Between You and the Sky: A Roofing Website

When your old roof is worn-out, you can't delay getting a new roof for too long or you might have to deal with leaks and water damage. If you need a new roof, you might be wondering about how much a new roof costs. There are several factors that affect the cost of a new roof, and you can control some of them to help bring down the price you pay. Here are three things that affect the final cost of a residential roofing installation.

1. The Roofing Material

Asphalt shingles, metal, and tile are all popular choices for residential roofs. Each has its good points and price range. The cost of the roofing materials plays a big role in what you have to pay for your roofing installation. If you're trying to stay within your budget, you might need to go with three-tab asphalt shingles since they are the most affordable option.

2. Labor Hours

When you get your estimate for the installation work, you should see an amount for labor. You can't really control what the contractor pays their employees per hour, but you might be able to cut down on the number of hours they have to work. You can do this by choosing roofing materials that are quick and easy to install, such as asphalt shingles. You can also cut down on labor time by having the new roof put over the old one so the old roof doesn't have to be torn off first.

Your roofer has to agree your home is suitable for a second layer of roofing, and your old roof has to be in fairly good shape before it can be covered over. As long as your roofer agrees to apply a second layer of roofing, it could be a way to control costs for installation.

Things you can't control are the size of your roof and the steepness of the slope. If you have a larger or steep roof, you may need to pay more for labor due to the longer hours needed to complete the job.

3. Season Of The Year

Like a lot of other services, the cost for a residential roofing installation might be less during the slow season for roofers so they can keep their employees busy. The busy season depends on your climate, but it's generally when the weather conditions are their best, such as in the fall. Roofers may charge more per hour for labor then since they are in higher demand. A slower season might be during the winter when it's cold but still within the temperature range for installing the type of roofing you choose.

There could even be a season for lower prices when it comes to the materials used to install your roof. You might get the lowest prices on shingles and other supplies in the winter right before the next year's new products are stocked.

Roofers that tend to stay busy all year may not offer seasonal discounts, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Just don't delay getting your new roof to save money in a few months because a roof leak could cause so much water damage that the total cost of your roof installation plus water damage repair is higher if you wait.