It often helps to do a roof repair cost analysis to determine the work that you need to be done to your roof. Suppose you are putting money into roof repairs regularly. In that case, you probably want to think about replacement instead since that initial cost outlay might end up being smaller than the price for, say, monthly roof repairs.
Roof repair costs will vary widely since replacing one or two shingles that blew off in a storm will cost a lot less than having to replace decking and a whole section of shingles, so it’s crucial to consider many factors before making a decision.
Roof Repair Cost Analysis
Things to Consider
Before we start a roof repair job, we have to know what’s wrong with it, as you can’t fix something if you don’t know what’s broken. You will need to see the problem, the materials you’re dealing with, and where the issue is (if the problem is “the whole roof leaks,” well, that’s more of a replacement situation than a repair one).
What Needs Repairing
There are different tools and skills needed depending on what’s wrong. If you’ve got an issue with your chimney flashing, you aren’t going to need too many shingles, so those costs will be minimal. But you will need to think about paying for the replacement flashing, plus any necessary resealing. Even though you probably won’t need many shingles, you will need some, and those aren’t free.
A chimney flashing repair averages about $250, but if you’ve got something like a hole in your roof because you will need more shingles and perhaps some plywood and other materials, that can cost you up to $1,000. However, the average cost is probably going to be closer to $500 or $600. The same goes for patch jobs and leak repairs.
If you’re only replacing a few shingles that ended up in your yard after a violent thunderstorm, perhaps, then your roof repair cost will not exceed more than a few hundred dollars, if that. And provided the pitch of your roof is something you feel comfortable with, you can save labor costs by doing it yourself.
When we get into things like severe hail damage or a sagging roof, repair costs begin to get high enough that you will probably be better off with a complete replacement.
Materials Needed
If you are only considering materials involved, we look at the cost per square foot of roofing material (and we can extend to cost per square, which is a unit of measure of material needed to cover 100 square feet of roof). Some will be more than others. Slate, clay, or terracotta tiles will be more expensive than asphalt or composite shingles, and solar roof tiles will be even more so.
| Material | Cost per square foot | Cost per square |
| Aluminum metal roofing | $3 to $6 | $300 to $600 |
| Asphalt shingles | $9 to $10 | $900 to $1,000 |
| Composite shingles | $6 to $9 | $600 to $900 |
| Slate tile | $10 to $15 | $1,000 to $1,500 |
| Solar roof tile | $20 to $25 | $2,000 to $2,500 |
| Terracotta tile | $6 to $16 | $600 to $1,600 |
| Zinc metal roofing | $6 to $11 | $600 to $1,100 |
These are broad estimates. Your actual cost will depend on the time of year, supply chain issues, the part of the country in which you live, your roofing contractor, and any number of other variables.
The more expensive your roofing materials are, incidentally, the more likely you will be to find that repair is more cost-effective than a total replacement. Five damaged solar roof tiles might cost a lot more to fix than the same area would on a shake shingle roof, so unless the damage is catastrophic, you will probably not feel the need to replace the whole thing.
Repair Location
The average cost of a carport roof repair will cost much less than on the roof of your house. As such, the repair’s location will also affect cost. Repairing a roof on your deck might only cost you a few hundred dollars, while the average house roof repair can range from $400 to $1,500, again, depending on what the problem is and what materials the repair requires.
Other Decision-making Factors
If your roof is more than 20 years old, the chances are excellent that it needs to be replaced, no matter how minor the repair at hand might seem. Also, if you see curling edges on more than a few of your shingles, the repair is probably not prudent, either.
However, depending on the roof repair cost, the severity of the problem, and the type of roof you have, you may face a decision as to whether repair or replacement is the better option.
If you’re lucky, the repair cost estimates found here might dictate that roof replacement would be overkill. In that case, call your contractor or get on the roof yourself and get that fixed. You never know when it’s going to rain again.
For more information, check out our roof replacement services, and contact us right away to get you an estimate and work with you to get started!
