There are a lot of factors that determine the cost of a new roof replacement in Massachusetts. Here is a breakdown of the costs. A roof is the first defense your home has against harsh weather. A good roof keeps the home dry. But, if your roof is aging, sagging, or leaking, it’s time to consider a roof replacement.
The average cost for a roof replacement in 2022 averaged around $15,000.00 with roofing projects ranging from $13,500- $18,000.00. The average price per square foot of a roofing project can be anywhere from as low as $5.50 a square foot and all the way up to $7.50 per square foot.
What will indicate where you will be in this price range is the home itself. Is it a ranch style home (easier) or a colonial style home? Is it a one story home or a three story home? Is it multiple roofing layers or just one?
Here is what determines the cost of a roof replacement in Massachusetts:
Home Type: Colonial, Ranch, Victorian
Number of Stories and Steepness: 1 story, 2 stories, 3 stories/ 6/10 slope, 10/12 slope 12/12 slope
Number of Roofing Layers: 1 layer, 2 layer, 3 layer plus
Plywood or Wood Boards: Repair or full replacement
Skylights: New or reflash existing
Chimney: Reflash or re-lead chimney
Soffit Ventilation: Upgrade or not necessary
Material selection: Good, Better, Best
Warranty Selection: In-house warranty or extended manufacturer warranties
Labor costs: Small local handyman, or full size roofing company
Location: Every town has different permit costs and delivery costs for material
Roof Size: Roofing is calculated with price per square foot
The cost of a roof replacement in Massachusetts depends on home type, home square footage, and the materials and warranties selected.
Let’s break down the importance of each category and understanding how its factored into the cost of a roof replacement in Massachusetts:
Home Type
The type of home you have determines the roof cost. Some home roofs are easier to install and require less safety staging than others. For example: a ranch roof is considered a roofer’s dream because it is often one or two walls and not very high up from the ground. This type of roof is going to require less installers and less safety staging equipment to be re-roofed. While on the other hand, a Victorian roof is a very complex re-roof that will require double the installers and a lot more onsite staging.
Victorian home roofs require attention to detail around transitional areas and roof valleys. Roofers have to take their time tying into roof planes to ensure a proper installation that will last for years to come.
A Victorian roof will also take on average 1-2 days more to complete than a ranch style roof. More days on a roofing installation, more installers and more equipment means this home will cost more without factoring in any other category just yet.
Number of Stories and Steepness
How high up is your roof? How steep is your roof?
The higher the roof and the steeper the roof, the higher the risk. When there is more risk on a roofing project, the roofing contractor will ensure that the roofers stage and use all the proper fall safety equipment. That doesn’t mean they are not doing it on ranch style roofs, it’s just that on higher roofs, the roofing installers will need additional safety and support.
Oftentimes when the house stories are higher than 2 and the steepness is greater than 10/12 slope, the roofers will work on a buddy system to ensure they have someone always watching out for them and helping them with material as they move throughout the roof. All of these extra steps to safety to ensure a safer environment will mean added costs. However, these costs are not costs you should not be cutting corners on.
As a homeowner, you want to work with a contractor that values safety and bids the project correctly to ensure proper safety at all times. If someone falls and gets hurt, no matter how many insurances are present, the employee can still sue all parties involved and that includes the homeowner.
Number of roofing layers
How many roofing layers are there currently on your home? What are these layers made of? If your roof has multiple layers and if the layers are asphalt, metal, slate or wood shakes; the prices will differ. A roof with multiple layers means extra dumpster costs and extra labor costs.
The crew will need to work harder and oftentimes with more team members to remove a multiple layer roof, especially one made of slate. Not only are slate roofs hard to take off, they are also extremely dangerous to the home and the roofers as pieces of slate come down . When removing slate tiles the debris tarps will oftentimes rip and need to be replaced right after; a cost that the roofing contractor will tag into your home’s roof cost.
Plywood or Wood boards
The integrity of the roof decking determines the health and longevity of the roof. The re-roofing process cannot begin if the roof decking is in poor condition. Once the old roof is fully removed, the roofing contractor will inspect the rafters of the roof, the roof wood boards or plywood ( whichever the home has) and the fascia and trim. These are all part of the roof deck and the most important elements of the roofing system. If your roof will need wood repairs, the costs will be higher.
A reputable roofing company will inspect the rafters, wood boards or plywood and fascia boards prior to beginning the job. If the roofing contractor can perform the work themselves ( which oftentimes they can do up to 80%) they will identify the cost or possible cost for you at the estimation stage. The only time when a roofer will not be able to assist a homeowner is if the rafters have sustained a significant amount of water damage. In this case, a carpenter will be needed to reframe certain areas of the roof rafters as most roofers can only sister in existing rafters.
A pro tip: A great roofer will never put a new roof on rotted decking. In addition, your plywood or wood costs as well as your fascia costs should be priced on a per linear foot basis and you should obtain these prices from your roofing contractor before signing the contract. As a homeowner you should also protect yourself by ensuring nothing will become a surcharge without your written approval. Price per plywood sheet should be anywhere from $80-$110 per sheet of plywood.
