Factors influencing roof replacement cost
- Guest Blog
- 2 years ago

Roofs play a very crucial role in our homes, they often protect us from the rain, wind, snow, and dust. However, they usually deteriorate with age.
To protect your investments, it’s smart to always be on the lookout for any damages that might occur on your roof and contact professional roofing contractors to make the necessary adjustments. But, just before you contact the professionals, there are a few things you need to know and one of them is the cost. There are many factors that often affect the cost you will have to incur when dealing with roof repairs. Let us look at a few of them.
Type of roof
At times roof are virtually treated the same despite their visual difference, there are some types of roof that require different needs, modification, and attention than the others, and therefore attracts different repairing and replacement cost. The table below shows the average cost a homeowner will have to pay for different types of roof.
Type of roof |
Typical damage |
The difficulty of repair/replacement |
Average cost |
Gable |
Ice dams, lifting shingles, impact and moisture | It’s the most commonly used roof, moderate to easy to repair |
$ 6,700 |
Hipped
|
Lifting shingles, moisture pooling, and ice dams | It’s more complex and expensive to repair due to the many angles involved. |
$ 9,000 |
Flat roof |
Mostly damaged by UV rays and moisture pooling | Moderately easy to replace |
$6,0000 |
Butterfly |
Lifting shingles, moisture pooling, and snow | It requires extreme angles and position while building thus more expensive and complex to repair |
$9,000 |
mansard | Commonly damaged by ice dams, moisture pooling, impact, and high winds. | It’s more complex and the most expensive to build and repair.
|
$10,000 |
A-frame | Lifting shingles or moisture | It involves many angles while building or repairing hence more complex and expensive than others. |
$9,000 |
Material used
In addition to different roofing styles and shapes, roofs can also be made using a variety of materials. Depending on your taste, the type of material you use for your roofing can significantly impact on the overall cost of both installations and repairs.
The type of roof you choose can also impact on the type of labour required for its installations and repairs. The roofing materials combined with the shape and pitch of your roof will undoubtedly be a major driving force behind the total cost of repairs and installation.
Type of material | Advantages | Disadvantages | Average cost |
Wood shake |
Against all odds it’s gorgeous and beautiful
Can last up to 25-30 years |
Being all natural, it’s prone to fire
Attractive to moulds and invasive insects unless threaded. Expensive to install and maintain |
$12,000 |
Metal tiles |
Long lasting 35-40years
Can be gorgeous as any other kind of roof
|
It’s expensive |
$15,000-20,000 |
Asphalt single |
Light and easy to install.
Not expensive Can last for 15-20years |
Not durable Not recyclable |
$7,000 |
Slate |
Long-lasting up to 100 years
It’s beautiful |
It’s very expensive |
$15,000-20,000 |
To read more on roofing material click here.
Labour
Materials used for roofing aren’t cheap, especially if you are installing a large and complex roof. Material and style are just part of the quotation, professional labour often accounts for 50% to 60% of the total roofing cost.
The average cost of your labour varies depending on your choice of material. Wood shakes, tiles, and slate tends to be more expensive to replace than asphalt shingles. Additionally, the cost of labour is also affected by the shape and pitch of the roof.
Roofs with very deep pitches and complex shapes often require more materials and longer working hours to remodel hence pushing up the average cost of labour.
Timing
Other than labour, roofing materials, and roof types, correct timing can also have an impact on the total cost of your roof installation.
Most professional roofers are often busy in the late summer and autumn. Scheduling your roof installation or repairs in spring or late winter can attract lower prices or off-season discounts.
Location

The cost of roofing materials and the roofer’s requirements usually vary in different regions. Some may require protective roofing materials from strong wind, extreme heat or cold while other regions may not require additional protective material, which means your total cost may be lower or higher than the standard national average cost.
How to prevent roof damage
Roofs are bound to deteriorate with time, but the bulk of roof damage is caused by external factors such as wind, debris, rain, excessive moisture, inadequate attic insulation, ice dams, snow, and many more.
While some of this damage may not be preventable; for example, extreme weather. It can damage your roof even if you take all the necessary precautions.
However, there are general ways in which you can prevent the unnecessary damages to your roof such as;
- Install attic ventilation and insulation to help cool the roof and prevent ice dams respectively.
- Regularly clean your gutter to remove any debris.
- Cut down or trim dead tree limp surrounding your house to avoid collisions when they fall off.
- Timely remove the moss, ice, and snow from your roof.
- Replace or repair any damaged parts on your roof to prevent water from infiltrating and damaging the surrounding areas.
To learn more on how to maintain your roof in a good condition follows the link below.
http://howto.yellow.co.nz/home-garden/home-repair-and-maintenance/how-to-maintain-your-roof-guide/
Conclusion
With all that said and done, it’s vital to consider qualities such as experience, expertise, licenses, reviews, and references when choosing a roofer to replace your roof. Otherwise, if you want to be on the safe side, take care of your roofs and practice proper maintenance.