You’ve decided that you are going to replace your roof. Now, you are looking for roofing materials, roof replacement estimates, and ways to save money. Bravo! There are numerous ways to achieve your goal and do it in a way that doesn’t make you bleed money or leave you with a roof replacement that doesn’t meet your expectations.
Here you can get tips on how to estimate your roof replacement cost, how to save money on it, and some types of roofing material that you should consider when deciding on your new roof. For a comprehensive review of the topic, please review Part 1 and Part 3 of this series.
How Much Should I Budget for A New Roof?
Remember that your budget is your estimation of what your roof replacement will cost based on your assessment of the job. Some things to consider are the cost of removing the old roofing materials, cost of disposal of the old roofing material, cost of purchasing the new roofing material, local building codes, accessibility, number of stories, and the cost of installing the new roofing material. Also, the cost of replacing your roof will be affected by the size of the roof, its complexity (e.g., pitch, peaks, valleys, hips), the weather, and the contractor’s fees. You should also add a little buffer for hidden costs or job overruns.
If you are removing and disposing of asphalt roofing material, on average, the cost will range from $7,000 to $12,00 per square (square = 100 square feet). If the roofing material is of higher quality, the removal costs can easily exceed $15,000.
Your roofing material costs will vary based on the roofing material chosen and your roof characteristics. The following estimates are for the roofing materials only:
| Roofing Material | Average Cost Per Square |
| Asphalt | $50 – $60 |
| Wooden Shingles or Shakes | $250 – $500 |
| Clay or Concrete Tiles | $200 – $600 |
| Slate | $500 – $800 |
| Metal Roofing | $300 – $1,200 |
The installation costs are not included in the estimates. Your installation cost will vary based on the time needed to do the job, the number of people working on your roof, the level of skill needed by the laborers, and the contractor’s fee for drafting the contract.
Cost of A New Roof by Material
Asphalt Shingles
Asphalt shingles are the most commonly used shingles in the USA. They are also known as composition and composite shingles. Their popularity is due to the ease of sourcing, installing, and paying for them. They can also be used for overlay. They primarily come in three forms: strip, dimensional, and luxury. Asphalt shingles are made of fiberglass or cellulose mat, asphalt, and mineral granules. Their material costs are:
| Asphalt Shingle Type | Cost Per 100 Square Foot |
| Strip | $165 – $175 |
| Dimensional | $190 – $210 |
| Luxury | $220 – $250 |
Strip Shingles
Strip shingles are often referred to as 3-tab shingles or strips. They are the most basic asphalt shingle produced. They consist of one layer, are flat in appearance, and mimic slate. Strips are the cheapest shingles you can buy and are generally used for inexpensive homes or replacing old roofs made from them.
Dimensional Shingles
Dimensional shingles are also referred to as architectural and laminate shingles. They are the most oft used asphalt singles in the USA. They are made from two or more layers of asphalt fused together to give a multidimensional appearance and looking more aesthetically pleasing because of their thicker and more elegant looking design. They are intended to imitate the look of wood shake and natural slate roofing material. Dimensional shingles are heavier and of higher quality with better warranty protection than strip shingles.
Luxury Shingles
Luxury shingles are the highest quality and heaviest asphalt shingles you can buy. They are considered the most attractive asphalt shingles because of their color, quality, and dimensionality. Luxury shingles mimic the aesthetically pleasing appearance of wood shakes or quarried slate roofing material. They also provide high-level protection against bad weather.
How to Save Money on a Roof Replacement?
Maybe you are not financially able or willing to spend thousands of dollars on your roof replacement. So, how can you save money on your roof replacement? Well, there are multiple ways to reduce the financial cost of replacing your roof. Ideally, you will combine several of the strategies to get the lowest roof replacement fee. Here are some ways that you can reduce the cost of your roof replacement:
Check Your Roof Warranty
If your roof is still under warranty and the damage to it is covered by the warranty, contact the roofing material manufacturer and/or contractor and file a claim for reimbursement or compensation for the material failing during the warranty period.
File An Insurance Claim
Check your roof for weather-related damage. If there is weather-related damage to your roof, check with a roofing contractor to find out if your homeowner’s insurance will cover the damage to your roof. If so, file a claim, and the insurance company may pay for part or all of your roof replacement.
Find A Federal Grant That Will Pay For Part Or All Of Your Roof Replacement
There are federal grants that you can apply for that will pay for all or part of your roof replacement. Be sure to research federal grants specifically covering roofs, general home repairs, and real estate investments. Also, research federal grants targeting low-income people, veterans, and elderly people.
Replace Your Roof During The Roofing Off-season
You can save money on your roof replacement if you have it done during the off-season. The off-season for roofing is late fall, late winter, and spring. During those times of the year, roofing companies have very little work and are more likely to offer you a lower job quote or give you a discount. So, check for the roofing off-season in your area. Also, consider what kinds of roofing materials you want to use for the job because the weather may adversely affect the roofing material. For example, warm weather is better for installing asphalt shingles but has no effect on metal roofing materials.
Negotiate With Your Roofing Contractor
When you are collecting job quotes from roofing contractors, remember that the quote is their initial offer. You can bargain with them and negotiate a lower quote for yourself.
Barter Or Trade With Your Roofing Contractor
You can lower your job quote by trading goods and/or services in exchange for a lower roof replacement fee. The contractor may be interested in some services that you can provide for a discount or for free. The services that you can trade are innumerable. Some services you can offer include vehicle repair, house painting, tax preparation, legal services, house sitting services, dental services, website construction or updating, marketing services, bookkeeping, accounting services, and home repair services.
Do Some Of The Work Yourself
If you have the knowledge, skills, and equipment, you can do some of the work yourself to remove old roofing material. Before you decide to do this, make sure that you are up to the task, get your contractor’s agreement, and check with local building codes to make sure it’s legal before you do it yourself.
Choose Roofing Materials That Are On Sale Or Have Offer Rebates
Many roofing material manufacturers offer their products for sale or offer rebates. In addition, your contractor may know about some manufacturers who are offering deals on specific roofing materials. Also, the contractors themselves may offer discounts on specific roofing materials. Check the contractors’ websites, roofing material manufacturers’ websites, local classified sections, and advertising boards, and places where contractors and suppliers meet or go to exchange information on the roofing materials.
Get Multiple Estimates From Roofing Contractors
You may get better roof replacement estimates if you contact multiple roofing contractors. Ask them for quotes and to break down their quotes into labor, materials, etc. Often, contractors will offer more attractive quotes if they know that you will be looking at multiple estimates for the same job. Note, if you are given an extremely low quote for the job, be suspicious. If the quote is too low, you should ask yourself how the contractor will make any money on the job. Also, the low quote may mask hidden fees, anticipated job overruns, cheap materials, low or poorly skilled labor, and poor quality workmanship. In such cases, you should check the contractors’ references and make sure that you are really getting the best deal.
Overlay The Old Roof
You can save money by placing the new roof directly over the old roof. The overlay reduces job time, labor, and cost. However, it may invalidate the roofing material manufacturer’s warranty, limit the contractor’s warranty, not be acceptable to your insurance company, and/or complicate a nasty situation with the old roof. Moreover, it will cost more to remove multiple layers of old roofing than to remove one layer of it.
Choose A Cheaper Roofing Material
There is always the general solution of just using cheaper roofing material. If you have done everything possible to drive down the cost of the roof replacement and you still need some relief, choose cheaper material. Your roof may not last as long or be as durable, but at least you will have a viable roof on your home and won’t risk more expensive repairs and replacements from delaying the roof replacement.