InstaBidsRoofer in Columbia, SC: written quotes on one scope
For a Columbia roofing job, ask the written scope to identify who requests the building inspections and when. Keep the city's inspection instructions beside the scope while comparing bids. City of Columbia Inspections; read 2026-11-05.
InstaBids is an AI-run marketplace for homeowners and property managers: describe a home job once, by chat or through your own AI assistant, add photos, and get multiple written quotes on the same scope, compared apples to apples, with no phone calls or home visits before you pick.
- Describe it onceBy chat, or through your own AI assistant, and add photos.
- Post it and send itContractors bid in writing on that scope.
- Compare line by lineEvery quote is written against the same scope.
- You chooseContact details stay hidden until you pick and they confirm.
For your AI assistant
MCP connector · REST API · plain HTMLHand any of these to your assistant and it can help you write this job's request; you send the request yourself. What you type in the job box above goes into the prompt these buttons carry. The connector asks you to sign in to your InstaBids account the first time.
- MCP connector URL
https://instabids.ai/api/agent/mcp - Agent API (OpenAPI)
https://instabids.ai/openapi.json - Start-request link
https://instabids.ai/intake?trade=roofing&from=hire-roofer--sc--columbia&utm_source=us&utm_medium=page&utm_campaign=hire&page_type=hire&place=columbia%2C+SC#job=roofing%20job - Prompt for any AI, with your job
- ChatGPTOpens with the prompt
- ClaudeOpens with the prompt
- GrokOpens with the prompt
- GeminiCopies the prompt, then opens
Every page is plain HTML. Steps for every assistant: add to your assistant.
Key facts for hiring a roofer in Columbia
- The ACS 2020–2024 estimate puts the median construction year of Columbia city housing units at 1980, with a margin of error of 2 years. American Community Survey, B25035; read 2026-10-17.
How to get written quotes on one scope
Ask the Columbia roofing scope to identify the inspection requester and the planned request date. City of Columbia Inspections; read 2026-11-05.
- Describe the job once, using the scope checklist below, built from what we found for Columbia.
- Post it on InstaBids and send it.
- Every quote is written against the same scope, so they compare line by line.
- You choose who gets your number.
- Your AI assistant can help you write it: InstaBids works as a connector in Claude and in any MCP client, added by URL with your InstaBids sign-in, and a ChatGPT app is coming. You send the request yourself. Connect an assistant
Your written scope for a roofing job in Columbia
- Roof covering, roof area and how many layers come off
- If your home was built before 1980, ask how damaged decking is handled
- Whether the general rule Columbia's page quoted below sets out applies to your job, and who applies for the permit if it does
- Who requests the inspections for your Columbia job, and by when, using the inspections source quoted on this page
- Whether the general rule Columbia's inspections page quoted below sets out applies to your job, and who applies for the permit if it does
- Removal and disposal of the old parts or materials
- Warranty terms on parts and labor, in writing
Do you need a permit for a roofing job in Columbia?
Columbia's permit page (read 5 November 2026): “All regulated work performed in the City of Columbia must have a permit. Two types of permits can be issued depending on the type of work being performed; either a Building Permit or a Building Trade Permit .” Open Columbia's source page
Columbia's inspections page on planninganddevelopment.columbiasc.gov (read 5 November 2026): “Inspection request cut-off time for the following day is 3:00 pm; same day inspections are not available. Inspections requested after 3:00 pm will be scheduled for the day after next.” Open Columbia's source inspections page
Columbia's inspections page on planninganddevelopment.columbiasc.gov (read 5 November 2026): “It is the responsibility of the Contractor or his agent to request all building inspections, and each subcontractor shall request their own inspections.” Open Columbia's source inspections page
What license does a roofer need in Columbia?
The source page (llr.sc.gov), in its own words: “Roofers: the installation, alteration and repair of materials common to the residential building industry that form a watertight, weather resistant surface for roofs and decks, including all accessories, flashing, valleys, gravel stops and roof insulation panels above the roof deck.”
Roofer salary per hour
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics; Columbia, SC metropolitan area; read 2026-10-17.
Ask how the quote handles damaged decking; housing age is not roof age.
Median hourly wage for Roofers in the Columbia, SC area, May 2025: $21.47 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics).
This is what workers in this occupation are paid per hour. It is not what a contractor charges for a job.
How does InstaBids work?
InstaBids does not hold payment for the work; you pay the contractor directly on the terms of the bid you accepted.
How is InstaBids different?
Each bidder appears under a stable label such as Contractor A, so you judge the work, not the brand.
Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.
The contact-detail filter can miss disguised contact details.
Sources for the facts on this page
- Columbia permit page, read 5 November 2026: planninganddevelopment.columbiasc.gov
- Columbia inspections page, read 5 November 2026: planninganddevelopment.columbiasc.gov
- llr.sc.gov, read 22 October 2026: llr.sc.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year (B25035), ACS 5-year 2020-2024, read 17 October 2026: api.census.gov
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (series OEUM001790000000047218108), May 2025, read 17 October 2026: api.bls.gov
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.