How much will it cost to replace the roof on your home in the Atlanta in 2022?

How much does it cost to replace the roof on your Alpharetta and Atlanta area home in 2022? In this article we will do our best to answer all your questions surrounding the cost of a roof replacement. Keep in mind that we serve north Georgia from Atlanta to Blue Ridge so some of the issues we typically face as roofing contractors in the rainy tree covered areas of Georgia will be less of an issue in other parts of the country. This article will focus on shingle roof replacements, but we also install Metal roofing! If you’re looking for a short answer our average shingle roof replacement cost $9,500.00 in 2021 but the least expensive roof we installed was $4,800.00 and the most expensive shingle roof was $78,000.00.

There are many variables that affect the cost of a new roof

Like most construction projects the cost to replace a roof can vary wildly depending on a multitude of factors including but not limited to size, materials, complexity, safety concerns, flashing details, existing siding damage at roof to wall transitions and venting requirements.

Size affects the cost of your roof replacement

Roofing, much like siding is often measured in squares. 1 square (sq) equals 100 square feet of area. We have included some photos of different size roofs below to give you and idea of what size roof your home has. Some people are better at guessing square foot size than others. If you live inside of our service area and want a general idea of your homes measurements we have a great tool that allows you to take 8 photos and get highly accurate measurements. Give us at a call at 770-377-8009 and we can send you a link to hover.

Roofs 10-20 Sq

Roofs 20-25 Sq

Roofs 26-30 Sq

Roofs 30-35 Sq

Roofs 40-45 Sq

Roofs 50-55 Sq

Roofs 55-60 Sq

But no two roofs are the same, even if they have the exact same square feet of shingles. Below we will take a look at a few roofs we have recently priced and replaced and review each thing that affected the cost of replacing the roof.

Removing the existing roof is labor intensive and brings with it a few issues to look out for when it comes to putting together a roof estimate.

The first issue to consider when removing the roof is how many layers of roofing is there. Typical roofs have 1 layer of shingles but older roofs sometimes have 2 or more layers. Additional layers of shingles can increase the cost of removal by up to a thousand dollars per layer, depending on the need for additional trailers to haul off the trash. (Loom video going over a double layered roof and the cost differences of removing 1 layer vs 2 layers and the additional cost of modified roofing and metal roofing).
The type of roofing being removed can also increase the cost. Removing metal roofing can add between $500.00-1500.00. Membrane roofing often found on low slope roofs over back porches is sometimes adhered to the decking which requires removing both the plywood under the roofing and the membrane.
All of the old shingles have to be removed from the roof and be placed in a trailer to be hauled away. Occasionally when replacing roofs in communities like Lake Arrowhead and Big Canoe we come across steep driveways that make it difficult and unsafe to sit the dumpster close to the house. Very steep terrain that is difficult to navigate when carrying heavy loads of old shingles and dumpsters being placed far from the job site can add as much as $500.00 to the cost of a roof.

Decking Replacement or repair is a major component to your roof replacement cost

The next issue to consider when quoting a roof replacement is the condition of the decking under the shingles. Shingle manufactures and building codes require a solidly sheathed roof decking, with less than 1/8 gap between the boards and the capacity to hold a fastener. The majority of roofs in North Georgia and the Atlanta area currently have either 4×8 sheets of OSB or Plywood. We have found that the average 30 sq and smaller house requires about 4 sheets of decking to be replaced due to rot or other issues and roofs above 30 sq to 50 sq require 6 sheets on average. If you currently have multiple leaks you should assume you will need additional sheets of decking which cost $80.00 per sheet.

Some roofs on older homes in historic downtown areas such as Canton and Woodstock and especially the older neighborhoods of Buckhead and Atlanta have 1” x 6” boards used as the decking. We strongly believe that it’s important to install sheets of OSB over 1×6 decking to ensure a good surface to nail the shingles too. While the 1×6 decking has often served it’s purpose for over 50 years with little to no issues we have seen way too many issues with nailing directly to 1×6 decking when replacing old shingles. In early 2021 the cost of OSB and other wood products skyrocketed, going from around $14.00 per sheet for OSB all the way up to $45.00 in a matter of weeks. Fortunately the price has dropped in late Fall and continues to trend back to normal. Installing decking over your existing 1×6 decking boards in 2022 can add as much as $3000.00-$6000.00 to the cost of the roof. The high cost of deck overs often leads customers to wanting to forego the cost.

