I need to know if this roofing estimate sounds right?

I have a ranch style house that is 650 sq ft. The old roof is a tear off. The new roofs’ material will be shingles, 1/2" insulation, .42 – .44 thickness. This includes 4" soffit and 113 ft of aluminum gutters and 120 ft of down spouts $11,850

Assuming you have a roof pitch of 7/12 (steep, but walkable… not likely to be any steeper if it’s a ranch house), the pitch factor is 1.16. Multiplying this number times the home’s footprint will get you a pretty accurate field area.

650 * 1.16 = 754 square feet or 7.54 squares to tear off.

Most ranch homes will have a 10% waste factor for the shingles being installed.

7.54 * 1.1 = 8.29 squares to re-roof.

Tear off and dispose of shingles @ $34.43/sq = $259.60
Install 30lb roofing felt @ 24.52/sq = $203.27
Install 30 year, Architectural shingles @ $155.13 = $1,286.03
Install gutters @ $4.34/lf = $1,011.22

Total so far is $2,760.12… Not sure what kind of insulation you’re talking about, but maaaybe another $500 for that… Maybe another $500 for the soffit (need more details) So $3,760.12. That would be about a $1,200 profit for the contractor.

If it were me, I would want at least another $1,000 to make it worth sending a crew out for a day, liability, etc. You do have to make a higher profit margin on such a small job, but that estimate sounds like over double what it should be (unless there is some vital information missing).

Based on what we know and what is being assumed, you should be able to get 3 bids from reputable contractors between $3,500 and $5,000. Don’t rule any of them out based on price. Price is important, but quality and customer service matter most. See if they have finished jobs you can look at, good ratings on BBB, Angie’s List, etc, and shoot for one that has been in business over 5 years if possible.

9 Responses to “I need to know if this roofing estimate sounds right?”

  1. gordo e Says:

    Whoever gave you that quote should be SHOT!!!!

    Get more quotes!
    http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060624132525AAzoYhz

    I’d say a fair quote is $1.00 per square foot plus a little extra for smaller jobs like this one because you can only get dumpsters in certain sizes and it costs money to set up the job alone. I’d say 1300-1800max. unless you mean you’re needing NEW plywood which you may not. Don’t get it if you don’t need it. I’m not sure what you mean about the insulation, I’ve never heard of 1/2" insulation!!!! That sounds like plywood!
    References :

  2. bumpo628 Says:

    That is way too high. It should be in the $1000 to $2000 range, I would think for such a small house.
    References :

  3. Josh Says:

    The pitch of your roof, number of vents, skylights, hips, valleys, and chimneys all contribute to the bid price. Are your new "shingles" made from asphalt or cedar trees? To me the price sounds very high but there could be some unknowns there. I would get some more bids. All reputable contractors do them for free.
    References :
    27 years building custom homes and remodels

  4. bigbro Says:

    I would say no!
    References :

  5. lolita does the chacha in hawaii Says:

    It cost around $10k for my house but my house is much bigger. You need to shop around and get different estimates. Check business reviews online to see how happy customers were, and get referrals from happy friends and family (but check up on them too). Who ever gave you that price is ripping you off unless your whole roof is about to cave in.
    References :

  6. whatsit2u Says:

    First of all why would you need 120 ft. of down spouts, 1/2 in insulation and the whole roof torn off? Then find out many squares (10ft.x10ft.=1 square) you roof area is. and see how many roofs are on your house because you may be able to just go over the old one. The tear off is billed first, pay that when its finished. Then you will see what repairs will need to be done at an hourly rate and you can pay that when its done After that see if you can pay for the material the day its delivered. When the roof is completely done what should be left is the cost of the labor and then pay that. The labor should be about the same amount as the material give or take a few hundred.
    Get a guarantee for the labor as well as the roofing material in writing for wind damage and leaks.
    Tear off + repairs+ material + labor = $11,850 ?
    References :

  7. gabuilder Says:

    you need to get more estimates. three tab 25 yr shingles are around $140/sq. you need 7 sq or about $1000, if your house is 650 sf.
    also insulation is you reference is questionable 1/2" not normal. gutters and downspouts should be between $500 and $750. soffit is not normal part of roof replacement.
    References :

  8. JR Says:

    Assuming you have a roof pitch of 7/12 (steep, but walkable… not likely to be any steeper if it’s a ranch house), the pitch factor is 1.16. Multiplying this number times the home’s footprint will get you a pretty accurate field area.

    650 * 1.16 = 754 square feet or 7.54 squares to tear off.

    Most ranch homes will have a 10% waste factor for the shingles being installed.

    7.54 * 1.1 = 8.29 squares to re-roof.

    Tear off and dispose of shingles @ $34.43/sq = $259.60
    Install 30lb roofing felt @ 24.52/sq = $203.27
    Install 30 year, Architectural shingles @ $155.13 = $1,286.03
    Install gutters @ $4.34/lf = $1,011.22

    Total so far is $2,760.12… Not sure what kind of insulation you’re talking about, but maaaybe another $500 for that… Maybe another $500 for the soffit (need more details) So $3,760.12. That would be about a $1,200 profit for the contractor.

    If it were me, I would want at least another $1,000 to make it worth sending a crew out for a day, liability, etc. You do have to make a higher profit margin on such a small job, but that estimate sounds like over double what it should be (unless there is some vital information missing).

    Based on what we know and what is being assumed, you should be able to get 3 bids from reputable contractors between $3,500 and $5,000. Don’t rule any of them out based on price. Price is important, but quality and customer service matter most. See if they have finished jobs you can look at, good ratings on BBB, Angie’s List, etc, and shoot for one that has been in business over 5 years if possible.
    References :
    Career roofing estimator.
    Pricing taken from Xactimate, construction estimating software (prices may vary regionally, but differences for this roof would be small)

  9. nekkidlarry Says:

    that is way too high get at least three estimates. the half inch insulation is decking i assume and if your are replacing this use a radiant barrier decking it will save on your heating and cooling costs
    References :

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