Anyone giving you a price before measuring your roof is guessing, and a guess that turns into a change order later is not a price. Here is what genuinely drives the number, so you can read any bid you are handed.
Six things that decide the price
Squares
Roofing is priced per 100 square feet of roof surface, not the footprint of your house. A 2,000 square foot home can carry considerably more than 20 squares once pitch and overhangs are counted.
Pitch
A 4/12 roof is walkable. A 10/12 requires staging, fall protection, and slower work. The steeper it is, the more labour and safety cost it carries.
Layers
Tearing off two existing layers is roughly double the labour and disposal of one. This is a common reason a bid changes after work starts, if nobody checked first.
Complexity
Valleys, dormers, chimneys, skylights, and penetrations each need flashing detail. These are the most labour-intensive parts of the job and the most likely to leak if rushed.
Decking condition
Unknown until the old roof is off. It should be priced per sheet up front and shown to you before replacement, never discovered as a surprise line on the invoice.
Material
Three-tab, architectural, impact-resistant, or metal is a genuine range. Class 4 impact-resistant material may reduce your insurance premium, which changes the real cost rather than just the sticker price.
How to compare quotes that look different
Two bids on the same roof can differ substantially and both be honest. Or one can be cheaper because it leaves things out. These are the questions that make bids comparable:
- Is it a tear-off or an overlay? An overlay is cheaper and hides the decking.
- Is new flashing included, or is existing flashing being reused? Reused flashing is a leading cause of leaks in new roofs.
- How is decking replacement priced? It should be a stated per-sheet rate, not “we will let you know.”
- Is ventilation being corrected? Inadequate ventilation voids most manufacturer warranties.
- What warranty comes with it — from the manufacturer and from the contractor?
- Are disposal, permitting, and cleanup in the number?
If a storm is involved, the maths changes
With an approved claim you pay your deductible and the carrier covers the approved scope. Two things determine what that is actually worth.
RCV or ACV. A replacement cost value policy pays what it costs to replace the roof today. An actual cash value policy pays that minus depreciation, and on an older roof depreciation can be most of it. Check which one you have before assuming a claim solves the problem.
Approved scope. Partial approvals are common. If two slopes are approved and four are not, you are deciding whether to replace part of a roof.
More on the process on our insurance claims page, and on when filing works against you in when not to file a claim. For a measured number on your own roof, request an estimate.