How Much Does Roofing Installation Cost?
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Roofing Replacement Repair Costs and More
Asphalt roofing are the most common roof types which typically cost around $79 to $110 per square. Every 100 square foot of a roof is considered a square. Homeowners opt for wood shake or shingle but these are hand cut rather than machine cut.The cost increases closer to $150 mark. Most common repair jobs are roofing leaks which contain cracks. This can range significantly from $110 to $1,000 roof repair costs.
When it comes time to entertain the possibility of replacing your roof, you’ll quickly realize that you have quite a variety of material options. There are cost, longevity, and appearance considerations that will ultimately weigh into your decision-making process.
Getting to know common roof types
The more you know about each common roofing material type, the more prepared you’ll be to decide which material would be ideal for your home. Cost, look, longevity, and other factors such as environmental impact are all reasons why you may eventually opt for one specific material over another.
Asphalt Shingles Roof Installation
When you’re after an affordable and visually-appealing roofing material for a re-roofing effort, asphalt is a common choice. Despite the affordability and humble, yet charming, appearance of asphalt shingles, there are some possible drawbacks worth considering before making a snap decision.
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Pros and Cons of Asphalt Shingles
The benefits of an asphalt shingle roof are primarily centered around cost, but it isn’t a roofing type totally limited to those who are after the most cost-effective solution. Asphalt roofs are also incredibly easy to install relative to other material types and, obviously, the simplicity of their installation is another factor that lends to the low upfront cost of an asphalt roof installation.
Another benefit of asphalt as a roofing material is that it is relatively low-weight. While not the lightest possible material, it’s light enough to not necessitate any special reinforcement to the structure of your roof. You’ll also benefit from a speedy installation if you choose an asphalt shingle roof. Depending on the size of your home, you should expect a re-roofing with asphalt shingles to take just a matter of days.
While there are certainly a number of good reasons to opt for asphalt shingle roofs, it’s not a no-brainer by any means. There are actually a number of downsides to consider that might complicate your decision-making process.
You don’t want to install asphalt shingles in a below-freezing climate as they are prone to cracking during installation. A roof laid with cracked shingles is a recipe for leaks which will only necessitate a re-roofing far sooner than the typical 12-15 year lifespan of the typical asphalt shingle roof.
Asphalt shingles are also susceptible to lifting when exposed to high winds. This can put undue strain on the shingle installation and can cause some to tear off. There are also some higher-end asphalt shingles on the market that won’t easily lift up in wind.
A final potential downside of asphalt shingles has to do with their environmental impact. If you’re a green-minded individual, you’ll want to bear in mind that asphalt shingles are made from petroleum and create a lot of greenhouse emissions when they’re produced.
How Much Does It Cost To Replace An Asphalt Shingle Roof?
You can generally expect to pay around $120 to $140 per square of asphalt shingle roofing, installed with materials, labor, and cleanup taken into consideration. This is, by far, the least you could expect to spend among any other roofing material type.
In roofing, when you hear quotes made per square, they’re not talking about per square foot but per 100 square foot of roofing. The cost estimates used here are for a middle-of-the-road shingle material, but keep in mind that there are a variety of pattern, color, and quality choices for an asphalt shingle material, so your final price could vary a bit.
How Much Does it Cost for an Asphalt Shingle Roof Repair Job?
Fortunately, just as an asphalt shingle roof installation isn’t all that expensive, most repair work isn’t very costly either. While it will require a properly insured and trained crew, the work isn’t entirely challenging. It consists of removing any damaged shingles that may be on your roof and replacing them with new ones.
You’ll want to make sure that the company you hire has the exact same type of shingles as are already present on your roof or else the patch job will be visible from the ground and will detract from your home’s curb appeal.
Generally, you can expect to spend anywhere from $4 to $7 per square foot of repair that is needed with a general minimum fee per project of $150 to $200.
Wood Shake Roofs
If you’re after a very visually appealing final product and you don’t have an especially constrained budget, you would likely choose a shake roof.
Wood shake roofs are most usually made from cedar but other wood materials can also be used. They are fabricated by layering 24-inch long slices of wood that has been chipped away from a larger log.
Pros and Cons of Wood Shake Roofing
Very common on historic home renovations, wood shake shingle roofing is an entirely unique and exquisite from a design and visual appeal point of view. It is for looks, more than any other reason that wood shake roofing is commonly selected by homeowners. That is not to say that they’re not resilient, as they can last upwards of 30 years, which is a bit more than double the average lifespan of asphalt. That said, that durability and charm aren’t exactly cheap.
