# Replacing a roof



## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

We're going to need to have our roof replaced in the next year or two. We live in a small house. I was just shocked to hear that the shingles themselves would cost close to $2000. It'll cost close to $4000 to replace the roof. They'd just put a layer over the last one so it'd be even more if you had to remove the shingles. These are the good shingles, not the regular 3 tabs. 

How much would you expect it to cost to replace a 1000-1200 sq ft house in your area? This is an easy roof.


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## Just Little Me (Aug 9, 2007)

Our insurance paid for ours to be replaced.


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## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

Just Little Me said:


> Our insurance paid for ours to be replaced.


We can only pray for a bad storm.


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## blufford (Nov 23, 2004)

I'd say your are getting a good deal if they are nice shingles. I might want to pay some extra to have the old shingles removed and make sure there is no rotted plywood. I personally think that good shingles look nicer as one layer. IMHO

Another plus to the deal would be a warranty on not just the shigles but the whole roofing job. Might cost a little more.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

One layer of shingles, 20 years, two layers of shingles, 15 years, three layers of shingles, 10 years, your mileage may vary. Be sure and ask questions about the shingles. If you have high wind you want shingles that have tar on the back near the bottom edge so they stick to the shingles underneath and don't flip up.


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## Common Tator (Feb 19, 2008)

We just got an estimate of $8,000 for 40 year shingles to roof (professional roofer) at the 1200 SF ranch house. I just about fell over. It cost less than that to roof our 3300 SF house in the burbs in 2003.


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## Jokarva (Jan 17, 2010)

We have a new roof going on now, the house is about 1200 sq ft footprint but roof is over 3500 sq ft due to gables and dormers.

We had old shingles off, rotted areas replaced, 35 yr shingles on, extra vents and some other stuff I'm not going to remember...it'll run us about $10,000 when it's done.

We asked about a metal roof, he said it would about double the cost. That put an end to that.


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## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

Shingles here are about $90 a square for architectural and metal is about $75 a square.
I bid a roof for $250 a square for tear off, new metal and 180 L.F of seamless guttering this week.


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## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

Joshie said:


> We're going to need to have our roof replaced in the next year or two. We live in a small house. I was just shocked to hear that the shingles themselves would cost close to $2000. It'll cost close to $4000 to replace the roof. They'd just put a layer over the last one so it'd be even more if you had to remove the shingles. These are the good shingles, not the regular 3 tabs.
> 
> How much would you expect it to cost to replace a 1000-1200 sq ft house in your area? This is an easy roof.


About $2000.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Having four rent houses done this week. $16,700. 

Your $4000 bid is just about right.


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## HeelSpur (May 7, 2011)

You could always do it yourself, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to tear off and put on shingles.


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

Go steel! If you get the steel that is formed to look like tiles, yes, that is a very expensive roof. But if you just get corrugated steel, which comes in nice colors, the cost should be less than a shingle job. You can put it right over the shingles as long as the sheathing is sound and solid to hold the screws.


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## DAVID In Wisconsin (Dec 3, 2002)

One year ago I got an estimate for an 800 square foot house and 100 feet of covered porches. I wanted a tear off. Total bill was $6500. I almost died.


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## wharton (Oct 9, 2011)

I pay $1.90 a sq. ft. for new construction roofing, and I provide the dumpster for any waste material. Re-roofs are $3.00 a foot, including tear off, hauling off all waste and installing ice/water shield, new tar paper and thirty year architectural shingles. So, in my opinion the $4000 quote to nail another layer over the existing three tabs in pretty extreme. Assuming a reasonable pitch, no valleys or flashing, two guys should be able to do the job in less than a full day and have less than $1400 in materials.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Down here, metal is twice the cost of shingles.


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## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

Joshie said:


> We're going to need to have our roof replaced in the next year or two. We live in a small house. I was just shocked to hear that the shingles themselves would cost close to $2000. It'll cost close to $4000 to replace the roof. They'd just put a layer over the last one so it'd be even more if you had to remove the shingles. These are the good shingles, not the regular 3 tabs.
> 
> How much would you expect it to cost to replace a 1000-1200 sq ft house in your area? This is an easy roof.


