Shelter is something that has been sought by man since the very start, whether it was in the form of caves in the early ages or as a roof of a home in today’s day and age. A roof is the most important part of the house as it protects you from the sun, wind, dirt, rain, and snow. It keeps you and your family safe and provides protection against extreme weather conditions in addition to other external harmful factors.
The significance of a roof in a home cannot be overlooked, which is why the upkeep and maintenance of the roof must be done regularly. You can take up this as a challenge and opt for a DIY approach, but it is recommended to hire a qualified professional roofer to check your roof for damages and leaks at least twice a year and tell you whether your roof needs repairs or replacement.
Re-roofing a house, however, can be an expensive and tedious job. At times like these, you would want a loyal roofer by your side to see through the entire process. But when people reach out to roofing companies and ask them for a quote, they always end up wondering why a roofer is so expensive.
If you agree and looking for an answer as to why a roofer is expensive, keep reading this article to find out the factors that add to the cost of a roofer.

Why is Roofing So Expensive?
Whether you get a new roof altogether or get it repaired, it is common knowledge that roof work is expensive. There are many factors involved that can impact the cost of roofing. To completely understand why a roofer/roofing is expensive, you must break down the roofing process.
Even a basic roof repair can appear to be unnecessarily costly. While much of the work is basic, finishing a solid, safe, and reliable roof requires knowledge and high-quality materials. Materials, labour, and insurance expenses all contribute to skyrocketing roof repair costs.
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Materials
One major thing that hugely impacts the cost of roofing is the materials that are used. Roofing materials are always on the rise, especially mud tiles, shingles, and wood, whose price has almost doubled. Moreover, tile and asphalt (the two most used materials in roofing), are made with concrete, clay, and oil, and the prices of oil are on the rise. This affects the overall cost of the tiles, and this is why a roofer is expensive.
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Labour
There are many companies out there that provide roofing services and all of them have their quotes for the job. Not all roofers are expensive, but you must realise the importance of choosing the right roofer for the job. You must look for a roofer that has a roofing license and quality work. Some roofing companies might be cheaper to work with but you don’t want to compromise on the quality of work by hiring someone inexperienced.
Labour and time are two of the main factors a roofing contractor considers when calculating the price of your new roof. If anything takes time and labour, it will show up in the final cost of your roof replacement.
Hiring an entry-level roofer might cost you less money now, but a lot more in the longer run. So make sure you vet the contractor before hiring them to reroof your home.
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Insurance
Another important thing that might add to the cost of roofing is the worker’s insurance your roofing company might have to apply for all its workers. This tends to directly impact the cost of roofing and make it an expensive matter. Roof work requires a team of roofers; the bigger the team, the higher the end-cost of the roofers.
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Tearing Off the Old Roof
Roofing is an extremely hard and precise job and must be done by experienced professionals. The installing of a roof does not only entail adding a new roof to the house but removing the multiple layers of the old roof and disposing of it. Many roofing contractors have to spend hours and even days removing the old roof from the house which tends to affect the overall cost of the roofing job.
Is It Worth Replacing a Roof?
If you are having problems with your roof because of damage and leaks, replacing it will take care of the problem long-term. A reputable roofing contractor will advise you to repair it if you are on a budget, but eventually, these problems will arise again and you will have to tear down the old roof and install a new one. Replacing a roof can also increase the value of your home by 63% on average.
What Should My Roof Estimate Include?
The roof of your home is exposed to most of the worst external weather conditions. Therefore, you must take care of your roof and get it checked out by a professional roofing contractor regularly.
Looking for a roofing contractor can be extremely overwhelming and often homeowners are unaware of what to ask for when contacting a roofer for a job. Cardiff Roofers is one of the top roofing companies in all of the United Kingdom and has completed several successful projects throughout the UK.
Our team makes sure to go over every detail of the contract before signing for the job. We make sure our clients are aware of all the technicalities of the roofing estimate and are satisfied with our service. We go over each detail of the estimate so that our clients are aware of everything they are paying for.
We have compiled a detailed list of what to look for in your roof estimate contract:
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How is Labour Factored into Your Roof Estimate?
Labour has been factored into each one of the line items in your roofing contract estimate. For example, the price of an individual shingle will have the added cost of the labour that is required to install it on the roof.
Each roofer has its own cost of labour and it differs from company to company too. Many factors can affect the cost of roofing labour, so make sure to ask your roofing contractor before you agree to hire them. The cost of labour a roofer can change but the cost of the materials tends to stay the same in a given area.
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How Many Layers Will Be Torn Off Your Old Roof?
One thing you must be sure of in the listing is the number of layers of the roof that the roofing contractor is expected to tear off. Many roofs have a single layer but some have multiple layers of roofing material.
If your contractor has mentioned the cost of the removal of a single layer, your final cost will be much higher than the original estimate. While signing on your roofing contractor, make sure you mention the layers and hire a reputable roofing company to install your new roof.
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How Your Contractor Will Protect Your Property During Your Roof Replacement?
One of the reasons roofing costs a lot of money is because it includes many side jobs other than installing a roof. The process of prepping the area, protecting the property, covering the swimming pool (if there is one), and tearing down the old roof takes much more time and energy than the actual process of installing a roof.
