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What Drives The Price Of A Restidential Roofing Job?

The cost of a residential roofing project can land in a wide range, going anywhere from $300 for a small repair job on an asphalt roof to more than $20,000 for extensive installation or replacement work involving high-end materials. What drives those prices? Here are 5 issues a residential roofing contractor will look at when calculating the price of a job.

Project Type

Foremost, the basic type of project is a big factor. Replacing a few asphalt shingles is often a one- or two-person job that can be done for a few hundred bucks. Tearing all of the materials off of a roof, repairing underlying trusses and decking, and then installing materials is a multi-day or -week project that may require an entire crew, roll-off dumpsters, lifts, and permits.

Materials Choices

Low-end materials like asphalt shingles tend to be cheaper. Conversely, more appealing materials like cedar, slate, or copper can be fairly expensive.

Also, some companies will not work with certain materials. For example, metal sheet roofing tends to be a specialized trade that uses unique equipment. Many of the residential roofing services providers that perform such work charge more for the higher level of specialization.

Roof Complexity

Putting materials down on a roof that's just two sides and a peak about as simple as residential roofing projects come. On the flip side, a job where a house has multiple dormers jutting from the roof calls for a lot more attention. Also, a residential roofing contractor has to cut different bits of materials to fit into the odd corners of a more complex roof, and that oftentimes leads to more waste.

Building Location

Especially if a building is in an odd spot, such as on the side of a steep hill, it can be harder to move people, materials, and equipment in and out. That adds time to even the simplest task, such as setting a ladder on an oddly sloped grade. Additional safety precautions and setup work will ultimately drive costs up.

Roof Height and Slope

Nothing worries folks in the residential roofing world more than tall structures. If a roof is very high, especially with an aggressive slope, it poses more hazards. To make the job safer, roof jacks and longer ladders are necessary. Likewise, a longer-than-average lift might be needed. In many cases, companies have to rent unique equipment to tackle unusual jobs, and that pushes the price up.

If you have more questions about roofing quotes and pricing, talk to your local residential roofing contractor today.