Your getting robbed for $4000. Last year I built a custom home with a 7/12 pitch, multiple valleys, three skylights, 5000 s.f. I had a professional roofing company that was in business for 50 years do the labor, architectural shingles, install the flashing kits that came with the skylights, valleys, flashing, drip edge, felt, and written five year warranty.....$1925.00. Total labor and materials...$7200.00
Done in twelve hours, jobsite cleaned, and gone.


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## Ramblin Wreck (Jun 10, 2005)

Last month I had a metal roof put on the house son #2 lives in next door. It's 1152 square feet with an 8x24 front porch. The metal, trim, screws, boots (for the plumbing/electrical openings), lathing, nails, labor for two helpers ran about $2,500. I got a great deal on the metal roofing on Craig's List, but the rest of the material was full price from Home Depot and a local metal company. We did a lot of the work too. It turned out quite well.


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## Kevingr (Mar 10, 2006)

about 2 years ago we I hired an out of work roofer to do my roof which was 28 squares (no idea how many sq ft that is). Complicated multi-level roof and part of it is very steep. Also replaced the entire deck on one slope. I helped with the tear off, did the clean up and paid for the dumpster. Total bill, labor and materials was $3600.


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## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

Kevingr said:


> about 2 years ago we I hired an out of work roofer to do my roof which was 28 squares (no idea how many sq ft that is). Complicated multi-level roof and part of it is very steep. Also replaced the entire deck on one slope. I helped with the tear off, did the clean up and paid for the dumpster. Total bill, labor and materials was $3600.


a square is 100 s.f.


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## Sawmill Jim (Dec 5, 2008)

We put red steel on our house ,metal trim pieces the works $2,000 cash .Think this two story of ours is bigger than yours .:hobbyhors

Flunkies done ours me and any volunteers that stopped by :whistlin:


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## zookeeper16 (May 10, 2002)

elevenpoint said:


> Shingles here are about $90 a square for architectural and metal is about $75 a square.
> I bid a roof for $250 a square for tear off, new metal and 180 L.F of seamless guttering this week.


This is pretty much the norm.

Also realize that while looking at metal, the price jumped three times this year alone! If you don't like the look of metal but want a great roof, check out Decra shingles. If this is your forever home, invest in it well. It's worth it in the long run. Also, check warranties thoroughly! Some may sound great but in the end will only cover the shingles, not removal, disposal, labor, etc!


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## achrap (Sep 28, 2009)

I am replacing one side of a roof today. Purchased architectural shingles at $91.00 per square. Will not be tearing off first layer. #3 son and 14 yo grandson will be on roof today 4/12 pitch. I will cutting and doing anything else it takes to stay out of there way. I had a quote and it was for double the material. I think someone is taking advantage of you here. When it comes to roofing, you need to get as many quotes as possible, because they will be all over the place.


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## farmerDale (Jan 8, 2011)

Metal here is $0.80 a square foot.


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## indypartridge (Oct 26, 2004)

Roofing is one of those things where it pays to get several estimates. I've always been amazed at the HUGE differences in estimates for doing the exact same thing; where one estimate is double or even triple of another. 

Do your homework; ask friends & neighbors for recommendations of reputable roofers. Get several estimates. Don't pick the lowest or the highest.


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

Replaced ours last NOV...METAL roof-unless you have a complicated roof-valleys,dormers,etc...WHY use shingles...good metal roofs are forever compared to shingles..JMO


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## DanielY (Aug 25, 2011)

Keep in mind your roof, if pitched, is larger than the floor space of your house. I woudl have to run the numbers but for now assume a 1200 sq ft house has a 1500 sq ft roof.
I would charge you $1500 plus the cost of materials. I work dirt cheap. if you got a quote of $2000 for the labor you need to jump at it.
If I had to strip the roof and start from scratch my labor would jump to $4500 and that would not include any replacement of sheathing, reworking anything on the vents and stacks or anything else. When I was done you could then have your gutters replaced because gutters generally do not survive the removal of roofing materials.