A short aside on the dangers of Installing shingles over 1×6

Nail Pops due to nailing too close to the edge of deck boards. The nail line on the shingles often lines up with the size of the 6” wide boards. This means that nails hit on the very edge of the old decking board. Over time the nail at the split wood will be forced up through the shingle as the wood expands and contracts. Ive seen old framing nails that attached the 1×6 decking back all the way through the shingle because the board holding it splintered and cracked when shingle nails where shot into them. If you want a roof that you dont have to repair every few years you must install solid osb or plywood over the old deck boards.
Nail Pops due to nails shot from a nail gun hitting knots in the board.
Nails not attached to anything. Nails can land in the space between the boards. Since the installer is nailing through shingles and roofing underlayment he can’t see where he is nailing in the wood. This leads to shingles that are prone to blow offs.

Note: metal roofs can be installed over 1×6 decking and are often times alot more price competitive since you don’t have the the expense of installing new decking.

Drip edge does not exist on most roofs installed before 2015 but adds significant cost to a new roof.

Unlike some Southern parts of Georgia, roofs in Cartersville and other metro Atlanta areas were not typically roofed with drip edge prior to 2015. Drip edge is a piece of metal flashing that is installed on the perimeter of your roof line. (For note only). Aluminum drip edge is around $2.75 per foot and the average house has between 320 -400 feet of drip edge. A common misconception I often come across with drip edge is the idea that roofing drip edge is sufficient to keep rodents out of the roof. While aluminum drip edge is great for shedding water it isn’t so good at keeping rodents from chewing through the flashing and creating new entires. If you are concerned about rodents entering your attic consider using a thicker galvanized steel drip edge which might be closer to $4.00 per foot.

Complexity affects the price of your roof: Ice and Water Shield and Flashing Details

A large factor in determining the cost of a roof is how complex it is. Increased complexity means more flashing and extra attention to leak prone areas such as valleys and roof to wall transitions.

One amazing product developed over the last 2 decades is a peal and stick leak barrier, more commonly known as ice and water shield. Imagine a giant sticker that creates a seal around every nail that is shot through it, that is more or less what ice and water shield is. Up until new codes came out in 2018, roofing companies in Atlanta weren’t required to install ice and water shield in valleys so often times they didn’t. When installing a new roof all vulnerable areas of the roof should be covered with ice and water as a secondary line of defense against water intrusion.

Areas Fowler Exteriors installs peel and stick leak barrier on roof replacements.

Valleys
Roof transitions (When a roof changes steepness, often over porches)
Roof to wall transitions such as chimneys and dormers.
Pipe penetrations such as plumbing vents and furnace vents.

Georgia Building Code only requires Ice and Water in valleys but we think a good roof should use ice and water at every vulnerable area. You should expect to spend around $3.40 per foot for ice and water (rolls are around 3 foot wide) and the typical house requires 100 – 200 foot.

Flashing Details are increased with more complex roofs:

The other way complexity has a large impact on the cost of a new roof is the amount of flashing details that are required. The majority of all roof leaks are a direct result of flashing failures, which is why we always change flashings instead of re-use them, even if at first the existing flashing appears to be in good shape. The only exception is flashing that is cut into stucco and masonry and even then we replace the flashings underneath. The cost to replace walls flashings vary depending on what the wall cladding is. It has always amazed me when contractors quote roofs, site unseen and only knowing the square footage. Below I will go over the the issues to consider and cost of flashing roofs at walls.

First you should know there are two main types of wall flashings. The first type is step flashings at slope roof to wall intersections and the second type is end wall flashing where a roof meets a wall at the same pitch all the way across.

Price of replacing flashing on a roof installation

During new construction and complete exterior renovations where we are replacing siding and roofs at the same time, step flashing is relatively simple to install. Replacing a roof while leaving the siding in place adds a bit of complexity. Often times we are replacing roofs with wood or fiber cement siding (James Hardi and Allura) or wood that was installed too tightly to the roof line, making it difficult to remove the existing roof and almost impossible to install new flashing without first cutting the siding. Other times we replace roofs with vinyl siding that may be old and brittle, making it difficult to remove the siding to install our flashing. I will note here that if the siding that meets your roof line is brittle or deteriorating we suggest having it changed during the roof installation. A homes exterior works as a system to shed water from one layer to the next, you can have the best roof in the world with perfectly installed flashing details but water can still get in if the siding above the flashing is damaged. The cost to replace step flashing, excluding the additional cost of siding repair or replacement (great place to link to a page about how much siding cost), is between $3.00 a foot to $5.75 a foot when the wall cladding is vinyl or lap siding (wood and fiber cement). If step flashing and counter flashing needs to be changed expect to pay up to $7.00 a foot. The average roof has between 50-150 foot of wall flashings. The more dormers and chimneys you have the more you can expect to spend in flashing replacement.

