What Factors Increase the Cost of a Roof Replacement After the Initial Estimate?

A new roof isn’t cheap.

And if you’re comparing roof estimates, you’ve probably realized that. But are there hidden costs in your roof estimate?

What factors can make the final price of your roof higher than the estimated cost?

While the greater majority of the roof estimates we provide end up being the final cost, there are scenarios where the price of a roof replacement can increase. And that’s what we’ll talk about today.

Here we’ll go over the factors that can increase the cost of your roof replacement after estimation. We’ll also give an idea of how much the price can go up once the roofing project starts.

Let’s start by going over the factors that increase the price of a roof replacement once the job has started.

What Factors Can Increase the Cost of Your Roof Replacement from Inspection to Project Completion?

When you get a roof inspection, the inspector is looking for exterior damage. This can include missing shingles, hail damage, or exposed nails. At this time you’ll receive an estimated cost that is based on your unique roof. If you’ve received a number of estimates, you will want to check to see if it includes any information about additional costs, as a roofer should be transparent about the fact that the price can go up based on several things.

These include:

• Hidden Structural Damage: This is most commonly an issue with your roof decking. If water was able to seep past your shingles and underlayment onto your roof decking, it can cause the decking to rot. In this scenario it is necessary to replace any rotten roof decking before installing new materials on top of it. And while less common, roof flashing may also need to be replaced. This would be an additional cost at the end of your roofing project.

• Multiple Shingle Layers: If you have two or more layers of shingles on your roof, the final price of your roof replacement will cost more. This is mainly due to the additional labor required to remove extra layers of shingles.

• Difficulty Accessing the Roof: The original estimate will include the cost associated with having a boom truck load the shingles directly onto your roof. However there can be scenarios where roofers are required to “ground drop” shingles and bring them onto your roof from the ground. A ground drop is when shingles are taken off of their pallet, placed on the ground, and brought up by a ladder-vator. This process can take more time and labor to complete, resulting in a higher price at the end of your roof replacement. In our estimates at Linta Roofing, we will include the price in our original estimate in the instance that a ground drop is deemed necessary the day of your roof replacement.

• Upgrades/Design Changes After Signed Contract: If you’ve had some time to think about what you’d like done on your roof and decided to upgrade your materials or include additional accessories, this will increase the final price of your roof replacement.

Now that you have an idea of what can increase the cost of your roof replacement, let’s go over how much these factors can add to the price you received on your roof estimate.

How Much Can the Cost of a Roof Increase from Estimation to Project Completion?

A good roofer will always let you know that the estimated cost of your roof replacement can change based on the factors we’ve talked about. And when it comes to the exact cost for your unique roof, it can be differ. But these are the average price increases we’ve seen when homeowners need more than what their roof estimate projected.

• Hidden Structural Damage: If you have rotten roof decking on your home, the cost to replace a panel of rotten decking is around $95.
  
  
• Flashing Replacement: Though rare, if you need your flashing replaced, you can expect to spend anywhere from $500 to $1,600 based on the average amount necessary. On average homes in Myrtle Beach need around 75 linear feet of flashing. 
  
  
• Multiple Shingle Layers: Removing additional layers of shingles can add 7-10% to the final cost based on the complexity of the roof.

• Difficulty Accessing the Roof: While we at Linta Roofing will give you the cost of a ground drop at the time of the estimate, not all estimates include this price. Typically a ground drop fee will increase the cost of your roof replacement anywhere between 2-3%.
  
  
• Upgrades/Design Changes: The cost to upgrade your roofing materials is largely situational, but on average it can increase the cost of a roof replacement by 10-25%.

Overall, the cost can increase anywhere from 1-20% based on these factors. We recently replaced an old roof and during the tear off, we had to replace 25 panels of roof decking. This cost the homeowner an additional $2,375. 

So, what can you do? How can you be well prepared for the possibility of a price hike from your original estimate?

Roof Estimating Processes that are Transparent About Price Increases After an Estimate

Roof replacements are known to be one of the most costly maintenance requirements of homeownership. So it can be frustrating to learn that your roof will cost more than you originally expected.

While it’s not incredibly common, it’s possible to have a few roofing issues that need to be remedied in order to install a new roof. Our best advice is to look over your roof estimates very carefully. Take note of what a roof inspector tells you during your inspection. Their transparency around additional costs can prevent you from facing a potential scam.

It’s also a good idea to ask your contractor about the likelihood of discovering additional rot or damage once the old roof is removed. Sometimes it’s clear from the outset that a home has significant rotten wood, and other times the damage isn’t revealed until tear-off begins. While there’s no way to completely eliminate the risk of unexpected charges, asking the right questions can prompt your contractor to take a closer look ahead of time and help you avoid surprises.

And if you have any further questions about how the price of your roof can increase, you can always contact us here at Linta Roofing. We are happy to go over these things with you so you can feel confident and informed about your roof replacement.