The contractor says the price is only good today. What can I do?

If the contractor sold it at your home and the sale is over $25, you have until midnight of the third business day to cancel, for a full refund, under the Federal Trade Commission's Cooling-Off Rule (16 CFR Part 429; FTC consumer explanation). The seller must tell you that in the contract and hand you two copies of a cancellation form. A price that expires tonight is a sales technique designed to stop you getting a second quote; it is not a term you have to accept, and it is not a reason to skip the check.

What the rule covers

The Cooling-Off Rule applies to sales made at your home, workplace or dormitory, and at temporary locations such as hotel rooms, convention centers and restaurants, when the sale is for $25 or more at your home or $130 or more at a temporary location (FTC, Buyer's Remorse). Roofing, siding, windows, water treatment and driveway sealing sold by a salesperson standing in your kitchen are the classic cases.

The seller has to do three things. Tell you, at the time you sign, that you have the right to cancel. Give you a copy of the contract or receipt that shows the seller's name and address, the date of sale and a statement of your cancellation rights, in the language used in the sales presentation. And give you two copies of a cancellation form, one to keep and one to send. If any of those is missing, the seller has not complied with the rule, which is itself worth knowing.

What it does not cover

The rule does not cover sales made entirely online, by mail or by telephone; sales of real estate, insurance or securities; emergency home repairs that you asked for and waived your right on in writing; and sales that follow earlier negotiations at the seller's permanent place of business (16 CFR 429.0 and 429.3; FTC summary). So if you went to the roofer's office, negotiated there and signed later at home, the three days may not apply. If the roofer knocked on your door after a storm and you signed on the porch, they almost certainly do.

State law may give you more. Several states have their own home solicitation statutes with longer periods or wider coverage, and the FTC rule does not take those away. It sets a floor.

How to cancel

Sign and date one copy of the cancellation form, or write a short letter saying you cancel the contract dated such-and-such, and send it to the address on the form. The FTC recommends certified mail with a return receipt so you can prove the postmark; the envelope must be postmarked before midnight of the third business day after the sale (FTC, Buyer's Remorse). Saturday counts as a business day; Sunday and federal holidays do not. Keep a copy of everything.

Once you cancel, the seller has 10 business days to refund every payment, return anything you traded in and cancel any note you signed (16 CFR 429.1(g)). You do not owe a cancellation fee.

Why a price would be good only today

Materials do move in price; the BLS Producer Price Index for construction materials rose 10.1% in the year to August 2026 (BLS PPI via FRED). But they do not move overnight, and no distributor prices shingles by the day. A contractor who can hold a price for a week is not losing money by doing so. The reason to make the price expire tonight is to keep you from calling a second roofer, and the reason for that is usually that the second roofer would come in lower.

There is a fair version of the same sentence: "this price is good for 14 days, after that I have to requote because of material costs." That is a term, printed on the quote, that you can take to a competitor. The unfair version is a verbal deadline with a discount attached that vanishes if you think about it. The Federal Trade Commission lists pressure for an immediate decision among the signs of a home improvement scam (FTC, How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam).

What to do instead

1. Ask for the quote in writing, itemized, with an expiry date printed on it. A quote that cannot survive being written down is not a quote.
2. Get two more quotes for the same scope, and compare line by line rather than total by total. Our guide on whether a roofing quote is too high walks through the lines that public data can check.
3. If you already signed at home, look at the date and count three business days. Decide by then. If the salesperson gave you no cancellation form, say so in your cancellation letter.
4. If the sale was after a storm and involves an insurance claim, read whether a roofer can waive your deductible before signing anything with an assignment of benefits in it.

If you want the arithmetic done for you within the three days, upload the quote. A Quote Check compares every line to public data, prints the source and formula beside each number and writes the questions in a letter you can forward, usually within one business day. We are paid by homeowners only and take no fee from any contractor. Check a quote from $39, or run the free Quick Estimate on the same page.

Questions

How long do I have to cancel a contract signed at my home?

Until midnight of the third business day after the sale, for sales of $25 or more made at your home under the FTC Cooling-Off Rule. Saturday counts as a business day; Sunday and federal holidays do not.

Does the Cooling-Off Rule apply to roofing contracts?

Yes, when the contract was sold at your home or another location that is not the seller's permanent place of business, and the amount is $25 or more. It does not apply to sales made entirely online, by mail or by phone, or to emergency repairs you asked for and waived the right on in writing.

What if the contractor did not give me a cancellation form?

The seller is required to give you two copies. Cancel anyway, in writing, and say in your letter that no form was provided. Send it by certified mail so you can prove the date.

Is a price that is only good today a scam?

Not always, but it is a pressure technique. Material prices do not change overnight. Ask for the quote in writing with an expiry date printed on it, and get two more quotes for the same scope before you decide.

Sources

Every figure above links to the public record it comes from. The wage, import, margin and markup figures are the ones our reports use, published as USCCDB v1.0 under CC BY 4.0. Statutes and city pages are quoted as published on September 27, 2026; check the source for changes.

1. Federal Trade Commission, Cooling-Off Rule, 16 CFR Part 429
2. Federal Trade Commission, consumer advice: Buyer's Remorse: The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule May Help
3. Federal Trade Commission, consumer advice: How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam
4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Producer Price Index, Construction Materials (WPUSI012011), via FRED

Related guides

• Is my roofing quote too high?
• Can a roofer waive my insurance deductible in Texas?
• How much should a roof replacement cost in Austin, TX?

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