A roof replacement is a large investment. Because of this, homeowners try to find ways to make it a little more affordable.
This includes replacing their roof at the right time to make it more affordable. That’s why a common question we’re asked is, “What’s the cheapest time of year to replace my roof?”
For over 30 years, the team at Bill Ragan Roofing has taken pride in answering tough questions the rest of the industry avoids. That’s why I’ll break down the most affordable time of year to buy a new roof and more.
This article starts by answering when the cheapest time of year to replace your roof is. After that, you’ll learn 4 reasons not to look for the cheapest possible price.
What is the cheapest time of year to replace your roof?
No matter when you decide to get one, a new roof is a large investment. However, winter is usually the cheapest time of year to replace your roof.
This is simply because winter is the slowest time of year in the roofing industry. Because of this, roofing contractors’ prices are generally the lowest or more competitive during the winter months.
This varies depending on the number of roofers in your area and the weather you experience in the winter. While it may be a cheaper time of year, a new roof will still be a large investment.
However, roofing contractors tend to make their prices more competitive when there aren’t as many opportunities during the winter.
4 reasons not to go looking for the cheapest roof replacement
Now you know the cheapest time of year to replace your roof. But while looking for the more affordable time of year is alright, you shouldn’t go looking for the cheapest price.
Going into the roof replacement process with this mindset makes you an easy target to get taken advantage of by a bad roofer. Let’s get to the 4 reasons you shouldn’t look for the cheapest roof replacement.
1. You get the quality of roof you pay for
The first reason you shouldn’t try to find the cheapest roof possible is that you get the quality you pay for. When getting a new roof, it costs more for quality labor, roofing materials, and components.
If you get the cheapest roof possible, you’ll get the cheapest components and labor available. They could even lower their prices by not installing crucial components, like drip edge, to win your business.
At the end of the day, you’re setting yourself up for premature failure by looking for the cheapest roof possible. That’s why investing in quality materials and workmanship from the beginning is crucial when buying a new roof.
2. Your roof investment won’t be maximized
The return on your roof investment is how many years it stays leak-free. For an asphalt roof, this could be anywhere from 20 to 30 years, depending on the type of shingle used.
But because you paid for the cheapest roof with the cheapest materials with cheap labor to install them, I guarantee your investment won’t be maximized. Now you may think if you invest in quality materials and then look for the lowest price to install them.
But this leads to cut corners and incorrect roofing techniques, leading to the quality roofing materials failing before they should. Because of all this, it's important to invest in quality no matter what, even if you’re looking for the most affordable type of roof.
3. You won’t get the best roof warranties to protect your investment
You get two warranties to protect your roof investment from any future problems after it’s installed. You get one on the workmanship of the contractor you hire and one from the manufacturer on your roofing materials.
Every roof should have these warranties, but going with the cheapest option means you won’t get the best ones to protect your investment. When you mix and match to get the cheapest roof possible, I can guarantee you won’t qualify for an enhanced warranty on your entire roof system from shingle manufacturers.
Even if you qualify for an enhanced warranty, it’ll most likely be voided due to improper installation or inadequate attic ventilation from cheap labor. If you can’t fall back on your material warranty, you’ll have to rely on your roofing contractor’s workmanship warranty.
But if you hired the company with the lowest-priced labor costs, you’ll most likely only get a two-year or possibly a five-year warranty.
It’s highly doubtful that a roofing contractor will give more than a five-year workmanship warranty for something they know will have problems down the road. They just want to get through the warranty period before it fails and not be on the hook to fix it.
4. You’ll pay more money in the long run
Remember, you get the quality roof you pay for. By getting the cheapest roof you can find, you’ll have roof problems sooner rather than later.
They might not show up immediately, but they will eventually. When this happens, you’ll have to pay out of pocket to take care.
This leads to spending more money in the long run with repairs and eventually a full roof replacement well before you should need one. A cheap roof replacement might be tempting, but it brings stress, frustration, and takes more of your hard-earned money.
That’s the last thing you want after spending thousands of dollars on a new roof.
How much does a roof replacement cost?
Now you know the 4 reasons why you shouldn’t look for the cheapest roof replacement possible. I understand paying for a new roof isn’t fun, and finding a cheap price is tempting.
Just know there are ways to afford a new, quality roof, even on a budget. The hard part is knowing the budget you’ll even need for a roof replacement.
Unfortunately, finding accurate pricing information in the roofing industry is hard. In fact, cost questions are usually avoided completely because of sticker shock.
But I believe in being transparent, even around cost related questions. That’s why I wrote another article breaking down how much a roof replacement costs based on the roofing material you choose.
Check out How Much It Costs to Replace a Roof to learn the budget you’ll need for your new roof.
