Roof pitch is essentially a measurement of roof slope / roof steepness, and is used by US and Canadian Roofing contractors when measuring roofs.

Check out these two helpful guides, that can be of interest to roofers and homeowners alike:

• How To Measure a Roof
• How To Estimate Roofing Cost

How to calculate roof pitch using level and a tape measure:

To get the roof slope with a level, you will need to get up on the roof, or working of a ladder, place one end of the level so it touches the roof, and the other end is in the air, away from the roof surface. Make sure it is leveled horizontally. Now measure the distance between the level’s end which is in the air, and the roof bellow it, placing a tape measure straight down, until it touches the roof.

Let’s say the distance you get using the tape measure, between level and roof is 12 inches, and your level is 2 feet. Your roof pitch will be 12 in 24 or 6 in 12 (divide both numbers by to, to get to the 12″ base run). If you get 10″ rise in 24″ run, then your roof pitch is 5 in 12 or simply 5, and so on.

Calculating roof pitch without using the level:

You don’t always need a level to calculate the roof pitch, though with level, you will produce the most accurate roof pitch measurements. To calculate the roof slope, you will need the width measurements of the Gable End of your roof, and the drop from roof ridge or peak to the roof base. This is where the simple geometry and math can be applied to get pretty accurate roof pitch measurements.

You can get up on the ladder, and measure the distance between roof peak and roof base. Then divide roof base in half (by 2) and this will give you the roof run – using these numbers you will be able to calculate roof pitch. For example if your roof base is 24 feet, then 1/2 or run of your roof is 12 feet. If your rise measured to be 7 feet then your roof pitch or roof slope is 7 in 12 or simply 7.

If you get odd numbers for the run(which is often the case – you rarely get a 24′ wide gable ends on the house) – lets say your roof base is 30′ and hence the roof run is 15′, while roof rise is still 7, then your roof slope is 7 in 15? Yes it is, but you still want to bring it to the 12″ base numbers, so that you could use roof slope multipliers when calculating roof sizes.

To bring these numbers to 12″ base, you divide both numbers by 15 and multiply them by 12.

You can also just calculate the number of siding panels and multiply this number by the siding “exposure”. Average clap-board siding has 4″ exposure, so 3 rows of clapboard siding will give you 1 foot, and 9 rows will give you 3 feet.

Calculating roof run without using roof pitch or pitch multipliers:

You can measure the sloped run of your roof (gable / rakes) without using the itch multiples, and often get a slightly more accurate measurement. Roof pitch multipliers are there to simplify the job, but since they are rounded numbers, they are not 100% accurate. You can use the Pythagorean theorem (which is used to calculate roof pitch multipliers) to calculate the run of your sloped roof.

To measure the gable run, you need to look at your roof from the side and picture it as a triangle, with one unknown – refer to the roof diagram above. You already have the measurements of your base and your rise (bisector). To calculate the longer, unknown side of the triangle, you need to add the square of the base and square of the rise / bisector, and take a square roof of the sum, or A2 + B2 = C2.

For example you have a base of 12 and a rise of 6, and you need to know the 3rd side. You add 144 (12 square) and 36 (6 square) and take the square root of the sum, which is about 13.5 – the length of the unknown side.

Afterword:

Now that you know how to measure roof pitch, you can apply it, and get very accurate roof measurements without having to climb the roof. You can also use roof pitch to estimate roofing prices, and understand how our roofing calculator works. This roof pitch guide is a second part of a three part series on measuring and estimating roofs. In the first part, we explain how to measure simple roofs, using tape measure, and applying the roof pitch multiplier. In the third part, we will teach you how to measure complicated roofs and estimate roofing costs / prices – a roof estimating guide for roofing contractors and estimators.

Updated Jan 25, 2012 – Galaxy Note will be available on AT&T on Feb. 18 (rumored release date) for $299 + tax, with 2-years contract. Your monthly bill on AT&T will be over $100.

However, I recommend getting the unlocked European version, and using Galaxy Note on Straight Talk with a $45 Unlimited plan – unlimited minutes, 4G web and SMS text messages!

Straight Talk (ST) is essentially an AT&T network, so you get the same coverage and save at least $50 / month. To get Galaxy Note to work on Straight Talk, basically all you do is buy an ST Nokia e71 phone for $49, pull out the SIM card and put it into the UNLOCKED (European) Galaxy Note – and enjoy great cell coverage, speed and savings!

Read more details about this at the end of this article.

Why Roofing Contractors need Smart Phones:

In the 21 century, if you as a contractor cannot communicate with your clients, suppliers and employees in real time – and I don’t just mean phone calls – you are behind the curve, and your competition is beating you. You NEED a smart phone!

As for me, I felt the need for a true smart-phone ever since I became a roofer (no – not those ridiculous and useless HP / Compaq PDAs or Windows 6 phones). Since I am a geek and a roofer, I look at smart phones from a perspective of both – a roofing contractor and a phone geek. Three years ago I felt a real need for a smart phone.
Following a friend’s advice, I got a Nokia E71 on AT&T. Unfortunately, AT&T really crippled this phone and also the small non-touch screen limited it’s internet capabilities, making it rather useless for what I was looking for – an ultimate phone for full internet access, easy email communication, ability to send and receive pictures, PDF and DOC files (to review the roof blue prints and photos of roofs).

Two months later I got rid of Nokia and got an iPhone 3GS, which at the time met ALL my requirements and had REAL competition. Existing Android devices (at the time – summer 2009) were not ready for me. Later that year, when Nexus one came out, it pretty much matched the iPhone 3GS and surpassed it in some areas, but I was already under contract, and did not want/need to switch.