The biggest downside of a wood shake roof is the cost of materials and installation. The last thing you want to do is contract a roofing company that can’t show you examples of their previous wood shake roof installations.
It’s nothing like installing an asphalt or composite shingle roof and requires a special approach and high attention to detail. A slip-shod installation job will lead to roof leaks before too long and will inevitably require a roof to need to be re-laid.
How Much Does it Cost for a Wood Shake Roof Repair Job?
Quite opposite of an asphalt roof repair, you should set aside a bit more funds for a wood shake roof repair project. Much like an installation, the explanation for the higher costs for wood shake roof repairs is two-fold: materials and skilled labor.
Wood shake roofing shingles are expensive in the first place and then the effort of color matching them to your current roof’s hue can be tricky. Then, you’ll need to hire a company specializing in wood shake roof work or else you run the risk of water eventually finding its way into your home, months or short years after your roof repair work is complete.
A typically wood shake roof repair project should cost anywhere between $6 and $11 per square foot including materials, labor, and cleanup. Also, as with any roof repair, there is usually a minimum project cost. In the case of a higher-end roof repair situation involving a wood shake roof, expect that minimum to be anywhere between $200 and $400 even for a small patch job.
How Much Does a Wood Shake Roof Replacement Cost?
Depending on where you live, the quality of wood shakes used as your material choice, and the difficulty of installation determined by your roof’s slope and detail, the costs may vary a bit overall. In most cases, you should expect to pay anywhere between $650 and $850 per square of roofing, which again is a 100 square foot section.
Considerably more expensive than asphalt and composite, this roofing type is typically reserved for those with upscale homes and fairly sizable home improvement and maintenance budgets.
Composite Shingle Roofs
The composite shingle material choice has been around since the mid 20th century and essentially consists of a variety of materials blended together. Small flecks of plastic, wood, fiberglass and plastic are all mixed together and hardened to make a highly-durably and relatively affordable material type.
Pros and Cons of Composite Shingle Roofing
Easily compared to an asphalt roofing material, composite shingles are in many ways a better choice. They’re usually slightly more expensive than an asphalt roof installation but they come in a variety of shapes, sizes, material mixtures, and colors. If you’re the type that wants a pretty affordable roof material that is also recyclable and a bit more environmentally friendly, composite shingles might beat out asphalt.
The downside of most composite shingles is that they aren’t great in high-wind situations. They have a tendency of blowing off and requiring replacement and patchwork. They can also fade and get damaged in high-heat climates. Another obvious downside of a wood shake roof is the fact that should your home ever catch fire, your roof is only going to make matters worse.
There are ways to mitigate the fire risk of a wood shake roof which involve special underlaying and treatments to the top of your roof. It is definitely worth asking your roofing contractor about any options regarding fire mitigation.
How Much Does a Composite Shingle Roof Replacement Cost?
Most composite shingle roofs will cost between $400 and $500 per square of roofing that needs to be replaced. This figure typically includes materials, installation, cleanup, and haul-away of your leftover scrap material.
While certainly not as expensive as other materials such as shake and tile, tile roof replacements are considerably more expensive than a similar project done with asphalt. Your decision ultimately comes down to deciding what factors are most important to you overall with regards to your new roof.
Be sure to discuss your wants and wishes with the roofing contractors you meet prior to agreeing upon a final material choice.
How Much Does it Cost for a Composite Shingle Roof Repair Job?
Composite shingle roof repair projects typically are some of the lowest-stress maneuvers that could take place on the top of your home. That’s because of their uniformity and the relative ease of finding matching materials.
It would be wise to purchase a few excess boxes of composite shingles that match what is already on your roof so that in the future, you don’t have to track down inventory of a potentially older style that may no longer be in stock.
All that said, you should only expect to spend somewhere in the range of $5 to $9 per square foot. Expect a minimum project cost of $250-350 depending on your geographic area and the availability of contractors.
Flat Foam / Single Ply Roofing
A flat roof is more commonly found in commercial structures than residential but there are regions where flat roofs are used in residential applications as well. There are specific building approaches that are unique to flat roof construction that you ought to be aware of prior to getting estimates for flat foam or single ply roof.
First of all, the primary difference between a flat foam / single ply roof and a pitched roof is the special materials required.
This unique approach to building a flat foam roof has to do with the fact that water or snow will not slide down the roof into gutters or onto the ground, but will collect on the roof. Due to this unique characteristic of flat roofs collecting moisture, they need to be specially designed and insulated to prevent any of that moisture from seeping into the inside of the structure.
