Roof Replacement: Why Its Longevity Matters and How to Achieve It
The saying that “things weaken with time” also applies to roofs; they have expiration dates. The weakening of your roof makes your home susceptible to a few factors that threaten its aesthetics and structural integrity, such as increased heating & cooling cost and rodent infestation. Roof replacement will fix this for you.
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However, replacing the roof will improve the structural integrity of your home. Roof replacement is one of the most expensive projects a homeowner may undertake with a cost that varies with areas or regions because contractors in different areas charge differently. The standard cost of replacing a roof ranges from $4,900 to $14,100 depending on several factors that can affect the price.
What Factors Impact The Cost of Roof Replacement
– The roof type
– The roof size
– The roof pitch or slope
– Accessibility to the roof
– Cost of roofing materials
– Geographical location
The roof type:
There are several types of roofs such as asphalt shingles, slate shingles, tile roofs, and metal roofs. They all vary substantially in cost, among which, a tile roof is more expensive than all but metal roofs.
The roof size:
The roof size of your home is the factor that contributes most to the cost of roof replacement. Roof contractor charges are based on roofing squares. A 100 square feet, which is a 10-by-10 foot area, is equal to one roofing square. For instance, if your home roof is 3000 square feet, the contractors would break it down to 30 squares. Therefore an increase in the size of your home’s roof will give rise to a rise in the cost of its installation.
The roof pitch or slope:
Roof pitch is a measure of the steepness of the roof, usually measured in the ratio of the roof’s vertical rise to horizontal runs. Roof pitch is measured in inches and written in the form of A: B, in which the letters represent numbers in inches.
A roof pitch of 8:9 means for every nine horizontal inches of the roof, the roof rises ten inches. Higher pitch makes roofing complex, difficult, and requires additional material, which makes contractors charge more, especially if it also includes the installation of shingles. Therefore, the more the degree of steepness in a roof, the more the cost.
Cost of roofing materials:
There are different types of roofing materials that vary substantially in cost. The types are tile, wood, asphalt, metal, and slate roof. However, it costs about $1.20 to $4 a square foot to remove & replace roofs, and it will cost about $1,700 to $8,400 for the removal and replacement of a ranch-style home with a roof size that ranges from 1,700 to 2,100 square.
Geographical location:
The cost of roof replacement can be influenced by differences in geographical areas or regions. This can be seen in the variation of roof replacement cost in North East, South, and West coast, where it cost between $5 and $7 in North East & West Coast while it cost from $2.5 to $3 in the South.
Several Other Things That Determine the Cost of Roof Replacement
Asphalt roofing material is the cheapest roofing option among other types. The cost and labor for an asphalt roof for 12 squares (1200 square feet) range from $4100 to $6000 across the country. A square of asphalt roofing material costs between $342 and $500.
Metal roofing material is the most expensive, with a square of the roof costing about $1,800 and above. ($1,800 per 100 square feet).
Wood shingle roof costs between $637 and $877 per square that is between $1,275 and $1754 per 200 square feet.
Apart from the cost difference per square of these types of roofing materials, they also differ in longevity. Metal, tiles, and slate roofs last for about fifty years or more, while asphalt shingles may last for about thirty years or more.
Some Other Factors That Influence the Cost of Roofing Materials
There are other factors that influence the cost of roof replacement apart from the ones highlighted above. The presence of a chimney or skylight also affects the price. If you have them, roofers will charge you more because they would have to work around them.
The effect of having a chimney or skylight on the price is obvious when the roof needs a repair. The repairing of a roof, which usually requires a repair cost of not more than $200 increases if the damages are around the chimney or skylight’s perimeter. It will cost you about $200 to $500 and $300 to $500 for repairing flashing around the chimney and skylight, respectively.
Roof Shingles Installation Cost
Roof shingles consist of structures that are usually flat and rectangular, covering the roof. The elements may be asphalt, wood, or tile material. The features of shingles include durability, affordability, and low maintenance compared to flat roofs. There are three categories of roof shingles.
– Dimensional shingles
– Premium shingles
– 3-Tab shingles
Dimensional shingles: The thickness and lasting properties of a dimensional shingle make it expensive. The installation of dimensional shingle costs about $225 to $300 per square.
Premium shingles: This is more expensive than other shingles, with a high installation cost of about $450 to $700 per square.
3-Tab shingles: This is more affordable than other shingles, with a cost of installation that ranges from $150 to $200 per square.
Factors to Consider Before Roof Replacement
Hiring a reliable roofing company seems difficult because there are many out there with convincing services. Still, it would be beneficial if you consider the following factors while hiring a roofing company.
You should check if the companies (at least three) have licenses and insurance, which is a recommendation from the National Roofing Contractors Association because contractors without liability insurance could cause damages to owners.
Scrutinize several bids but don’t choose a company on the basis of cheap service because the company may be operating illegally.
Check if the companies have a good reputation by going through their list of past clients. It will be beneficial if you don’t hire the services of a new company with hire only the experienced.
Go for companies that offer guarantees for the work they do. This usually covers damages such as leakage but not those caused by natural disasters like storms.