My iPhone 3GS and Inspire 4G side-by-side (both running our Roofing Calculator App)

However, I felt that Apple fell behind in the development of iPhone, compared to incoming Android devices, especially when EVO 4G came out on Sprint – the 4.3″ screen was my dream for another year – I did not want to go the Sprint route due to it’s poor service, and wanted the same or better phone on AT&T network. Right before the era of dual-core phones began, AT&T released Inspire “4G” – a 4.3″ device with updated hardware (compared to EVO 4G), and supposed 4G radio – which was really a joke, as even though Boston was the testing ground for AT&T’s HSPA+ “4G” network, the speeds never really surpassed those of now 2 years old iPhone 3GS. However this was the phone that I really fell in love with, and the only thing I was missing was a better camera (though with custom MIUI rom, camera quality doubled and pictures were no longer grainy).

Yay – I found my ultimate contractor’s smart-phone!

By this time (mid 2011) my requirements for an ultimate contractor’s phone changed – I was now doing more estimates and less of the roof work, and needed an all in one device to take pictures and videos of roofs, draw roof diagrams, and show customers examples of our work – all on one device. Although, I could use an iPad, which I got for my dad, I tried it once and it was too much hassle to use two devices, and it was nearly IMPOSSIBLE to organize over a 1000 roof pictures that I have, using iTunes – the horrible apple software which is the only way to get pictures and music onto apple devices.

In 2011 I watched the new devices come and go, and even the amazing Samsung Galaxy S2 did not prompt me to get one, as it would be a mediocre improvement in hardware ONLY, if I upgraded from Inspire.

And then, at the end of summer, Samsung announced GALAXY NOTE. From the first look at pictures and specs, I knew – this is the ultimate phone for roofing contractors – at least for the next year or two! Take a look above:

Now this has become my universal mobile device for work and communication. Although this is an excellent device for almost everyone, I primarily got it for my roofing work – roof estimating, roof measurements, taking roof pictures, etc.

I also run our Roofing Calculator app on this phone, which helps me estimate roof prices right in front of the customer and give them a final price right there. In most cases this helps me sell the job on the spot, without having to go to the office and doing a take-off.

This phone has got it all: Huge Screen, it is Super Fast, hand-written input with S-Pen stylus, Excellent Camera, GPS navigation and Very Fast mobile internet – Read about each one of these points below:

What is Samsung Galaxy Note, and why it is the best phone for contractors:

Essentially Galaxy Note is Galaxy S2 on steroids! However, Samsung positions it as a new category of mobile devices – it is a hybrid between a phone and a tablet, and was designed primarily for business people.

The goodies: I don’t want this to be a list of specs per-say, so I will explain why I love each category.

• HUGE 5.3″ Super AMOLED HD screen, with 1280×800 pixels resolution (same as on my computer). My buddy calls it a “TV” – this screen allows me to see everything super clear, even under direct sun light, and I can now use this to show pictures to clients, without them pulling out binoculars (as was with an iPhone)
• This phone is SUPER FAST – with dual-core processor (Exynos 1.4 GHZ), it feels as fast as my regular computer – no glitches with any apps, and especially with camera – it pops up within a second, and delay between shots is very minimal (maybe another second – not 3-5, as is often the case with other phones).
• S-Pen / Stylus: Remember – this phone is for business people – I needed to take sketches of roofs, and used old school notepads, which can be lost, or misplaced. But the worst thing was that I now have 4 of them, and I can’t remember where I put the notes about a roof two months ago, and when I need those sizes I can never find my notepads.

  No more! Galaxy Note allows hand-written note taking, and ease of modification, as well as exporting notes to regular picture files and emailing them to my foreman, or to my suppliers.

  As for suppliers – when I need a custom flashing made, I used to have to draw it on a piece of paper, then take a picture of it with my phone and then email it to my supplier. Now I can draw it on the phone’s screen!

• Awesome camera: One of my biggest disappointments with HTC (Inspire 4G and many other older phones) was their poor camera quality. Although it can be improved with software, the camera is still mediocre, and could not match that of iPhone 4 (though it was better than 3GS).

  Galaxy Note has an excellent camera, and if it was at all possible to have an optical zoom in a 10 mm thin device, I would not need a dedicated camera at all. Still, I now take 90% of my pictures with this phone, and rarely pull out my super-zoom Sony camera.

• VERY FAST 3G/4G wireless internet: This phone works on AT&T network (in US) and supports “4G” HSPA+, so in theory this is a 4G phone. I won’t get into HSPA+ “4G” vs LTE argument, especially since this is on AT&T network. As I mentioned – even the original 4G on AT&T was a joke, as it was not any faster than 3G.

  Still, this phone is capable of about 6 mbps download speeds and 2 mbps upload, in Boston, MA. Speeds in other areas will depend on your connection, etc. Bottom line – with these speeds, you don’t really need LTE, as the phone becomes the limiting factor – not the internet speed. And frankly very few people – especially contractors will know what to do with all this speed on a smartphone.

  One thing I can say for sure – in most cases, YouTube videos now play without any pauses and buffering (except few spots with bad reception).

• GPS navigation: Both iPhone 3gs and Inspire 4g phones had a working, but not so well working GPS, which sometimes took a minute or two to find your location. Since I know the roads pretty well and use a GPS when I actually really need it – e.g. on the highway, to see which exit to take at the last moment – 1+ minute GPS lock time is unacceptable.

