Price for Roof Replacement Ranges from $8,000 to $25,000. It’s surprising how home owners can be misled by quotes for roof replacement jobs that appear to be of similar scope. The variations in price could be due to several factors that could affect the final price for getting a roof replaced.
Material selection drives the biggest cost swings
When we discuss the costs of a roof replacement, the biggest cost of a roof replacement are the materials that you are going to use to cover the roof of your home. As we previously discussed in another article, there are three types of roofing materials: Asphalt Shingles, Slate Tiles, and Metal Roofing. These three different types of roofing cover a wide price range, from the lowest cost roofing material to purchase upfront, which are the Asphalt Shingles, and the highest cost roofing material to purchase upfront, which are the Slate Tiles.
The math isn’t just about upfront costs.
Cheap asphalt roofing has a life of about 15 years. Therefore, there are two to three more roofing costs, after the initial cost of the roof, that need to be included in the decision for the roofing materials for a home. The cost of architectural shingles is 20-30% more than that of a basic three-tab shingle. Architectural shingles are known to have better wind resistance and also have better curb appeal. The highest cost of roofing materials within a category are the premium brands. The cost of these types of materials can be from 15-25% more than the other materials in that category. For most homeowners, they are not planning to be in a home for 50 years or more. Therefore, they are better off to choose the middle of the road type of roofing.
Roof complexity multiplies labor costs
Roofing a simple gable roof is much easier to complete than a roof with lots of angles (dormers), valleys (where two roof lines meet to make a line), or lots of chimneys and skylights. Every valley in the roof must be properly flashed to make sure water does not leak into the house. Each protrusion from the roof (chimneys, skylights, vents, etc) must be custom fitted with flashing to prevent water from entering the house.
Another cost factor is the complexity of your home’s roof. A simple roof is generally straight lines and can be completed in a short amount of time. This type of roof typically takes only a few days to complete. A home with many steep lines, with many valleys, with multiple points on the roof, and other complexities will increase the cost of your new roof. Each projection such as a dormer, skylight, and chimney will add to the cost of your roof due to the additional flashing required to cover these items. A roofer can complete work on very steep roofs; however, they will use special equipment and work slowly and carefully to complete the work safely. This is especially true for roofs with very steep pitches, greater than 9:12.
Size matters, but not how you’d expect
It’s true that large homes often have large roofs, and it can seem to make sense to pay less per square foot on a roof that is very large. In the end, however, the fixed cost of a large roof actually is less on a per square foot basis than a small roof. For example, a 1,200 square foot home may cost $14,400 to re-roof (12 dollars per square foot), but a 3,000 square foot home would cost only $13,500 (4.5 dollars per square foot). Small roofs have many fixed costs that do not decrease in value as the square footage of the roof decreases. In other words, the cost of a 1,200 square foot roof may be $12 per square foot, but the cost of a 3,000 square foot roof would only be $9 per square foot. As you can see, it is usually best to have a larger roof rather than a smaller roof.
Geographic location creates wide price variations
As stated earlier, the cost of roofing is greatly determined by the location of the home and the type of climate the home is in. Roofers in urban areas with a high cost of living have to pay their roofers more in order to bring in quality workers. As for rural locations, the cost of labor may be less for roofing in rural locations, however there may be less contractors to choose from which in turn could cost more. Also, different climates require different types of roofing and the roofing materials have to be rated to hold a certain amount of weight in heavy snowfall or strong winds from hurricanes. The professionals at D & R Roofing in Ohio take into consideration the weather in different parts of the state and also the local building codes. For example, the building codes for roofing in Akron, Ohio are different than the codes for roofing in other parts of the country.
Roofing specialists are required by the building codes in Ohio to design and install roofs to withstand various types of weather, such as thunderstorms, heavy rain and snow. It is best to contact local Akron roof replacement contractors who can come to a home and assess the roof to see what type of weathering has occurred to the roof. The replacement contractor can make the proper recommendations for any repairs that are needed as well as provide recommendations for the replacement of the roof with the best roofing materials.
Removal and disposal add hidden costs
There is often a charge for the removal of the old roof (tear-off) in addition to the cost of the new roof. This work involves removing the old roof, disposing of the debris from the property, and then preparing the deck for the new roof. The cost of the tear-off work is typically 20-25% of the cost of the new roof. The higher cost is due to the number of layers of old roofing that need to be removed.
The cost to remove an old roof, to dispose of the debris, and to prepare the underlying deck to receive the new roof can account for as much as 20% to 25% of the cost of a roof replacement. The cost to remove an old roof, to dispose of the debris, and to prepare the underlying deck to receive the new roof can vary a great deal. It is not uncommon for the cost to remove the old roofing from a 2,500 square foot home to range from $300 to $800, depending on the size of the roof and the local cost to dispose of the debris. These charges are usually included in the contractor’s estimate for the roof replacement. However, it is not uncommon for some contractors to charge for these items separately from the rest of the estimate for the roof replacement. You should get an idea of what these items will cost before signing a contract with a contractor. A roof that is very old is more likely to have rotten sheathing on the deck of the home, as well as damaged rafters. These types of repairs can add thousands of dollars to the cost of the roof replacement.
Timing affects both price and availability
You would typically expect to pay the most for roof replacement work in the spring and summer seasons when the peak weather for roofing is. However, if you wait until the fall to get your roof replaced you can normally find the best prices from the roofers as they are all looking for work prior to the winter months. The only time of year that you would expect to pay a premium for roofing would be during storm season. After a large storm has passed through the area for repair work on damaged roofs there is an instant peak in demand for roofers and as such the prices for repair work and the choice of contractor that you can choose from would increase dramatically. Many roofers do work all year round but there are times when the weather can cause delays to work being carried out. The prices of work being carried out at these times can also increase.
Getting accurate estimates
Most importantly, do not rely on simple phone quotes for pricing of your roof replacement. While this can give you a rough estimate of cost for a new roof, a true estimate requires a visit to your home. The contractor will take a good hard look at your current roof, take measurements for your new roof and then provide a written estimate of the costs for the proposed work. It is recommended that you get several written estimates for your roof replacement and then compare line by line. Be sure to include the cost of gutters in your comparison for quotes, as some contractors will include the cost of gutters in the price of the roof replacement, while others will quote for gutters separately.