In addition you would not be able to rely on that $2000 estimate for the materials either. If those are 15 year shingles (lowest quality) I would either not put them on or not guarantee them. I require a 20 year shingle minimum and 30 year is preferred.

So for just adding a new course to your old roof you would most likely be looking at $4500 total cost to you. I also tell my customers to expect 15% in extras. Extras are things like nails at $75.00 a case, any flashing that will need to be replaced and other unexpected problems. Roofs usually do not run into a lot of extras.


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## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

MO_cows said:


> Go steel! If you get the steel that is formed to look like tiles, yes, that is a very expensive roof. But if you just get corrugated steel, which comes in nice colors, the cost should be less than a shingle job. You can put it right over the shingles as long as the sheathing is sound and solid to hold the screws.


If you have two layers of shingles, they need to come off before you install a metal roof. In order to install metal over shingles there are different schools of thought....one is 30# felt or different types of underlayment recommended by the metal manufacturer, or installing 1''x4''s on the roof and then the metal roof to this. I believe any competent person in the building trades would tear off the existing shingle roof and then install the metal roof as this well could be the last roof you need.


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## Old John (May 27, 2004)

We have a 2 story, 1970's house, 1900 sq. ft. There are two separate roofs, front and back, w/no gables. They took off two layers of shingles all the way down to the sheeting. Replaced sheeting in a couple small places, about 2 sheets of plywood. They put on good feltpaper, new drip-edge all around and ice protection above all the eaves. They used the 40 year, dimensional shingles.
It all cost us a little over $7,000. It looks great.ETA........I forgot to add,: They guaranteed it 2 years.


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## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

Maura said:


> One layer of shingles, 20 years, two layers of shingles, 15 years, three layers of shingles, 10 years, your mileage may vary. Be sure and ask questions about the shingles. If you have high wind you want shingles that have tar on the back near the bottom edge so they stick to the shingles underneath and don't flip up.


Asphalt shingles have a strip of tar on the top of the shingle that runs the length of it, when laying the next shingle the bottom edge will cover this strip and seal down the bottom edge.


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## MushCreek (Jan 7, 2008)

As Daniel pointed out, the area of the roof will be more, possibly much more than the square footage of the floor. My barn, with a huge gambrel roof, is 2300 sq ft, compared to a footprint of 1350 sq ft. I used Galvalume, and the metal, plus all of the trim and flashings came to about $1 a sq ft. My contractor installed it as a side job for $1500. Judging from the time it actually took, I don't think he made much on the job.

I have a friend with a roofing business, and he told me that over half of the price of roofing goes into worker's comp insurance. It's a dangerous job.

elevenpoint- That is amazingly cheap for a roof that size. In most places, it would be double that. Location is a big factor in any construction work.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Consider a steel roof....just about everyone we know are replacing shingles with a 40+ year warranty roof. We just did our old farmhouse with a red roof and people keep stopping to tell us how nice it is with the cedar siding. Three different roof lines(high scary peaks) plus two porch roofs and a roof over bay window....$7000 including framing out with 2x4's over the single layer of 23 year old shingles. We probably could have paid less but we wanted the reputable Mennonite crew who built our barns to do the job. They do quality work. The steel eligible for the tax rebate,too. $500 max but it helps!

One thing to note is that your roof may NOT be covered by your insurance if it is too old. Our policy only covers roofs under 10 years old. We had two violent windstorms last year that tore a number of shingles off and we knew this was a project we'd have to do. 

Neighbor down the road did a typical 3 bedroom house for about $4000 last month.Lesser quality of metal and not the attention to the trim/etc. but still will oulive him!