  Galaxy Note GPS locks in just 5 seconds, and you are good to go wherever you need. Add to that new Google Maps’ feature to pre-load maps to your phone’s memory, and you can have navigation even if you suddenly loose phone reception – I tested this in north-western Connecticut, where there is no reception on ANY carrier.

• Long Battery Life: Battery is a bane of smart-phones – especially the new ones. Huge screens, advanced LTE radios and powerful processors are great, but they require much power to run. If your phone lasts you a day, you are lucky!

  Galaxy Note can last about two days with moderate internet use and calling. Considering that ultra-bright 5.3″ screen is the biggest consumer of battery power – that is VERY good. Note comes standard with a 2500 mAh battery, which is exactly double the capacity of my Inspire’s battery.

Overall, this phone meets almost all my requirements. And although technology develops faster than we learn how to use it – this phone will last most roofers and other contractors for 2-3 years easy (unless you break it sooner)

As great as this phone is, it has few draw-backs:

This phone is HUGE! I got scared the first time I saw it. I even wanted to return it at first, but that was not an option, since this is a European import, and is not sold by US or Canadian carriers (I will explain this below). However, you quickly get used to it, and after a few loughs from your friends, you no longer remember how big it is.

Another thing I don’t like is that the screen is not scratch resistant. Although Samsung claims to use hardened / scratch resistant glass, it is not – I already have many scratches on it, from carrying it in m y pocket. The point is – get a screen protector!

This phone is not really available in US / Canada at the moment, unless you buy it directly from an importer. Thus, there are not many accessories available for this phone in the US right now, since it is not sold here officially. I am still looking for a good thin case for this phone (albeit not very actively).

It will be available sometime in 2012 on AT&T network, with LTE internet – this will change the phone’s CPU to the Qualcomm’s dual core 1.5 GHz cpu, which many claim is glitch / slow, compared to Samsung’s Exynos processor. The Samsung Skyrocket (AT&T’s LTE version of Galaxy S2) is running Qualcomm chip, where as regular Galaxy S2 has Exynos chip.

It’s VERY difficult to use with one hand, especially if you do not have big hands. Still, I somehow manage to dial numbers when driving – but it is extremely inconvenient. DO NOT text on this phone while driving, even if it is legal in your state / country. It’s VERY dangerous by itself, and with this huge screen becomes even more scary!

How to get this phone in US, and which networks it will work on:

First – the networks (carriers). It will work excellent on AT&T only! It will work on T-Mobile, but you will not get 3G/4G internet – only 2G / EDGE, since AT&T has different frequencies. Therefore, if you need fast internet and have T-mo, this phone is not for you – stick with Galaxy S2 or something similar.

This phone WILL NOT work on Sprint / Verizon at all! It’s GSM phone, and Sprint / Verizon have CDMA networks, which are incompatible!

Alternatives: Straight Talk – This is what I’m going with! Runs on AT&T network and costs only $45/mo for everything unlimited (calls, 4G HSPA+ internet, text messages). Read our review of how to switch from AT&T to Straight talk, to get an AT&T all-unlimited plan for $45 and save $50 / months!

How to get this phone: Very simple – go to Google, search for “galaxy note” and in the left column, choose “Shopping”. This is what I did – you get results from a bunch of online stores (importers). I got mine for $745 with free shipping. Right now it runs for about $700. If you see a store selling it for below $600 (in the next few months) – it is a scam – do not fall for it (I almost did, but last minute research stopped me)!

Why use roof coatings?

A fair amount of research has gone into the development of roof coatings. Several facts have come out of the research regarding their characteristics. One of the most desirable qualities is their ability to expand and contract with the roof, while staying intact. Another is their facility to deflect UV rays, the most influential environmental impact a roof has to endure, followed closely by excellent water repellent qualities. They seal the roof in a way that taped and mechanically fastened roof seams cannot.

Moreover, owners of buildings with flat roofs find themselves in dire circumstances when leaks occur. It’s often next to impossible to find a leak on a flat roof, because it’s not perfectly flat and there is no attic to reveal the location where water first penetrates the surface. The suggested solution lies in taking steps before leaks occur with these coatings, resulting in extending the life of the roof beyond its expected life cycle. It will also facilitate necessary replacement, as needed.

With that said, it is advisable to have the roof inspected to determine if it is a good candidate for this type of treatment. It is a good idea, if possible, to accompany the contractor when the roof is being inspected. Along with the contractor, you will be looking at the surface of the roof itself, for evidence of damage or deterioration. You’ll also want to notice any areas where water seems to have been ponding. Look at flashing around mechanical equipment, vents and parapet walls to determine if the mastic is still viable. These items would need to be repaired prior to applying any coatings.

Roof coatings are designed to perform specific functions

• By protecting the roof from UV damage, the life of the roof is extended measurably.
• Coatings will mitigate repair costs over the roof’s life cycle.
• They do the best job of preventing water penetration.
• They are designed to decrease the heating and cooling power consumption.
• Preserving the existing roof moderates liability.
• Application procedures are non-intrusive to occupants.
• Expense is preferable, compared to a new roof installation.
• Energy credits, tax savings and rebates accompany installation.

GREEN Rationale

Owners who look for GREEN products will be pleased to discover that these all white reflective coatings are environmentally sensitive with the following features:

• Because many roofs are discarded before the end of their life cycle, preserving the roof with a coating reduces landfills.
• The coatings reduce the heating and cooling loads, thereby reducing the energy consumption.
• Referred to as the “heat island effect,” these coatings reduce the carbon footprint of the structure by inhibiting CO2 emissions.

