Residential Roofing Costs: Shingle Roofs

Shingle roofs remain one of the most affordable and popular options on the market, and while it is close to impossible to make accurate generalizations about costs, it is helpful to understand the various factors that influence shingle roof replacement prices.

Broadly speaking, these factors can be broken down into two categories: those related to your home, and those related to the contractor.

How Much Will My New Shingle Roof Cost?

As always, you should shop around before committing to a contractor, collecting price quotes and factoring in considerations like reputation and experience. It’s important to look at more than just the bottom line, since inferior materials and sloppy workmanship will provide no more than a quick fix, and could diminish the value of your home.

Home-Related Factors that Affect Shingle Roof Costs

Specific physical characteristics of your home will have a pronounced effect on the cost of a shingle roof replacement. To help you anticipate costs, assess the following home-related factors:

How large is your roof? Many contractors quote prices per square foot, so knowing your roof’s surface area will help you generate a much more accurate estimate.

How sloped is your roof? Unusually steep roofs are more difficult to repair, and most contractors will charge premiums if your roof has a sharp, dramatic slope.

How structurally sound is your roof’s base? If your underlying roof deck is in poor condition, or if there are other structural problems like leaks, rotted or unstable rafters, or damaged insulation, you’ll have to address these before completing the repair job.

How accessible is your roof? If property features make it difficult to access your roof, or if you live a long distance from your preferred contractor, your price quote could go up.


Contractor-Related Factors that Affect Shingle Roof Costs

Similarly, some of the factors that drive pricing originate on the contractor end of the equation. Shingle roof replacement costs are affected by things such as:

• Material quality and costs 
• Profit margins 
• Inclusiveness of work-related warranties and guarantees 
• Skill, expertise and experience 
• Market forces (prices may be higher during busy times of year and lower during slower times of year) 

Beware of any contractor that offers you a firm price quote without coming to inspect your home, and remember: if the price sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Do your due diligence by researching the company’s history before you commit, and talk to people who worked with the company in the past to determine whether or not they were satisfied.

Hiring Your Next Commercial Roofer

If your business, warehouse or facility requires a roofing facelift, it’s important to find a licensed roofer who understands the unique requirements of commercial roofing. While residential and commercial roofs serve the same, protective purpose, their design and installation are different—and therefore require a different repair and construction approach.

Selecting a Commercial Roofing Contractor

Before hiring your roofer, keep in mind the following fundamental differences between commercial and residential roofing jobs:

When installing a commercial roof, it’s important for your contractor to be flexible about working around scheduled business hours. Rather than disrupting clients or closing facilities during regular work periods, a qualified commercial roofing contractor may need to work off-hours or over weekends to complete the job.

Commercial roofers must take building use into account when they’re installing your company’s roof— especially if your business contains heat-generating machinery, processing equipment or volatile chemicals. Reputable roofing contractors should carefully consider all aspects of your facility’s design before recommending a roofing material and installation process.

For most commercial jobs, total roofing area is much larger than residential projects. Because of this, facility roofing should be industrial-strength, and should contain a heavy-duty underlay that will withstand weather extremes and regular inspection foot traffic. Make sure the roofer you select is well-versed in the installation of these heavy-duty materials—and that their crew is large enough to complete your project in a timely manner.

Many large warehouses and commercial facilities are designed with flat roofs, rather than the slanted, gabled roofs common to Ontario residents. Talk with your roofing contractor about commercial roofing material options and their process for ensuring that your flat roof is strong and water-tight—since preventing leaks is critical to maintaining the integrity of your business equipment and product inventory. 

It’s likely that your company’s roof also contains many vents, drains and exposed pipelines, which commercial roofers have to work around (and seal properly) during roof installation.
Before you settle on a commercial roofing contractor, take time to contact their references, check their licensing and conduct online research to ensure that you’re hiring a qualified, budget-friendly roofer with your best interests in mind.