What a roof costs
What a roof costs
A Katz price is worked out for your house, and for you. Andy weighs everything it takes to do the roof right and to do right by you: the layers coming off, the wood underneath, the shingle and warranty that fit how long you’ll be in the house, even where the trailer can park. Then he writes the number.
Below are those pieces one at a time, so you can see what goes into ours and put any two estimates side by side.
Comparing two estimates
Two estimates compare fairly when they’re for the same roof. Put them side by side and ask:
- Is the old roof coming off, every layer?
- Has anyone looked at the wood underneath?
- Ice and water shield, underlayment, drip edge, roof vents: are they written on the estimate?
- What’s the warranty, who holds it, and is it prorated?
- Who’s doing the work, and how long have they been doing it?
- How long will it take, and how will the yard look at the end?
If the answers match, the prices should be close. If one is a lot lower, the answers usually tell you why.
What moves the number
- Size. Roofs are priced by area, so bigger costs more.
- Pitch. A steep roof is slower and needs roof boards to stand on.
- Layers. Every layer that comes off is more labor and more weight in the trailer. We’ve taken off four.
- Decking. Rotten or soft wood gets replaced before anything goes on top. Andy checks the attic at the estimate so you know about it before we start.
- Ventilation. Some houses need more venting than they have.
- Access. A house close to the trees, or with little room for a trailer, takes longer.
- Chimneys, skylights and valleys. Every place the roof is cut or turns a corner is more work.
- The shingle and the warranty you choose.
- Accessories. Underlayment, ice and water shield, vents and drip edge are now about a third of what the materials cost.
What the money buys
A customer once called Mike to tell him our estimate was high. He walked her through it: an office with a phone that an owner answers; insurance, including workers’ comp, on every person on your roof; a salesman who’ll be at your walkthrough; crews who’ve been with us twenty years and are paid like it; a fifty-year warranty; and a company that’ll still be here when you need it. She told him it made sense.
That’s what’s in our number. You can decide whether it’s worth it.
Common questions
- Is the estimate free?
Yes.
- Do you price-match?
Our first number is our real number, and it stays our number.
- Will the price change after you start?
If something turns up that nobody could see, like rotten wood under the shingles, Andy shows you, with pictures, before anything is added. Every change comes to you first.
- What if the lowest bid is what I need?
Then get it. We mean that. And keep our card, because we do repairs too, and we’ll be here.
- How do I know if I need a new roof or a repair?
Ask us. If it’s a repair, we’ll tell you.
Most people get two or three estimates. That’s the right number. We’d like to be one of them.