Roof Coating Choices:

Fibered Aluminum

Composed mainly of oils, metallic and asphalt liquids, impregnated with fibers, this coating is an excellent UV ray barrier and will contribute substantially to the life of your roof, depending on its current condition. Manufacturers will have various ingredients at differing quantities, so you’ll need to check rankings on their performance. However, the Florida Building Code and Dade County Product Approval has jurisdiction over the substrates where they’ll allow this coating to be applied. Usually with a spray-applicator, this coating, in general, may be applied to modified bitumen, built-up and rustproof metal roofs without a primer.

Acrylic Elastomeric

To get the caveat out of the way first, in Florida, if you have a low-sloped roof or a metal roof, you must secure an ASTM 6083 permit to use this type of coating. In addition, it is wise to apply a primer before applying the coating to ensure proper bonding to the existing roof. The key to using this product is to allow plenty of time for each layer to dry, so plan on spending some time watching the layers go on. Usually 12-24 hours are allowed between applications. Water based and resilient, with good weathering durability it resists dirt adherence. This is a seamless, liquid product (rolled or sprayed), and should be used and applied strictly to manufacturer’s specifications in order to perform correctly.

Asphalt Emulsion Elastomeric

As the name implies, this coating has been developed to protect asphalt roofs. Applied with a squeegee or spray applicator, this water based polymer, produced to protect with a flexible, waterproof layer will require a primer, if you want to ensure a strong bond with the existing roof. It is particularly useful and can be used as a flat roof repair solution if your roof has numerous roof penetrations, blisters or aligatored areas, but is otherwise in relatively good condition. This coating requires a finishing coat of aluminum-fibered acrylic or gravel to withstand UV damage.

Urethane Elastomeric

Developed as a single-component, two-coat system the product will have a pungent base coat and white top layer. Solvent based, urethanes carry the advantage of being moisture cured, considerably reducing the drying period and allowing the second coat to be applied almost immediately. The rolled or sprayed seamless coating is known for its chemical resistance, durability and strength and should not require a primer on low-sloped roofs. However, Florida Building Codes address existing substrates for application as well as Dade County Product Approval is prerequisite.

NOTE

These products must have a UL Class A approval and Factory Mutual Approval over specific substrates.

FYI

The last issue comes under the heading of Solar Reflective Index, or SRI. Several organizations are experts in determining this coating characteristic—one being the Cool Roof Rating Council, a 501-3(c) organization capable of testing the efficiency of the coatings. CRRC is responsible for reporting ASTM measurements. As a result, you have the advantage of being informed regarding the efficiency of the coating you choose as a peace-of-mind assurance that your money is well spent.

How to choose a roof coating contractor?

Confirm that the contractor is certified, by the manufacturer, to apply the coating you choose. Check out their local roofs that are a few years old (preferably over 3-5) and if possible, go see those roofs in person. Check low spots / ponding areas of coating delamintion – ponding water will “wash off” coating material, if roof was not prepared correctly – eg, was not cleaned properly.

In our next article we will take a close look at some roof coating jobs that we’ve inspected / repaired in Boston MA area, and describe what you should be aware of when choosing to install a roof coating, and which substrates (existing roofs) are ideal to receive a roof coating.

Credits

This roofing guest blog post was contributed by Doug Richard of All Area Roofing & Waterproofing of Tampa, FL - operator of Ft Pierce Roofing and Tampa Roofing offices. All opinions and statements in this article are those of it’s creators and may not express the opinion of RoofingCalculator.org.

All Area Roofing & Waterproofing, Inc.
Tel. 813-247-7663
1820 N. 57th Street.
Tampa, FL, 33619

Calculating roofing materials and estimating roof prices:

For the purposes of this guide, I will use asphalt shingles as a default roofing material, but the same principals can be applied to a metal roof, slate, etc. Cedar shingles/shake will be slightly different as the waste factor is higher.

Calculating roofing materials First – you need to know how many sq. ft. or squares of shingles you will need. You should take your total roof square footage and divide it by a 100 – this will give you the number of roof squares. Round the number up to the nearest square. Most shingle roofs will have 5-10% waste factor, and if during roof installation you use most pieces, waste can be reduced to as little as 2-3 percent. If you have valleys / dormers and side-wall flashing, use 15 percent waste factor. See our roofing square guide, to learn how roofers and builders measure roofs.

Besides buying just shingles, you will also need to calculate roofing felt / tar paper (or any other approved underlayment) as well as Ice & Water Shield, which is a code requirement in most northern states and in Canada. For Ice & Water shield, you will need to apply at least one row (3 feet wide roll) along the eave, or drip edge overhangs. Usually, I&W shield comes in 66 feet long rolls, so if you have 75 feet of eaves, you will need 3 rolls for two lengths of roof eaves. I&W shield should also be installed in all valleys, so measure the length of your valleys and add that to total length of I&W shield needed for the job.

Underlayment should overlap felt by a minimum of 6″, but it is better to buy a foot. In Massachusetts, the code requires double coverage of 15 lb felt, so woofing contractors first use an 18″ roll, then completely cover it by the next, full roof of felt – 36″ or 3′, and then use 50 percent coverage for each next roll, so only the bottom half of the roll is exposed. For synthetic underlayment you wont’ need more than 6″ overlaps – thus an average 10 square roll of synthetic underlayment will yield about 8-9 sq. coverage.

