The cost of a roof can vary based on the roofing materials used, but specific features of a property can also have an impact. Unique characteristics of a home of commercial building can cause a job to take longer, require specialized labor or require additional materials and processes.

• Materials/options: A wide variety of roofing materials are available today for residential and commercial projects. Asphalt shingles are a more affordable option than tile or metal roofing choices, but the style of a home or property, the location’s climate and a variety of other factors should be considered when choosing roofing materials. And within tile roofing, there is a wide variety of style and material options that could impact the price. For instance, clay tile is typically more costly than concrete tile, but repels more water than concrete and to many has a favorable appearance. Hand-made clay tile is also more expensive than machine-made clay, but benefits from an artisan look with each tile slightly different from the others. And for any tile, there is the option to use the traditional 90# felt underlayment or upgrade to a modified asphalt underlayment, which is more costly, but has a higher life expectancy. Similar material differences also exist within other roofing systems – dimension and presidential shingles, galvalume, aluminum, and copper standing seam metal, etc. Additionally, a home or property’s unique properties such as varying rooflines, length of hips/ridges/valleys, distinctive venting or custom finishes may also impact a project’s final cost.
• Access: If there are impediments to accessing the roof and ability to load materials, additional working hours will be required to remove the old roofing and place new roofing materials on the deck.
• Slope: Sloped roofs are most efficient at water evacuation, but very steep sloped roofs are take more time to install than low slope or flat roofs.
• Drainage: Building code or local municipality requirements may necessitate installing additional drains on flat roofs. Additionally, installation of new gutter systems may be desirable.
• Insulation: Whether you are replacing the same R-value of insulation as previously existed, adding additional insultation for energy efficiency, or designing a tapered insulation package to assist with drainage on a flat roof, there are numerous options for insultation that can be customized to the property.
• Air Conditioning: If your air conditioning or other mechanical systems are situated on your roof, that may require a licensed air conditioning contractor to bring the system up to code, make repairs, or otherwise facilitate the roofing work.
• Condition of Wood: While the condition of much of the fascia and soffit may be visible at initial inspection, the condition of the decking beneath the existing roofing system may be unknown until the old roof is removed. Bad wood must be removed to ensure that the roof is water-tight and has strong structural sustainability.
• Engineering: Structural considerations or building code requirements may drive the need to perform engineering analysis on the structure. Depending on the results of the engineering analysis, additional work may be needed to comply with the building code. Related to engineering, there is the option to strengthen roof-to-wall connections with hurricane strapping during a reroofing process.
• Skylights: Whether installing a new skylight or working around and existing skylight during a re-roofing project, it is important to remember that skylights add additional edges to a roof. And edges require additional flashing, sealants and other special care to ensure that no leaks develop. This will add to the cost of a roofing project.