How Much Does It Cost To Replace A 2000 Sq Ft Roof?
CALCULATE YOUR COST
How often do you shop for something without knowing the price? In a world where e-commerce is king for a generation that grew up shopping in retail stores, exposure to this type of pricing can feel strange and frightening.
How do you know if a company is giving you a fair price for a 2,000 square foot roof? What type of damage to roofs requires immediate action, and what can wait?
If you’re asking these types of questions, you need straightforward answers about replacing old roofs. You understand that the details matter, but how can you even begin to set expectations for a roof replacement service?
Give yourself ten minutes today to read this article and gather proven advice gathered from sources around the U.S. It’s time to do the math and protect your largest investment: your home.
Roof Replacement Cost Per Square Foot
Prices for installation and materials give you the best idea of the cost of replacing a roof. The actual amount you’ll pay depends on the cost of living in your area, among other factors. We’re using nationwide averages of somewhere between $2.00 to $14.00 per square foot for this guide.
How Much for a 2,000 Square Foot Roof?
The final number depends on the materials you choose and how much a contractor has to pay their workers. If we use the roof replacement costs from the previous section, a 2,000 square foot roof may cost $4,000 to $28,000 or more. Meanwhile, roof repairs alone could cost 1/3 or 2/3 of the cost to go ahead and replace.
What Factors Can Change Those Numbers?
With a range of numbers that wide, how do you start to give yourself better expectations? Consider the following types of costs specific to your situation:
Roof Materials: Average Cost for 2000 Sq Ft
You get what you pay for when you consider roofing materials, so the “right” product is the one that fits your goals. If you only plan to live in your house for a few more years, you may not want to go with the highest quality shingles available. For those who believe that they’ve found their “forever home,” any roof with a lifetime guarantee has its appeal.
Common types of roofing materials North American homeowners tend to consider include:
Asphalt Composite Shingles Cost
Asphalt roof shingles remain the most common roof material for U.S. homes because most contractors offer a 20 or 30-year warranty. This material gets made from fiberglass, mineral granules, and asphalt to protect your home.
Clay Tile Cost
Clay tile is a popular option for desert regions in America and southern coast states generally. While this material can last over a century, it may also cost you $10 – $20 or more per square foot.
Metal Shingles Cost
Metal roof shingles cost a little more and offer a look similar to traditional operations with the benefits you would expect from this type of material. This roofing product can run between $6 – $10 per square foot, however.
Concrete Tile Cost
Concrete tile offers many of the same advantages as clay but with a significantly different aesthetic. You can mix in colors to move away from a dull appearance, and this can run in the neighborhood of $8 – $12 per square foot.
Wood Shakes or Shingles
Wood shakes or shingles offer a classic look, but areas that expect high amounts of moisture may wish to avoid this for obvious reasons. Depending on the contractor and the material’s availability, this can cost around $5 to $12 per square foot to install.
Labor Costs For 2000 Square Foot Roof Replacement
While it’s clear that a contractor has to pay for their workforce, the costs may surprise you. The costs for materials can pale compared to how much it costs to provide an hourly wage to the roof installation team.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says that an employee in residential building construction earned $32.37 per hour in 2019. Considering that a roof replacement can take 2 – 3 days or more, you can already begin to imagine how the numbers start to stack up quickly.
If we assume that the project takes two full days, that’s $517.92 per employee for the contractor. If they’re aiming for a 20 percent margin, that adds another $103.58 per employee. Assuming a crew of three to four people shows up, that’s $1,864.50 to $2,486 for labor alone in this scenario.
Taxes
Unfortunately for homeowners, the government does not differentiate between everyday items and expensive items like roofing tiles for taxes. You don’t have to pay taxes on services, but Uncle Sam needs his cut for the materials.
The average sales tax in the U.S., according to AARP, is 7.12 percent. If the materials for your roof cost $4,000, the tax would be $284.80. You may negotiate a deal with the contractor, but that depends on their business model.
What Questions Should You Ask for a Roofing Estimate?
While most residential companies offer free estimates, some may ask for a few hundred dollars to complete this task. If you want to start with price-based questions while talking to contractors on the phone, start with the following:
- How long do you see this project lasting?
- Do you charge haul-away fees?
- What type of warranty do you offer?
- Do you have workers’ compensation insurance?
- Are building permits required to replace the roof?
- Does your crew have training from a manufacturer?
Creating your list will become critical to choosing the right contractor for your situation. A comprehensive list of evaluation questions can help you get the most out of a free quote.
How Do You Use This Information?
We started with a broad range of costs, but now you can create some budgetary expectations. To put everything together that you’ve learned here, let’s consider the following scenario for a 2,000 square foot roof:
- Asphalt composite shingles that cost $4 per square foot
- Labor costs pf $35 per hour for three people
- Taxes of 7.5% for materials
If we take these numbers and add them together, we get an estimate of around $10,280. But it’s critical to remember that everything depends on your circumstances regarding the final number, so you may want to compare prices.
Do You Have More Questions?
Now that you have some essential expectations, where should you go if you have more questions? It’s impossible to cover everything in one post, and a roof replacement is a significant undertaking.
Why wouldn’t you want expert advice about replacing a 2,000 square foot roof? Contact us today to start the process of gathering quotes from trust local contractors!