Getting quotes for a new roof

[casper114]

I had my roof taken from 3 layers down to nothing and then a new layer with 2x8 planks and 1" plywood shingles and all and it only cost me just under 4k.

Where do you live?

 

[Ornery]

I've got 10 so far and they've all been around 10K.

Game over, pay the man.

I got 11 quotes for HVAC and they were all over the place, so I went with the lowest one, which was from a professional who moonlighted. Got about 4 quotes for our roof, and they varied a bit, but I could see it was always going to be too high to suit me. So, I tore off and installed 'em myself, which is NOT fun!

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
Lowest quote I got was for $9000 and I'm [------] that close to paying a company to remove the wood shake and put up plywood and then just nailing up the new roof myself with some help, but anyway.

Are these quotes typically negotiable? Or would I be breeching re-roofing protocol to suggest that an extra $800 to add a decorative edge to 2 gables is too much?

Everything is negotible.

 

[Zebo]

Decent deal. Pay the man. Roofing is a young mans game and one that's low to the ground. One back sugery will cost you more than 9K co-pay.

Very good DrPizza but don't forget $150 dumpster rental for shake.. ~80 man hours for removal. Nails, equipment etc.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
I think some people here are delusional. There is no way that job "would go for 3K tops"
Read the thread. Digest the information. OP said there's roughly 3000 square feet.
It needs a complete tear-down.
It needs to be completely redecked before applying asphalt shingles (because it isn't decked now)

Here's a little math:
The normal sheet of plywood is 4 feet by 8 feet. That's 32 square feet.
Allowing for minimal waste, thats about 100 sheets of plywood. (or OSB)
Let's see... 100 times how much a sheet?? The market has been pretty volatile in the past couple of years. Last I was aware, it was $10 or $12 a sheet.

That's $1200 just for the decking. Shingles for 3000 square feet? Flashing? drip-edge? Nails? Felt? 15lb felt is one of the cheaper items, but just the other day I paid about $14 for 400 square feet. So even the felt is going to cost $100.
I think the "3K tops" figure is doomed.
I easily see it costing $5k. Although, I agree with the others that 10k is pretty steep. However, if that's what your market will bear, you may be stuck. If a roofer is having no trouble finding jobs and is booked for months in advance, why would he negotiate on the price? (Time of year, therefore, plays a factor when you contract such jobs. During the busy season, jobs are easy to come by and they can charge more. During the slow season, there's more competition for jobs, so prices are a bit lower.)

I had to have a similar job done; on a much smaller roof. It took a crew of 4 guys (who do this daily) nearly a week to complete it. I find it laughable that someone thought you and two buddies could do it in a weekend. I'll agree that if you just had to cover it with a layer of asphalt shingles, it'd be a piece of cake and take no time at all... but a complete tear-down and re-roofing is some pretty serious work.

Before getting any quotes, for any project really, I roughly calculate estimated material costs, consider the time involved and the danger to myself if I were to attempt it, and come up with a number that, to me, sounds fair. If the quotes I get are around that, I choose the best one and go for it. If they're higher, then I generally begin the process of researching doing it myself.

In this case, I factored a high of 8K. It's hard not to lose perspective and just go, ah heck, it's just another 2K when you're talking about 8, but 2K is good money to a single-income household. That's a pair of bonds for our kids college fund or materials for a kitchen worth of new cabinets or property tax for a year. I look at it this way, if somebody were to walk up to you and hand you $2,000 how ecstatic would you be? How is saving $2,000 on a project not the same?

Anyway, the main reason for doing it is to get better ventilation and for the resale value of the house when we sell it some day. At this rate, I think we'll just get the new roof right before selling it or I'll do it myself this Spring. How about an ATOT meet at my place this June? Everybody bring your nail guns and compressors!!!

 

Prices are always negotiable.

wow. That is UBER expensive. In Michigan that job would go for 3K tops.

PSA: You have no idea what you're talking about.

8K doesn't sound unreasonable for that much area. Get about 5-10 quotes from guys in different areas. You will find they will generally be within about 40% of each other.