What is the cost of a New Roof in San Diego?

What are the extra costs of a roof in San Diego?

Thinking about a new roof in San Diego, what are the key considerations?

There are many different considerations when it comes to planning a new roof so what should you be thinking about before you take the plunge and contact some roofing contractors?

•         Budget – this may not be your key concern but it probably should be as a new roof is not a cheap project. When you set your budget, use our handy table to start your cost estimate and then confirm this with written quotations from two or three different roofing firms. Always add 10%-15% to your agreed estimate as ‘wriggle room’, for those unforeseen costs and snags
•         Design – if you need a new roof then this is the chance to alter the design or change the look of your home. You might want to use a roofing shingle that is a different color or add features like vent pipes or skylights. If the design is a radical change or you want to raise the height of the roof then you will need an architect or surveyor for the project plus you could also need building permits
•         Sustainability – sustainability can impact roof choices in many different ways. You might be keen to better insulate your home so that energy bills are lower as well as helping the planet with lower emissions and a better carbon footprint. You might be considering a green roof, a radical departure from regular asphalt roof shingles. Sustainability can also impact your choice of manufacturer when it comes to roofing shingles or the type of shingle you choose, recyclability and an ethical provenance are two things of increasing interest to the eco-friendly homeowner
•         Accommodation upgrade – a new roof can be the catalyst for an attic conversion, just think what you can do with all that redundant space and if you do need a new roof then this is the time to choose a design which will allow you to make the most of the interior. The great thing about a new roof model and an attic conversion is that you can take your time with the interior project providing the roof has been designed with the accommodation below in mind – this can really help spread the cost
•         Curb appeal – when or if you are going to sell your house should always form part of the conversation when you are planning serious upgrades like roof renewal or extensions, this is because it can impact on your choice of materials and design and, potentially how much you want to spend. If you are keen to go to market quite quickly then a roof overlay might be attractive as it is cheaper for the householder but a roof overlay doesn’t offer much curb appeal to a prospective buyer. A metal roof might tick all your boxes but is it worth the spend if you only plan to be in the house for a maximum of another five years? Metal roofs can last more than fifty years but they are really expensive. A good way to look at it is will you get your money back at sale time?

How can you keep the cost low on a new roof in San Diego?

There are some possibilities but just remember, roofing is a skilled job so there are limited options to really save costs unless you want a poor and shoddy job.

•         Tear down the old roof yourself – this is not recommended by most roofing contractors as you can cause a lot of damage to the roof deck if you don’t walk on the roof in the correct way, not to mention the challenge of working at height without scaffolding or the right equipment – this is generally a no
•         Choose your roofing material carefully – this is one thing that can make a huge impact on the final estimate, choose a cheaper shingle or find a more expensive one that is discounted
•         Roof features – sometimes there will be parts of your roof design which can be added in at a later date – this can help spread the cost
•         Roofing grants – most of the time, roof grants rely on strict eligibility criteria which you will either fit into or not and this mostly relates to income, however there are grants available for sustainable roofs and eco-friendly roofing material choices so it might be worth asking your roofer whether your project can be tailored to fit a scheme, either a local or federal grant
•         Access - make sure that there is good access to your property as this will make the job easier for your roofing contractor and can save labour costs. It is especially important that dump trucks can pull up alongside the house so the old roofing material can be taken away and also that delivery trucks can drop the shingles straight onto the roof deck from the back of the truck rather than needing to unload onto the ground and for the contractor and his employees to cart the shingles up to height

Read about roof prices in other states:

• Roof prices in Florida
• Roof prices in New Jersey 
• New roof prices in Michigan 
• New roof cost in Maryland 

Finding the right roofing contractor in San Diego

Even if you have a regular contractor who looks after your roof or does work for you, you should always obtain two or three different quotes for a new roofing project just so that you can compare the costs. You can use roofingpricing.com to compare the cost of a new roof in San Diego with local roofers.

Ask friends, family, neighbours or work colleagues for a personal recommendation or use social media in your local neighbourhood and try putting a post on a local community forum- there will be lots of different names that come up which you can explore.

Do not entertain estimates which have not been produced as a result of a thorough roof inspection at height, both internally and externally - they're bound to miss something and will not be a true reflection of the real cost.

Ask your roofing contractor whether he is insured and has the correct licences, also how long he has been trading for. Can he provide references for people that he has worked for in your area?

When you have the estimate, ask the contractor whether he knows of any other costs that you will be liable for, for instance, there is usually a charge for scaffolding hire and sometimes this is not on the invoice as it is contracted out to a third party who will send you a separate bill.

The best estimates are the ones that are fully itemised because then you can see exactly where your money will be spent. This can be helpful because you can then work out where you might be able to shave some dollars off the final price. Always be honest with your contractor about your budget because a good roofing contractor will work with you in order to try and help you come in at the right price.

What does the estimate not include?

Unfortunately, your roofing estimate will not include every single cost that attaches to your project. Here is some of the costs that you might have to pay are not are generated from different sources:-

•         Building permits required for the project
•         Inspection and building fees
•         Sales taxes