Editorial note: Homefront (defined in the Disclosure below) may earn a commission from affiliate partner links featured on our site. This commission does not influence our editors’ opinions or evaluations.
Eleni N. Gage is a contributing writer at 潘金莲传媒映画 Homefront. She has also written about parenting for The New York Times, tiny hotels for House Beautiful and Greece for Travel+Leisure. Eleni is the author of a travel memoir, two novels, and the gift book Lucky in Love: Traditions, Customs, & Rituals to Personalize Your Wedding. A borderline hoarder, she spends her free time trying to declutter her home by offloading her treasure to her Buy Nothing group. Eleni lives in New York City with her Nicaraguan husband and their Greekaraguan children. Follow her .
Depending on the material, a roof can last 10 to well over 50 years without needing repair.
There are key steps you can take to extend your roof鈥檚 life span, from regular maintenance checks to gutter cleaning.
If you need a new roof, the right material for you will depend on your weather conditions, local building regulations, whether the roof is sloped or flat, and, of course, your budget.
Your roof is your home’s crowning glory 鈥 after all, it keeps you warm in winter, cool in summer and dry year-round. It鈥檚 also the finishing touch that makes your house look complete. But the truth is, most of us take our roofs for granted.
How long does a roof last, anyway? You probably don鈥檛 think too much about the cost of a new roof until there鈥檚 a problem, such as a roof leak or crack that invites squirrels into your attic.
鈥淢ost homeowners wouldn鈥檛 know what to look for,鈥 said Patrick Ward of , a company that has been installing, repairing and replacing roofs in Brooklyn, New York, for almost 20 years. In Ward鈥檚 experience, homeowners call when there is already a leak.
A new asphalt roof cost $5,400鈥$12,200 on average.
A metal roof replacement ranges from $10,900 to $25,800 on average.
Clay tile and slate roofs can cost between $24,100 and $37,300 on average.
That said, there are telltale signs that it鈥檚 time to consider patching up your roof 鈥 or replacing it entirely. When your roof starts to crack, spread, leak or get past its prime, there are a few things to consider as you decide if it鈥檚 an isolated problem that could be fixed or if the whole roof needs to go.
If you鈥檙e already a homeowner, here鈥檚 what to look for to maintain your roof and how to solve problems before leaks start.
A roof鈥檚 life span can range from 10 to 50-plus years, depending on the material. 鈥淥bviously, a lot of roof replacement, repair and longevity really depends on climate,鈥 said Danny Spears, CEO and founder of in Austin.
Regardless of where you live, your roof needs to stand up to the elements. 鈥淲ater, rain, sun, sleet, snow is the killer to all [roofs],鈥 Spears added.
Algae, mold and pests also present problems. The key to a long roof life expectancy is to pay attention to your roof and treat it with care that aligns with its material. A metal roof and an asphalt shingle roof need different care, for example.
If you are replacing a roof or building a new home and considering roofing systems, you鈥檒l also need to know the construction laws in your area. In many states, including New York, you鈥檙e allowed to install a new asphalt shingle roof over an old one 鈥 a process called a 鈥渓ayover鈥 鈥 but it can only have up to two layers at a time, said Ward.
In other states, layovers are prohibited, and the old roof must be torn out before getting replaced with a new one. To learn the laws in your area, the is a good place to start.
Each roofing material has different properties suited to specific climates and architectural styles, all of which contribute to a roof’s life expectancy.
The most affordable and common roofing option, asphalt roof shingles, are those squares you see covering peaked roofs 鈥 you can鈥檛 shingle a flat roof because water doesn鈥檛 drain off quickly enough. With proper care, asphalt shingles last 15 to 30 years, although longevity depends on the shingle type, Ward said.
Made of asphalt and other materials, including fiberglass and various metals, they鈥檙e topped with granules that give them a gritty surface which helps them resist damage from UV rays, adds to their fire resistance and gives the shingles their signature appearance.
They can be repaired in sections, or a new shingle roof can be installed over an existing one in a layover if state law permits.
The downsides to asphalt shingles? They hold onto heat. Asphalt shingles can retain heat from a 100-degree day until 2 or 3 a.m., Spears said, noting that this can impact your home鈥檚 energy consumption.
While the cost of an asphalt shingle roof will vary based on the type of shingle used and the size of the roof, Ward said they start around $4 per square foot.
