What a roof actually costs in Milwaukeethe Phoenix valley
Published ranges, and an honest explanation of the eight things that move a quote up or down.
Our published ranges
These are real figures from real Milwaukee jobs. Your exact number comes from a measured takeoff of your roof, and we will tell you which of the factors below apply to you before you commit to anything.
Most 1,400 to 2,200 sq ft homes. Tear-off to the deck, architectural asphalt, new underlayment, flashing and ventilation.
Flashing, pipe boots, valley metal and localized courses, depending on access, pitch and the extent of the failure.
5 inch K style seamless aluminum, hidden hangers, downspouts, and fascia replacement where needed.
Most 1,400 to 2,200 sq ft valley homes. Tear-off to the deck, architectural asphalt, new underlayment, flashing and ventilation.
Existing tile lifted and stacked, new underlayment laid, the same tile relaid. Broken tile replaced from your stock or matched.
Flashing, boots, cracked or slipped tile and localized courses after monsoon wind.Flashing, boots, lifted or missing shingles and localized courses after wind or ice.
The eight things that move the number
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Roof area | The base of everything, measured in squares of 100 sq ft. Note that this is roof surface, not floor area. |
| Pitch | Steeper roofs have more surface for the same footprint and take longer to work safely. Above about 8/12 both material and labor rise noticeably. |
| Complexity | Hips, valleys, dormers and changes of plane all mean cuts, and cuts mean waste and time. A simple gable and a cut-up roof of the same area are not the same job. |
| Existing layers | Two layers is twice the tear-off, twice the disposal, and often a heavier dumpster charge. |
| Tile handling | On a re-underlayment the tile has to come off by hand, be stacked without breaking, and go back on. That labor is most of the job, and breakage rates vary by tile age and profile. |
| Deck condition | Unknown until the roof is open. We price it per sheet up front so it cannot become a surprise. |
| Material choice | Standard architectural, impact rated, or a designer profile. The gap between them is usually smaller than people expect, and it is the one part of the quote you fully control. |
| Material choice | Asphalt, impact rated asphalt, or tile. Tile costs more up front and lasts far longer, but budget for a re-underlayment partway through its life. It is the one part of the quote you fully control. |
| Flashing and detail | Chimneys, skylights, wall lines and valleys. Reusing old metal makes a bid cheaper and a roof worse. |
| Access | Where the truck and dumpster can sit, whether the yard can take equipment, and how far material has to be carried. |
Cost per year of service is the figure that matters. A $12,000 roof that lasts twenty five years costs $480 a year. A $9,500 roof installed over unaddressed rot that fails in twelve costs $790 a year, plus the interior damage on the way.
What we do not do
- Same-day-only pricing. Our quote is good for thirty days and does not evaporate when we leave your kitchen.
- Covering deductibles. It is fraud, and a contractor willing to defraud your insurer is telling you something.
- Pricing before measuring. A number given before anyone measures is either padded or provisional.
- Blended totals. Materials and labor are separated so you can compare like with like.
Common questions
Why is tile priced so differently from asphalt?
Because a tile job is mostly labor. The tile itself often has decades of life left, so the work is lifting and stacking it by hand, replacing the underlayment underneath, and relaying it without breakage. That is a different job from tearing off asphalt and starting again.
Why will you not give a price over the phone?
We will give you a range over the phone, and this page is that range in writing. What we will not do is commit to a figure for a roof nobody has measured, because that number is either padded to be safe or low enough to need renegotiating later.
Is the cheapest bid ever the right one?
Sometimes. It is the right one when it describes the same scope as the others and the contractor is simply leaner. It is the wrong one when it is cheaper because it leaves out flashing, starter, ridge cap or ventilation, which is more common.
Do you offer discounts?
We price the job once, properly, and that is the price. We do not run a higher number so we can discount it, and we do not offer a price that expires tonight.
Want the number for your roof, not the range?
The inspection and the written scope cost nothing, and you keep the measurements whether or not you hire us.