How Much Does a New Roof Cost?

Every Roof Is Different, But Let's Take A Look At Ballpark Figures On Different Types Of Roofs.
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Answering The Age Old Question, What Does It Cost?

While owning a home is a much-coveted milestone, it doesn’t come cheap.  Aside from the upfront cost of purchasing a home, and at times, the credit facilities that accompany it, homeowners also have to carry out occasional home and roof maintenance.

One of the major home improvement projects you might have to undertake is roof replacement. Of course, for most homeowners, the first concern, when faced with a roof replacement, is how much it will cost to replace a roof. Naturally so.

newly installed flat roofing system with epdm

Cost Of A New Roof

It would be great if you could call a contractor and get the cost implication immediately. Unfortunately, however, this is hardly ever the case.

Instead, your contractor or roofer will need to come and survey your roof before coming up with an estimate. The simple reason for this process is that multiple factors must be considered before costs can be added up.

What you can have beforehand are estimates of what certain things will cost.

Let’s Talk Averages

According to figures by HomeAdvisor, a new roof will cost anything between $5,586 and $11,637, with the national average falling at $8,530.  However, these costs can drop as low as $1,200 or go as high as $ 30,000.
When you break these costs down, 60% caters for labor, while 40% goes towards purchasing building materials.
When it comes down to it, the roof is among the largest areas of a house. It’s also fundamental to security and insulation. If you ever need to sell your home, your property will also be valued against the state of your roof. So much so that some buyers will not even bother with the home’s interior if the roof looks run down.
The dollars you will spend on a spanking new roof are well worth it when you have this in mind.
While a round figure is good to have, where does every dollar go? Here is a detailed guide of where these estimates come from and some of the processes involved in a new roof installation.

Breakdown Of Costs

When you need a new roof, you will reach out to a residential and commercial roofing company, which will then carry out an assessment and send you a cost estimate. The figures provided on the estimate will be on a ‘’per square’’ basis.

When talking about roofing projects, a roofing square is 100 square feet.
So let’s get into the nitty-gritty.

Roofing Costs

Materials to be used for the new roof on their own will set you back anywhere from $100 to $1,000 per square, depending on the type of roof you are going for. Going by this, an average roof measuring 17 squares (2,200 square feet) will range between $2,500 and $25,000.

Asphalt shingles are a popular choice for homeowners. They are extremely durable-going up to 50 years with good maintenance and are affordable to buy and install.

Nonetheless, you have multiple choices to pick from aside from asphalt shingles, and you can pick a different roofing type depending on your budget and personal preferences.

Here are the costs to expect for different materials:

 

3-tab asphalt shingles $2,500

Galvanized steel $3,000

Stainless steel $14,000

High-end stone/Slate $20,000

Copper $25,000+

Flat roofs $25,000+

Labor Costs

At 60%, labor and overheads often eat up the bulk of a roofing budget.
Depending on the conditions of the structure and the product being installed, labor costs for a new roof range from $150 to $ 300 per square. This translates to $1.50 to $3 per square foot.
The amount you pay for labor is dependent on several factors. These include:

Extent Of Damage

Homeowners are always advised to follow a particular maintenance regimen and carry out occasional inspections on their properties. These actions are meant to highlight problems as soon as they occur. If this is not done, small problems can quickly snowball into larger, more expensive ones.

The labor charges on a new roof, for example, are dependent on how much damage is on the supporting timber. When repairing or installing a new roof, the foundation needs to be in good condition. If, for example, the roof’s skeleton is rotting, the labor costs will be higher than if it’s in good condition.

The reasons for these are simple. With rotting timber underneath, it becomes much harder to place new shingles and more dangerous to be on the roof. A reputable roofer will therefore have to replace the rooting timber first before re-roofing. They will also require more specialized equipment to work on the roof safely.
A damaged roof skeleton also takes significantly more time to redo than one that’s in great condition. The longer it takes for a job to be completed, the higher your labor costs will be.

If you have rotting timber underneath, expect to pay an additional $1.000 to $10,000 depending on the extent of the roof repairs or reinforcement the roof needs.