You also need to calculate the amount of drip-edge or starter to go along your roof eaves, and depending on desired aesthetics, you may also install drip-edge along the gable ends of your roof. Bear in mind that drip edge comes in 10 foot sections and you should not use single pieces of less than 2 feet long.

Calculate the plastic cap nails for felt/underlayment and roofing nails for shingles. Consult with the manufacturer’s nailing requirements for both. Finally add roof vents or ridge vent, pipe flashings, and new step flashing for chimney / skylights. You can use our roofing shingles calculator to estimate roofing materials needed to install a simple gable roof.

Estimating roof installation cost:

Now that you have the total amount of roofing materials and accessories needed to install a roof, and cost of these materials, you can estimate or approximate what a roofing contractor would charge for your roof.

Most roofing contractors calculate roofing prices in squares – either total roof area or total number of squares to be installed. You can also use a Materials, Labor, Overhead Costs and Profit (MLOP) method to estimate roofing price, but the overheads and profit varies by a large number between different roofing contractors, so unless you are actually a contractor and know your costs, it’s better to use price per square method.

In most areas of US and Canada, price per square ranges between $300-450 per square, for a simple, one story ranch home, for one layer tear-off, and installation of a 30 years architectural shingles ( now known as “lifetime shingles” ). While this is a huge spread for arguably same amount of work and materials, the local economic conditions come into play, and affect your local average price per square.

For more complicated roofs, there is typically a percentage or dollar amount up-charge for each item or per square. For example:

• A second layer tear-off, usually is $50-75 more, per square. Similar goes for 2-3 story homes.
• Plywood / sheeting replacement would be about $80-100 per square
• Chimney and skylight flashing is usually per piece. If it’s a chimney, the flashing might cost anywhere between $100 to $300, depending on what’s involved (e.g. new step flashing or counter-flashing). On skylights, existing flashing is typically reused, and it should not cost more $75-125
• Valley flashing is ether per foot, or per valley up-charge, depending on length and type of valley (woven, open or other type of valley flashing.
• If the roof is really cut-up, you may add ether certain amount per square (say $100-150) or charge for every type of additional work separately. If there are 6 dormers on the roof, and each requires cutting back cedar siding, you may charge for example $500 per dormer – this will include roof to wall flashing work, valley flashing above the dormer, and the general installation time lost on working around the dormer.

Above are just hypothetical examples of extra charges that may come into play when estimating the roof, and will depend on the actual roof, and the exact about of extra work.

How this roof measuring guide can be helpful to homeowners:

Now that you know how to calculate your roof size, you are able to have more knowledge and insight into your roof installation. I realize that most people reading this article will not be installing their own roof, but with this knowledge you will know how much your roofing materials cost and what goes toward labor and overhead / profit for the roofing contractor. If you see that roofing materials take up a larger portion of your total proposed roof price – i.e. 50 percent or more – then the price is probably TOO low, and you should think twice before hiring such a roofing contractor. If your roofer will not be making money, then they are either going to just scam you and run with your money, or they won’t be around for a long time, and who’s going to uphold your warranty?

How can roofing contractors use this information:

This guide will be especially useful for “new” roofing contractors, since they usually face questions like “how much do I charge for this roof?”. But even seasoned roofers might find this useful, as many roofers out there have not taken a good look at their prices, and may adjust their roof costs to better reflect rising costs of roofing materials and labor.

Additionally, if you are a roofing contractor, try our Roofing Calculator application for iPhone or Android platforms:

Roofing Calculator does essentially what we walk you through in this roof estimating guide, but uses pre-set roof prices for materials, labor, and extra work, and provides you detailed results on all the prices and roof sizes.

With roofing calculator app, you can instantly estimate any roof, and give your client the price on the spot, which will help you sell more roof jobs.

As a final note, let us know what you think about this guide and we can add or change to improve it.

We’ve already updated our roofing materials calculator about a week ago, and now we rolled out the update for the main roofing calculator.

Summary of price updates for Roofing Calculator:

Base installation price for 30 year architectural shingles went up by $25 per roofing square – this accounts for $19 increase in shingles prices and about $6 / square increase in accessories cost. Base price now is $275 per square, installed.

Base price for 50 year architectural shingles also went up by $29 per square, and is now $324 / square.

Base price for EPDM rubber also increased. We’ve been receiving price increase notices from our supplier, throughout the year, and overall it amounts to about about 10% annual increase in membrane and accessories cost. We now estimate cost to install EPDM rubber roofing at about $535 per square.

Please note that rubber roof installation prices will vary greatly depending on your roof, roof size, contractor you are working with, your geographic location and MANY more details specific to flat roofing installation. Also big difference in roof replacement cost will come from your property classification. If you have a residential home, then price per square will be more, that large commercial flat roof. However, in commercial roofing, there are certain requirements to the contractors, and the project itself, such as a minimum of 20-r value roof insulation on all new roofs, and in many cases union labor or prevailing wage on government projects. Also, if the roof is located on the top of 22 story building, access to the roof is that much more difficult, and cost per square will be significantly higher.

Basically in commercial roofing world, cost per square can range for somewhat low ($400-500/square) to over a $1000 per square.

Because commercial roofing is very diverse, our roofing calculator is geared more toward residential flat roofing.

Metal Roofing Costs:

Metal roofing prices are more stable and more volatile at the same time. They can go up and down throughout the year, depending on commodity prices (for example copper roofing prices change daily), and will also depend on the manufacturer and their inventory on hand. Back in 2008, metal roofing prices started going up in the beginning of the year, because cost of metal went up a lot, and overall increase was about 25%. However after the market crush in the fall of 2008, when commodity and oil prices took a dive, metal roofing manufacturers were sitting on a large inventory of VERY expensive metal coils, and did not reduce prices until mid 2009, when they replaced their inventory with less expensive materials.