Beloved for their longevity and Mediterranean visual appeal, terra cotta roof tiles are made of clay and are considered 鈥渟pecialty roofs,鈥 Ward said. His partner, Brian Germann, pointed out that clay tile roofs 鈥渟upposedly last for the life span of the house,鈥 and there are clay roofs that have lasted 75, 100 years and even more. 鈥淵ou do end up getting a leak here or there, so you have to go and patch it,鈥 Germann said.
The good news is that clay roof tiles can be replaced one at a time. The bad news is that they will need to be replaced at some point, as they can crack. Damage can occur from a falling branch or if someone accidentally steps on the tiles while doing repairs.
You may also be able to salvage intact tiles when addressing an issue in the underlayment underneath. 鈥淥ne advantage of clay roof tiles is that they still may have life left in them to be reinstalled once the underlayment is replaced,鈥 said Stephen Riale, CARE area manager of , a roofing and waterproofing manufacturer.
Terra cotta tiles perform well in sunny climates, releasing heat, but they are very heavy, making them unsuitable for snowy regions. These beauties cost two to four times as much as asphalt shingles. "Instead of paying $100, you鈥檙e paying $400,鈥 Ward said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 top shelf. But terra cotta doesn鈥檛 wear and tear. Once it鈥檚 up, it鈥檚 up."
Once the most common type of roofing, wood shingles are now a rare choice. It is usually added for aesthetic reasons. 鈥淥h man, wood shingle roofs are so beautiful,鈥 Spears said. 鈥淏ut you won鈥檛 see cedar wood shake shingles in Texas. It鈥檚 just too hot, and as wood is exposed to sun, it blisters, it cracks, it opens, it allows moisture to come through and you just have failures.鈥澛
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 get a lot of wood shingles anymore,鈥 Germann added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot easier for them to deteriorate than the asphalt shingles.鈥 If the wood shingles split, it can damage the entire roofing system by weakening the attachment鈥痯oints and鈥痬aking them susceptible to wind and鈥痺ater intrusion, Riale pointed out.
While they are prone to moisture damage, mold and pests, hardwood shingles can last 15 years in the right climate.
As our experts do not work with wood shingles, they were not able to provide accurate costs, but they noted that this type of roofing will cost less than terra cotta.
But before you fall in love with the beauty of a wood roof, consider that they鈥檙e deemed a material (the embers will carry if the roof catches fire) and can contribute to the spreading of wildfires. Wood shingle roofs are prohibited in states including , and .
Much like terra cotta, natural slate is fire- and mold-resistant, looks great, can be replaced in sections and is expected to survive the lifetime of the home. A slate roof is gorgeous and classic, a design status symbol.
It鈥檚 also pricey and heavy. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l never see a slate roof up in Chicago,鈥 Spears said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 just too much snow, and the weight of the snow on top of the roof is just not good for the structure.鈥
While you can replace individual slate tiles, this is something a professional roofer should do. 鈥淚f you have a water leak or a water penetration or something along those lines, the moment you step on the roof, you鈥檙e breaking tiles,鈥 Spears warned. Slate roofs typically have special step-up notches to help professionals with access.
Slate is also similar in cost to terra cotta 鈥 up to four times the cost of asphalt shingles, as estimated by our experts. According to an estimate from a roofer in the Cleveland area, it would cost $770 to replace 18 slates. This includes removing broken slate pieces and replacing them with similar salvaged slate.
Synthetic slate shingles weigh and cost less than natural slate but are still up there in terms of price. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lighter product, and it looks beautiful, and it performs right, it鈥檚 just so expensive,鈥 Spears said. 鈥淲ith composite [shingles], it鈥檚 four times what it would cost to be another material that would serve the same purpose.鈥
Rubber roofing comes in 100-square-foot rolls and is made for flat roofs. Fireproof and durable, rubber roofs can last up to 50 years (and then could be recycled).
鈥淲e use a system called APP Firestone Rubber 180,鈥 Ward said. 鈥淵ou just roll it right onto the roof, it can either be glued or torched down.鈥 Torching involves melting the seams together with a propane torch.
You can extend a rubber roof鈥檚 life span by applying a 鈥渟ilver coating鈥 of paint with an aluminum-like finish every three to five years to help the rubber resist UV rays. Ward and Germann also recommended adding a silicone coating, which has a 15- to 20-year warranty and requires virtually no roof maintenance in between.
