How Much Does a Roof Cost

For 20 years, USA Roofing & Gutter, LLC has provided quality roof replacements in Central and North Alabama. All of our roof installations are backed by a manufacturer warranty and workmanship warranty. We work hard to provide our customers with the best value for their home that fits their budget and their needs. 

The moment homeowners and business owners realize their roof needs to be replaced, they begin to think of multiple questions that need to be addressed. One of the first questions property owners ask is how much will a roof replacement cost? What may appear as a simple question requires a very complex answer which we will get into below.

USA Roofing & Gutters, LLC wants to be upfront and honest with all homeowners and property owners about the cost of a new roof. Although roof replacements aren’t cheap, a roof is a good investment because it not only protects your largest investment, but also adds more value to your home or business. In addition, it is impossible to give an exact estimate on the roof cost without getting all the details. With that being said, we can give property owners a rough idea of their roof replacement cost based on the average roof cost in Central and North Alabama.

Many roofing contractors shy away from providing any information about their roof replacement cost because they don’t want to scare any potential customers away. However, we want to provide you with the necessary knowledge you need to make the right purchasing decision for your budget and property. 

The prices we are going to discuss are based on roof square footage and roof squares. Square footage is determined by multiplying the roof length by the roof width. A roof square is a 10×10 area that is equal to 100 square feet of roof surface. To accurately determine how much material is needed for a roof replacement, the square footage will need to be multiplied using a factor that includes the complexity and steepness of the roof. For example, to figure the actual roof square footage you will multiply (footprint of your home) x (slope and complexity) = (square footage of roof area). Most roofs are calculated by a 1.3 factor for a low slope gable roof, a 1.4 factor for a low slope hip roof, or a 1.6 factor for a steep and complex roof. On average, roofing companies in Alabama charge $3.00 – $8.00 per square foot or $300 – $800 per square for shingle and metal roof replacements, depending on the cost factors and materials below. 

Roof Cost Factors– While there are many factors that determine the cost of a roof replacement, the main factors include square footage, architectural complexity, steepness, height, attic ventilation, flashing, vents, decking, roofing layers, type of material used, and warranties. Most homes in Alabama are roofed with asphalt shingles or metal. The most common asphalt shingles are 3-Tab Shingles, Dimensional Shingles, and Dimensional Premium Shingles. Some shingle manufacturers produce shingles that have a shake or slate appearance that tend to be more of an investment. If a homeowner or business owner chooses metal, the most commonly used options are Screw- Down Metal Panels or Standing-Seam Metal Panels. There are also options of Luxury Metal Tiles, which have the appearance of a shake or slate look. Luxury Metal Tiles are a more costly option and not as commonly used. The average roof cost you can expect to pay for each roofing type, a brief description of each material, and a picture of each can be found below.