Skylights
Skylights live on the roof, and therefore they are a part of the roofing system and factored into the new roof cost. A rule of thumb is that skylights should be replaced with a new roof when given the chance, and every 15-20 years thereafter. If you have skylights on your current roof that need to be replaced, this will increase the cost of your new roofing system. Skylight prices differ based on the size and model.
Keep in mind that skylights are one of the top 5 things that leak on roofs and can become a huge problem if not properly addressed. When it’s time to replace the roof, budget correctly to account for skylight replacement. Skylight costs can range from $750-$2,500 per unit based on the model and size.
Chimneys
Does your roof have chimneys? If so, how many and how large are they? Chimneys are the number one leak point in roofing systems. Chimneys will often drive up the cost of your new roof depending on their size and type. A roof chimney to be flashed correctly will require additional materials like lead flashing and will also require a skilled roofer who will ensure that the lead flashing is correctly installed with the new roof shingles and with the chimney bricks. Chimneys will increase the cost of the roof, but that should not mean they are optional. Chimney flashing/re-leads are a must. A pro tip: If you are replacing your roof and have chimneys that have previously leaked, I recommend spending a lot of time discussing how the roofer will address the issue to ensure they have the proper knowledge to take on the chimney re-lead and ensure the leaks don’t return. Chimneys should cost anywhere from $1000-$2000 per chimney depending on width and size of chimney.
Soffit ventilation
Ventilation is the key to the life of your roofing shingles. The stronger the ventilation, the longer your roofing shingles will last. Let’s not forget that ventilation plays a huge role on ice dams. If you are going to upgrade the ventilation system of your roof ( strongly recommended) this will affect the roof cost.
Ventilation systems can vary in cost depending on the type of product you choose to install. The cheapest option will be 4 by 16 inch 3 hole soffit vents that are placed under the soffit on your home on each rafter bay. These soffits will cost usually $30-$50 each unit to install.
Material Selection: Good, Better, Best.
Not all roofing shingles are created equal. When you are factoring in your roof costs, if you want to save money you can go with a material selection of “good” as all roofing shingles in today’s market have a projected life expectancy of 50 years.
However, when comparing estimates or evaluating costs, ask yourself what products are you being quoted for? This is a huge factor in the roofing industry. Roofing materials make up about 30% of the roofing quote. A pro-tip here is to ask the roofers to quote you for all three and you can later decide what is a better investment for you.
Warranty Selection
Roofing warranties have become the norm to help determine the cost of a roof replacement in Massachusetts. They give peace of mind and make it easier to work with smaller roofing companies. Why? Sometimes your local roofer may be retired or out of business. You may have been given a 15 year workmanship warranty, only to find out that in year 5 the roofing company closed. This is when roofing warranties become handy. If your roofing contractor is certified by the manufacturer they may be able to offer you a registered warranty directly with the manufacturer.
If your roofer were to go out of business, or you no longer see eye to eye, you could be covered and compensated for any defects of both product or workmanship directly by the manufacturer. This is total peace of mind as roofing manufacturers are billion dollar companies that have been in business for over 100 years. To find out if your roofer is able to offer registered manufacturer warranties you can verify directly on the manufacturer website.
A pro-tip:
Remember that a roof warranty will only be honored by the manufacturer if installed correctly and to their specifications. Most roofing manufacturers require every single component of the roofing system to be from their product line for the warranty to be honored in the unlikely event of a claim.
Roofing warranties can cost on average $500-$1500 depending on the size of your home.
Labor Effects the cost of a roof replacement in Massachusetts
Every company’s labor costs will differ depending on their overheads and business models. The main factors that determine labor costs within each roofing company are the company’s size and the type of craftsmanship. There are companies that hire subcontractors or seasonal workers each roofing season. While on the other hand, there are companies that hire and train yearly to ensure they have master roofing installers on their team at all times.
These companies seek individuals looking to make a career in the roofing industry and they provide training and ladder growth to ensure the employees have a long lifespan within the company. The pro here is that the roofing company that has the same employees all year round, ensures that you are taken care of during the project and every year thereafter. If your roofer has made you a lot of promises, keep in mind they all expire the moment your roofer decides to close up shop or retire.
Labor costs account for 25%-28% of the roofing costs.
Not a Convenient Location?
Where your home is located matters. It matters for two reasons; permit fees and accessibility. Every town building department has different construction and dumpster permit fees. All these fees are calculated into your roof costs. Building departments will usually charge $10-$15 per every thousand of your roofing contract price. Dumpster permits will be a flat fee and they can range from $50-$300 per container.
Access to your home is another key factor in labor costs. Roofers refer to this as “poor access.” Poor access can be a home in the city that has no driveway. It can be where the neighbors’ homes are so close together that the roofers have to seek other methods of removing the old roof. Poor access can also be a home that is very remote. Poor access surcharges can vary from $2000-$3000 add-on per job basis.
The Cost of a roof replacement in Massachusetts Depends on Roof Size
At the end of the day a roof is calculated on a per sq foot basis. Most roofers will refer to it in roofing squares. 1 roofing square is equal to 100 sq feet. The more roofing squares your home is, the more it will cost. Get a quick idea of what your roof will cost based on sq feet measurements feel free to check out our instant roof cost calculator. It’s a good way to get yourself ready and plan for a roof replacement on your home.