Environmental Conditions

While it’s suggested that you have a new roof installed during favorable weather, this is not always possible. In addition, if you have to get a new roof installed in harsh weather, either extreme heat or cold, the roofing company might also need to have additional protective gear for the job.
This additional equipment will increase the labor rate.
Similarly, harsh weather might force workers to take breaks after a job has begun. Again, this means the job will take longer, which increases the cost as well.

Removal Of Old Material

At times, homeowners will be faced with roofing problems at a time when finances are tight. When this happens, it is common to see them opting to have their shingles done as a temporary measure and buy time until they can better afford an overhaul.
If you have been re-shingling over time, your house might have several layers of shingles. These will have to be stripped before a new roof is installed. Naturally, this job will be billed and added to your total labor cost.
The costs of tearing up an old roof typically range from $100 to $175 per square, depending on the damage and roofing material used. Contractors normally charge by the hour for this, and the fees range between $ 40 and $ 80 per hour.
Removing shingles is a challenging aspect of a new roof installation, and homeowners can save as much as $1,000 by removing old shingles themselves.

Here is an overview of the costs of removing old roofing materials by type.

Removing Tile Shingles Or Slate
This will cost $125 to $ 150 per square. Removing slate and tiles is very much like stripping asphalt. The only difference is that tile and slate can get heavy pretty quickly. This means they have to be removed in smaller numbers.
You might also want to reuse some of the tiles and slate material on your roof. However, this requires careful removal, which slows down the job, increasing your labor costs.
Removing Wood Shake
Removing wood shakes costs $125 to $ 150 per square. Again, the removal process is similar to asphalt; only laborers will work horizontally instead of vertically.
Removing wood shakes starts by removing the ridge cap. This is followed by rolling up the shakes and the roof underlayment.
Removing Metal Roofs
Metal roofs are more common in older houses. However, metal shingle or panel removal costs $125 to $150 per square if you want to remove what you have.

If a metallic roof has been neglected, it will likely need a panel replacement before a new installation is done. Similarly, some older metal roofs lack the soundproofing features available in modern versions. This is another aspect to be considered when redoing metal roofing.

During installation, roofers cut metal strips into the desired shape. These are then laid on a framework that sits on top of the underlayment or ice and water shield. For a new installation, the contractor has to strip all this to inspect the roofing boards. While this is labor-intensive, the process tends to move much faster because contractors can handle large sections at a go.

Redoing A Roof With Different Materials

Including tear off, redoing a roof with different materials costs $7,000 to $ 12,000. The costs are significantly less when you are redoing a roof with similar material.
For example, if you want to replace the lighter asphalt shingles with a heavier material like clay tiles or slate, you must ensure that your roofing frame can handle something bulkier.
If you want to go in this direction, have your trusses and roofing frame inspected. If they are not strong enough to hold a weightier material, your contractor can strengthen them before installing the new roof.
The inspection, truss repairs, and possible strengthening of your roofing frame will undoubtedly require additional funds.
Here is a quick look at different roofing types and their costs.
Asphalt Shingle Installations

Asphalt shingles are:

  • Very common and easily available
  • Light in weight
  • Low cost
  • Easy to install
  • You can do the installation yourself (DIY) at an average cost of $2,000 to $4,000
  • Asphalt shingles are more recyclable now than they have been in the past
Wood Shake

Wood Shake roofing is:

 

  • Aesthetically pleasing
  • All-natural
  • Have an extensive maintenance regimen
  • They are prone to fire
  • They deteriorate quickly, so no longevity
  • Requires regular treatments to repel insects and resist mold
  • Replacing shingles is easy to DIY

 

Plastic wood or rubber shingles cost $ 10,000 to $ 18 000, while high-end synthetic ones will set you back over $ 20,000. Synthetic shakes, unlike wood, are not prone to fires and are much easier to maintain.