One caveat? It鈥檚 more of a commercial real estate look. 鈥淩ubber roofing is great, but is it really pretty?鈥 Spears asked. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e taking functionality and longevity, but you鈥檙e not getting a classic look.鈥
We inquired about EPDM membrane flat roof estimates to recover an addition on a house in the Cleveland area and received quotes between $8,750 and $13,790 for a 250-square-foot rubber roof. The lowest estimate included removal and disposal, new fiberboard and EPDM membrane. The highest cost estimate included removal and disposal, ice and water shield installation, fiberboard and new EPDM membrane secured with copper flashing.
Metal roofing is Spears鈥檚 material of choice. With a minimum life span of 50 years, 鈥渢he longevity of metal far surpasses composition shingles, slate tile roofs and all of those things,鈥 he explained.
Another benefit of having a metal roof in hotter climates is that the material cools to temperature when the sun goes down. This not only helps with roof longevity, but makes your home more energy efficient, Spears added.
Thanks to a series of interlocking panels secured onto the wooden deck below them, metal roofs are leak-resistant. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no water penetration that can get through a metal roof 鈥 none,鈥 Spears said. 鈥淭he only downfall is hail, where you get denting.鈥
Metal roofs cost significantly more than asphalt shingle roofs. 鈥淚f we鈥檙e going to use a standard architectural shingle that has a 25- to 30-year life on it, it鈥檚 roughly 60% of what a metal roof will cost,鈥 Spears said. To justify the investment, consider how long you plan to stay in the house. If this is your forever home, then having a roof that will last you 50 years versus 25 (as with asphalt shingles) makes more sense.
Minor disrepair does not mean that you have to replace the entire roof right away. The important thing is to pay attention so that something small doesn鈥檛 end up deteriorating the entire roof.
First, keep in mind the life spans of the roof materials listed above. If your roof is nearing its expiration date, have a contractor check it out. Otherwise, keep your eyes out for the following signs that may indicate it鈥檚 time to get a new roof.
Regular maintenance can often extend a roof's life span. Make a point to observe your roof every season and see if anything looks off.
How you care for your roof depends on its material and when it was installed. If you don鈥檛 know these variables, call a licensed roofing company for an estimate of its life span. It鈥檚 important to anticipate roof repairs so you don鈥檛 have to resort to pots and pans to catch rainwater dripping from your ceiling.
You won't have to worry about your roof often if you schedule routine roof maintenance, such as gutter cleaning and roof inspections. Roof repairs and replacements seem intimidating, and admittedly, they are big projects when they have to happen. Given that a roof keeps you warm, dry and cozy, the fact that you only have to worry about it twice per year when you clean your gutters is a pretty good deal.
If you give your roof the (quite minimal) regular care it deserves, you鈥檒l only have to worry about big roof endeavors every few decades.
Cost information, unless otherwise noted, was calculated using ,鈩. RSMeans is a construction cost database used by thousands of contractors to generate their project pricing.
Local costs were determined using RSMeans project estimates combined with local labor costs from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and cost data from home improvement stores. We also interviewed homeowners from around the country to validate local costs.
Editorial note: The name “Homefront” refers to the alliance between 潘金莲传媒映画 and Home Solutions that publishes review, comparison, and informational articles designed to help 潘金莲传媒映画 readers make smarter purchasing and investment decisions about their home. Under the alliance, Homefront provides and publishes research and articles about home service and home improvement topics.
Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider鈥檚 website for the most current information.
A new roof costs $5,435 to $37,266, with most homeowners paying an average of $21,440, according to the RSMeans construction pricing database. Many factors influence roofing costs, including the size of your roof surface and the materials used. As you research the cost of a new roof, you should know that jumping at the lowest鈥
Your roof is one of the largest and potentially most distinctive features of your home. The type of roofing material you select can have a big impact on the cost of a new roof, your home鈥檚 appearance, energy efficiency and ability to withstand the elements. In general, asphalt shingles make up the majority of roofs鈥
Architectural shingles are the best choice for a new roof if appearance and durability are your priorities. Architectural shingles give your roof a customized look and last 20鈥30 years, longer than most other asphalt shingles. 鈥淎rchitectural asphalt shingles [provide] an optimal balance of performance [and] longevity,鈥 said Daniel Cabrera, a home renovation specialist with 15鈥
Our editorial team is committed to creating independent and objective content focused on helping our readers make informed decisions. To help support these efforts we receive compensation from companies that advertise with us.
The compensation we receive from these companies may impact how and where products appear on this site. This compensation does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides within our content. We do not include all companies, products or offers that may be available.