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

One strategy to bring down the cost of a steel roof - shop for the material yourself. Check for overstock, a color that isn't popular but you can live with, secondary (as opposed to prime) grade material that has minor flaws in the finish. The flaws will likely not be visible from the ground, or if they are, put them on the back side of the house. Then, shop for an installer.

We put steel on every building we have, including the house, because DH works at the plant where they do the corrugating and can buy material (for personal use) at a discount. Everything was "secondary" grade material and some of it has been out in the weather for more than 20 years now and still looks great.


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## VA Shepherd (Dec 26, 2010)

Have you looked into Ondura at all? I used that on my barn, and I love it. I put the roof on myself, my first roofing job, and it doesn't have a single leak, despite a few oopses on my part. It's cheaper than steel; at the Lowe's in my area it's $19.92 for a 79" x 48" panel. Nails and other gizmos & dooflatchets aren't too bad.

I picked it over steel because of the price, but also because it's EPA recommended and made out of (I think 50%?) recycled materials. It's easy to cut, but has no sharp edges-- good news for the accident prone like me! It's also sooo much quieter than my metal roofed buildings, the barn is actually very peaceful in a storm. It weathered Irene and the Snowpocalypse without a drip, a sag, or a loose nail, much to my great relief.

Of course, the company is here in VA so it didn't cost me anything in shipping (I had to order the skylight panels, Lowe's doesn't carry them), and it's pretty new so a lot of people are dubious about it. I don't know anyone personally who's used it on their house, I just thought I'd add another option to the list. 

http://www.lowes.com/SearchCatalogD...catalogId=10051&N=0&newSearch=true&Ntt=ondura

http://www.ondura.com/


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## KySam (Dec 1, 2009)

DanielY said:


> Keep in mind your roof, if pitched, is larger than the floor space of your house. I woudl have to run the numbers but for now assume a 1200 sq ft house has a 1500 sq ft roof.
> I would charge you $1500 plus the cost of materials. I work dirt cheap. if you got a quote of $2000 for the labor you need to jump at it.
> If I had to strip the roof and start from scratch my labor would jump to $4500 and that would not include any replacement of sheathing, reworking anything on the vents and stacks or anything else. When I was done you could then have your gutters replaced because gutters generally do not survive the removal of roofing materials.
> 
> ...


You charge $100.00 a square to do a tack on? Thats doesnt sound like working for cheap and $300.00 a sqare for a tear off. Doesnt sound cheap to me. 

I can do a 2 layer tear off new drip edge felt nails vents ice dam if needed and 30 year dimensional shingles for $325.00 a square total material and labor and hauling off the trash.


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## Sabrina67 (Mar 24, 2008)

We just put metal on our "new" side of the house. The metal was 2.00 a running foot. I think we paid abt 2500 for the metal to do the whole house. The house is 24x 52. We have a 12'12 pitch. The part we finished was 24x24. We also bought the metal for the 4 porches at the same time. But the trim for the eaves and transition was not in that price.We have been installing it ourselves. For us, metal was cheaper than shingles. Good luck!


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## KySam (Dec 1, 2009)

Joshie said:


> We're going to need to have our roof replaced in the next year or two. We live in a small house. I was just shocked to hear that the shingles themselves would cost close to $2000. It'll cost close to $4000 to replace the roof. They'd just put a layer over the last one so it'd be even more if you had to remove the shingles. These are the good shingles, not the regular 3 tabs.
> 
> How much would you expect it to cost to replace a 1000-1200 sq ft house in your area? This is an easy roof.


Joshie

1000 to 1200 square foot house. Is it 1 story or 2? Does it have a gable roof or hip roof? 

I would guess your house to be 28 foot wide and about 40 to 42 foot long. You probably have a 5/12 pitch. 

I am just guessing if its one story gable roof about 17 foot from the ridge to the gutter and the roof being 44 foot that wold give you 748 square feet times that by 2 and you have roughly 1500 square feet. 15 square of shingles
about 2 bundles for starter course and about 5 bundles of 3 tab for ridge cap.

