New Roof

[SeansMom]

I'm confused. I thought getting a new roof would be simple, but there seems to be a lot of different quality, etc. of shingles AND of "qualified" workers to install it.

Anybody have advice? We live in WA state and are looking to replace with composite roofing, as that seems most cost efficient.

 

[happily single]

No advice, but I"m looking for suggestions also. The house I'm buying needs a new roof and the owner obtained a quote of $4,500. However, it's a basic two-slope roof (meaning there are no eves, etc). Not sure, but I beleive that is just to remove and re-shingle. If it needed to be stripped down completely it would be more money.

What's composite roofing>?

 

[hambirg]

Well. . .I'm no expert, but my ex was a painting contractor. I would say go with an established company. That way if you have problems later they will still be around and willing to rectify the problem. When we needed a new roof, my ex decided he could do it himself. Like the poster above, we only had one layer of shingles, so no tear off was necessary. This can save a lot. . .less labor. . no dumpster and haul away. I think you can have up to three layers of shingles before you have to tear down. . .but don't quote me on that. Also, ask about scheduling. . .some contractors are notorious for starting a job. . .then starting and working on another, meanwhile your yard is a mess, etc. As far as shingle quality. . .pick the best quality you can afford. We have regular asphalt shingles, but the new composite ones are suppose to be very good. . .30-50 yr lifespan. Just research what you decide to go with. I'm not sure how composite goes on. . .so tear down might be required.

 

[Muushka]

I had a bad experience with my roof. The roof was fine, my trees were another story.
I have several Japanese Maples that sustained a bit of damage. 2.5 years later and they are still not back to normal. My tip? Protect your landscaping yourself. Or make sure they have adequately protected it. Good luck!

 

[marlynnp]

Check with your neighbors to see if they have any one they recommend or more importantly anyone they absolutely don't!

If you see a house in the neighborhood that has a roof like you want, stop and see if the owners are home and if they know who installed the roof.

If you know which roof product you want to use, email the manufacturer for a list of contractors in your area. Also since you are considering a product other than tradition shingles, you may need to use a contractor on the manufacturer's list anyway in order to get full warranty coverage.

 

[Colleen27]

Like the poster above, we only had one layer of shingles, so no tear off was necessary. This can save a lot. . .less labor. . no dumpster and haul away. I think you can have up to three layers of shingles before you have to tear down. . .but don't quote me on that.

The rules about how many layers depend on the state and local building codes. However, manufacturers warranties and installation instructions specify laying shingles on smooth, flat decking and installing over shingles often both voids the warranty and shortens the life of the shingle. Many reputable contractors, at least in my area, won't do second or third layers because they don't feel comfortable guaranteeing their work. Without a tear-off, there's no way to know what underlying problems might be hidden and no roofer wants to be getting callbacks for repairs because he just covered over weather damage or someone else's installation errors.

My best advice is to ask around. Talk to friends & neighbors and get recommendations/opinions rather than relying on advertising or the yellow pages. There are big, established companies that do bare-minimum work and there are little guys who pride themselves on a quality job. I can't tell you how many customers and customers' neighbors have commented to us that they wished they'd known us sooner because they went with a big company that did a great job on the roof but trampled the landscaping, didn't clean up carefully, etc.

And with composite shingles, I do believe you're going to find you need to tear off and start from scratch. We've only used them once, and found that they are very sensitive to nail depth and have to be installed carefully to be sure they lay flat. If the nail gun is running at too high pressure, the nails sink too far and the bottom edge of the shingle lifts. I would think installing over existing shingles would be difficult to ensure proper, even installation, though someone more experienced in their installation might know the trick to it.

 

[Darcy03231]

We just replaced our roof. Our contractor recommended architectural shingles - 35 year. I have to say it came out great and I'm very glad we went with his recommendation. Although we only had one layer of shingles, he also recommended stripping them off, which we also did.

 

[gduvall]

We just replaced our roof. Our contractor recommended architectural shingles - 35 year. I have to say it came out great and I'm very glad we went with his recommendation. Although we only had one layer of shingles, he also recommended stripping them off, which we also did.

not trying to be nosey, but I'm trying to get a rough estimate on cost of a roof replacement with tearoff and install of architectural shingles. We just have a plain two story 2200 square foot house.

 

[Darcy03231]

not trying to be nosey, but I'm trying to get a rough estimate on cost of a roof replacement with tearoff and install of architectural shingles. We just have a plain two story 2200 square foot house.

We have a 2200 s.f. garrison with an attached 2 car garage. Our contractor did our roof for $5000, but that was to get the rest of job (all new siding, 15 new construction windows, new french door, new deck and new columns for the farmer's porch). Our other quotes for the same shingles with the tear off of the old ones were $9,600 and $11,500.

 

[Colleen27]

not trying to be nosey, but I'm trying to get a rough estimate on cost of a roof replacement with tearoff and install of architectural shingles. We just have a plain two story 2200 square foot house.

It is the slope and square footage of the roof (not the sq ft of the house) that really determines pricing, so it is hard to give an estimate just based on the size of the house. In our area, you'd be looking at probably $2-3/sq ft of roof area, give or take according to how steep the roof is, what shingles you select, how much flashing and other detail work is involved, etc. Right now in my area you can get some screaming good deals because there are so many unemployed builders and tradesmen that competition is fierce; we've bid easy jobs as low as 1.75/sq ft to match/beat a competitor's bid. But if you're in an area with a stronger economy and/or a better housing market, you can expect to pay a little more.

 

[SeansMom]

Thanks for all the advice. It looks like a few phone calls to friends and neighbors are in order .

 

[QT Pooh]

not trying to be nosey, but I'm trying to get a rough estimate on cost of a roof replacement with tearoff and install of architectural shingles. We just have a plain two story 2200 square foot house.

We're getting ours done next week. Our roof is 3200 sq. ft. The estimates to tear off the existing shingles, wrap with new moisture barrier, and reshingle with 30 year architectural shingles ranged from $10000-17500. We have a dormered cape with an attached garage and two additions.

 

[brerrabbit]

Roofers usually quote prices by squares ( a square is 100 sq ft) and prices run from $150 per square to upwards of $300 per square. Extras like ridge vents, new boots for vents and pipes, and a few other things are extra. In our area it's really simple as to what you can and cannot get when replacing a roof. I live in a coastal county and have to get storm insurance from TWIC, Texas Windstorm Insurance Corp. It has to be a tear off replacement with 30 year shingles, inspected roof deck and inspections as it is installed to qualify for a TWIC roof certificate. That cerificate is critical because a lack of one means you cannot get insurance from TWIC, and if you can't get it from them you can't get it from anyone as all other insurers refuse to write policies in our county.

New roof after Ike for us was 38 squares for $12,500.