Thinner Economical Materials
	Best Looking and Best Textured Shingle Options
	Econo-type Low-value Shingles
	Light-weight concrete, clay roof tiles and real slate
	Heavy-weight concrete roof tiles
	Synthetic, Plastic, and Rubber Shakes and Slates
	Metal Roofing Panels and Shingles
	Cedar Shingles and Shakes
	Notes on townhouse re-roofing

 

The following estimate schedules of re-roofing costs are for comparison only. Notes to reader: The roof being torn off and replaced is an existing cedar shake roof of 25 squares ...2500 square feet of roofing materials to  be re-roofed including the bundles calculated and required for caps and starters. A simple or typical roof would require 22 squares of field area materials (2200 sq ft of roof area) and 3 squares of starter shingles and ridge caps...thus equaling the 25 squares of total roofing estimated for the roof. If your roof is simple styled but actually measures 2500 square feet of roof area, you will probably need 27 squares of shingles, 3 squares of caps, and thus will need to figure on 30 SQUARES. Simply multiply the following budgets by 30/25 (1.2) to arrive at a closer estimate of your needs. Note: A square is a roofing term for 100 square feet of roofing materials applied, and normally the total quantity of squares must factor in additional squares (more bundles to install) related to ridge capping and starters. ( see... Glossary of roofing terms. ) The following budgets include tear-off, disposal, 3/8" plywood sheathing, roofing materials, application labour, and contractor's business profit, all based on typical roofs and details in the Greater Vancouver market. There will be additional costs associated with Built-In-Gutter requirements, steeper roofs (typical equals 4:12 to 7:12 slope), more complicated than average roofs, additional layers to tear off roof, poor access for disposal container, ridge-venting materials for higher definition ridge appearance, etc. These budgets assume good roofing practice and normal material requirements requested by the manufacturer. Please remember that actual bids by contractors can vary from the budgets provided due to many reasons. One significant reason this year is there is a shortage of roofers compared to the amount of re-roofs required (in our western region), and as each season gets closer to fall, the bids tend to rise upwards as there is only so many "re-roofing friendly days" remaining until winter arrives. Plus each roofing contractor must judge what is a reasonable profit level in order to remain a solvent company in the long run. Again ... these budgets are meant for product comparison purposes. We generally survey roofing contractors at the beginning of each roofing season to find the median price or "normal" price currently being charged. In all circumstances, please call one of our "Good Guy" contractors for actual on site roof inspection and estimate. For information on why to use alternative products see "Re-Roofing Ideas". If you are in a town-home in a typical semi-detached style format (units with two to eight dwelling units per building), the following budgets may represent your costs per UNIT. As re-roofing usually sells for more money on town-homes than on single family residential homes, your unit may only be 1300 to 1800 square feet in size, but it will cost you about the same "installed" per unit as the following total cost estimates. For example, the great looking Landmark "TL" will cost $12,200 per unit and probably add tens of thousands of perceived value to each town-home unit, compared to any 40 year (or less thickness and warranty) laminated shingles which will cost only $10,375 per unit but possibly cheapen the look of the town-home compared to its existing cedar shake roof or a Landmark TL roof. Always remember that an increased investment of $1,500 to $5,000 per unit may add tens of thousands, or more, to the potential resale value of a town-home, and that the lowest priced solution is not necessarily the smart choice when re-roofing cedar shake roofed buildings. See Note 5 following budgets for more information regarding townhouse or condominium re-roofs on budgets, standards, etc. The following material estimates and information are based on the opinion of an experienced local consultant... on normal "median" bids for a typical residential wood shake re-roof in the local region, calculated in Canadian Dollars. Life expectancies are are based on opinion as well, as to reasonable life expectancies in our region, as opposed to the "inflated" levels that warranties are driven to by ALL manufacturers in the Shingle and Tile Roofing Industry, due to "marketing aggression". The comments on style and performance are also stated hereby as an opinion of the writer.

Please allow for price escalation of roofing materials during Spring, Summer, and Fall of 2008 that is estimated to be around 25 to 35% this season. Blame it on petroleum cost escalation to the shingle manufacturers, as well as possible greed from these same shingle manufacturers. The labour probably did not go up to the same extent, so a 15 to 20% increase in "installed" roofing is probably more accurate. Therefore, use the budgets shown below with the knowledge that they are currently under-estimated by around 15 to 20% as of August 2008 for shingles, and 10% for synthetic shakes such as DaVinci. Polymers, a key component in Plastic and Synthetic Slates and Shakes is also increasing, as they are also created from Petroleum products.