Two houses on the same street can get very different prices for a new roof. That is not always a trick. The price comes from a handful of things about your roof. Once you know them, you can read any price and tell if it makes sense.
The six things that set the price
- Size. Roofers measure in "squares." One square is 100 square feet of roof. A roof is bigger than the floor of the house, because it slopes and hangs past the walls. More squares, more shingles, more labor.
- Steepness. A steep roof is slower and harder to work on. The crew needs more safety gear and more time. Many roofers charge more per square for steep slopes.
- Shape. A simple roof with two big sides goes fast. A roof with lots of valleys, peaks, dormers and corners takes more cutting, more flashing and more time.
- Layers to tear off. Some homes have two layers of shingles, one on top of the other. Both have to come off. That is more labor and more trips to the dump.
- The wood under the shingles. Once the old shingles are off, the crew can see the decking, the wood sheets the roof is nailed to. If some of it is soft or rotted, it gets replaced. Nobody can see this before tear-off, so a fair price says how wood is charged, per sheet, in writing.
- What you put on. Standard architectural shingles cost the least. Impact-rated (Class 4) shingles cost more. Metal and stone-coated steel cost more again, and often last much longer.
The small parts that add up
A roof is more than shingles. These parts are part of a full job, and a low price sometimes leaves them out:
- Underlayment: the sheet that goes on the wood before the shingles.
- Drip edge: metal trim along the edges that steers water into the gutter.
- Flashing: metal pieces where the roof meets a wall, a chimney or a valley.
- Pipe boots: the rubber collars around the pipes sticking out of the roof. Texas sun cracks old ones, and they are a common leak.
- Vents: they let hot air out of the attic so the roof does not bake from below.
- Clean-up: hauling off the old roof and sweeping the yard for nails.
What a fair written price lists
- The number of squares and the shingle or metal by name and color.
- Tear-off of every layer, down to the wood.
- How replaced wood is charged, per sheet.
- Each of the small parts above.
- Who pulls the permit, if your city needs one.
- When you pay, and how much.
If a price is one number with no list, ask for the list. If one roofer is far lower than the rest, check which line is missing.
Why a phone quote is only a guess
A price from a satellite picture or a phone call can get close on size. It cannot see the steepness up close, the number of layers, or soft spots in the wood. Get it measured before you sign.
What to do next
Start with what is on your roof now. Legacy Roofing offers a free drone roof survey. Someone needs to be home for the flight. You see the pictures before we leave and get a written photo report. If the roof needs replacing, we measure it and give you a written price that lists what you are paying for. See what a roof replacement with us includes. We work across Fort Worth, Arlington, Mansfield, Burleson and the towns between.