A flat foam coating serves three main functions on a flat roof:
It has an insulating ability to help make your structure more energy efficient.
It helps moisture properly drain off the roof of your structure.
It provides protection to your roof’s sheathing, which is the material onto which the flat foam is affixed.
There is also a rubber membrane that sits between the flat foam and the sheathing. That membrane is referred to as the single ply, thus flat foam and single ply. A proper flat foam installation will maximize the longevity of your sheathing and rubber membrane as well.
How Much Does it Cost for a Flat Foam / Single Ply Roof Repair Job?
The cost to repair a flat foam / single play roof can vary a bit because unlike other pitched roofs, you’re not dealing with individual shingles or tiles, but with a foam top and a moisture protecting underlayer.
How much you should expect to spend for a flat foam roof repair has everything to do with the severity of your roof damage. In the case of a simple and minor repair, you may get away with just paying the contractor’s minimum fee of anywhere between $150 and $250.
A more expensive flat foam / single ply roof repair project could range from $400 to $2500, depending on how much of your roof is affected and how much can be salvaged.
How Much Does a Flat Foam / Single Ply Roof Replacement Cost?
Costs can vary a bit when it comes to flat foam / single ply roofing, mostly due to the thickness of your single ply membrane and flat foam layer needed. Your contractor will best be able to advise you of the proper thickness required for your type structure, but most of the decision will hinge on the age of your building, the condition of your sheathing and your local climate.
Generally speaking, you can expect to pay somewhere between $300 to $500 per square for the materials and labor combined on any flat foam roof replacement project.
How Long Will Your Flat Foam / Single Ply Roof Last?
A flat foam / single ply roof isn’t, by any means, the most long-lasting roof type but nor is it the most expensive, so it ends up being a bit of a trade-off if you’re the building owner. Once again, depending on the thickness of the materials you use and the severity of your local weather, you can expect the longevity of your flat foam roof to vary.
Expect a lifespan of anywhere between 15 and 40 years for most flat roofs, with most roofing companies or material manufacturers willing to warranty their product for 25 years at the most.
It is absolutely critical that you ensure you entrust your flat foam single ply roof installation to a team with significant experience installing this type of roof.
The installation process is very different from pitched roofs and an improperly-installed flat foam and single ply roof could potentially result in water permeating into your structure.
Tile Roofs
If your home is located in the southwest US area, tile roofs are a very popular choice. Not only are they culturally relevant and visually cohesive to the desert backdrop in which your home is set, they’re also great from a heat resistance standpoint.
Recently, tile roofing material manufacturers have begun to make tile shingles that resemble wood shake shingles but without the potential fire risk usually associated with wood shake shingles.
Pros and Cons of Tile Roofing
On the upside, clay or concrete tile roofs are incredibly long-lasting with most tile roof installations lasting over 50 years before a replacement becomes necessary. Tile roofing is also resistant to rot and mildew which is another fine reason to consider the material choice, especially if you live in a rainy region or an area that is subject to high levels of humidity.
Despite the long life of most tile roofs, there is the potential for cracking especially if you live near a golf course or an area where hailstorms are common. Fortunately, it’s not too difficult or expensive to replace a few tiles here and there and they can usually be easily matched to the existing color of the surrounding tiles.
How Much Does it Cost for a Tile Roof Repair Job?
There’s a definite trick and confusion related to the topic of tile roof repair and when it is necessary.Very often, if you’re an owner of a tile roof, you’ll experience interior leaking but won’t see any visual sign of roof damage.
That’s because while your concrete, clay or slate tile may be seemingly intact, the underlayer might be the culprit. Typically made of an asphalt-based material, the underlaying for your tile roof can expand and shrink as the seasons change, eventually causing your tile roof to need a repair.
In most cases, you’ll end up spending approximately $5 to $12 per square foot of tile roof repair work that is necessary. The final price will depend on whether the problem is limited to a few broken tiles or if there are issues with the underlaying.
In an extreme case, you might spend as high as $1500 to $4500 for a tile roof repair if a large portion of your roofing tiles need to be pulled up and re-laid after a new moisture barrier is installed.
How Much Does a Tile Roof Replacement Cost?
Tile roofs are generally pretty affordable to replace depending on the size and shape of your roof. They absolutely can go up in price if you decide to select an extremely high-end, premium tile type.
In most cases, however, you should only expect to spend somewhere in the range of $300 to $350 per square of tile roofing that is being replaced.
