A roof replacement cost estimator will be able to provide you with a reasonably accurate estimate of how much it will cost to re-roof or repair your roof. This should apply equally for new homes, or for replacing leaky or worn out roofs of existing buildings. The roof replacement cost estimator will have to factor in variables such as the cost of roofing materials, pitch (or slope) of the roof, area to be covered, and labor charges.
Roof replacement is by no means a casual or simple project. The expense involved in repairing or replacement of a roof can be a significant sum, making any decision about your roofing needs one that must be carefully considered and meticulously researched.
The first step before using a roof replacement cost estimator is to collect relevant data to help with your estimation. Roofing area is among the most important. Roof area is measured in squares, a square being 100 square feet (typically 10×10 feet). This sounds easy to calculate, except that most roofs are not simple squares. They have projections and outcroppings, come in different shapes and slopes, and have dormers and chimneys that need to be separately measured.
Getting your roof replacement contractor to handle this part of the project makes more sense than you trying to measure the roofing area – unless, of course, you’re a wizard at geometry! It is important to understand that the accuracy of any measurement or estimation will be only approximate at best. The idea is to get as close as possible to the real metrics, so factor in an error rate of 10% or so in every estimate.
Roof replacement cost estimator scripts exist online as roofing calculators. They will be of enormous help in assessing the cost of a new roof for your new building, or for roof replacement cost in older homes. Once you arrive at an estimate, you will be in a better position to evaluate quotations from different contractors, or even negotiate a better deal because you have a fair idea of what it will cost.
Factors That Impact Roof Replacement Cost
Even without using a roof replacement cost estimator, it is clear that the weight and slope of a roof will have a significant impact on expenses. Shingles are more expensive when they are of higher quality, which usually means the roof will be heavier. Pitch (or slope) makes working on it harder, so a steep roof will typically incur higher labor charges.
Because of the slope, it can be deceptive to estimate roof area if you try and go by the floor area. As the slope increases, it takes a surprisingly higher number of shingles to cover it. A roof of 12/12 pitch will consume two times as many shingles for roofing it as a roof of 6/12 pitch.
Roof design affects the appearance and style of a house. At the same time, it also has an effect on how costly it will be to repair or replace it later on. Heavier shingles of higher quality are proportionately more expensive. And while it adds to the resale value of the building, this factor is one to keep in mind when you are repairing a roof.
Roofing Costs and Warranties
Most roofing material is covered under a manufacturer’s warranty for the natural lifetime of the shingles. That’s a benefit for homeowners who face the prospect of roof replacement cost shortly after building a new roof. Heavier shingles often have a longer warranty period. Checking with your manufacturer to see if the roof replacement cost can be at least partially defrayed through a warranty may cut down on your overall costs.
Roof Replacement Costs For Complex Roofs
Some roofs are harder to fix than others. Labor charges will make up a higher share of the total cost. Chimneys or dormers add a level of complexity to the roofing, for which most contractors will charge a higher fee. Materials also will be needed in larger quantities. Roof replacement cost estimator software must factor this into the calculations. Otherwise you could end up making a gross underestimate – and run into costly surprises later on.
A roof replacement cost estimator can speed up the process of making roof repair estimates, and even simplify what is a boring and tricky task. However you cannot rely too much on such a cost estimator because of the number of variables that impact roof replacement cost. Be sure to allow for some margin of error. Used correctly a roof replacement cost estimator can be a very handy tool to compute roofing expenses.
