Roofing projects are a significant investment, which is why meticulous budgeting is a must. One of the lesser-known factors that can affect a roof replacement’s total costs is its pitch.
How the Roof Pitch Affects Other Costs
First off, the slope of a roof, by itself, won’t raise a roof replacement’s costs. Contractors won’t charge you more just because you have a roof with a steep slope. They give higher estimates quotes for work involving steep-sloped roofs because of higher material and labor costs.
Higher Material Costs
For example, a contractor would need more roofing material to cover a steep-sloped roof. As such, if you want to reduce roof replacement costs in the future and are planning a major roof renovation, you might want to reduce the slope of your new roofing system.
Labor Costs
Installing shingles on steep-sloped roofs is also harder. For one thing, it’s harder for contractors to walk on steep-sloped roofs, which, in turn, means they’ll take longer to finish the project. (There’s a reason why they call low-sloped roofs “walkable roofs.”) And, since it’s more dangerous to work on a steep-sloped roof, they’ll have to use more safety equipment like rigging or scaffolding.
While working on steep-sloped roofing systems, contractors would also have to use a wider range of techniques. As a rule of thumb, the higher the roof’s slope, the more expertise is needed. As such, if you have a steep-sloped roof, you should only hire experienced and reputable contractors. Less experienced contractors may not have enough expertise to handle highly technical roofing projects.
Renovation Team, a Better Business Bureau A+-rated contractor with more than a decade’s worth of experience, offers roof replacement services. To get a free estimate, call us at (314) 200-2228, or fill out this form. We serve homeowners in St. Louis and Chesterfield, MO.
