What Determines the Price of a Roof Replacement

Pricing is important when you start planning your budget for a new roof. But there’s no department store you can walk into with scale models of your home sporting bar codes and six shades of coordinating shingles.

So how exactly do you determine the cost of a roof replacement and where you can save money on it? Let’s break it down into 4 parts:

1. The cost of labor

60% of your total project cost is labor. That’s because it takes a crew who does more than staple shingles in place. They also–

• Prep and clean up your site
• Remove and dispose of your old roofing material
• Install all new materials
• Bring their own safety equipment
• Pay for their own insurance

Broken down, they cost $2 per square foot of roof to do all that work. And if your roof is 1,700 square feet, that’s about $3,400 in labor costs right off the bat.

2. Which materials you choose

This is where about 40% of your project costs hit. Again, you’re not just picking out shingles. There’re also ridge caps and starter strips, all the nails and fasteners, plus flashing and underlayment.

Roofing material itself is one place you can save some money. For example, asphalt shingles might run $3.50-6.00 a square foot. Then there’s EPDM and TPO roofing, which come in large sheets and can be rolled across flat rooves. At the highest end is metal roofing, which lasts for decades but requires a bigger investment up front.

3. The size and layout of your roof

It’s pretty simple math here: the larger your roof’s surface, the higher your material cost.

Then there’s steepness and complexity. If you have lots of fancy architectural features or multiple angles on your roof, it’s going to require more careful planning and a slower installation. Add some to your labor cost. The same thing holds true for steep rooves, where extra safety equipment may be required.

On the flip side, a simple gabled roof will save you lots of money, both in materials and in time spent on installation by your roofing crew.

4. Where you live

Here in Minnesota, we face harsh winters that have to be considered when following local  building codes. Specific upgrades or permitting may be needed, raising your total roof replacement cost.  Likewise, wildland fires may require you to choose fire-resistant materials.

Make sure you’ve checked your local building codes or, better still, talked with a local roofing expert to find out what’s required for your home in your neighborhood.

“What’s the secret to surviving the sticker shock?”

Keep an open mind. And consider getting your roof replaced during the winter off season.

As we said with labor, some parts of getting a new roof are a minimum expense. It won’t come cheap, but you don’t want a cheap roof after all. You want one that will last another 20 years, keeping your family (and major asset–your home) dry.

Come back next week for our guide on where to buy roofing materials so you get the highest quality at the most affordable prices.