Due to this volatility, we did not change metal roofing installation prices. Also, a lot of the total metal roof installation cost is attributed to labor, which is a lot more involved than shingles installation and requires trained professionals to properly install a metal roof. Therefore, materials cost has less influence on metal roofing prices in percentage valuations.

We will keep you updated on any sizable changes in roofing materials prices, as they take place.

Current roofing materials’ prices (as of June 6, 2011)

We’ve done some digging on current asphalt roofing shingles prices, and first checked out two major retailers’ websites: the Home Depot and Lowe’s. These two huge home improvement retailers do not take long to update their prices and usually get the best deals from roofing manufacturers. Here is what we found:

Home Depot has pulled ALL roofing materials (excluding flashing, underlayment, and other random roof-related products) off their website – I feel a new updated pricing is coming up soon. We will check back with Home Depot in a couple of days to give you exact information.

Just as a side note, we used Home Depot’s roofing prices for our Roofing Materials Calculator, and those prices date back to November 2010. The prices were based on GAF / ELK 30-year architectural roofing shingles and the price per bundle of shingles was $27.95 + tax.

Lowe’s website does have roofing prices up online, and here is what they have:

Owen’s Corning (OC) 30-year architectural / dimensional / laminate shingles cost $30.95 per bundle. The 3-tab shingle is $27.95 per bundle. Some special color options in 30 year architectural shingles go for about $34.23.

Do note that Home Depot and Lowe’s carry different brands, and OC shingles are typically slightly less expensive than GAF / ELK shingles. Also do understand that prices are on per-bundle basis, where as roofs are measured using roofing squares, so you actually need three bundle to install one sq. of roofing, before waste. Therefore, Lowe’s sells one square of 30 year arch. shingles for about $93.

We want to make a point that these prices may be out of date at the time we write this article, and I will be calling my suppliers to verify current roofing prices. You should know that most roofing contractors go through roofing suppliers, and not national home improvement chains when they buy roofing materials. We, on the other hand, specialize in installing metal roofing materials (and metal roofing prices vary a lot, especially compared to asphalt shingles), as well as PVC flat roofing, and therefore are not always current on the asphalt shingles prices.

Why the current increase in roofing prices?

This is a very good question and I will give you my opinion on this, along with roofing manufacturers’ and suppliers’ reasoning.

Basic premise here is that oil prices went up to and above $100 / barrel levels once again, just like back in 2008, and since asphalt shingles are made with asphalt ( right – eh ), which is an oil refining by-product, the cost of manufacturing asphalt roofing shingles went up. Additionally, transportation costs are up due to higher gasoline / diesel prices.

On top of that, with multiple devastating tornadoes ravaging the south and mid-west, there were many damaged roofs, and now the demand for roofing materials is also up. Here is what a roofing supplier has to say:

…Due to the natural disasters around the country the demand for roofing materials has now increased 30% as of May 23rd, and will continue to raise throughout the rest of the year, as well as the increase in oil, fuel and to cover the delivery charge…

Is it really so? While these are somewhat valid reasons – the truth is, tornadoes ravage the south and mid-west every year, as well as hail storms, etc. Therefore the reason for roofing prices spike due to “increased demand for roofing materials”, sounds fishy at best. Spike in oil prices? Well – read below.

Why roofing prices skyrocket every time there is a spike in oil prices, but never come back down?

Back in 2008, when oil prices went up to $140 / barrel, and US and world economy tanked soon after, roofing prices went up from about $65 per square to about $75-80 (based on 30 year architectural shingles). After US economic crisis hit hard and homeowners were more concerned with paying mortgages and bills, roofing prices could have come down a bit, and yet they stayed at $72-75 levels until spring price hikes. By November 2010 they were at $84 / square levels.

However at the same time, oil prices dropped into $40-50 / barrel territory, so leaving all things the same, asphalt shingles prices had to go back to $65 / square levels, but they never did. For us, our PVC roofing supplier also had a dramatic increase in their flat roofing prices – about 10% if I recall correctly. Well – the thing is, while asphalt shingles do use oil in manufacturing process, PVC roofing uses no petroleum products at all! PVC is made of rock salt and natural gas, so the price increase from IB roofs, was a bit of a shocker to me, especially as the economy was dropping like a rock.

PS – note to roofing contractors – if you are using the roofing calculator app.

So here is the thing – all manufacturers use special circumstances such as $140 oil, to jack up the prices, and their customers get accustomed to higher materials costs. Once the hype is over, no manufacturer will drop prices, unless they have to, such as was the case in the fall of 2008, when roofing sales went down 20-30%.

Basically we (both consumers / homeowners and roofing contractors alike) are being fed this nerve wrecking and tear-letting story of how the poor roofing manufacturers are struggling to keep prices down, but due to an unforeseen situation, they just have to raise them… oh well, as long as we keep buying, they will keep raising prices .

To me, it is all one big scam, and unless national media jumps on this story, things will never change.

PS – note to roofing contractors who are using our roofing calculator app – don’t forget to update your roofing materials prices, so that your estimates are in line with the current pricing situation.

PS 2 – we will be updating our roofing calculator software, to better reflect current roofing materials prices, and will update this post once we gather all current shingles prices from Home Depot, and local roofing suppliers.