Tip: Insist your roofer install kick out flashing on every single job. It’s not an exaggeration to say that less than 10% of roofs we inspect in the Atlanta area have kick out flashing.

Ventilation is a an important consideration when replacing your roof.

The primary purpose of ventilation is to remove hot humid air from the attic and replace it with fresh air from the exterior. Roofing companies often maximize exhaust by adding venting at the ridge but never address intake vents at the soffit, creating an unbalanced system that potentially pulls conditioned air from the living space, adding more humidity to the attic and making it harder to heat and cool your home.

3 ways venting affects the cost of a roof replacement

Closing gable vents to increase the efficiency of ridge vents.
Adding intake vents at the soffit or roof edge.

Gable vents: Gable vents should be closed up from the inside when adding continuous ridge vent to a home. Gable vents prevent ridge vents from creating low pressure in the attic space to pull fresh air in at the soffits. The typical home in the atlanta area has 2-3 gable vents and it cost $100.00-$150.00 per vent to close off from the inside.

Intake vents at the soffit or roof edge: If you live in a home that has no over hangs at the gutter line, common on houses built in 1950 and before as well as the mid century modern style homes common in Kennesaw and Marietta. Since soffit venting isn’t in option in these situations we install an intake vent called edge venting just above the gutter line. If you have no soffits and need intake venting you can expect to pay between $250.00 to $550.00 on the typical home.

The largest material expense when replacing your roof is the shingles

Like nearly early single construction product the price of shingles has been as unpredictable as anytime I can recall in 2021. I sort of remember a brief time in 2008-2009 that shingle prices spiked and then went back down but recent price surges are continuing. 2022 is starting the year with an expected increase in shingle prices of between 10%-15%. Some designer shingles have been discontinued so laminate (commonly referred to as Architectural) shingle demand can be met. Laminate shingles are by far the number one type of roofing system installed in North Georgia. Over the last 15 years older 3-tab style shingles have slowly been replaced by better laminate shingles. The typical roof cost between $400.00-$1200.00 more for Architectural shingles over 3tab shingles but the quality is so much better. Metal roofing panels have increased at an even faster rate than shingles.

I bring up the cost increases in shingles to say that a large part of the cost of a roof is the shingles and those prices are currently unpredictable.

Walking is tricky enough without trying to do it on a steep roof

A steep roof that requires ropes and a harness to work safely slows down the project considerably. Most roofers will work on a ranch style home with a low slope roof with no ropes. The low slope means a roofing installer can stand easily and move around freely, getting more done. The typical roof in our service area steep enough to require ropes and harness cost between $500.00-$1500.00 more than a roof that can be easily walked.

Really low slope roofs can also add additional cost to a roof. When a roof has too low of a slope, common over back porches and additions, shingles wont suffice. Building codes and shingle manufactures require a minimum roof slope of 2/12 (roof slope must rise 2” for every 12” it travels horizontally). If a membrane roof is required over a section of your roof expect to spend an additional $1,500.00-$2500.00

The cost of your roofing replacement could also be affected by the surrounding siding:

In 2021 we received a rash of calls from customer looking for siding repair after hiring someone else to replace their roof. During the removal of the old roof the siding that touches the roof at dormers and chimney’s was damaged, often times leaving the step flashing below overly exposed and ineffective. When the roofing companies were asked to address the siding they throw their hands up and shrug. When I first started roofing in 2008 I more or less did the same thing, I was a roofer after all not the siding guy! In time I realized no one was really hiring me to replace their roof, they were hiring me to make sure water didn’t get into their home. After replacing a few hundred roofs it occurred to me that we should also address the siding that met our flashing because it was just as important as the shingles when it came to keeping water out of the home.

Signs you need to replace the siding above your roof line:

Leaks at their chimney.
Fiber cement or wood siding that has been installed tight against the shingles.
Rotted siding on dormer.

Expect to spend between $600.00-$2000.00 if you need to replace siding above your roof line.

So how much does a new roof cost in 2022?

A roof cost a lot more in 2022 than it did in 2021 and here on the 3rd day of the month we have already received yet another notice that price of material will rise yet again! If you live in our service area and want a basic shingle roof you can expect to spend between $7,000.00 on the low end up to $30,000.00 on the high end. We install roofs that cost less and we install roofs that cost more but the guides above should give you a basic idea of the cost of a roof and the different factors that affect that.

If you’re looking for a new roof give us a call today at 770-377-8009 for a free detailed quote to not only replace your roof but also address all of the other components you need for a dry home.