What all goes into that final price you see for your roof repair. How much insurance pays in, how much you’re paying for labor, how much you’re paying for materials and time, etc. Remember that it’s always cheaper to have a roof repaired sooner rather than later.
If your roof has sustained damage or has a leak, it’s important to get it checked by a professional as soon as possible. Small leaks or weaknesses in your roof can quickly become large problems if water gets in or a storm damages your roof. If left unaddressed, the cost of roof repair can skyrocket and may not be covered by your roof’s warranty or insurance. Repairing your roof early can help prevent this from happening, and it can also lower the cost of your roof repair.
Cost of Roof Repair Breakdown
When you see the cost of roof repair, it generally includes both the roofing supplies and the labor and time it takes to complete the job. Let’s breakdown these elements and see how much it affects your total.
Supplies Cost of Roof Repair
When you get your roof fixed after a storm or to address regular wear, a large part of the cost of roof repair is the price of the materials used to fix your roof. This not only includes the visible elements you see, such as shingles or tiles, but also the accessories used to waterproof and protect your roof deck, cover ridges and vents, and other roof details. The materials themselves vary in cost, and the amount you spend on each will depend on the amount of damage and the area that needs to be replaced. Here are a few average costs for common roofing materials:
- Asphalt Shingles: $5-10 per square foot; The least expensive shingles are 3-tab, while architectural and dimensional shingles will cost more to repair. Asphalt shingle prices vary as the price of oil used to make them fluctuates.
- Cedar or Wood Shingles: more expensive than asphalt shingles, but the cost will depend on the kind of wood, the availability of the materials in your area, and the specialized installation needed to attach them.
- Metal Roofs: $5-15 per square foot; Metal roofs are typically more durable than asphalt or wood shingles, and occasional damage such as repairing seams or dents is generally cosmetic only and will not damage the integrity of your roof.
Labor Cost of Roof Repair
Hourly labor factors into the cost of roof repair, and can vary depending on the typical hourly rates for contractors in your area, the extent of the damage to your roof, the number of workers required to repair your roof, and the amount of time it takes to repair your roof. The national average pay for a roofer is $75 per hour, but depending on where you live this can range between $25-$100 an hour.
Estimating Insurance for the Cost of Roof Repair
If your roof was damaged and you make a claim to your insurance company, you may be reimbursed for part or all of the cost of roof repair. However, the insurance coverage will vary from roof to roof, depending on several factors such as your roof’s age and size and the extent of the damage. Your roof’s warranty may help cover areas your insurance won’t. Let’s break this down a bit further.
Age of Roof
It’s possible the age of your roof will determine what your insurance policy will reimburse you for the cost of roof repair and what repairs can be covered. Depreciating values of your roof can impact the reimbursement level. Most policies cover events of natural disasters and weather, vandalism, and fire damage. However, long term leaks are typically not covered, so regularly check your roof for damage and address problems right away. Regular roof wear and weathering can decrease your roof’s ability to protect your home over time, but is also not covered by most insurance plans.
Size of Roof
The size, pitch, and complexity of your roof’s design can affect the cost of roof repair. If your insurance offers a flat rate of reimbursement to cover roof repairs, your roof may not be fully covered if it needs special accommodations or materials to repair it properly. A complex roof design with dormers, valleys, and a steeper pitch will require more labor and materials than a straightforward roof design, and therefore will be more expensive to repair.
Roof Warranty
The reason your roof needs repair is going to determine how your costs are covered, either by your insurance or your roof’s warranty. Insurance will cover events of extreme weather, fire, or vandalism, while generally, manufacturing defects or poor installation are not included in insurance plans. Roofing warranties typically only cover defects from the manufacturer that cause the roof to break down sooner than it should, and usually last about 20-50 years.
Most problems with roofs cannot be traced back to materials, but instead to something that went wrong during the installation. This is why it’s so important to hire a reputable roofing contractor to install and make repairs on your roof. Workmanship warranties are rare, but they can protect you and your roof from problems that arise from improper installation.
Extent of Roof Damage
Your insurance adjuster determines the cause and extent of damage to your roof, and whether it falls under your warranty or your insurance policy. If the cause is determined to be a natural one, the insurance coverage should be proportional to the extent of the damage. If only cosmetic damage is reported by the adjuster, your claim could be denied. As long as damage doesn’t affect the integrity of the roof, the insurance company can have the final say on this subjective criteria.
Ultimately, the best practice is to file a claim with your insurance company and have any problems with your roof resolved as soon as possible. This will ensure that your home continues to be protected by a high-performance roof, and you’ll save money on the cost of roof repair by not letting any damages get worse and more expensive.
Does your roof need a bit of repair? Get in touch with the team at Werner Roofing. We’re happy to offer you a free, no-obligation estimate, so you know exactly how much you’ll have to spend before we even start working.
