How Much Does a New Roof Cost in the Memphis Area?
Nobody can give you an exact number without seeing the roof. Here are the real factors that drive the price, so you know what you're paying for.
We get this question on the phone all the time, and the honest answer is that no roofer can give you a real number without getting up on the roof. Anyone who quotes you a flat price over the phone is guessing, or worse, baiting you. Here's what actually determines what you pay, so you can read a quote and know what's behind it.
The biggest factor: size
Roofers measure in squares, which is 100 square feet of roof surface. A bigger roof means more material and more labor, and that's the biggest driver of cost. Two houses on the same street can have very different prices just because one has more roof on it.
The material you choose
Architectural shingles are the most common choice around here, and they're the best value for most budgets. A heavier, impact-resistant shingle costs more but takes hail better. Standing seam steel costs the most up front and lasts the longest. The material is the second biggest factor, and it's a real choice you get to make based on your house and your budget.
Pitch and how cut-up the roof is
A steep roof takes longer to work on, and a roof with a lot of valleys, dormers, and changes in pitch has more detail work. Both add labor. A simple low-pitch ranch is the fastest and cheapest to roof. A two-story house with multiple rooflines costs more for the same square footage.
What's under the old roof
We won't know the condition of your decking until the old shingles come off. If the wood underneath is soft or rotted, it has to be replaced, and that's an added cost we can't see from the surface. This is the one variable that can change a quote after work starts. When it happens, we show you the bad wood, explain the cost, and let you decide before we keep going.
Why we give you a written, itemized quote
Every quote we hand you is broken down line by line. The material, the brand, the quantities, the labor, and the disposal. You can see exactly what you're paying for and compare it apples to apples. If a quote is just one number with nothing behind it, you can't tell whether it's fair or whether something's being skipped to make the price look low.
Watch for bait pricing
A quote that's dramatically lower than the others is usually leaving something out, like proper underlayment or flashing replacement, or it's a teaser that changes once the crew is on your roof. The written, itemized quote is your protection against that. If the number on the paper changes, you have something to point to.