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.

Shingle Removal and Replacement

This blog post is for homeowners ready to challenge themselves by handling roofing replacement on their own. We’ve previously discussed tools necessary for shingle roof removal. If you are planning to repair or replace your shingle roof on your own, instead of hiring a roofing expert, expect to need some additional tools and materials at your disposal. We cover those below.

Safety First! As with shingle removal, safety should be your main concern (whether you’re on a flat roof or a pitched roof with steep surfaces). Borrow or purchase a heavy-duty, sturdy ladder—or consider renting scaffolding for safer access to extreme heights. In addition, consider a fall protection kit that comes with a harness, roof anchor, lanyard, counterweight and rope. Your fall protection kit should be used in conjunction with a hard hat, work gloves and slip-proof boots to prevent injury.

On top of applicable safety equipment, roof replacement and repairs require several common tools that can be purchased at your local hardware store or rented from a local equipment rental shop.

Tools Needed For Shingle Roof Replacement or Repair: Assuming that the flashing, felt and roof deck are in good order after removing your old shingles, when you are ready to repair or replace your shingle roofing you’ll need:

• 2×4 LUMBER STRIPS
• #16 NAILS
• HAMMER 

Prior to roof replacement, it’s a good idea to install a few 2×4 braces to maintain your footing. Lay each wood piece horizontal to the roof’s edge, and drive nails through each end of the 2×4 to attach them to the roof. Pull up the brace and re-nail it as you move around the roof surface.

ASPHALT ROOF SHINGLES: Remember to select shingles that complement your home’s paint and trim. Shingles are generally sold in “squares,” and each of these units cover roughly 100 sq. feet.

ASPHALT ROOFING CEMENT: Applied to the back side of each shingle, roofing cement helps to secure the shingle during nailing and ensures a tight fit to the roof’s surface. It’s also a good idea to apply roofing cement to nail heads to avoid small leaks.

GALVANIZED ROOFING NAILS: Used to secure shingles during installation. Hammer several galvanized nails through self-sealing strips found on each shingle’s surface.

REPLACEMENT FLASHING: As you install shingles around eaves, ridges and valleys, it’s important to make sure that all metal flashing is in tact. If not, you’ll need to reapply replacement flashing strips as needed.

UTILITY or SHARP LINOLEUM KNIFE: Used to cut portions of shingles or trimming shingles to the correct shape and size.

CHALK LINE: To ensure symmetrical placement of shingles, most roofers snap horizontal and vertical chalk lines on the roof deck. A level is also a useful tool for measuring exact shingle positioning.

You should always consult a roofing professional prior to embarking on any "DIY" repairs or replacements. Trudel and Sons Roofing is a family-owned and operated roofing company with more than 30 years of experience in both residential and commercial roofing repairs and re-roofing. Call us today for your comprehensive consultation at: (905)642-3515