Roofing services
Roof replacement: the whole system, not just shingles
What comes off, what goes on, what moves the price, and how to line up three quotes against each other.
Written by HyreRoof Research Desk Primary-source research and fact checking
The short answer
A replacement strips the roof to the deck, repairs the deck, and installs a new system: underlayment, ice barrier where code requires it, flashing, the covering and the ventilation. The shingles are the part you see. The layers beneath them are what keep water out.
What should you know before the quotes come in?
A square is 100 square feet of roof surface, measured on the roof, not on the floor plan.
A sloped roof has more area than the footprint under it, so the floor plan is never the roof size.
Agree the price per sheet before the old roof comes off.
Three quotes line up only once each states squares, layers, deck rate and accessories. See how to read a roof replacement estimate and what a roofing price is built from.
Find a roofer for a roof replacement
Free, with no obligation. A person at HyreRoof replies by email. Matching with roofers is not live yet.
When is replacement the honest answer?
One of these alone may not decide it. Several together point firmly toward a new roof.
The roof life estimator gives you a range to check it against.
Granule loss across slopes, curling, or brittle and cracking shingles everywhere.
You have repaired more than once, each time somewhere new.
The next job is a full tear-off whatever you decide.
Sagging or spongy sheathing over a wide patch, not at one point. See roof deck replacement.
Damage across entire sides of the roof rather than a few shingles.
What should a roofer measure before quoting?
A replacement quote should rest on these. If a bidder cannot tell you how each was found, the number is a guess.
Measured on the surface, with the pitch applied.
It decides how much material and what fall protection the crew needs.
Each one is more tear-off labor and more disposal.
What can be seen from the attic, plus an allowance for what cannot.
Valleys, dormers, skylights, chimneys and the number of separate roof planes.
What intake and exhaust exist now, and what the new roof will leave you with.
Permit, inspection, ice barrier line and any wind fastening requirement.
Where the dumpster sits, and what needs protecting on the way.
What happens during a roof replacement?
Plants, driveway and anything under the eaves. Ask where the dumpster goes and what happens to the lawn.
Down to the deck. Laying new shingles over old would hide everything that follows.
Soft or flaking sheathing is cut out and replaced, at the per-sheet rate agreed before the roof was opened.
Ice barrier at the eaves where local code requires it, and in valleys where the scope calls for it. Quotes can differ quietly on this line.
Drip edge, step flashing, kick-out flashing, valley metal, and chimney and skylight flashing. New, not reused.
Starter course, field, hips and ridge, nailed to the maker’s pattern. Nail count and placement are what wind tests first.
Exhaust at or near the ridge, balanced against intake at the soffit. The ventilation calculator runs the code arithmetic.
A magnet sweep for nails, gutters cleared, and a look at the finished details before the final payment.
Which covering should go on?
The full comparison is in roofing materials compared. At quote stage, weight and pitch rule some options out before taste comes into it.
| Covering | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Asphalt shingle | Light, and a general roofing crew can repair it. Impact-rated grades exist for hail country. |
| Metal | Sheds snow and suits wildfire areas. Needs a crew that works in metal. Already have one? See metal roof repair. |
| Clay or concrete tile | Suited to hot, sunny climates. Heavy enough that the framing must be checked first. |
| Slate | Very heavy, so the framing is checked first. A specialist trade with few crews. |
| Cedar | Chosen for looks. Needs upkeep, and its fire rating matters in wildfire areas. |
| Low-slope membrane | TPO, EPDM or modified bitumen for flat and near-flat sections. A different trade with its own failure points. |
What makes one new roof cost more than another?
The cost guide lists every line of a roofing quote. On a replacement, these are the ones that separate two houses with the same footprint.
| Factor | Why it changes the number |
|---|---|
| Squares after pitch | The same footprint gives more squares on a steeper roof: about 12 percent more at 6 in 12, by simple geometry. |
| Layers coming off | Each existing layer is its own tear-off and its own disposal. |
| Deck found after tear-off | The one line nobody can price until the old roof is off. |
| Steep-roof labor | Above 4 in 12, OSHA’s steep-roof fall protection applies, and the crew works slower. |
| Covering and grade | Heavy and specialist coverings bring structural checks and fewer crews. See roofing materials. |
| Details | Valleys, dormers, skylights and chimneys each need flashing, cuts and time. |
HyreRoof publishes no national average price for this work. Regional labor, disposal and material rates move it far enough that a single figure would mislead.
Three quotes compare only on the same scope.
Give all three companies the same written scope, then compare line by line. Until each states squares, layers removed, deck rate, accessories, flashing, ventilation and both warranty lengths, the lowest total may simply be the one that leaves the most out.
What to ask every bidder
And how did you measure them?
Is disposal included?
What allowance have you assumed?
Is ice barrier included at the eaves, the valleys, or both?
Name anything you plan to reuse.
Intake and exhaust, in numbers.
Is the fee in this price?
Material and workmanship, each with its length.
Will you provide lien waivers at each stage?
And up to what amount?
What to have ready for the estimator
And whether it is one layer or two.
The last replacement’s invoice and warranty, if you have them.
And your policy declarations page if there is one.
Solar panels, a satellite dish or anything else that has to come off. Planning solar? See solar shingles vs solar panels.
Where do replacements go wrong?
A layover hides the deck, adds weight and guarantees a full tear-off next time, at that future price.
New shingles over old flashing is how a new roof can leak in its first year. Ask which pieces are being replaced.
A new roof over a poorly vented attic can age early. Ask what the ventilation will be when the job is done.
A deposit toward materials is one thing. Paying most of the price before most of the work is done leaves you little leverage if the job stalls.
Three lump sums cannot be compared. The exclusions are the story, and they are not in the total.
Your inquiry
Tell us about the work
Nothing goes to a roofer unless you agree.
A person reads it and replies by email, free and with no obligation. Matching is not live yet, so this is not a quote. If water is coming in now, call a local roofer directly and check their license first.
Find a Roofer
One short form: your address and how to reach you. A person at HyreRoof reads it and replies.
Questions
How long does a roof replacement take?
How do I budget for a replacement without a national price?
Does a roof replacement need a permit?
Can a new roof go over the old one?
What happens if it rains mid-job?
What is the difference between the two warranties?
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HyreRoof Research Desk
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Information on this page is general and may vary by location, building code, roof design, insurance policy and your own circumstances. It is not insurance, legal or engineering advice.
HyreRoof is not a roofing contractor: we do not repair, replace or inspect roofs, and we do not supervise or warrant roofing work. This page explains the work so you can judge a quote and a contractor.