Factors That Influence The Cost Of Your Asphalt Roofing Installation In Central Indiana

It’s 2022, and prices are rising everywhere. The cost of roofing has gone through the roof. But that’s why we at Rojas Roofing are dedicated to sourcing the best roofing materials that work for your budget.

Asphalt roofing systems have always been considered one of the most affordable roofing options on the market. And while the cost for a new asphalt shingle rooftop has gone up, it remains the most affordable.

Factors That Influence The Cost Of Your Asphalt Roofing Installation

Excluding the actual size and complexity of an individual roof, the two most important factors to consider when comparing asphalt roofing prices are:

Product: what’s going on your roof?
Process: how will your roof be installed?

So let’s get specific and break down the costs of your roof replacement.

Shingle Quality

As the most expensive part of the roofing system, the shingle type, and quality can massively affect the price of the roof. When comparing two quotes, make sure the shingles are of the same type and quality.

Roof Warranty

How long is the material warranted? Does the manufacturer cover labor costs? When does the pro-rated period start? Does the roofing installer offer additional labor warranties on top of the manufacturer? All of these factors influence the price of your roofing system because they affect the price of the shingle and the commitment to honoring that warranty.

Quality Installation

In the fine print of most manufacturer warranty documents under “Limitations,” you will find that “improper installation” is not covered. Many roofing companies hire traveling crews that move around the country depending on the season or weather. They may not have a close relationship with their teams and may be unable to quality control the installation. This saves the company on the bottom line because they may be able to hire the teams for a lower price.

Company Overhead

When you call the office of your roofing company, do you get a helpful human? Does your roofing company have public reviews and a system for client management? All aspects that make the customer journey more comfortable, from the first phone call (or even text) to the estimate process to the installation, require oversight and attention to detail. To improve the customer experience, your roofing company may be carrying a considerable overhead burden.

Financing Options

Did you find a 0% for 24 months option? Wonderful! That can help you spread out your payments, but don’t think for a second that someone isn’t paying for those 24 months. The cost of offering better financing options to customers is almost always absorbed by the roofing company.

And Finally, Your Actual Roof

Size matters. And so does steepness, complexity, driveway access, etc. Your best bet is to get an itemized estimate of your roofing to compare prices accurately.

The Things That Matter

So now that we’ve gotten the major variables out of the way, you can understand why there will be a wide range in prices. At this point, you as the buyer should come to the table with a list of what is most important to you. Here are a few things to consider:

• Longevity
• Warranty
• Reputation/Reviews
• Ease of interaction
• Financing options
• Appearance/style
• Price

As they say, you can’t have it all, so be honest with yourself about what you value.

How Much You Can Expect To Pay For An Asphalt Shingle Rooftop In Central Indiana

The average asphalt roof replacement costs between $4 and $6 per square foot. You may find prices below $4 per square foot. Be careful that you are checking all the boxes on your values list before you buy for a low price because it’s likely that the roofing company is cutting corners somewhere else (see How Roofers Cut Corners).

If you find prices above $6 per square foot, don’t be afraid to ask your roofing company why their prices are higher than average. The explanation could be a reasonable one.

If your estimate does not include measurements or itemized prices, it can be hard to determine precisely how fair your estimate is. Unless your roofer is very old-school, they are most likely using an aerial-based measurement system that gives them a printout of all the parts of your roof. Ask to see it.

Remember that the square footage of your roof and the square footage of your house are not equal. If you have a “walkable” roof with a 4:12 pitch, your roof size could be about 25% smaller than a 12:12 pitch roof. Check out pitch gauge apps for your phone if you want to know how steep your roof is.

The average roof size in Central Indiana is about 3,000 to 4,000 square feet. In the roofing industry, we call 100 square feet one square. You’ll see this term a lot rather than square feet.

So, that means most houses will be 30 to 40 squares (SQ). Your roofer will add a waste factor to the actual size of your roof for angles, cuts, damaged shingles, etc. It’s customary to add about 12-17% waste factor, depending on the complexity of your roof.

That means your 30 SQ roof is more like 34.5 SQ with the standard 15% waste factor.

Taking all that into account, your 30 SQ roof will cost you about $13,800- $20,700.

Asphalt Roofing FAQ

Take-Aways

A variety of factors determines the price of your roof. Decide what is most important to you in the buying process and pick a company that can deliver on your values. Ask to see an itemized estimate to ensure you know exactly what you’re getting.

Want to learn more? Get a free estimate scheduled with our asphalt roofing professionals.