how to determine the cost of a new roof

Is it Possible to Estimate the Cost of a New Roof Yourself?

While it may seem like an easy task to measure your roof, do a little research on what goes into a new roof, and check your local home improvement store for pricing to estimate the cost of a new roof yourself, it is not advised. There are many factors that go into the cost of a new roof that the average homeowner typically overlooks. You may be able to do a rough estimate in order to create a budget for your upcoming roofing project, but do not get too attached to that number as there are so many factors that influence a roofing system that you may estimate incorrectly or completely overlook. Here are a few reasons, among many, that show you cannot estimate the cost of a new roof yourself.

Labor Costs Make Up a Portion of the Cost of a New Roof

Labor costs are difficult for the average homeowner to estimate as they often don’t understand how efficient a roofing company is. We advise that homeowners do not replace or repair their own roofs, so they may not understand the difference between an amateur and their friends, versus a well-oiled team of professional roofers. When estimating the cost of a new roof, it is simply impossible to estimate labor costs yourself.

All Costs Are Not The Same

Home improvement stores up-charge a “convenience fee”. Since you cannot buy in enough bulk to necessitate a discount, you will often be paying more than what a roofing company can source from their suppliers. A quality roofing organization or local roofer creates and fosters relationships with their suppliers in order to generate lower costs for higher quality materials than you will find at a home improvement or big box store. This discrepancy between costs can drastically change your estimate for the cost of a new roof versus what you will receive from a roofer.

Unseen Issues Impact Cost of a New Roof

Repairs aren’t cheap and if they are, you simply don’t want them. Often, damages to your roof go unseen to the average eye. While you may think that all your roof needs is a simple stripping and re-roofing, repair costs can drastically impact the cost of a new roof for your home.

Good Roofing Companies Offer Free Estimates

The biggest reason why it is not suggested to estimate the cost of a new roof yourself is that most reputable roofing organizations offer free estimates. These are no commitment estimates so you feel comfortable in assessing a price without being handcuffed to a company.

In all, it is wise to leave it up to a professional roofer to create an estimate for the cost of a new roof for your home. As we have outlined, there are many costs that go into a new roofing system that you may overlook, which will leave you upset and confused. A quality roofing professional will ensure the highest quality roofing system at the best cost they can offer.