A common question that roofers hear from homeowners and owners of commercial buildings is: how much will a new roof cost?
It is understandable that this would be the first question when deciding what type of roofing to install or which contractor to hire.
It is impossible to put an exact dollar figure on how much it will cost to have a roofer install a new roof because of the many variables involved; however, it is possible to roughly estimate the possible cost based on a few important factors.
How Are New Roofing Installations Priced?
A new roof on any home or building could cost as little as $5,000 and as much as $30,000 or more depending on the different variables that make up each individual installation, yet the basic method used to quote a new roof is fairly easy.
Taking all of the variable cost considerations into account, roofers calculate a price per square foot of roofing.
Once that is known, the cost can be estimated by determining the square footage of the installation and then multiplying that by the price per square foot.
What Variables Contribute To Roofing Costs?
To come up with a price per square foot of roofing, these and many other items get factored in:
- Types of Materials - From economical, basic asphalt shingles to shingle-look metal panels to wood, slate and ceramic, there are roof materials in a wide cost range to fit every budget. The more expensive the materials, the higher the cost per square foot will be.
- Quality of Materials - Many roofing systems are available in multiple quality levels, from standard all the way up to premium, each product offering more features and benefits. Thicker, more durable, more weather-resistant products, thicker underlayments, and reflective value are just some of the features that higher-priced products boast, all at an additional price above the base product.
- Lifetime and Warranty - The longer the lifetime of a product and the more that the warranty covers, the more expensive the installation will be. 25-year shingles are the most common ones, although 50-year shingles with a higher price can also be installed.
- Complexity of Roof Architecture - The more complicated the roofing structure is on any building, the more expensive the job will be, both in higher materials costs and higher labor costs. Flat planes and standard angles are much easier to work on than roof styles that have many complex angles, elevations, protrusions like skylights, and other design features.
- Current Labor Rates - The hourly cost of all the roofers needed to do the installation may differ by geographical region, season, project complexity, and certain other variables.
- Hidden Damage Needing Repairs - Another factor that must always be considered when estimating the cost of a roof is hidden damage that gets uncovered when pulling the old roof off. Necessary repairs add additional costs to the price of a new roof installation.
So How Much Will That New Roof Cost?
With building and roofing materials continuing to rise over the years, it is hard to give accurate estimates on what a roofing installation will cost since that cost could change the next day.
Generally speaking, for a 2,000 SF home asphalt roof installations can range from a low of around $7,000 for basic 3-tab shingles to $16,000 or more for 50-year shingles, with many options in between.
Wood roofs can range from $15,000 to $30,000; slate from $25,000 to $45,000; steel and aluminum from $15,000 to $35,000; and clay and concrete from $22,000 to $50,000, all depending on the brand and quality of the materials and all the other mentioned factors.
Due to this wide range in prices and even within variations of the same product, the best way to accurately learn what a new roof will cost is to call an experienced local roofer and ask for an estimate!