I would say 16 square of dimensional and 1 2/3 square of three tabs for ridge cap. 17 2/3 square of shingles.

16 square X $90.00= $1440.00 48 bundles
1 2/3 3 tab X$65.00 = $108.00 5 bundles

I would charge $5741. Material and labor complete tearoff. About $2400.00 for material and labor for a tack on.


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## wharton (Oct 9, 2011)

VA Shepherd said:


> Have you looked into Ondura at all? I used that on my barn, and I love it.
> I picked it over steel because of the price, but also because it's EPA recommended and made out of (I think 50%?) recycled materials. It's easy to cut, but has no sharp edges-- good news for the accident prone like me! It's also sooo much quieter than my metal roofed buildings, the barn is actually very peaceful in a storm. It weathered Irene and the Snowpocalypse without a drip, a sag, or a loose nail, much to my great relief.]


Although this product seems appealing, in reality it has largely disappeared from the market for one simple reason. It has proved to be a fairly delicate and short wearing product. There is at least one thread here about it, and the general experience is that it weathers poorly, and lasts less than 20 years before it's shot. It was all the rage here about 25 years ago. Now the local suppliers avoid it, and roofers will tell you to install metal instead. metal offers similar pricing, and installation techniques, but 2-3X the lifespan.


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## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

Metal would be wonderful but as we don't know where the $4000 for regular, good quality shingles will come we can't even consider a metal roof. Our house is a ranch. It has a very small roof over a porch (~5x5). It also has a small one car attached garage. It has a gabled roof running the long way on the house. The garage roof is gabled running the opposite way. 

We cannot do this ourselves.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I, personally, would not want to place a metal roof on any building (especially a home) around here. We get too many bad lightning storms!


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## idigbeets (Sep 3, 2011)

Id go with a metal roof. Re: shingles it's not uncommon to pay $100-$150/square for lay overs, and $200-$300/square for a complete tear off.


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

Just bought a house built in 2000 and the roof needs to be replaced already.
Have to replace the plywood base too.. so plywood, with heavy felt, 25 year shingles and a new ridge vent that will keep the roof in better condition longer, is going to cost me $7,000.

I have a single story house and a pretty simple roof too.

But it is better to get it done now, than wait and end up with more costs.


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

Seems you've been told the price received is a bit high. Call around for additional bids.

Two things to make sure they do.

Ice dam material at the soffits. It's not cheap but it can save you some trouble. Have them use 30 lb paper. Overlapping 50%, This will give you a good soft cushion for your shingles and make them last as long as possible. Roofing paper is cheap. Use it. If the installer bulks at the 30 lb paper. He is too cheap or lazy.


Don't just put shingles on shingles what ever you do.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Down here, metal is twice the cost of shingles.


Yes but easier to put on and will last way longer.Even if it gets hit with hail it might have pings but not leak.

big rockpile


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## Oak Leaf (Sep 14, 2011)

stanb999 said:


> Don't just put shingles on shingles what ever you do.


You're only allowed a certain number of layers anyways. Some places allow 3, our municipality only allows 2. 

We had our roof redone last May with metal. I'd throw out some numbers, but it doesn't really matter. Find out what prices are like in your area. 

We hired a contractor to do the work for us but he wrote up a list and had us source/order our own materials. All we paid him for was his hours worked and we were able to shop around for the best deals on materials. We liked him so much we had him come back to insulate/put siding up a couple months later. We found him through a friend, who grew up with this guy and had him redo his house the year before. 

Our house is beautiful now!


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## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

While we would love a metal roof it is out of our reach. The people from whom we got a casual estimate work for a construction firm and do roofing on the side. Before we have an work done we will get additional estimates.

It sounds as if the cost varies widely by location. Some have said that $4000 is overpriced but a number of people have said that they've had to pay much more.


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## Guest (Nov 22, 2011)

Granted it was 2007 but I did ours for about $1500. It was a total tear off on a 1200 sq/ft ranch home with a 4/12 pitch. The price included all materials, purchased air compressor and nailers (framing/roofing coil) and dumpster rental. Sold the nailers on CL when done.

