How big a deposit is reasonable?

Practice varies and several jurisdictions cap deposits for home improvement contracts by statute. The pattern worth avoiding is a large sum before any materials are delivered or any work is done. Payment tied to progress protects both parties and is normal on a job of this size.

Answers · Hiring a roofer

What should be in a roofing contract?

The short answer

The legal entity and its license number, a scope specific enough that a third party could tell whether it was done, named materials, a stated allowance and rate for deck replacement, the payment schedule tied to progress, the workmanship warranty, who pulls the permit, and what happens if the work is delayed.

The scope is the part to read twice

"Replace roof" is not a scope. A usable one names the materials by manufacturer and product, states the underlayment and where ice and water membrane runs, specifies new drip edge and new flashing rather than reusing the old, says what happens to the vents, and states the number of layers being removed. Every one of those is a place a cheap quote quietly differs from an expensive one.

The clauses that matter when something goes wrong

Decking: an allowance, a per-sheet rate, and a requirement to get your approval before exceeding it.
Payment schedule tied to progress rather than dates, with a final payment after completion and cleanup.
Workmanship warranty: length, what it covers, whether it covers consequential interior damage, and what voids it.
Lien waivers on payment, so a supplier or subcontractor the contractor did not pay cannot place a lien on your property.
Change orders in writing, signed, before the work is done.
What happens on a weather delay, and who is responsible for protecting an open roof.

Also asked

How big a deposit is reasonable?: Practice varies and several jurisdictions cap deposits for home improvement contracts by statute. The pattern worth avoiding is a large sum before any materials are delivered or any work is done. Payment tied to progress protects both parties and is normal on a job of this size.

General information about roofs and about hiring, not advice about your building. Roofing contractor licensing, permits, insurance practice and deductible rules are set state by state and province by province across the United States and Canada, so your own authority is the current answer.