Roofs can offer perfect protection to your house for a certain period. In most cases, the roofing material stays in good shape for around 20 years. Once that period is over, you might need to repair the roof more frequently or opt for a total roof replacement. Here, you must remember that if your area is susceptible to bad weather, the life span of your roof might be less than 20 years.
For cost estimates of most house repair works people tend to consult their neighbors. The same process might not work in the case of roof replacement. That’s because the area of homes in a neighborhood varies significantly, which automatically makes the size of their roofs different. Additionally, the cost of roof replacement also depends on the type of roofing material you are looking to install.
On average, replacing your current roof with a midrange option will cost you around $20,000. However, you can get the job done for as little as $6000 by opting for low-cost materials and simpler installation methods.
Expenses of Roof Replacement
You will have to spend in three basic categories to get your roof replaced. They are:
Materials: These include drip edge, shingles, flashing, underlayment, protecting coatings, and more. There’s the option of choosing materials of different qualities depending on your budget.
Labor: If you want the new roof to be durable, you must hire skilled workers to do the job. These professionals will first tear off your old, worn-out roof and then install the new one.
Disposal: This category is extremely important. Here, you will need to spend for trashing or recycling the roofing materials of your old roof.
Recently obtained numbers suggest that a homeowner might need to spend $3.5 to $5 per square foot for installing asphalt shingles. However, for higher-end materials such as slate, tiles, or metal, you might need to spend anything between $9 and $15 per square foot.
You cannot expect your roof replacement project to be a cheap one. This is even truer if you have a complex or large roof. Usually, labor costs cover around 50% of the total roof replacement expenses. Indeed, professional installation increases the overall cost. However, if you opt for DIY, you may end up spending more on repair work later. This happens as DIY projects lack the finish that a professional would offer.
The most cost-effective way of getting a roof replacement done is by hiring a trusted roofing contractor.
How to Reduce Roof Replacement Expenses?
Once you have decided to hire a professional for roof replacement, you must find other ways to reduce the expenses.
Use a Calculator: Using a roofing calculator will not only help you to get the most accurate estimates for the project but will also help you to save unnecessary expenses. These calculators always come up with precise results. However, for that, you will need to enter all the necessary info flawlessly.
This is another job that can be done accurately only by professionals. Only trained and experienced professionals can measure the roof accurately. If you don’t have the right measurements, the results offered by the calculator will not be correct.
When the calculator is used as it should be, you will not need to pay for extra materials or book the laborers for additional hours. This will automatically prevent you from spending extra money on the project.
Use Your Homeowner’s Insurance: Your homeowner’s insurance should cover all damages that have not resulted from negligence. Remember, these policies don’t pay for any long-term leak or damage. This means you must submit your claim the moment you discover the damage. Always, read the policy clauses carefully before submitting a claim. Also, complete the claim submission following the guidelines indicated on the policy papers.
A representative (or a team of representatives) of your insurance provider will inspect the damaged roof and provide you with an estimate for total replacement. If that estimate doesn’t match the one offered by the roofing contractor, you must submit an approval request. Here are the things you must submit along with the request include:
- The written estimate featuring all specific details
- Details of your roofer’s insurance and license
- Names of the materials to be used and details of their manufacturer’s warranty
Final Words
To identify the best roofer operating in your area, you must do your research well. A top roofer will always do the best possible work for the price you pay.
