Estimating Roofing Costs
Before you get involved in a major housing project such as re-roofing your home, you should be aware of what you'll have to pay. Naturally, you'll need to get quotes from local roofing contractors, unless you intend to do the project yourself. Even then, you'll still need a roofing estimate calculator to get a rough estimate of what you'll be paying on materials and other things. Whether you're hiring a professional to do the job or not, estimating roofing costs will prepare you financially before you start. Instead of being surprised by how much you need, you'll know exactly what you need before hand. Here's a guide to making this assessment.
What's Included in Estimating Roofing Costs
Materials. Like with most home renovation projects, the parts or materials make up the bulk of the expense. Roofing is no different. The roofing material will play a large role in determining how much you will spend. Estimating roofing costs based on this fact is not necessarily easy. However, a roofing professional will basically quote you based on the size of your roof (height x length). Each square foot can only hold so many shingles so that determines how much of the material it will take to roof your home. Other materials, such as felt and nails, are added into the materials cost.
Of course, what type of material you choose will also make a difference in the price. You shouldn't necessarily go for cheaper now only to pay out more later when you have to re-roof again because it's fallen apart. Choosing durable materials over cheaper options is often times the better decision even when it means spending a little more money at the time. If you look at how long the roof will last, you may find you'll actually save money in the future.
Labor. Hiring a roofing contractor also costs money. But considering that roofing is a rather dangerous piece of work that requires skill, it's usually worth hiring someone who knows what they're doing. Estimating roofing costs will include this labor. Depending on the job, your contractor may be responsible for stripping off the old shingles, repairing parts of the roof (flashings for example), felting, shingling, cleaning, and dumping old materials. The estimate may also include renting dumpsters or trailers. If there are certain tasks you could do yourself, you may be able to reduce the cost of labor that way. Cost of labor may also depend on location. It may average one way in dfw and another in oklahoma. So do research about your area to see what average rates may be.
Profits. The whole point of owning a business is to make a profit. So naturally when estimating roofing costs, bet on more than just the cost of materials and labor. Again, this may vary from company to company. Talk to more than one to see how much it will vary.
Some websites have an online calculator to help you in estimating roofing costs. Whatever means you use to determine what you'll need, do your research beforehand so you know exactly what's necessary to re-roof your home.
