New roof

SVreX wrote: Depends on the size, location, and insurance. Figure about $150 per square. A square is 100 SF of roof area. Much more in the Northeast or West Coast.

So your average 1,400 sq ft , 1 story house is about how much? Not a homeowner (but planning on it soon) so I really don't know how much roofing square footage that equates to, maybe 2000? So $3000?

Lesley wrote: Mine's about 20 years old. It's a Gerard galvanized steel roof, which has stone tiles over top like this: It's easy to walk on, if you're nuts enough to climb up on a two-and-a-half storey.

Wait, those tiles are on top of something like this? Didn't realize that was an option.

Enyar wrote:

SVreX wrote: Depends on the size, location, and insurance. Figure about $150 per square. A square is 100 SF of roof area. Much more in the Northeast or West Coast.

So your average 1,400 sq ft , 1 story house is about how much? Not a homeowner (but planning on it soon) so I really don't know how much roofing square footage that equates to, maybe 2000? So $3000?

I've simplified it as far as I can. There is no way to answer your question. Steeper pitch roof, bigger overhangs= more roof area. Flat roof, small overhangs= less roof area. Better shingles cost more. Better contractors cost more. Difficult roofing tearoffs, rotten decking, bad flashing, extra valleys all cost more.

When you find a house you like that needs one, get a quote.

Zomby Woof wrote:

AngryCorvair wrote:

David S. Wallens wrote: A month or so ago I got a letter from our insurance company: Our records show that your roof is 20 years old, so if it's not replaced by such-and-such date, we're going to cancel your coverage.

berkeley that. i would've called the shadiest tree guy in the area and had him drop a tree on my roof just so the insurance company would have to buck up and replace it. berkeleying criminals.

That right there is why why 90% of the time I think AC is a berkeleying scumbag.

well played!

Yah, galvanized steel underneath, stone coated tile on top:

http://www.gerardusa.com/steel-metal-roofing/products/barrel-vault

A (very rough) rule for getting an approximation of roof area is to use the total square footage of the house, including garage etc then multiply by 1.35. Ex: house is 80 feet long x 50 feet wide = 4000 square feet. Multiply by 1.35 = 5400. Divide by 100 feet/square = 54 squares x $150/square = $8100.00. Like SVreX says, things like steep roof pitch, skylights, etc will change that number so this is a VERY rough method.

That estimate method seems REALLY low. I just put a new roof on my house (with the help of two experienced friends). It had five or six layers (I know, HIGHLY illegal) with the original cedar shake from 1906 underneath it all. That's right, no decking. Oh, and it is 9/12 or 10/12 pitch. It was 16 squares, so by the $150 a square method that's $2,400. Well the shingles themselves were about $100 a square, plus the tar paper, drip edge, nails, decking, flashing, etc. it was about $2,200 in materials. Even if it was a simple strip and shingle job it would have been at least $1,900 in materials and disposal, and there's no way in hell a company is going to do all that for $500. My roof cost me about $3,200. That was about $2,200 for materials and I gave the two friends that helped me $500 a piece. I had more friends volunteer in tearing off and they were paid in sandwiches and beer.

My father in law had a quote from a roofing company around the same time for his house, which is slightly larger, but much easier (less slope, fewer layers, etc.) and he was quoted $8k.

I was using SVreX's $150/square for illustration purposes and that's right in the ballpark here south of the Manson-Nixon line for standard shingles. Situations vary, of course. Shingles are normally sold in bundles, 3 bundles = 1 square and the run of the mill asphalt shingles are around $24/bundle down here. There's normally a quantity break on large amounts, too.

GAF 25 year shingles at my local Home Despot: http://www.homedepot.com/Building-Materials-Roofing-Gutters-Roofing-Roof-Shingles/h_d1/N-5yc1vZc5rb/R-100040028/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051

A local roofer (Spartanburg, SC) said they charge $230/square to install architectural shingles; $210 to install three tab.

Curmudgeon wrote: I was using SVreX's $150/square for illustration purposes and that's right in the ballpark here south of the Manson-Nixon line for standard shingles. Situations vary, of course. Shingles are normally sold in bundles, 3 bundles = 1 square and the run of the mill asphalt shingles are around $24/bundle down here. There's normally a quantity break on large amounts, too. GAF 25 year shingles at my local Home Despot: http://www.homedepot.com/Building-Materials-Roofing-Gutters-Roofing-Roof-Shingles/h_d1/N-5yc1vZc5rb/R-100040028/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051

That's true, I could have gotten crappy shingles for $70 a square. So for $1,300 or so in materials, $1,100 still seems a little cheap for an entire crew to strip and roof a house. Figure a ten person crew doing it in two days that's just a little over $50 a day per person. Although if they're just going over the existing roof I could see $150 a square. Not only do they have less labor involved, but also no tar paper, drip edge, flashing, etc. saving a couple hundred in materials.

In reply to 16vCorey:

Removing old shingles is an additional cost.

Dumping fees is additional.

Basic shingles, not upgraded.

Roofers get better pricing on shingles than you did.

I've never seen (in 37 years in construction) a 10 man residential roofing crew. Sounds dangerous- way too many people on the roof. 3-4 is typical, maybe a couple of minimum wage ground workers. They would CERTAINLY NOT send a 10 man crew for 16 squares. The 3 man crews I work with will typically do a 20 square roof in 1 day. If it takes a 10 man crew 2 days to do 16 squares, they are all fired.

The quote your father in law got was a general contractor price who prices according to the insurance payoffs, not the actual costs. They hire subcontract installers, then mark them up. Installers charge $35 per square or less.

The only variable is fluctuations by region (which I already accounted for, because I live in a cheaper area).

I've built hundreds of houses. I'm reasonably knowledgeable in this.