Metal Roofing

Metal roofing:

 

  • Offers excellent options
  • Are resistant to harsh climate conditions
  • High-quality options will serve you well in the long-term
  • At $25,000 +, copper metal roofing options will cost more than most other roofing materials
  • Some metals will form a patina over time
Tile Roofing
Concrete tiles will cost you $ 8,000 to $ 24,000 on average, and $13,000 to $ 30,000 for clay ones. On the other hand, you will cough up $30,000 to $ 50,000+ for customized tiles and exotic tiles.

Some of the features of tile roofing are:

 

  • Long life expectancy
  • Easy repair and replacement
  • You can customize colors and shapes to suit the style of your home
Slate Roofing
Slate is yet another premium roof system that costs $ 5,700 to $ 23,500 for an average house. Synthetic options are also available, ranging from $12,000 to $ 30,000.
Slate is:
  • Is ideal for large homes
  • Has a long life expectancy
  • Gives a natural appearance
Flat Roofing

Flat roofing systems can come in multiple different types of roofing materials such as:

 

 

Sometimes flat roofs can get away with a roof coating that will seal up your roof and extend it’s life longer so you don’t have the full roof replacement cost to bear for a while.

Cost Of An Entirely New Roof

Adding an entirely new roof costs $10,000 to $20,000, and it entails removing and replacing the underlayment and the shingles.
You are likely to get a lower figure when you initially contact a contractor. However, this should be a tentative figure until they come and do the actual inspection. This offers a more accurate estimate as it highlights other problem areas the constructor might have to handle during the project.

Examples of these include:

 

  • Excess underlayment or shingle layers that have to be stripped
  • A leaking skylight or chimney
  • The pitch of the roof: a colonial pitch has multiple slopes but is not too hard. A ranch-style roof is simple and less expensive to redo, and a Tudor roof can be expensive as it has too many slopes and eaves.
  • Decking or substrate damage
  • Presence of mold
  • Winter roof damage
  • Complexities in removing the old roof due to how the installation was done
  • Soffit and fascia damage
  • Pooling water
  • Gutter damage
Your contractor will advise about any of these issues after the inspection, as well as the cost implication. Set aside additional funds to cater to these outcomes.
A new gutter installation averages $1,000. This breaks down as $500 for gutter material and an additional $ 500 for labor.
Flashing, on the other hand, costs $200 to $500 per project area. This is necessary if your roof has features like skylights and chimneys. The more features you have on your roof, the higher your flashing costs, and vice versa.
As you replace your roof, replace rusted and cracked material plus the valley flashing. This will give you the most wear for your new roof.

Costs Of Replacing A Garage Roof

On average, replacing a garage roof costs $1,000 to $2,000, though this figure largely depends on the size of the garage, the material used, and the roof’s pitch. If you have ventilation and insulation issues, you can consider fixing these during the new installation.
The most common garage sizes are one to three-car garages. A one-car garage measures 250 to 350 square foot while a two-car garage measures 350 to 450 square feet. On the other hand, a three-car garage is 700 to 1,000 square feet.
The most popular garage roofing materials are asphalt, metal, and rolled roofing.

Commercial Roof Replacement

Just as with a residential roof replacement, a building owner has to decide whether to carry out repairs or a complete overhaul when they have issues with their roof.

The costs of a commercial roof replacement are dependent on several factors. Below is a look at what these are:

Type Of Roof

There are two main types of commercial roofs:

 

  • Flat roofs, also known as low sloped roofs
  • Sloped roofs

In most cases, the best material for a flat roof replacement is either built-up bituminous roofing or a single-ply roof. When single-ply roofs were first made available, there was a concern that they were too light and would thus be prone to leaks.

However, they have proven to be quite sturdy over time and often come with a 25-30 year warranty. Aside from durability, they are easier to install than most other roofing materials and are affordable.