• 3-Tab Shingle Roof– Refers to a shingle that is made up of three tabs with notches that are designed to look like 3 flat individual shingles. However, they are in fact one piece. This shingle is a great option if the homeowner is on a tight budget. However, some municipalities in Alabama may enforce the 2015 IRC Building codes, which require a minimum of a 90 MPH wind rating. 3-Tab shingles do not meet this qualification. Most manufactures offer a 25-30 year limited material warranty and a 60 MPH wind rating with a standard 4 nail pattern. The average cost of a 3-Tab shingle roof is usually between $3 – $5 per square foot or $300 – $500 per square, depending on the above cost factors. For an average size 25 square roof a 3-Tab Shingle roof ranges from $7,500 -$12,500.
• Dimensional Shingle Roof– Also known as architectural or laminated shingles, these are made to have a wood shake appearance. Typically, Dimensional shingles are made with two layers of shingle pieces laminated together to provide a dimensional look. Due to their increased thickness, most manufactures offer a limited lifetime material warranty with a 110 MPH wind rating. Owens Corning offers a 130 MPH wind rating with a 6 nail installation pattern. The average cost of a Dimensional shingle roof is between $3.50 – $5.50 per square foot or $350 – $550 per square, depending on the above cost factors. For an average size 25 square roof, a Dimensional shingle roof ranges from $8,750 – $13,750.
• Dimensional Premium Shingle Roof– The Owens Corning Duration high performance shingles have a patented SureNail Technology, which is a unique triple layer enforcement in the nailing zone for excellent fastener holding power against wind uplift. There are several manufactures with a nailing zone technology and these shingles normally provide a limited lifetime material warranty and a 130 MPH wind rating. Owens Corning offers premium and designer color options with the Duration Series Shingle. Visit our Choose Your Shingles page to see all the available color choices. Owens Corning and other manufactures also offer specialty shingles including the Storm Impact Resistance shingle, Cool Roof shingle, and shingles that resemble a wood shake and natural slate appearance. These specialty shingles are normally double or triple the price of Dimensional Premium shingles. The average cost of a Dimensional Premium roof is between $3.75 – $6.00 per square foot or $375 – $600 per square, depending on the above cost factors. For an average size 25 square roof, a Dimensional Premium shingle roof ranges from $9,375 – $15,000.
• Screw-Down Metal Roof– Referred to as “exposed fastener metal roofing” essentially is a corrugated or ribbed metal roof held together with many exposed screws that secures the roof in place. Residential roofing metal is generally made of steel that has many color options available. Most residential metal roof panels are made with a 26 gauge or 29 gauge metal thickness. Most residential metal roof panels that are installed are a 29 gauge thickness.  However, some homeowners will choose the 26 gauge due to being more structural sound because of the thicker panel. A 29 gauge roof is adequate for most residential applications and cost less than a thicker gauge metal panel due to the amount of materials it takes to manufacture the metal panels. Other types of premium metal include copper, aluminum, zinc, and tiles. Most metal roof manufactures offer a 40 year paint warranty. Some metal roof manufactures offer a 10-25 year substrate warranty, which is the base metal the paint is applied to. The average cost of a Screw-Down metal roof is between $4.00 – $6.50 per square foot or $400 – $650 per square, depending on the above cost factors. For an average size 25 square roof, a Screw-Down metal roof ranges from $10,000 – $16,250.
•  Standing-Seam Metal Roof– A Standing Seam roofing system is where the roofing panels are connected at their seams and fastened in place by clips and hidden screws. Most Standing-Seam metal roofing systems are installed with hidden concealed fasteners referring to the clips, screws, or nails being hidden from view on the installed Standing-Seam metal roof. Because the screws are hidden in a Standing-Seam roof, this allows for more thermal responsiveness and metal expansions/contractions. Also, a Standing-Seam metal roof tends to have fewer issues with leaks and a longer life expectancy. Most Standing-Seam residential systems are made with 26 gauge and 29 gauge metal. Standing-Seam roof systems are more labor intensive, which makes this roofing system cost more than a Screw-Down metal roofing system. The average cost of a Standing-Seam roof is between $5.00 – $8.00 per square foot or $500 – $800 per square, depending on the above cost factors. For an average size 25 square roof, a Standing-Seam metal roof ranges from $12,500 – $20,000.

There are a few other luxury metal and synthetic roofing materials available that have the appearance of cedar shake and slate. However, these are not as common in Alabama and can be more than double or triple the price of an asphalt shingle roof or metal roof. 

Like we have stated earlier, we understand roof replacements aren’t cheap and they are arguably the biggest investment homeowners or business owners will make for their property. That is why we want to help guide you throughout the entire roof replacement process and provide you with the best value. 

USA Roofing & Gutters, LLC is a Platinum Preferred Contractor with Owens Corning. Because of this certification, we can provide our customers with extended shingle and workmanship warranties up to 50 years backed by Owens Corning. In addition, we have several financing options available to our customers. We offer short-term and long-term financing with competitive interest rates and low monthly payments. We also accept a wide variety of payment options. Head over to our financing page for more information.