If you are hiring a roofing contractor, how do you know if you’re getting the best estimate? With a quick Google search, you can find all the advice necessary to be sure you’re getting a good value – and not getting ripped off. It’s important to understand how a contractor prices a roofing job and what factors they look at, including: how many layers of shingles need to be removed? Is there any water damage to chimneys, plumbing, skylights, or other structures? How large is the roofing square footage to be replaced?
A roofing contractor will measure your roof by multiplying height by length. Dividing this number by 100 will give the roofer an estimate on the number of shingles needed. One “square” is roughly 3 bundles of standard roofing shingles. Ten to fifteen percent is usually added to this number, as you are going to have waste on any shingles cut to fit around peaks, valleys, and any existing structures. For a standard roof (which is about 2000 square feet), the entire project shouldn’t take more than 3-4 days. At 8-10 hours per day, your roofing contractor should be charging you somewhere between 24-40 hours in billable hours.
The cost of roofing labor is the next factor a contractor will calculate when roofing Vancouver homes. If he is tearing up an existing roof, he will factor in the cost of hauling away the old roofing material, as well as clean up costs. This generally should not be more than an hour’s worth of work, if your roof is near the standard home size of 2000 square feet. Depending on where you live, three bundles of standard roofing shingles are between $19 and $22. Heavier shingles should be between $25 and $35 per bundle. Roofing felt shouldn’t be more than $5 to $7. Nail cost varies, but you should add in another 10% for any additional material and labor costs.
Add these factors all together, and you should have a good idea on what your roofing project will cost. Calculate this before you find a roofing contractor, and if his estimate matches with your estimate, you’ve found yourself a pretty good deal.
