Budget-friendly roofing installation means spending on the parts that keep water out (a sound deck, new underlayment, new flashing, correct fastening) and saving on the parts that do not, which for most homes points to asphalt shingles installed to the manufacturer’s instructions. The cheapest bid is often not the cheapest roof over the years you own the house. NEMA Roofing prices every roof from a written estimate of your own roof; call 866-631-3366 to get one.
What makes one roof installation cost more than another?
Two houses with the same floor area can get very different quotes. The main reasons:
- Roof area and shape. Roofers measure in roofing squares of actual roof surface, and every valley, hip, dormer and skylight adds cutting and flashing.
- Pitch and height. Steep or two-story roofs need more safety gear and slower work.
- What comes off. The number of old layers, and tile versus shingle, sets the tear-off and disposal cost.
- The deck. Rotten boards found after tear-off are replaced at a per-sheet price.
- The material. See the comparison below.
- Rules for the address. A cool-rated product in some inland climate zones, or a Class A roof in fire hazard areas, can narrow the product choice.
The full breakdown of a quote is in the cost of roofing replacement.
How do the common roofing materials compare on cost?
NEMA Roofing does not publish prices, because they depend on the roof. What can be compared is how the materials stand against each other on up-front cost and expected life.
| Material | Up-front cost | Expected life | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt shingles | The lowest of the common sloped-roof coverings | About 20 years (NAHB, 2007) | Light, quick to install, many colors including cool-rated ones |
| Metal (standing seam or panels) | Roughly two to three times an asphalt roof, according to the Metal Roofing Alliance | 30 to 50 years or more, by the same industry group’s estimate | Light and long-lived; the cost pays back only if you keep the house a long time |
| Clay or concrete tile | Higher than shingles: heavy material and slower labor | Over 50 years for the tile itself (NAHB, 2007) | The structure must carry the weight; undamaged tile can often be reused on a reroof |
| Membrane (for flat or low-slope sections) | Depends on the system and the insulation under it | About 20 years for modified bitumen (NAHB, 2007) | Not a choice on a sloped roof; the right answer on a flat one |
For the metal-versus-shingle decision in more depth, see metal roofing vs. traditional shingles.
Why the lowest bid is not always the budget choice
Divide the installed price by the years the roof should last, and the order can change. A roof that costs twice as much but lasts twice as long costs the same per year. Two questions settle it for most owners:
- How long will you stay? If you plan to sell within a few years, a well-installed shingle roof usually makes the most sense. If you plan to stay for decades, a longer-lived material can come out ahead.
- What does the house already carry? Moving from shingles to tile can mean checking or reinforcing the framing, which changes the math.
Where you can save safely
- Choose a standard product line and color that the supplier stocks, and that already meets any cool-roof rule for your climate zone.
- Replace before the deck rots. A roof replaced at the first widespread signs of wear needs fewer new sheets than one that leaked for several seasons.
- Consider a recover only where the code allows it. Laying new shingles over one existing layer skips tear-off, but the California Residential Code rules it out over two or more layers, over a water-soaked or deteriorated roof and over tile. The trade-offs are covered in how to plan a cost-effective roof re-shingle.
- Keep reusable parts. Undamaged clay or concrete tile may go back on over new underlayment, as the code permits.
Where cutting cost backfires
- Reusing old flashing. Walls, chimneys and vents are common leak points; the code requires rusted or damaged flashing to be replaced on a reroof anyway.
- Skipping the permit. A reroof needs a building permit; without one, no inspector checks the work, the cool-roof rule or the fire rating.
- Thin scope on underlayment and valleys. The layer under the covering is cheap next to the damage a leak causes.
- Ignoring ventilation. A poorly vented attic traps heat and moisture under the deck, and a reroof is the easiest time to fix it.
- An installer the manufacturer has not approved. The enhanced manufacturer warranties, the ones that cover workmanship, can only be registered by approved contractors.
How to compare installation quotes on price
- Put the quotes side by side and make sure they name the same product line, underlayment and flashing work.
- Compare the per-sheet price for deck repair, since that is where totals move after tear-off.
- Check that tear-off, disposal and the permit are included in each one.
- Look at the payment schedule: under California’s home improvement contract law, progress payments are tied to phases of work written into the contract.
To see every line a complete quote should carry, read what roofing installation services include. If you want to spread the cost, see roof replacement financing options.
NEMA Roofing gives written installation estimates across all five counties it serves, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino, with teams based at five locations: Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Woodland Hills, Tarzana and Downey. Our roof installation service covers shingle, tile, metal and flat roofs. For an estimate that compares options on your roof, call NEMA Roofing at 866-631-3366.
