Roofs are expected to last a long time, for decades in fact. However, no roof is warranted to last forever. A time comes when you have to replace your roof with a new one. Roof installation does not come cheap. Homeowners are therefore advised to estimate the cost and prepare their budget before undertaking any project.

Expect every roof estimate to vary because material prices differ as well as labor costs. The location of your house and roof type also make a difference. A rough estimate of installing new shingles roof would vary from $2.75 to $7.50 per square foot. That would translate to about $275 for a basic bid to $750 for a high-end and full warranty work per square. A square equals 100 square feet.

Contractors could charge around $4 to $7 per square foot or $400 to $700 per square range for asphalt shingles replacement services. Locations, as we stated above, affect prices with cities in the North East being significantly higher than those in the Deep South.

A general rule in construction is assigning a 60% to 40% labor to material cost breakdown. This is not set in stone but a mere guideline in computing costs.

Asphalt Shingles

A basic 3-tab 25-year shingle costs from $150 to $200 per square, which includes the necessary materials. These may include underlayment, ice and water shield, nails and ridge-vent. The material cost may also include trash bags, plywood, planks and dumpster.

Installation estimates assume the house is single story with a roof surface of 15 to 20 meters and a hip and gable roof. Labor cost is around $400 to $500 per square with the total amounting to a range of $6,725 to $9,000 under a 5-year warranty on labor.

Architectural/Dimensional Shingles

Architectural shingles cost more to install than the basic 3-tab shingles. Expect to pay around $75 to $100 more per square. The added cost is justified by contractors as a premium on higher installation quality for the more durable and longer-lasting shingles.

For a single-story house with hip and gable combination roof, the cost could add up to $7,850 to $11,000. The amount varies depending on the contractor, quality of installation, size and complexity of the roof, location of the house and other factors.

Premium Shingles

Premium shingles such as the 50-year architectural shingles cost more than the other roof shingles. Installation cost will run somewhere around $600 to $700 per square or a total of $9,000 to $14,000 for the entire roof. As stated above, the cost will vary depending on the variables, including the company that you contracted with. A longer labor warranty is a component of the increased installation cost.

Is there water dripping through your roof when it rains? Are there discolored spots on your ceiling that have no reason to be there? Can you see spots of daylight snaking through the rafters when you are in the attic of your home? Then chances are your roof needs some serious repair work, and the sooner the better. When your home is in need of roofing work this is a task that should not be attempted by anyone other than a professional roofer. Even a small patch job could create additional damages to your roof if an unqualified individual sets out to do the repairs. There is too little room for error and a greater chance of encountering a problem when you are working on the roof of a home. Even if you use a shingle calculator to help you estimate costs there a number of factors that are involved that you could be overlooking and this could mean that your estimate could be far off the mark.

Find the American Roof Repair Shingle Calculator here.

Qualified roofers understand what needs to be done and they know the steps that need to be followed. Professional roofers will have the tools and equipment to get the job done and they can even buy the roofing materials at a substantial discount. These are specialists who can tell you why those cheap roofing shingles may not be the best purchase. An experienced roofer can tell you the differences between pinnacle shingles, 3 tab shingles and other designs, and they can explain these differences in terms that a layman can easily understand. Roofers also provide you with efficiency, speed and “builder discounts” that save you time and money; and your roof will be constructed (or repaired) so that it meets all of the necessary building codes.

Damages to the roof of your home are often covered by your homeowner’s insurance policy. This is especially true if these roofing issues can be linked directly to a storm or other events that are specifically written into your coverage terms. An experienced roofer can help you determine the causes of the problems and tell you your best options to resolve the issues.

Typically a homeowner may not pay a great deal of attention to the roof until they notice a water leak during a strong storm. If you already have leaks in your ceiling then you may also have sustained some underlying structural damage. The only way to identify the problems with your roof is to have it inspected by a professional. These experts will look for holes in the roof, loose (or missing shingles), water damages, mold and other problems. After the inspection has been completed you will be given an estimate that shows exactly what issues are affecting your roof, how long it will take to repair the problems and how much money the roofing job will cost.

You can figure out the area of your roof and determine some basic cost factors when you use a shingle calculator. Roof size is calculated according to square footage. This takes into consideration the width and length of your roof, but other details such as height and special construction features (dormers, gables) must also be figured into the equation. Professional roofers are trained to calculate such measurements very precisely.
Shingles are arranged in bundles. Most bundles will cover approximately 30-35 square feet. When roofers discuss the covering on your home they will typically refer to “squares” and each “square” refers to a measurement of 100 sq. feet (roughly 10 feet x 10 feet).

If you are using fiberglass or asphalt shingles then each of the bundles being purchased will cover 1/3 square and 3 bundles will be required for each “square” of your roof’s measurement. Some laminate, dimensional or architectural shingles may cover an even smaller square surface of a rooftop.

If your home has an older roof that included t lock shingles you should know that these types of shingles are not even manufactured today. There are only a small amount of these T-lock shingles that can be found and even then, these shingles are generally only recommended for a small repair job. It may be best to consider replacing these shingles with one of the newer designs that are on the market. Professional roofers recognize t lock shingles as soon as they see them.

Roofing paper (roofing felt) or tar paper is going to be installed over the exposed wooden roof. Then the shingles will be placed along the roof in precise order. The orderly arrangement of shingles will provide strength and protection against heavy winds and also help prevent water leaks from occurring. A quality grade of roofing felt is necessary for best results. Roofers can tell you if 15# or 30# paper is best for your roofing needs. Expect to chalk up 15-20% of the underlying roofing felt to waste.

With a shingle calculator you can at least compute a rough estimate of the amount of materials that will be needed. This can help when you are talking with a roofer about the work that your home requires. Don’t leave your home to face the ravages of extreme weather without first consulting a roofing professional. An annual roof inspection can keep those small issues from becoming major problems.