CAN YOU AFFORD THE ROOF YOU WANT?
When you’re evaluating potential roofing materials, you can’t look at the performance, expected life, installation process, etc. in a vacuum. You have to consider all aspects of the roof together, including the cost of the roof. Sure, occasionally a roof will be installed as an insurance job where the budget is a little bit larger than if it was the building owner’s money, or sometimes a company is doing so well they aren’t really concerned with the cost. That happens sometimes. But usually, you have to consider the cost of the potential roofing system before ever making a decision as to whether or not you will install it. Let’s look at how to evaluate the cost and why it is significant.
Installation Cost
The first cost to analyze for your new roofing system is the cost to install it. This is the first cost you will incur, so it’s important to know for sure that you can cover the installation costs. This can vary greatly from system to system, so it’s really important that you perform thorough research here.
Material Cost
Some materials cost more than others to cover the same area. 10 square feet of metal does not cost the same as 10 square feet of spray foam or of TPO. So you have to know how much you will pay in materials before you can choose if the system is right for you or not. This is half of what makes up the installation cost. Also making up installation cost is labor, which you can include things like the dumpster and tools in – this is the cost to have your roof installed.
Maintenance Cost
How much will the roof cost to maintain and keep in good working condition? Do you have to make constant repairs? Do you have to replace large sections of the roof every 3 years? Does the roof have to be completely replaced in 15 years, rather than 30-40 as some systems can do? What is the overall life-cycle cost of the roof? Just because you get a low material and installation cost doesn’t mean it’s a good deal – especially if the roof is only going to last for 10 years.
Conclusion
Choosing your new roof can be very difficult, but if you set out some guidelines, such as what features and benefits you want, how much money you can spend, how long you need the roof to last, you can make the job easier on yourself. Just make sure that you evaluate multiple roof systems, not just one that you’re familiar with.
