A roof is one of the most vital aspects of a home. It provides you with the shelter and protection necessary to keep the elements at bay and keeps your home at a comfortable temperature. It’s also one of the least seen parts of your home, so it can be difficult to know when it’s time for repairs, unless it starts leaking.
There are two ways to repair a broken down, out-of-date roof: roof replacement and re-roofing. Re-roofing adds a layer of new shingles on top of the existing damaged layer but can only be done once before the whole roof has to be replaced. Roof replacement is exactly what it sounds like, tearing everything down to the deck of the roof and installing all new felt paper and shingles on the roof.
**We don’t offer re-roofing nor do we recommend it. It voids all manufacturer warranties if you do this, it’s an expensive Band-Aid and we’ll never offer this service**
When is the best time to have your roof repaired?
Knowing the best time to get your roof repaired or replaced can end up saving you and your contractors a lot of time and difficulties. A lot of people are under the impression that it’s best to get your roof repaired or replaced during the warm months but that’s not always the case.
As contractors the winter is slowest time of year for us but with our workload being lower it could be the best time for you to get help even faster than usual. We install shingles all year round as long as it’s not raining or snowing. We believe, that the sooner you catch the problem the sooner you can get it fixed.
Factors That Affect the Cost of a Replacement Roof
When it comes to roof repairs, there are various factors that can affect the overall cost. Things like the materials you want to use, the size and pitch of your roof, and the removal of the old roof.
Pitch
When your home comes with a steep roof, then it will be difficult to walk on the roof for installation. This increases the installation cost as it requires additional setup installed to complete the replacement process. The steepness of a roof also raises other issues as you need to determine the kind of layer that needs to go below the shingles.
Materials
The type of materials you choose for the roofing also largely determines your roof replacement costs. When it comes to roofing, there are various materials available in the market. It is always better to invest in high-quality roofing materials as they offer protection for a longer time and may also include lesser maintenance.
Removal
Another factor that influences your roof replacement cost is the removal of the old roofing materials. In order to install a new roof, you need to have the old roof brought down, which increases the price of your roofing project. The bigger your roof, the more material that needs to come down.
Roof Size
The final determining factor is the size of your roof. If you have a larger roof, you’ll need to buy more materials, both of the base layer of the roof and the shingles.
What are the advantages of a roof replacement?
Total roof replacement has several advantages over re-roofing, like better protection and increased safety.
- Provides Peace of mind
When you go for re-roofing, it may hide the various instabilities in the structure and will provide only a temporary fix, whereas going for a total roof replacement addresses all the problems and gives you the peace of mind that you won’t have to get it fixed again next year.
- Provides Better Protection
A new roof replacement involves installing new felt papers and shingles and removing all the old and worn-out shingles. Replacing all the shingles provides a solid base for your roof and provides greater protection overall.
- Improves Safety
A new roof replacement also ensures added safety to your roof as you can’t see any kind of leakages from the ceiling. During extreme rain or storm, if your shingles are damaged, there is a possibility of water trickling down through it into your home and causing further damage.
- Adds to the Style
Another major advantage of going for a roof replacement is that the latest designs will enhance the aesthetic appeal of your house to a great extent. Make sure to choose roofing materials that complement the surroundings of your house and your personal style.
How Much Does A New Roof Cost to Install?
When it comes to doing a roof replacement, the average home owner cost can vary due to a number of factors. For example, the average townhouse roof replacement (10 squares or 1,000 sq ft) is $5,000 or more for larger town-homes, the average single family can be significantly greater, $10-$40k+ depending on size. This cost may largely differ based on various factors including the type of materials, the type of roof, and the size of the roof.
Can I use insurance to replace my roof?
If you already have a home owners’ insurance, you might be able to claim the costs involved in replacing the roof with the insurance company.
**Usually if you have storm damage, i.e. wind damage, hail damage. Consult with your insurance company and your contractors.**
One of the least known things about the home improvement industry, specifically roofing, is that from the low end to the high end the contractors are typically using the same products. However one contractor may be $10,000 for a roof and another contractor could be $20,000+ for that same roof.
Why is there such a huge difference between the two prices?
The thing most home owners don’t take in to consideration is that this is the service industry, you can use the best products money can buy but if they’re not installed correctly, you are NOT getting a good service. This will always be a struggle for a lot of home owners to fully understand when looked at from a price comparison.
Unfortunately a lot of our industry is made up of fly by night contractors and small companies doing things on a “just to get by” basis and don’t care about quality or warranties. They sell strictly based off of price and then give the home owner sub par quality service. Not just hurting the home owner but also hurting our industry’s reputation as a whole.
Skilled labor vs cheap labor
Skilled labor is not cheap, when it comes down to it an unhappy or underpaid laborer will not do good work and will not perform the same as a contractor who is well paid for his services. We’ve been in this industry for a combined 30+ years and one of the number one phrases you’ll hear is “Can’t see it from my house”.
If you think about what that truly means it is gut wrenching to think that this is the person who is working on your number one investment, yet they just messed something up, covered it up and shrugged their shoulders saying “Oh well, can’t see it from my house…”
Home Improvements is hands down the number one source of consumer complaints and we sincerely believe it is because not everyone is doing what they’re supposed to. We understand that all of this can be a little overwhelming and scary at times and that’s why we’re here to help.
With over 30 years of combined experience, we’ve been able to assist many people like yourself through the entire process, from start to finish. Simply fill out your contact information below and one of our friendly and experienced staff members will contact you as soon as possible.
