What Determines the Cost of a Roof Replacement?

No one wants to dole out money to replace their roof, but that doesn’t change the fact that we all have to do it some time or another. Any time someone has their roof replaced there are two things on their mind.

Firstly, they want the job to be done right if they’re going to spend the money on it, that new roof better look good. Secondly, they’re worried about the cost. Whenever someone is having their roof replaced, they’re going to be worried about the cost.

Here’s some information to put your mind at ease and give you a clear picture of what factors determine the cost of a roof replacement and why.

Breaking Down The Average Cost Of A Roof Replacement

Let’s start with the national average, we can get into individual details that might drive the cost up or down later. The average cost of a roof replacement in 2020 on a national scale, is $7,211. That’s a very specific number, but as we said, there are certain factors that can drive that cost up or down.

The Square Footage Of Your Home

One of the factors that affect the cost of a roof replacement directly, is the square footage of your home. Remember that national average statistic from up above? That’s based on the fact that a roof costs $400 to $550 per square on average.

What does that figure mean for you and the cost of your roof replacement? It means that the bigger your house is and the more square footage you have, the more roofing material you will need, and the more labor the job will require.

The Roofing Material

Another factor that can drive the cost of your roof replacement either up or down is the type of roofing material that you use. Shingles are quite common and for good reason, they’re cost-effective and last for many years which makes them a smart investment as a roofing material.

If you choose a different variety of shingles such as concrete shingles rather than asphalt shingles, the cost of your project will go up considerably. While replacing a roof with asphalt shingles carries an average cost of just over seven grand, replacing a roof with concrete shingles can cost over $20,000.

Metal roofing tends to be more expensive than asphalt shingles as well, however, there are some advantages to metal roofing that might make it a better choice. The value of a metal roof depends largely on the shape of your home and your average snow load in the winter.

As long as the edge of your roof isn’t over your front door, a metal roof can be very convenient as the snow will slide right off your roof landing on either side of your house. The biggest perk to this arrangement is that you don’t have to clear snow off of your roof manually!

The Shape Of Your Roof

Although the shape of your roof might not seem like a big deal to you it matters to roofing professionals. If your roof is particularly steep or has an unconventional shape to it, the workers will require extra safety equipment that will drive the cost up.