You might extend the life of your roof with proper maintenance, but sooner than later, you will have to replace your roof. Once you are facing this situation, you will have to find answers to the questions like
• What is the cost of replacing the roof?
• Can you finance the roof?
• Should you replace the roof or only do minor repairs?
Many such questions can plague you as the homeowner, but not today! We will answer the most crucial question among these: what are the biggest pricing factors in roofing?
Do I have to pay for a full replacement or would a simple roof repair fix the problem? The price of the roof will vary based on the following factors: warranty, labor, roofing materials, accessibility, and the materials used. As a roofing company in The Woodlands, we have some of the best solutions for roofing. Here are our 7 biggest pricing factors in roofing:
This is one factor that you have a greater level of control over. The most popular roofing material is asphalt shingles (mainly used for residential properties) this is primarily because they are more affordable and comes in a variety of styles and colors. If you are deciding to use asphalt shingles, we highly recommend using GAF, CertainTeed, or Tamko as they are reliable and durable roofing brands.
Metal roofing is considered the most expensive per square foot, but even then, prices can vary wildly from one contractor to the next. We don’t recommend using wood tile roofing shingles, especially if you live in a hotter climate as these type of roofing materials can wear out quickly.
This is a waterproof and water-resistant barrier placed underneath all the roofing shingles. This prevents leaking when under pressure from severe weather, it also adds support to the other materials and helps regulate the temperature of your home.
The exact specification of the layer depends on your climate and specific region. The requirement might change according to the local building code as well.
For example, in Houston, Texas, it is necessary to go with the sturdy and premium underlayment layer so that the roofs can handle the storms that hit the area every year.
Flashing is the material that works as the lining of doors, windows, chimney, and roof. You cannot avoid these as. Otherwise, your roof will leak. This material also directs the water in the right direction. Therefore, you need to choose it carefully.
Of course, the size of the roof is the biggest factor in pricing a roof installation. The overall square footage of the roof will determine the cost of the roof. You have to divide the square footage of the roof by 100 to extract the roofing square. One roofing square is equal to 100 ft².
In the roofing industry, you need to know how many squares your roof is to buy roofing materials or calculate the roof replacement cost. The square footage of your roof, as well as your home square footage, can be different.
When calculating the size of your roof, you shouldn’t base it off the total square footage of your home as these are two different numbers. The square footage of your roof can greatly vary depending on the number of edges and the slope.
The roof square footage will also include the roof on top of various parts of the premises like:
• Garage
• Overhang
• Walkways
• Entryways
Only once you can measure the area by multiplying the length and breadth of all these areas will it become easier to know about the roof area.
Generally speaking, this is not one of the pricing factors in roofing where you should try to save money. The labor costs are directly almost proportional to the quality of workmanship. In case you hire a roofing company offering the lowest labor cost, the installation of the roof might be as good, or the life of the roof might not hold up compared to higher priced roof installations.
When comparing roof quotes, if you go with a roofing company that has the lowest labor costs, they might not follow practical roof installation practices or local building codes. In that case, you might get penalized as well (costing you more money).
Thus, instead of saving on labor costs, you have to choose a roofing company that charges you according to industry standards. Nevertheless, this is another factor that impacts the roofing costs.
The roof can consist of peaks, valleys as well as various accessories. Skylights can also be part of the roof. These days, many homeowners opt for solar tubes to harness solar energy as well. There can be quite a few accessories involved in roofing. The pitch of the roof also determines the cost.
The warranty of the roof is covered in 2 different aspects.
The first one is the material warranty, and the second one is the installation warranty. The material warranties are often provided by the manufacturer of the roofing materials, for example, GAF offers a Lifetime Warranty on the roofing system including the underlayment and shingles.
A great and reputable roofing contractor should also provide you a workmanship warranty on the roof. In many cases, the manufacturer might reject a warranty claim on the material because of the poor quality of installation.
The warranty by the manufacturer can last anywhere from one year to 10 years as well. That is why, before you hire a roofing company, you have to ask the type of warranty they offer. In some cases, the higher the warranty by the manufacturer, the more will be the cost.
When it comes to the installation warranty, it is offered by the roofing company. That is why, it can vary from one roofing company to another. The roofing company can provide you with an overall limited warranty backed by the manufacturer or the roofing company itself.
The cost of roofing can also be dependent on the type of warranty that you want to opt for.
You might be thinking, what does the accessibility of the roof have to do with its cost?
The more difficult to access the roof, the higher the labor cost and the equipment cost. That is because loading of roofing materials and the installation will certainly require sophisticated equipment and more time. Thus, this is another factor that directly impacts the cost of the roof.
Location:
The labor cost and the material cost can vary depending on the area in which you live. For example, California and Florida have very strict roof material requirements. That is why the cost can be higher as compared to an area like New England.
Waste disposal cost:
Often when the roofing contractor has to deal with the waste or the leftover materials, he/she will charge you a disposal fee. In that case, the cost of the roofing job will increase.
Maintenance requirement:
Another important factor that impacts the cost is the level of maintenance which the roof needs. In case you want to lower the initial cost, you can go with a more affordable roof installation but may require more maintenance in the future. On the other hand, if you do not want to deal with a high-maintenance roof, you will have to opt for a premium quality roof with excellent workmanship. In that case, the maintenance cost will be low, but the upfront cost will be high. As you can see, the extent of maintenance needed also determines the cost of the roof.
Don’t think for a second that just because the roofing quote is exceptionally lower than usual means that you’re getting a great deal. This is far from the truth, although you might think you’re “getting a deal” by going with the lowest priced roofer, you may end up paying more money in the future in countless repairs.
When finding a roofing company or contractor in your area, look at how they install roofs and their reputation. Generally, a highly rated roofer is the best way to go, because they’re going to protect their reputation at all costs and place their customers first.
So, the cost of roof replacement can depend on a lot of things. In short, the more complicated the roofing project, the higher will be the cost of the roof.
I hoped you learned more in this article about what are the biggest pricing factors in roofing, please like, comment, or share on social media so that we can keep posting more roofing blogs for you!
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Mr. Happy House is a professional roofing, siding, and painting contractor specializing in residential roof installations, roof repair, siding repair & replacement, house painting, and seamless gutters. We service the North Houston areas including The Woodlands, Tomball, Spring, Conroe, Cypress, & Magnolia, TX. Call today to make your home happy!
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