One built on milestones keeps the money and the progress in step.
If you’re financing the roof, the contract should name the lender, and the loan terms will sit in a separate agreement.
Paying the Roofer and the Suppliers Behind the Job
In Maine, a supplier or subcontractor who isn’t paid can claim a lien on your home even though you never hired them directly. Your exposure is capped at the balance you still owe your roofer, as long as your payments were made before you received a written lien notice from that supplier or were served with a lien lawsuit. That notice carries a warning that paying the contractor first “may result in your paying twice.” If one arrives, hold the next payment until you confirm the supplier has been paid. You can also ask for the contract to require written proof that suppliers are paid before the final payment is due.
The Warranty Language Maine Requires
In short: Every Maine home roofing contract over $3,000 includes a warranty set by law covering faulty materials, code compliance and skillful work. Manufacturer and workmanship warranties sit on top of it and should be spelled out too.
Every home roofing contract over $3,000 in Maine has to include a warranty statement written into state law. Whatever other warranties you agree on, the contractor promises the work will be free from faulty materials, built to the standards of the building code that applies where you live, done in a skillful manner and fit for its use. The statement also says the warranty rights in the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) apply to the contract.
That statutory promise sits alongside two others you’ll usually see on a roofing job:
| Warranty | What it covers | Who stands behind it | Where it’s written |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statutory warranty | Faulty materials, code compliance and skillful work | The roofer | Required wording in the contract |
| Manufacturer warranty | Defects in the shingles, panels or membrane | The product maker | The manufacturer’s warranty document |
| Workmanship warranty | Installation errors, such as leaks from poor flashing | The roofer | The roofer’s contract or warranty terms |
Manufacturer warranties often depend on the product being installed the way the maker specifies, so the contract should say who registers the warranty and when. For the workmanship warranty, look for the length in writing rather than a promise made at the kitchen table.
Change Orders for Rotted Decking and Other Surprises
In short: Any change that alters the price needs a written change order showing the old and new price, signed by both of you. Rotted decking and hidden shingle layers are the usual reasons.
Halfway through tear-off, the crew lead knocks on your door. The plywood over the back bedroom is soft, and four sheets need to come out before new shingles can go on. You get shown the photos right there on the porch.
What happens next is set by your contract. Maine requires a clause saying any change that revises the price happens only through a written change order. That change order has to:
- Be in writing and become part of the original contract
- Keep the original terms unless it says otherwise
- Spell out each change that affects the price
- State the previous price and the revised price
- Be signed by both of you
In the bedroom example, the change order lists four sheets at the per-sheet price your contract already named, shows the old total and the new total, and gets two signatures. Then the crew keeps going.
The same process covers the other common surprises on an older Maine roof, such as an extra layer of shingles hiding under the top one, or chimney flashing too worn to reuse. A verbal “we’ll sort it out later” doesn’t meet the rule.
Disputes and Your Right to Cancel
In short: You choose binding arbitration, nonbinding arbitration or mediation, alongside small claims. The three-day cancel right covers door-to-door and unsolicited sales, not a contract signed after you requested the estimate.
Your contract has to offer a way to settle disagreements that small claims court can’t handle. You and the roofer check one of three methods and pay for it jointly:
| Method | Is the result final? | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| Binding arbitration | Yes | You both accept the arbitrator’s decision under the Maine Uniform Arbitration Act |
| Nonbinding arbitration | No | Either side can reject the decision and pursue other options, including a lawsuit |
| Mediation | No | A neutral mediator helps you negotiate before anyone files a lawsuit |
Pick one deliberately. A box checked in a hurry decides how a disagreement over a leak gets handled years from now.
Canceling is narrower than many homeowners expect. Maine’s three-business-day cancel right covers sales that start when the seller visits or calls you somewhere other than its place of business, without you asking first. In those cases, you can cancel by mailing written notice within 3 full business days after the sale. Door-to-door sellers of home repair services also have to follow a separate transient seller law.
If you called the roofer and asked for the estimate, that three-day right generally doesn’t apply. The contract’s own cancellation terms are what count, so read them before you sign. A clear termination clause says what notice either side has to give, what you’d owe for materials already ordered, and whether the deposit comes back.
Cleanup, Permits and Insurance
In short: Spell out dumpster placement, haul-away, nail sweep and the final walkthrough, name who pulls the permit, and get proof of liability and workers’ compensation coverage before work starts.
Cleanup. A tear-off fills a dumpster fast. The contract should say where the dumpster sits and how the driveway is protected, whether plantings get tarped, that debris is hauled away, and that the yard and driveway get a magnetic nail sweep. Gutters cleared of roofing debris and a final walkthrough belong on the list too.
Permits. Permit rules are set town by town, so what applies in Portland may differ in Casco or Alfred. The contract should name who pulls the permit and whether the fee is already in the price.
Insurance. Ask for proof of liability and workers’ compensation coverage, ideally a certificate in hand before work starts. If a worker gets hurt on your property or a ladder goes through a window, that coverage is what handles it.
If something isn’t on the page, assume it isn’t included.
Red Flags Before You Sign
In short: Stop and ask if the first payment is higher than the law allows without an explanation, required clauses are missing, promises aren’t written in, or you won’t get a signed copy before work begins.
