working on a new roof

Understanding The Costs Of Roof Replacement

From curb appeal to increasing energy efficiency, a new roof is a great way to not only make your home look better, it can increase your homes value! However, as the largest part of your home, replacing a roof isn’t a cheap endeavor. So when it’s time to gather quotes from your favorite local roofing contractors it’s important to understand why it costs what it does.

Most people have a budget in mind when they are considering getting a new roof, for some it’s as cheap as it can possibly be. For others, quality and strong materials are more important than cost. In either case, both will want a roof that last’s as long as it can, without leaking.

Average Roof Replacement Costs: $8,000 -$18,000

When working out a realistic roof replacement budget, education is key. Knowing what goes into replacing a roof can help you understand where the money goes and in the end, feeling you got your money’s worth is important.

How Are Roof Replacement Costs Calculated?

Dimensions

Let’s start with the size of your house, more specifically, the size of your roof or dimensions. The simpler the roof, the cheaper the replacement. A complex roof with multiple slopes, peaks, hips and valleys will be much more expensive than a roof that is flat or consists of one or 2 slopes. As far as costs go, the dimensions are the biggest factor.

Roofing Materials

There are a wide variety of roofing materials for almost any budget, from the low end 3-tab shingles that are maybe a couple of hundred per square or less to high end slate roofs that average $400 – $800 per square. Whatever materials you choose, quality is the driving factor behind these costs, so balance is key.

While the roof type is important, there are also building materials to consider, wood, nails, underlayment, drop cloths, tarp, etc,

Inspections & Permits

To determine your precise situation, a full roof inspection will need to be performed, while initial estimates are normally free, the full roof inspection is more involved and can cost additional. Some contractors will add this to the total cost of the project or bill separately. This inspection is needed to give you a more accurate estimate and to clearly define the scope of work to be performed.

Depending on your locale, there are also usually permits that need to be secured. The roof contractor will handle all the details and obtaining the permits but you should be prepared to pay for them.

Labor Costs

No one works for free, especially roofers. So factoring in labor costs is important. These costs vary on things such as the size of the crew, their skill level and experience, and the scope of the project. While many see cheaper labor costs as a plus, in the roofing industry it is a negative. Lower paid crews are paid less for a reason and when it comes to your roof (that protects everything you have), it’s the last thing you want to go cheap on. Hire for quality not costs, especially when it comes to labor

Disposal & Cleanup

Finally, at the end of the job there is usually a big mess. Especially on roof replacement jobs that require disposal of the old roof, all that stuff has to go somewhere. Many roof contractors will recycle what they can and toss the rest (and some things like shingles must be disposed of properly). Budget for a dumpster and additional costs for recycling or disposal.

Atlanta Roofing Specialists has been replacing residential and commercial roofs around Metro Atlanta since 1993. Call (770) 419-2222 for a free estimate on your next roof replacement!

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