One of the main things a roofing contractor has to take care of is the protection of your property. In your roofing contract, you may see a list of items that the roofer might need to protect, for instance, your lawn, swimming pool, attic, and other landscaping from debris while installing a roof. This impacts the overall cost of roofing and is one of the reasons why a roofer is so expensive.
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Does the Rotten Deck Need to Be Replaced?
It is impossible to know whether you need a new deck to replace your old rotten one until the old roofing has been torn out. Therefore, before signing your roofing estimate, make sure you ask your roofing contractor how much it will cost for a new deck to be installed. Most estimates include replacing the deck which is also one of the reasons why a roofer is expensive.
Some contractors tend to include the cost of a new deck before inspecting the old one. This means that if your roof does not require a new deck, you will end up paying for the materials whether your roofing contractor uses them or not. Make sure to go over every detail with your roofing contractor to avoid any surprise costs later in the project.
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Drip Edge
Another important thing that people forget to look for in their roofing estimate is whether it mentions the installation of a drip edge. Oftentimes, while replacing the old roof, the drip edge gets torn off too. In your roofing estimate, your contractor must mention the colour, cost, and placement of the drip edge (if need be).
All of these points are important for you to consider while hiring a roofing contractor. It is recommended that you go choose a qualified and experienced roofing company like Cardiff Roofers, who makes sure to walk you through every detail of the project step by step and answer all of your queries. Our team at Cardiff Roofers puts our client’s satisfaction first and makes sure the entire process of installing a roof is reasonable and fair for them.
What to Look for in Roofing Proposals?
We have identified and broken down all the things that must be prevalent in our roofing estimate. The next step in the process is for you to look at the proposal sent by the roofing contractor. Here is a small list of things that you must look for in a roofing proposal presented by your contractor:
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The Materials Used
The roofing contractor you choose for the job must mention in the proposal exactly what kind of materials they plan on using on your roof. The details must be accurate from the name of the manufacturing company to the style, shape, grade, and colour of the materials. This will help you visualise what your new roof will look like and you can even ask for a specific material if you want.
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Scheduling
A roofing proposal must include a tentative schedule of when different steps of the process will take place. The roofing job is not an easy process and can take a couple of days which can be extremely inconvenient for the residents of that home. Therefore, a schedule must be provided to let the clients know exactly when the roofers will be there and a tentative date for how long the project may take.
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Explanation of Liabilities
If you hire a qualified and experienced roofer, they will include an explanation of any potential liabilities that might occur while they are on the job. A roofing contractor’s insurance covers any potential liabilities in case of an accident or injury. Looking for an explanation of liabilities is an important point in the roofing proposal because that will tell you what type of insurance your roofer has.
In case your roofer doesn’t have any insurance, you will be responsible for any accident that happens on your property, and most probably your roof won’t be compliant with the local building code of your area.
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Explanation of Warranty
There are multiple warranties in a roofing job. There is a warranty on the materials used and a warranty on the job the roofing contractor and their team complete. The roofing proposal should include in detail all of these warranties to ensure you are protected in case the shingles fall off or the amount and quality of work promised aren’t delivered by the contractor and their team.
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How Waste Will Be Removed
The entire process of roofing can be extremely messy, especially when the old deck and roof are torn off to install the new one. There are nails and debris of the old roof flying everywhere, landing on your lawn and landscaping, and pool. Therefore, whoever you decide to hire as your roofing contractor must mention in the proposal what they plan to do about the waste and what will be the process of its removal. Make sure your chosen roofers offer to cover up the swimming pool, attic, and valuable landscaping before starting work, and clean it up at the end of the job. Otherwise, you will have to pay more than you bargained for at the end of the project.
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How Will the Roof Be Paid for?
A detailed proposal also mentions all the costs, when they need to pay it and how. Every roofing contractor has a different method of payment. Some take the money in instalments while the others ask for a part upfront and the rest at the end of the project. A quality proposal also outlines each cost and presents an itemised list.
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Additional Costs
A good proposal must outline a list of all the potential additional costs that may be associated with roofing like the repair of sub-roofing, installing flashing, replacing the rotten deck, etc. the additional costs are more likely to come from the issues present in your roof that the roofing contractor has to take care of before installing a new roof.
Any good roofing company will make sure all of the costs are outlined in the proposed contract and will also let the clients know of any hidden costs that may present at the end of the project.
Therefore, you should look for a qualified and licensed roofing company like Cardiff Roofers to repair, replace, or maintain your roof. Our team at Cardiff Roofers makes sure everything is taken care of and the clients are involved throughout the process of the project. If you are looking for a dedicated team of contractors to work on your roof, consider Cardiff Roofers for the job. Contact us at 02922 676 637.
How Much Should Replacing a Roof Cost?
The cost of replacing a roof can vary from company to company but the average cost of roofing lies between £5000 and £6000. The roof replacement can also be as low as £3000 and can go as high as £16,300. If you are looking for a roofing contractor and want to know how much it will cost you to replace your roof, you can contact Cardiff Roofers and ask directly for a free quote.