The average cost for a single-ply flat roof replacement is $11 to $14 per square foot. On the other hand, built-up bituminous roofs cost $11.50 to $14.50 per square foot. Built-up bituminous roofs consist of several layers of material piled up over each other.
The result is multiple layers of roofing that provide more protection. However, this roofing type is labor-intensive and gets pricey.
Sloped roofs have a more extensive list of roofing options. The cheapest of these is asphalt shingles, while slate and wood shingles are popular options as well. The estimates for these are $3.50 to $7 per square foot.
Tiles are another option, very long-lasting and pricier than shingles. These cost $6.50 to $ per square foot.
Metal roofs have also come a long way in terms of aesthetics. These also come in multiple varieties, including standing seams, corrugated and flat seams. These will set you back $7 to $ 15 per square foot.
The other part of the cost equation for a commercial roof replacement is labor. How much you pay for labor will be dependent on several factors, the key ones being:

Roof Access

Some of the accessibility factors in a commercial roof replacement include:

 

  • Material storage access for the roofing company
  • Height
  • Property access
  • Occupancy
For example, a 20-story building will be significantly costlier to re-roof than a two-story building. Some of the reasons for these include the need for specialized commercial roofing safety equipment, including guard rails, harnesses, and so on.
Similarly, a large roofing project would need a material storage space nearby. Again, wide-open areas near the building can ease the logistics of the project and lower the costs.
An unoccupied building is much easier to re-roof. However, if you are re-roofing an occupied one, the occupants’ productivity, comfort, safety, and health must be maintained. This might warrant the re-roofing to be done outside working hours, which costs more.

What Lies Underneath

Every finished roof has several components underneath the surface. These include the roof’s structure which may be a concrete, wood deck, or metal. Additionally, there is also insulation, substrate materials, and cover boards.

If there is any damage to these components and repairs or replacements are required, these costs will then push up the installation bill.

With this in mind, it is often impossible to tell the total cost until roofers strip the materials under the roof.

Wind Loads And Fasteners

Depending on your state, local and weather codes dictate the types of fasteners ideal for use on a building.
For example, buildings must be able to withstand 150 miles per hour winds in some states. This will require strong fasteners to be placed at more frequent intervals than is necessary for other states. The cost of these factors into the total cost of the installation.
Aside from wind loads and fasteners, your building must adhere to state, regional, and local code requirements. These possibly touch on roofing specs like insulation, ventilation, slope, and substrate. The costs of these add up to the total bill.
The above factors are some of the items taken into account when drawing up estimates for a commercial roof replacement.

New Roof vs. Roof Repair

A new roof is not always necessary. And at times, while it’s cheaper, a roof repair is only a temporary reprieve.  So which one do you go for?

Replace a roof if:

 

  • It has reached its sell-by date: A properly installed new roof can serve you well for decades, but nothing lasts forever. When a roof’s life expectancy is up, replacing will often serve you better than repair
  • It’s non-compliant: if your roof does not meet local building codes, then replacement is the best option; for example, if there is a two shingle layer regulation and you already have two layers after repairs, its best to replace the roof and remain compliant than add yet another layer of shingles.
  • There is extensive damage: as a rule of thumb, only repair a roof whose damage only affects 30%, or lower, of the roof. If the damage is more than this, you are better off installing a new roof. Make sure to thoroughly inspect the roof though, especially if your roof leaks during heavy rain or has noticeable damage in multiple areas.
  • The difference in cost is negligible; if the difference between the cost of a new roof and repairing the current one is $500 to $1,000, it’s prudent to go for a new roof.

DIY Or Hire Professionals?

Many people that consider a DIY job do it for financial reasons. Understandably so. A DIY roofing installation will cost $2,000 to $ 5,000, which is significantly lower than the $ 5,000 to $10,000 you would pay roofing experts.
However, installing a new roof is not a small project by any standards. That aside, construction always carries a level of uncertainty. For example, what might start as a simple re-roofing might open you up to unexpected complications you are not qualified to handle.
This is why getting a professional on board is always the safest bet.

DIY Or Hire Professionals?

Expert roofers will conduct a thorough roof inspection before calculating the costs. This aside, they will carry out a job with minimal wastage, which will save you some money.
Installing a new roof is not cheap, so you want the job done professionally, quickly, and up to standard. When you need the best roofers in town, give us a call. We will give you a detailed estimate after completing a thorough roof inspection and go over options to best suit your needs.
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