It is always important to access the level of damage caused to the roof before considering its replacement. Relying solely on a roofing contractor is not a great idea. A roof repair can be a cost-intensive affair depending upon the amount of restoration it requires.
Hence, following are the 5 factors that will help you to assess if a roof repair is all you need, or you should consider a roof replacement:
#1. Type of roof:
There are different types of roof which influences the level of repairs. For the roof types like slope or flat, low or high-pitched, shingled or metal, both the material as well as labor varies. While the asphalt shingles are cost effective, slate shingles and tile shingles are a cost-intensive affair. If you have metal shingles, then the pricing of material involved is very high and it is judicious to get it repaired rather than replaced.
#2. Scope of roof repair
The price of your roof repair majorly depends upon the amount of repair it requires. A considerable larger area with more wear and tear should be considered for replacement rather than repair. If your roof has minimal wear and tear over a small area, then you can consider getting it repaired.
#3. Skylights & Chimney
The cost of a roofing job increases with the equipments like chimney and skylights. With any leakage or damage, these equipments are also expected to get damaged. If the damage is not that excessive, these equipments shall not be required to get replaced but still the roofing contractor will need to work around these areas. Say, fixing of flashing to seal your skylight or chimney involves a considerable repair cost.
#4. Permits of roof repair
Certain areas are liable to obtain the roof permits before initiating any roof repairs. In such cases, if a flat rate is bound to be paid, it may be lead to higher cost of repairs. Such flat rates generally depend on your home size and value as well. The area which is prone to tropical storms or hurricanes requires such bracings or straps which adds to the cost.
#5. Water damaged caused to your roof
You may require repairing your roof due to water damage, which is obviously a cost intensive affair. The amount of damage caused can only be assessed after inspecting the underneath decking. For this, shingles of the roof are required to be removed. Again, if water damage is caused to a larger area of your roof, instead of repair, replacement should be considered.
Conclusion:
All the factors mentioned above contribute to a considerable amount of roof repair. Hence you need to diligently consider each of them to decide if you should go for a roof repair of roof replacement.
It is advisable to contact at least three roofing contractors for the job. The different quotes offered by them should then be studied diligently to assess the cause of difference in pricing. If you find the pricing of any contractor to be exceptionally low, this may be due to the fact that the roofer is not licensed for its operations.
Roof repair not only involves money but is also a time consuming affair. So, taking an appropriate decision will not only save you few bucks but time as well. Any wrong decision, where you first go for the repairing and afterwards require replacing the roof, will pinch your pocket heavily.
A skilled roofing contractor should be approached for repairing purposes. Moreover, weather below freezing point is not considered good for roof replacement purposes.