There are a lot of factors that go into the cost of a roof replacement. These factors include the roofing material you choose, the rest of your roof system’s components, and much more.
But what about roof pitch? Does it affect the cost of your roof replacement at all? The answer might surprise you.
For over 30 years, the team at Bill Ragan Roofing has helped homeowners understand everything that goes into the cost of a roof replacement. Now we’re going to break down how roof pitch impacts the pricing.
To start this article, we’ll quickly overview what roof pitch even is. After that, we’ll get right into how roof pitch affects the cost of your roof replacement.
To finish this article, we’ll give you 3 more factors that impact the cost of a roof replacement based on the layout of your roof.
What is roof pitch?
Roof pitch (also called roof slope) is simply the steepness (angle) of your roof. A roof’s pitch is calculated by the number of inches it rises vertically for every 12 inches extends horizontally.
If you see roof pitch in writing or hear it from a roofing contractor, it’ll be in the form of a ratio. For example, a roof that is 4 inches up for every 12 inches out is called a 4/12 pitch.
Depending on the complexity of your roof, there could be multiple pitches. This could be in the form of a low slope area or a different roof facet with a little more/less steepness.
Be aware, I don’t recommend getting on your roof to measure its pitch. You’ll learn this when your roofing contractor comes out for an inspection.
How does roof pitch affect the cost of your roof replacement?
Now that you’ve had a quick refresher about what roof pitch is, you’re ready to learn how it affects the cost of your roof replacement. Roof pitch affects the labor and time it takes to complete the job, which has a big impact on the price of a new roof.
(Roof with a steep pitch)
The steeper the roof pitch, the more time it takes to replace a roof. For example, a steep roof pitch doesn’t allow the installers to move around or access the materials as easily as they would on a walkable pitch.
It also comes down to safety and taking the proper precautions during installation. The steeper the roof, the more safety measures (harnesses and tying off) installers have to take when working.
This makes the labor and time cost even higher for your roof replacement. No matter what, the steeper the roof, the more it adds to the cost of a replacement.
3 more factors that affect the cost of your roof replacement besides roof pitch
Now you know how roof pitch affects the price of your roof replacement. But that’s just one thing that affects the price.
Below are 3 more factors that impact the cost of your roof replacement. While there are even more factors, these 3 have to do with the layout of a roof specifically.
1. The accessibility of your roof
The accessibility of your roof is exactly like it sounds; it’s the access point installers use to replace your roof. You might not think this is a big deal, but roof accessibility is an important cost factor.
Your roof’s access point is used to tear off the old roof, get the torn-off materials into the dump truck, send the new materials back up to the roof, and everything in between. If your roof is hard to access, it leads to more time and labor to do all of the above.
Because of the extra time and labor being used, the cost of your replacement goes up. For example, a home with rows of shrubbery, a fence, and a driveway far away from the installers costs more than a home with a roof that is easy to get to right off the driveway.
(Roof that's hard to access)
Even though it seems like such a small detail, roof accessibility plays a key role in the time it takes to replace your roof. That’s why it’s one of the first things a roofing contractor looks for when estimating the cost of your new roof.
2. The number of penetrations your roof has
A roof penetration is anything that comes through your roof. Common roof penetrations are roof vents, plumbing vents, gas vents, kitchen/bathroom vents, skylights, and chimneys.
(Roof with a lot of penetrations)
The more penetrations your roof has, the more time and manpower it takes to work around them to install your new roof. Just like everything else in this article, the extra time and labor to work around them add to the cost of your roof replacement.
Smaller pipes or vents won’t add that much to the cost. But bigger penetrations (skylights, chimneys, etc.) take longer to flash and work around, which adds more to the cost of your new roof.
3. The size and complexity of your roof
The most obvious cost factor on this list is the size of your roof. Obviously, the square footage has a huge impact on the cost of your new roof.
It affects everything, including the amount of materials used, labor, and time needed to complete the job. While the size of your roof impacting the price is pretty obvious, most homeowners don’t know how their roof’s complexity impacts the cost.
Roof complexity is how many facets, hips, valleys, and, of course, the pitch of your roof. The more complex the roof, the more it’ll cost to replace.
(Complex roof)
For example, a roof with multiple facets at different angles, hips, valleys, and a steep pitch is more difficult and takes a lot longer to replace than a simple ranch-style roof with only two or four roof facets. You also need to consider how high off the ground your roof is.
The higher the roof, the more precautions the installers have to take. For their own safety, they have to move slower and more carefully just like they have to on a steep pitch.
How much will your roof replacement cost?
Now you know 3 more things that impact the cost of your roof replacement. Remember, there are even more cost factors that a roofing contractor takes into account when estimating the price of your roof replacement.
Understanding what affects the cost of a new roof is important information to know. But don’t you want to know how much a roof actually costs once these factors are added up?
If you answered yes, then you’re not alone. The biggest question, and concern, most homeowners have about a roof replacement is how much it costs.
Because of this, we wrote another article that gives you the average cost of a new roof and the cost per square foot of the different types of roofing materials.
Since 1990, the team at Bill Ragan Roofing has provided high-quality roof replacements to homeowners in Nashville, Franklin, Brentwood, and surrounding Middle Tennessee areas. We work with you and your budget to give you a roof that lasts for decades.
Check out The Average Cost to Replace a Roof: Which Roofing Material Fits Your Budget? to learn how much your new roof will cost.
