In Colorado, it's not a matter of if you need to replace your roof; it's when you should do so. Because of the weather in the Colorado Springs area, you are looking at a roof replacement around every 7 years. But, is a new roof replacement expensive in Colorado Springs? The answer depends on several key factors you should consider when deciding whether or not to repair or replace your roof.
Here are some that you need to consider:
Talk to Your Insurance
The first thing you need to find out is whether your insurance company will assist in paying for your new roof. The reality is, there's often a big difference between what a new roof actually costs, and what an insurance company believes it should cost.
If your insurance will pay for part of the roof's cost, there are 3 main things that you'll be responsible for:
- Your deductible: It's the homeowner's responsibility to pay his/her deductible before the insurance company comes into the picture.
- Upgrades: If you're getting a replacement roof that exactly corresponds to the original, then this isn't an issue. However, if you want to add any upgrades to your roof (fancy shingles, new vents, etc.) then you have to pay for those upgrades out of pocket.
- Homeowner maintenance: There are a few things you may be responsible to repair and maintain as the homeowner. For example, If there are rotted boards under the shingles or other repairs that need to take place, odds are you'll have to pay for those separately from the roof replacement.
What is Your Home’s Elevation?
In El Paso County, if your home is 7,000 feet or higher in elevation, then code requires that you install a product called an ice and water shield on your eaves (where your gutters are). The ice and water shield can be an expensive product, which will raise the total cost of your roof replacement.
The requirements related to the ice and water shield vary depending on county. For example, Elbert County requires all houses to have ice and water shield regardless of elevation, whereas Teller County requires ice and water shield on the eaves and in the valleys.
Height and Steepness of the Roof
If your roof has an eave that's over 17 feet from the ground, then it's considered a second story. That means that "high roof charges" will apply to your home.
If your roof is steep (a pitch that is greater than 6 over 12), it will also increase the roof costs.
Complexity of the Roof
If your roof is complex (in other words, it has a lot of valleys, ridges, and angles) then you'll likely be looking at higher roofing costs, since it will require extra work to fit the materials to your roof's surface.
Roof Size
This may seem obvious, but size also plays a big role in the ultimate cost of your roof replacement. If you have a very large surface area, then your roof costs will go up.
Homeowner Maintenance Issues
If your roofer discovers structural damage or other issues during the roof replacement, then those issues must be fixed before your new roof can be installed. For example, if your roof deck (the wood on top of your trusses that the shingles get nailed to) has rotten boards, then those must be replaced before the roofer can install the new roof. In addition, if you have an older home with slat decking, the whole deck will need to be replaced for a new installation.
Installing a new roof deck on a new house is very expensive, and will have a dramatic effect on total costs.
Accessibility
If your roof is hard to reach, then the roofing company you hire may not be able to unload the shingles directly onto the roof, meaning that they'll have to hand carry shingle packs up a ladder in order to install a new roof. This could dramatically increase your roofing costs, since the roofers will charge for their extra labor.
Rule #1: Don't Make Your Decision Based on Price
If your insurance company will pay most of the costs of the roof replacement, then price may not be a major issue for you. After all, you'll mainly be responsible for paying the deductible, while the insurance company will pay for the labor and material costs that the contractor charges.
If you don't have insurance on your roof, you still don't want to make your decision based on price alone. You want to make sure that your roofers have the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to deliver high quality work.
Talk to several roofing companies, and get their estimates. If there are differences, ask them why. Choose the company that you are most comfortable with, that you trust the most, and that you feel has the most credibility.
Average Roof Replacement Costs for Colorado Springs
If your house is in the Central, South, or East part of Colorado Springs, you can expect that an average cost for replacement of your roof will range from $8,000 to $9,600.
On the Southwest or West side of Colorado Springs, you'll be looking at a higher price range, from $10,000 to $15,000.
On the north side of town (Briargate, Gleneagle), the price will run about $9,000 to $12,000.
As you go further north into Flying Horse, Monument, and the surrounding areas, you'll find average costs that are similar to the Southwest part of town.
If you have questions, or you'd like us to come out and give you an estimate, reach out to us at 719.433.6991, or contact us on our website.
