Is your roof reaching the end of its life? Planning for a roof replacement helps you budget for the upcoming — often hefty — expense. Several factors play into the roof replacement cost, including the roofing material you choose, the size of your roof and the shape and features of the roof.

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Use this guide to get a basic idea of what you might spend to prepare for an upcoming roof replacement.

How Do I Estimate the Cost of a New Roof?

Online roofing calculators can help you estimate how much your new roof might cost. You need to have a rough estimate of the roof’s square footage and the slope. The roofing material you use is another major factor. Asphalt shingles are often the cheapest and most common option, but there’s a wide range of roofing materials to choose from.

Consider the average cost per square foot of these different roofing materials, according to data from This Old House.

• Asphalt shingles: $4.25 to $4.95 (CAD 5.71 to CAD 6.65) per square foot
• Clay tiles: $12 to $24.75 (CAD 16 to CAD 33) per square foot
• Concrete tiles: $11 to $19.80 (CAD 15 to CAD 27) per square foot
• Cedar shingles or shakes: $8 to $14.30 (CAD 10.74 to CAD 19) per square foot
• Metal standing seam: $10 to $17.05 (CAD 13 to CAD 23) per square foot
• Steel shingles: $8 to $12.65 (CAD 11 to CAD 17) per square foot
• Aluminum shingles: $8.50 to $13.75 (CAD 11.41 to CAD 18) per square foot

You can get a rough estimate by multiplying the cost of the roofing material you want by the square footage of your roof or using an online calculator.

How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Roof on a 2,000-Square-Foot House?

Using the square footage of your house isn't the most accurate way to estimate the roof replacement cost, especially if you have a two-story home with the square footage split between levels. Even on a one-story house, the square footage of the roof is different than the house due to the roof slope, thickness of the walls and roof overhang.

If the square footage of the roof — not the house — is 2,000 square feet, you can use the average cost per square foot for asphalt shingles to get your estimate. The total cost would likely fall between $9,000 and $12,000 (CAD 12,085 and CAD 16,114).  If you want to estimate the cost of different types of shingles, simply multiply the average per-square-foot cost by 2,000 square feet.

If the square footage of the roof is 1,500 square feet, it would likely cost between $6,750 and $9,000 (CAD 9.064 and CAD 12,085) for a new asphalt roof.

What's the Cheapest Way to Replace a Roof?

The material with the lowest cost is asphalt. For the cheapest replacement, look on the lower end of the asphalt shingle price range. Keep in mind that the cheapest asphalt shingles are of lower quality and likely won't last as long, so you'll have to replace the roof sooner.

You can replace your roof yourself, but it can be risky. Working on the roof, especially on a two-story home, is dangerous. If you don't get the roof installed correctly, you could have leaking, which can cause severe damage and lead to additional costs.

If you hire a roofing company, you might be able to do the preparation work by tearing off the old shingles, as long as you feel comfortable doing it. Because the roofing company wouldn’t have to remove the shingles in this case, the overall labor costs would be lower. However, ask the roofing company about this option before you tear off the roof.

More Related Articles:

• How to Install Roof Shingles
• How Much Is Too Much? Here’s a Guide to How Much Snow Your Roof or Deck Can Hold
• Extending the Life of Your Roof in 3 Easy Steps
• How Much Does It Cost to Repair a Leaky Roof?
• Overhead Expenses: A Leaky Roof Doesn’t Have to Mean Pricey Repairs

What Factors Affect the Price?

The major factors in the roof replacement cost are the roofing material and the size of the roof, but other features and situations also increase the price. Some of the factors include:

• Roof slope: A steep slope is more difficult and dangerous for the roofing company, so it often costs more. The steeper slope also increases the roof area, which increases the material cost.
• Home height and access: Taller homes require extra safety equipment, which can increase the cost. You might have to pay more if you have walls, foundation plantings or other features near your house that make it more difficult to access the roof.
• Roof condition: If you only need to replace the shingles, your project total will be lower. If the decking, underlayment or other materials are bad and need to be replaced, that increases the total cost due to more labor and materials.
• Roof design: A simple gable roof with two rectangular sides is an easy job for the roofing company, so it's fairly cheap. If your roof has lots of different sections, gables, dormers and other features, it's a more complex job and often costs more.
• Ventilation: Your roofing contractor might recommend adding more ventilation into your roof, which increases the cost.
• Location: Your geographical location can impact the material and labor costs. Required permits and inspections can also vary in cost based on where you live.

Tips for Choosing a Roofing Contractor

Finding the right roofing contractor isn't only about the lowest price. An extremely low-priced contractor can be a sign that the roofer doesn't do quality work, uses cheap materials or is inexperienced. Use these tips to find a good contractor:

• Check for proper licensing and insurance.
• Ask for references from past clients.
• Read online reviews to look for recurring complaints about the company.
• Get a written proposal and quote.
• Consider financing options.
• Find out how long the company has been in business.
• Verify that they'll get the appropriate permits for the project.
• Ask about guarantees and warranties on the work.

All CAD conversions are based on the exchange rate on the date of publication.