Most small roof leaks can be fixed fairly inexpensively by yourself or if you hire a roofing contractor to do it for you. Most roof leaks are also very typical, so unless you have a really cut-up / complicated roof, finding and repairing a roof leak should not be a big deal.

A typical roof repair job will cost you about $50 in parts / material costs, plus your time and risk of falling off the roof. It will cost about $200-300 for you to hire a roofing contractor to repair these roof leaks, and there are roofing contractors that specialize in just roof repairs.

Words of caution: All the information below is provided as a reference only, and we are not responsible for any potential damages or injures. Before attempting any DIY roof repair projects, you should make sure to use appropriate fall protection, to avoid any injuries. You should also use a ladder stabilizer bar on your ladder to prevent it from sliding to the sides. Use utmost caution while on the roof. We always recommend hiring a professional roofing contractor to do any roof installation or repair work.

Replacing blown-off or damaged roof shingle(s):

Damaged or missing shingles are very common on older roofs or if your roof was installed with an improper nailing pattern. If you have one, two or a few blown-off or missing shingles, the new ones can be easily put back. If you have many – than you have a problem – especially if your roof is fairly new – this means your roof was installed incorrectly, and shingles will keep flying off the roof and at some point you may have to replace your roof completely.

Back to the blown-off or missing shingle repair. Each shingle on the roof is supposed to be nailed down with eight nails. Four at the top and four along the center line, just above the end of the overlapping shingle. This conceals the nails and lets the two shingles “glue” together. To repair a broken or missing shingle, you will need to remove nails from the actual shingle being repaired, and the shingle above it.

Things you will need for this repair:

You will need a bundle of new shingles – often left over from the installation, or you will have to buy a new color matching bundle of shingles. A flat ply bar, a hammer or a roof hatchet, a few roofing nails (unless you plan to reuse the nails that you will pull out) and a caulking gun with a tube of roof cement or roof caulking (I recommend using clear Solar Seal 900 rook caulk as in my experience it is the best roofing caulk I’ve tried).

You will need to separate the shingle being replaced from the shingle below it with a flat bar, and do the same with the shingle above it. Do this part gently as to not damage the other shingle, especially if the seal between shingles is tight. The best time to do this is when it’s not very hot or sunny out, as shingles will be cooler and easier to separate.

Once the exposed part of the shingle is loose, gently pull out the nails holding the damaged shingle and the nails holding the shingle above it. Pull out the damaged shingle, and replace it with a new shingle. Nail the shingle with four roofing nails across nailing line (about 1/2″ to 3/4″ above the edge of overlapping shingle). Nail the shingle above the new shingle the same way – voila, you just repaired your missing / broken / blown-off roof shingle. Do the same for other missing or broken shingles.

For more details watch the video below on how to replace roof shingles:

Replacing vent vent (stink pipe) flashing

Another typical roof leak type is a leak at a vent pipe penetration. There are multiple causes for this leak, and often it depends on the type of pipe flashing used. Nevertheless, whatever caused the leak is not very important, as typically it’s something with the flashing. Therefore the best way to repair this type of roof leak is to replace the actual pipe flashing.

Things you will need to replace leaking pipe flashing: A new pipe flashing – you can get it a your local Home Depot / Lowe’s or most other major home improvement stores. I recommend using an aluminum flange pipe flashing with rubber gasket on top for best performance. You will also need a tube of good roofing caulk, roofing nails and a few spare roof shingles, in case you damage some shingles in the process.

When replacing a pipe vent flashing, your will have to repeat some steps from above – namely, remove shingles from above the pipe flashing. Once you cleared out the shingles above the pipe, remove old flashing. Now take a new pipe flashing and apply a thick bead of roof caulk all around the underside of the flashing, about 1″ away from the edges. Place new flashing over the pipe and push all the way down. Apply pressure to the flange of the flashing to make good contact between caulk and shingles under the flashing. Nail down with at least 6 roofing nails, and use the roof caulk to seal all nails heads.

If the shingles you’ve removed were not damaged in the process, you can nail them back. If you did damage them, replace them with new shingles. Use an old shingle with pipe flashing shape cut out of it to replicate that shape on the new shingle. Apply a bead of caulk between the new flashing and shingles overlapping it from the top.

We understand that roofing is not the most exciting topic, and unless you are faced with certain roofing issues, you will not be much interested in roofing. However, once those roof issues arise, you will want to know as much about your roof issues as possible.

This is just the place for homeowners to learn about roofing!

In this Roofing Guide for Homeowners you will find information on how to prevent roof leaks if possible, how to deal with roof leaks, how to repair simple roof leaks, how to choose the longest lasting roofing materials for your home, how much a new roof should cost, how to choose a roofing contractor, and many other roof related topics. We separated this guide into three separate sections:

• Roof Leaks Prevention and Roof Repair
• Choosing Roofing Materials and a Roofing Contractor
• Roofing Prices Guide
• Miscellaneous Roofing Articles for homeowners

Roof Leaks Prevention and Roof Repair

Roof repair – Timely roof inspection can help you prevent many roof leaks, when potential leaks are found and fixed in time. Most leaks happen around some type of roof flashing (such as chimney / skylight flashing, roof to wall flashing, etc.) and where roof changes pitch – e.g. in valleys. If your roof is leaking, most roof leak problems can be solved very inexpensively.

Learn how to repair most common roof leaks yourself. In case you prefer to hire a roofer to fix these leaks, learn exactly what that contractor needs to do so he does not overcharge you for things you do not need.