This price point should include materials, labor charges, and any cleanup efforts that may be required including scrap material haul-away.
Metal Roofing
A metal roof is a great choice for certain applications and then wouldn’t even be considered in others. The trick to making a sound decision regarding metal as a roofing material boils down to what type of metal you choose as there are many possibilities.
Most Common Metal Types Used in Roofing
Without a doubt, all metal roofs are not created equal. One may be very affordable and durable while the next might be entirely expensive and constantly in need of repair.
Tin: Like copper, hardly anybody in their right mind would consider installing a tin roof these days. It’s moderately expensive and is prone to leaking. The fact that it contains lead usually takes it off the table for those who have a concern about groundwater contamination or who drink and cook with well water on their property. Most tin roofs last 40 to 50 years before a replacement becomes necessary.
Copper: You’ll almost never even consider installing a copper roof because of how expensive it is to source materials, but they are incredibly long-lasting. Some copper roofs have been known to last and resist leaking for as long as 200 years.
Aluminum: Not as long lasting as steel, aluminum is still a very popular metal roofing material type as it resists heat very well and can last a reasonably long 35 years or longer before a replacement becomes necessary.
Galvanized steel: Easily one of the most affordable and long-lasting roofing types, galvanized steel is highly rust-resistant and can last as long as 60 years with proper care and maintenance.
Pros and Cons of Metal Roofs
A metal roof can be rather affordable and long-lasting but there are some instances where you might want to steer clear of a metal material choice. Specifically, you’ll want to avoid a metal roof if you’re in a coastal area as the presence of salt in the air will speed up the roof’s corrosion process and cause your metal roof to require replacement sooner than would otherwise be necessary.
If you live in an area where lightning strikes are common, you’ll also want to install a proper grounding rod to the roof or nearby structure to ensure that you and your family are out of harm’s way during a storm as metal is a conductor of electricity.
On the flip side of the coin, metal roofs make a great choice for those who live in particularly snowy climates and areas surrounded by large trees. Their durability can withstand falling tree branches and their low-friction surfaces are great for preventing snow buildup.
Metal roofs are also rather simple from an installation standpoint, so a metal material choice will minimize the time workers are stomping around on top of your home. A metal roof will also help you save on your heating and cooling costs and will last up to about four times as long as a typical asphalt shingle roof.
How Much Does a Metal Roof Replacement Cost?
Metal roofs are great for a lot of reasons, but cost is not one of them. If you factor in how much you’ll save over the long-haul with energy savings and the fact that metal roofs require so little maintenance, then a metal roof replacement doesn’t seem too daunting.
That said, the upfront cost to replace a metal roof is anywhere between $550 and $850 per square of roofing, including materials, labor and cleanup. Remember a square of roofing equates to 100 square feet of installed roof.
How Much Does it Cost for a Metal Roof Repair Job?
Unfortunately, most metal roof repair work that is done on relatively new metal roofs is a function of a poor installation job. If you have a metal roof and it is starting to leak, there’s a good chance that your insulation tape that sits under your roofing panels wasn’t properly or sufficiently placed.
In some cases, a metal roof installation company might try to cut corners and use less waterproofing tape in certain locations which will usually lead to a premature repair.
Depending on the extent of the repair work necessary on your metal roof, you should expect to spend anywhere between $250 and $1800 for a metal roof repair project.
Finding a Roof Installation Or Repair Contractor
When you set out to get a new roof installed on your home, you have to spend considerable time deciding on materials. The material choice will ultimately sway many other factors including the appearance of your home, the longevity of the roof, and the overall upfront cost of installation.
A good roofing contractor will be able to add to the introductory knowledge you now have about the various roofing materials and will assist you in coming to a final decision.
It’s a wise choice to get at least three estimates for a project so large as a new roof installation and to ask for references and examples of each company’s previous work. It might also be a great idea to visit your neighbors who have recently had their roofs replaced and ask them what they think about their material choice and whether they would recommend the contractor that did their work.
Also, ask them to tell you about what they would have done differently in hindsight if they had the chance to do it over again.
Your new roof will be a decision that you live with for at least a decade but in many cases, it will be one you stick with for the rest of your life. You have to weigh the upfront costs versus the other perks and compromises that come with each material choice.
There is no specifically correct choice that is right for every home, so be sure to consider your own climate, budget, and style preferences before making your final decision.
Get A Roof Repair or Replacement Quote From Local Contractors
When it comes to your roof you need to compare multiple quotes. Roofing contractor pricing can vary so it is smart way to go about making sure you find the best deal for what your roofing project entails.
