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How Much Does it Cost to Replace a Roof?

Owning your own home comes with major expenses that you could never have encountered if you had rented a house or an apartment. Although it offers the convenience of space and other social aspects you had envisioned in your dream home, there are times when you have to deal with a few major renovations to maintain the appearance and functionality of your space. Replacing a roof is no simple task and the costs may vary depending on whether you are doing a partial renovation or you are planning to replace the entire structure with new material. This article looks at the factors that influence the total cost of replacing a roof.

Factors That Influence the Total Cost of Replacing a Roof

  • Type of Roof

The repair costs are greatly influenced by the type of roof on your house. Roofs can be either high or low pitch, flat or sloped, or something unique. They are also made of different materials such as shingles, metal, or concrete tiles. Besides purchasing the roofing material, it is important to be aware of the installation costs since some materials require more labor than others do. Metal roofs can cost as much as $1500 per 100 square feet, while shingle-roofing materials run between $120 and $500 per square feet. Slate costs about $800 to $1000 and their prices may vary based on your location as well as the roofing company.

  • Scope of Roof Repairs

One of the biggest factors that determine the cost of a roof replacement is the size of the repair. If you are making a full replacement, you should expect to pay more in terms of initial costs of purchase and labor. Roofing contractors usually determine a price by the roof’s square footage. Shingles are sold by the square and a square in roofing terms refers to a 10-foot-square area. This means you will be charged for a square even if the area that needs to be repaired is less than 10 feet. However, the contractor should give you the leftover materials to help in situations that the roof needs to be repaired again.

  • Roofing Repair Permits

The town or city you live in can have a significant impact on your roofing replacement costs. The price can be based on the size and value of your home or can be a flat rate based on your region. In some coastal areas, you may require a separate permit that protects your home from tropical storms and hurricanes. For instance, a permit for a 1350-square-foot roof repair can cost anywhere from $150 to $400 and can exceed the range depending on your place of residence.

  • Chimney and Skylights

Any unique rooftop elements will increase the cost of a roofing job since the roofers need to take extreme caution during installation. It is important to check them together with the shingles so that they can be replaced at the same time. Even if you do not have to replace your chimney and skylights, the labor costs will still increase since the roofer may have to work around them. Expect to pay an extra $300 to $500 if you need to fix the flashing sealing your skylight to the roof.

  • Existing Water Damage

This type of damage may not be visible until the roofer starts inspecting the decking underneath by removing the damaged shingles. It can be expensive to repair water damages and may eventually inflate the total cost of replacing your roof. On overall, existing water damage on the roof should never be ignored as it could lead to a total roof replacement.

Getting Quotes for Roof Replacement

We recommend getting roof replacement quotes from at least three roofing companies before deciding to hire. Keep in mind that the estimates may vary greatly between different roofing companies as they compete for the local market. Although everyone enjoys price discounts, it is important to be cautious of estimates that seem exceptionally low as the roofer could be operating illegally. Do your research to find out about the manufacturer designations, licensing and insurance, warranty, and reputation based on their past work experiences.

A contractor without a safety-training program may not be the best person for the job, as they need to comply with the legal laws and policies of roof replacement in your area. All these factors play a crucial role when it comes to the overall cost of replacing a roof. Planning ahead of time, selecting the best materials and hiring a professional roofer has a significant impact on the integrity of the structure as well as its aesthetics and appearance.