Roofing costs

What it costs to repair, replace or re-cover a roof, by material and roof size.

• Asphalt shingle roof cost$386 to $749per squareAn asphalt shingle roof costs $386 to $749 per square installed, so a 20 square roof is $8,200 to $15,400. The material is the smaller half of that; labour and tear-off are the rest.
• Tile roof cost$1,005 to $2,100per squareA concrete tile roof costs $1,005 to $2,100 per square installed. Weight is the first question, not price: tile asks a shingle-built structure to carry three times what it was designed for.
• Slate roof cost$1,785 to $4,200per squareA natural slate roof costs $1,785 to $4,200 per square installed. It lasts 75 to 150 years, and the real constraint is finding someone who can lay it rather than the price.
• Cedar shake roof cost$935 to $2,050per squareA cedar shake roof costs $935 to $2,050 per square installed. It is the only common roofing material that needs looking after, and the maintenance is the real cost.
• Roof inspection cost$150 to $400per eachA roof inspection costs $150 to $400. It is the cheapest thing in roofing and the one that most often saves money, because it separates a $700 repair from a $14,000 replacement.
• Gutter replacement cost$5 to $14per linear ftReplacing gutters costs $5 to $14 per linear foot, so a typical house is $1,000 to $2,800. Gutters are the cheapest part of the roof and the one most responsible for expensive damage.
• Soffit and fascia cost$9 to $30per linear ftReplacing soffit and fascia costs $9 to $30 per linear foot together. They rot because the gutter failed, so replacing them without fixing the gutter means doing it again in five years.
• Skylight installation cost$1,000 to $3,500per eachInstalling a skylight costs $1,000 to $3,500, typically $1,800. Modern units with a proper flashing kit do not leak; the ones that do are almost always a flashing failure.
• Chimney flashing repair cost$400 to $1,800per projectRebuilding chimney flashing costs $400 to $1,800. A chimney is the most common source of a roof leak, and the leak almost never appears anywhere near the chimney.
• Roof ventilation cost$7 to $15per linear ftRidge vent costs $7 to $15 per linear foot; a full ventilation upgrade is $600 to $2,500. It is the cheapest work on a roof and skipping it is why some roofs fail at fifteen years.