The Cost to Change a Roof

Mid-Range

• Remodeling Magazine estimates mid-range roofing replacements to cost $21,488, as of September 2011. This assumes removing existing roofing to bare wood sheathing and installing 30 squares of fiberglass asphalt shingles, with flashing of mill-finish aluminum, two skylights and custom caps at the vented ridge. The replacement is expected to have $12,780 in resale value, which means a return of almost 60 percent. Returns have descended almost steadily from a high of over 80 percent in 2005.

High-End

• A high-end roof replacement costs about $38,022. This assumes stripping an existing roof to bare sheathing and installing 30 squares of standing-seam metal, using factory-enameled roll steel, with seams that are double-locked. Custom-brake bent flashing is used for the drip edge and roof-wall joints. The roof would also have two skylights, custom caps at the vented ridge, and ice-and-water membranes at the eaves. This project is expected to return $21,120 or over 55 percent of its investment. This is a drop from a high of almost 90 percent return in 2005.

Roofers

• The salaries of roofers, which differ by location, influence the cost of changing a roof. As of May 2010, the mean wages for these workers was $18.21 per hour, with the lowest 10 percent making $10.59 per hour, and the highest 10 percent earning a mean of $29.14 per hour. The highest earnings were in Hawaii at a mean of $26.20 per hour, followed by Connecticut at a mean of $26.08 per hour or $54,240 per year. Below-average rates were found in New Mexico at a mean of $14.11 per hour and Arizona at a mean of $15.25 per hour.

Materials

• Another factor in the cost of changing a roof is the replacement material. For example, Cost Owl shows that a roof made of wood shakes or shingles costs between $100 and $200 per square foot, not including removal of the previous roof. This prices a 30-square-foot roof at between $3,000 and $6,000. A synthetic slate roof costs about $700 to $1,200 a square, which equals $21,000 to $36,000 for a 30-square-foot roof. Natural slate runs $2,500 to $3,500 per square, or $75,000 to $105,000 for the same-sized roof.