I was given bids of $5,000 at the time.


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## unioncreek (Jun 18, 2002)

In our area shingles are only $55/square, if you just use the 1200 square foot figure your only at around $1000 for shingles. Of course these are three tab, but I've had mine on our house for 20 years. That house isn't that big, I would just roof it myself.

Bob


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## wharton (Oct 9, 2011)

unioncreek said:


> In our area shingles are only $55/square, if you just use the 1200 square foot figure your only at around $1000 for shingles. Of course these are three tab, but I've had mine on our house for 20 years. That house isn't that big, I would just roof it myself.
> 
> Bob


Sounds like a spectacularly low price for shingles, but the costs have skyrocketed in the last few months. Home Depot in the Medford, Or. area shows the exact number I pay here in the Northeast, $74 a square for three tabs, and you can add another $30-40/Sq. for new drip edge, nails, paper, ice/water shield, cap shingles and ridge vent. I just finished a roof with cheap architecturals ($82/sq.) and the material for a simple 17 sq. roof was $1900. In the last year lumber is up about 10%, shingles and vinyl siding are up 25%, or more. Drywall is going up 35% on Jan, 1st.


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## debbydoo1966 (Jan 15, 2007)

"I would charge $5741. Material and labor complete tearoff. About $2400.00 for material and labor for a tack on." 

That's almost exactly to the dollar what we paid.


Just had our roof replace in Sept. Cost us $5,700. With the old roof ripped off. My house is approx 1140 sq ft.


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## Melissa (Apr 15, 2002)

Shingles just do not seem to last as long as they used to last. You might pay less than metal now, but in the long run you will probably be doing it again in 10 years. We have several local people who are selling metal for about $80 a square. They cut it to exact length and deliver it to the site for free. You might ask around, there is always someone who knows someone who can get you a better deal.

This past summer Cale was charging $110 a square for labor and that included tear-off and fixing anything that needed fixed on the roof. The owner had to pay for all materials. He had plenty of jobs and several he did not get to this past season. Brady is thinking about doing roofing next summer after he graduates from high school and then not having to work much doing the college year.


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## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

Melissa said:


> Shingles just do not seem to last as long as they used to last. You might pay less than metal now, but in the long run you will probably be doing it again in 10 years. We have several local people who are selling metal for about $80 a square. They cut it to exact length and deliver it to the site for free. You might ask around, there is always someone who knows someone who can get you a better deal.


Melissa, I so wish we could afford metal but it's out of the question. We've asked around and the guys we called were the only friends of friends who do roofing. We've only been out here for a couple of years so don't have contacts to find less expensive metal. Four thousand dollars will be hard to swing and I'm not even sure we'll be out here in ten years. DH isn't getting any younger and he has to take care of me. My hope is that we'll be OK out here until DD, 13, gets out of school.


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## Melissa (Apr 15, 2002)

I hope it lasts for you, but unless it is an emergency situation, take your time and ask around some more. Something else may come up!


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## KySam (Dec 1, 2009)

bergere said:


> Just bought a house built in 2000 and the roof needs to be replaced already.
> Have to replace the plywood base too.. so plywood, with heavy felt, 25 year shingles and a new ridge vent that will keep the roof in better condition longer, is going to cost me $7,000.
> 
> I have a single story house and a pretty simple roof too.
> ...


bergere 

If you go with a ridge vent make sure that the roof is getting plenty of air drawn in from the soffits area. If there isnt enough air being drawn in from the soffits the hot air cant escape enough through the ridge vent. 

Thats why alot of people are having to replace roofs in 10 to 15 years.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Another person drawn in by the recommended reading.

Those posts are often very old. Please check the dates on those posts before replying to them. Most discussion staters no longer visit this site.


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

First post on an old thread............again.

Sure hope people aren't using the *2011* prices quoted.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Or materials, there have been some improvements in roofing materials in the past 19 years.


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