07 Aug How Long Does it Take to Re-Roof a House?
Heavy rainfall and wind storms can wreak havoc on your roof. And nowhere is that more common than in Northern California, where the rainfall is among the highest in the country. A leaky roof can scare away potential buyers, and can be a catalyst for a host of other problems. So when your roof needs to be repaired, how long will it take to re-roof your house?
If wind and rain have damaged shingles or roof tiles it may only take a couple days. If a big enough branch falls on your roof it can even cause structural damage, which will take much longer to repair.
So to answer the question, of how long does it take to re-roof a house: That depends.
The time it takes to re-roof a house depends on three main factors
There are several factors that can determine how long your re-roofing project will take. Roof size, the type of roofing material being replaced, weather, the size of the crew working on the roof, whether there’s structural damage or additional roof complexity, etc. We’ll cover the 3 most common factors in detail here.
Ultimately, the best way to find out exactly how long your re-roofing project will take is to call a professional roofing contractor for an estimate. This article should help you better understand that estimate.
Roof Size
The biggest indicator of how long your home re-roofing project will take is the overall size of your roof. But how do you know what the total square footage of your roof is? This can be easy to calculate if you know what your roof pitch is. Roof pitch is denoted by “rise” over “span.” It’s a fraction, which represents how steep your roof is.
Common roof pitches are between 4/12 and 9/12, with 4/12 and 6/12 being some of the most common. If you know your roof pitch, there’s a simple way to estimate the total square footage of your roof. Multiply the square footage of your home’s footprint by the Correction Factor that matches your roof’s pitch in the table below.
If you aren’t sure what your roof’s pitch is, just use 1.1 as long as your roof isn’t obviously much steeper than 30°.
If your roof is between 1000 – 2000 square feet, you can estimate that it’ll take from 1 – 3 days if you’re just replacing basic asphalt shingles. A roof of 2000 – 4000 square feet can take between 3 and 5 days. If your roof is over 4000 square feet, comprised of basic shingles with very little roof complexity, then you’re looking at about a week to complete your re-roofing project.
Roofing Material
Roof coverings can be made from a multitude of different materials depending on the desired function and aesthetic. The type of roofing material being replaced can have a major impact on the time it takes to complete the re-roofing project. Materials that are more difficult to install, like slate tiles, will increase the total time required to complete the job. The chart below gives a rough guideline for how long each material will take to install, relatively speaking, with all other factors being equal.
Roof Complexity
Having different roofing features can drastically increase the amount of time required to re-roof your house. Features such as extra gables, roof hips, and dormers can not only increase the square footage of your roof, but also make re-roofing take longer because they require complex cuts of the roofing material.
Contact Us
At Energy Saving Pros, we strive to provide the best affordable and honest roofing solutions. If your roof is in disrepair, contact us for a quote today.