Run through this list with the contract in front of you:
- The first payment tops one-third of the price, and nobody explained your rights under the law
- There’s no warranty statement, no dispute resolution choice or no change order clause
- Something the roofer promised in person isn’t written in
- A price line says “to be determined,” or there’s no unit price for decking
- You won’t get a signed copy until after work begins
- The Attorney General addendum and website notice are missing
Any one of these is a reason to ask for a revised contract before you sign. Under Maine law, a contract that breaks the home construction contract rules counts as evidence of an unfair trade practice, and the contractor can face a civil fine of $100 to $1,000 per violation. The Attorney General points out that this alone doesn’t guarantee a homeowner a remedy in court, which is why catching the gap on signing day beats arguing about it later.
Frequently Asked Questions
In short: Thirteen quick answers on what Maine requires, deposits, canceling, change orders, warranties and repairs.
What should a roofing contract include?
A roofing contract should include both parties’ contact details, the property address, start and completion dates, the total price, the payment method, a description of the work and materials, Maine’s warranty statement, a dispute resolution choice, a change order clause, and roofing specifics like ice and water shield coverage.
Does Maine require a written roofing contract?
Yes, once the job tops $3,000 in materials or labor. Maine requires a written contract signed by you and the contractor, and you each get a copy before any work starts. The contract also has to hold the entire agreement, including promises made in person.
How much can a roofer ask for up front in Maine?
No more than one-third of the total contract price on a home job over $3,000. Every payment made before or at signing counts toward that limit. The only exception is when the roofer explains your rights under the law and you both agree to a contract without that part.
Can I cancel a roofing contract after signing in Maine?
Only in certain cases. If the sale started with the roofer visiting or calling you uninvited, away from its place of business, you can cancel by mailing written notice within 3 full business days. If you requested the estimate, the contract’s own cancellation terms usually decide it.
Does Maine’s contract law cover commercial roofs?
No. Maine’s home construction contracts law applies to homes with three or fewer living units, plus their garages. Buildings used for commercial or business purposes aren’t covered, so a commercial roofing contract is governed by its own terms and other laws rather than this checklist.
Does a roofing contract in Maine need the Attorney General’s information attached?
Yes. A Maine home construction contract must include, as an addendum, a copy of the Attorney General’s consumer protection information on home construction and repair. It also needs a clear notice pointing you to the Attorney General’s website and phone number for help enforcing your rights.
What is a change order in a roofing contract?
A change order is a written amendment that becomes part of your original contract. In Maine, it must detail every change that affects the price, state the previous and revised price, and be signed by both you and the roofer before the changed work goes ahead.
Can a roofer charge more if they find rotted decking?
Yes, but only through a written change order that both of you sign. It has to show the previous and revised price. If your contract already lists a per-sheet decking price, the change order applies that rate, which keeps the added cost predictable.
What warranty does Maine law require in a roofing contract?
Every home roofing contract over $3,000 must state that the work will be free from faulty materials, built to the building code that applies where you live, done in a skillful manner and fit for its use. Uniform Commercial Code warranty rights also apply.
Can a homeowner and roofer opt out of Maine’s contract rules?
Yes, but only after the roofer specifically tells you your rights under the home construction contracts law. Then you can both agree to a contract that leaves out certain required parts, such as the down payment limit. Without that explanation, the rules apply.
What dispute options must a Maine roofing contract offer?
The contract must let you choose binding arbitration, nonbinding arbitration or mediation, with the cost shared, in addition to small claims court. Binding arbitration is final. Nonbinding arbitration and mediation leave the door open to a lawsuit if they don’t settle the disagreement.
Does Maine’s contract law cover roof repairs or only replacements?
It covers both. The law applies to contracts to build, remodel or repair a home, so a roof repair over $3,000 in materials or labor needs the same written contract, including the payment limit and warranty statement, as a full replacement.
Is a roofing estimate the same as a roofing contract?
Not always. An estimate is a price offer, but if you’re asked to sign it and it holds the terms of the job, it can become your contract. Check it against the Maine checklist before you sign, since a signed agreement still has to include the parts the law requires.
Compare Your Quote With a Free Estimate
In short: Superior Roofing gives free on-site estimates in Portland, Casco and Alfred.
If you’re weighing a roofing quote in Portland, Casco or Alfred, a second set of numbers helps. Superior Roofing offers a free estimate on site, so you have a measured, written number to compare against the checklist above. Call (207) 702-7663 to set up a time.
Sources
- Maine Revised Statutes, Title 10, §1487, Home construction contracts (text current through October 1, 2026)
- Maine Revised Statutes, Title 10, Chapter 219-A, Home Construction Contracts, §§1486 to 1490 (generated October 5, 2026)
- Maine Attorney General, Home Construction and Repair, with Consumer Law Guide Chapter 17 (revised April 2026) and the model home construction contract
- Maine Revised Statutes, Title 32, §4663, Consumer’s right of avoidance
- Maine Revised Statutes, Title 32, §4664, Notice
- Maine Attorney General, Consumer Law Guide Chapter 13, Door-to-Door Sales (revised April 2026)
- Maine Revised Statutes, Title 10, §3251, Lien established
- Maine Revised Statutes, Title 10, §3255, Liens preserved and enforced by action (extracted October 5, 2026)