How much does a new  roof   cost ? This is a common enough question on forums and discussion boards. Roofs are long-term investments which according to manufacturers can last 20, 30 or years. Most roofs fail much before that and need replacement. The roofing material itself might last the period promised but sometimes the underlay gets damaged, at other times nature’s fury rips the roof apart during a storm or hurricane, a hail can cause indentations on the roof and so on.

Natural wear and tear due to exposure to sun, rain, ice and wind also damage the roof over time. If under home owners insurance cover, some times we are lucky to get money to replace the roof.

To make an estimate on the  cost  of replacing a  roof  you need to understand the size of  roof  determines the  cost  to a very large extent. If you live in a home whose  roof  is easily accessible, new  roof   cost  is reasonably modest compared to an inaccessible  roof .

An old layer of shingles on the roof can stay there if it is in reasonable condition and won’t interfere with the new roof. But, if you are going for heavier shingles or slate type of roof then the existing layer of shingles must go before the replacement roof goes on.

Asphalt is easier to remove than say wood or tiles. So, the latter’s removal costs much more than asphalt which costs about 100 dollars per square for removal and disposal. If there are more than one layer the costs go up.

If your home is moderate to low pitch then expect lower  cost  for  roof  installation. Steep pitched  roofs   cost  higher by about 25 percent or more. The new  roof   cost  for a one story home is much less than that of 3 story home. The reasons are obvious. Roof contractors have to work at greater heights and the risks are higher. They need special tools and safety equipment to work under those circumstances.

In the past few years the cost of raw materials that make up asphalt shingles have sky-rocketed. About two decades ago asphalt shingles used to cost 10 dollars or less per bundle. About 6 years ago the cost had gone to about $40 dollars after the oil shock and gulf war. In the last year, the prices of shingles have been going up almost every month.

The prices in fact are now in the range of $80 to $100 dollars. Asphalt and compositional shingles were the favorites for a long time because of their affordability. People could get a new roof under $3000 dollars. Today, they have to shell out $10,000 dollars for a roof. But, it still retains the top-spot as the cheapest roof.

The other roofs like slate and clay tiles are lot more expensive. Not only the materials  cost  more but, we find that due to more complexity, these  roofs  need better installation skills from roofing contractors who charge more for these kind of roofs. This makes the  cost  of a new  roof  lot more expensive