Ice Dam Prevention – ice dams can make almost any roof leak, and can cause many more hidden problems. Even if your roof has Ice & Water Shield (which often fails), as well as proper ventilation and adequate attic insulation, your roof is still not immune to ice dams, as we’ve seen this past winter, all across northern US and Canada. Learn how you can effectively prevent or stop ice dams from damaging your roof, the interior of your house, wall insulation and rotting wood in your roof and walls. Effective solutions include: adding / improving insulation, installing efficient roof ventilation, adding ice belts along roof eaves, or installing a permanent metal roof.

Hiring a roofing contractor to remove Ice Dams – when everyone in your neighborhood / town / state gets ice dams on their roofs, homeowners start sporadically calling every roofing contractor in the yellow pages, and most are just too busy to get to you fast, while others do not do this type of work at all. Many contractors actually have no idea how to handle ice dams and will just hammer the hell out of ice dams to break the ice, while damaging your roof – they may do this by mistake or willingly (to get you to replace your roof sooner). This guide will walk you through the most efficient ways to remove ice dams, and explain how to hire the right roofing contractor for the job.

Low-slope roof leaks – so many roofs or roof sections have low slope, and incorrect roofing materials installed that roof leaks are just a matter of time. Most common example of a low slope residential roof is a shed dormer, on which you will often find asphalt roofing shingles installed. While ALL asphalt shingles require a minimum roof pitch of 3 in 12″, most shed dormer roofs have a roof slope between 2 and 3 in 12″ roof slope, which make using asphalt shingles the wrong choice of roofing materials. Low slope roofs are also most prone to ice dam leaks, so you want to have the correct roofing system installed on these roofs, to prevent any future and very likely roof leaks. Learn to choose the right roofing materials for your low slope roof, and how to deal with roof leaks and ventilation issues.

Roofing Materials Guide for homeowners and commercial building owners / property managers

Roofing Materials – one of our original articles that covers most common roof types, and roofing materials used on residential and commercial roofs. Learn about Asphalt Roofing Shingles – 3-tab and Architectural / Laminated shingles, Metal Roofing – standing seam metal roofing, corrugated steel roof, and architectural metal shingle, and Flat Roofing Materials – tar & gravel / built-up roofing, and single ply roofing systems such as EPDM rubber, TPO and PVC roofs.

Metal Roofing Materials – in-depth overview of all types of metal roofing systems such as standing seam metal roofing, corrugated steel roof, and architectural metal shingle, stone-coated steel tiles and shingles, and specialty metal roofs such as copper, zinc and stainless steel. Learn which type of metal roof will work best for you, pros and cons of each type of metal roofing and approximate roof installation costs.

Flat Roofing – discover which flat roofing materials will work best for you, and if you should invest your money in older tar and gravel / built-up flat roofing system or a modern light weight and often energy efficient single ply roofing membranes such as PVC or TPO roof or EPDM black rubber (not a cool roof).

Specialty roofing materials – learn the ins and outs of rare and expensive roof types such as Slate Roofing / Clay and Concrete tiles and Cedar Shingles Roofs. Discover the installation specifics, adequate minimum roof pitch for each roof type and how to find / choose a roofing contractor (so called old timers) who specializes in the installation of these roofing materials.

Roofing Prices Guide:

Roofing Calculator – a free tool that will help you get an instant roofing price quote based on your roof dimensions and specifics. You can use this tool to compare roofing quotes from different roofing contractors, or to just to get an idea of how much a roof will cost you when it comes time to replace it.

Roofing Prices – learn how roofing contractors price their roof work, what goes into the roof quote that you get from a contractor or a salesman, and why you always get different roof quotes. Roofing contractors use different pricing methods of pricing a roof – a per square (100 sq. ft.) pricing method where the contractor measures your roof and uses pre-set roofing square price and adds a certain amount for additional work such as tear-off / plywood replacement, etc., or a Materials, Labor, Overhead and Profit (MLOP) which is often a more accurate method, but is rarely used. Also you should keep in mind that roofing contractors have different overhead and expenses, which are built into your prices. This guide will help you understand what you are paying for when buying a roof, and you will be able to identify roofing contractors who might be scammers / unlicensed or uninsured, and make your decision accordingly.

Metal Roofing Prices – learn why a metal roof costs more than a typical asphalt shingles roof, how much each type of metal roofing systems costs and why. Discover the price difference between standing seam metal roofs, metal shingles, and corrugated metal roofing.

Why are metal roofs so “expensive”? – an in-depth look at the difference in roofing costs between asphalt shingles and metal roofs, and why metal roofs cost so much more.

Flat Roofing Prices – discover the cost of installing different types of commercial and residential flat roofing systems, and price differences between rubber roofing, PVC roofs, tar & gravel roofing, modified bitumen and other types of built-up flat roofs.

Miscellaneous Roofing Articles for homeowners

How to measure a roof – follow this simple roof measuring guide to know how big your roof is, and you will be able to understand how much your roofing contractor is charging you per square, as well as learn what they will do for that money.

Roof Types – understand the difference between most common types of roofs such as Gable roof, Hip Roof, Shed Roof and Mansard. This guide will also explain additional roof installation specifics / difficulties associated with each type of roof.

Roof Pitch – learn how to measure, calculate and use roof pitch when measuring a roof, and how roofing contractors use roof pitch when pricing your roof.

Using Roof Pitch to select proper Roofing Materials – many roofing materials require a minimum roof pitch, and when you or your roofing contractor uses incorrect materials for your roof (which happens very often), your roof begins to leak, and you may end up replacing your otherwise perfectly good and NEW roof, just because roof pitch was not considered in the beginning. Don’t make this expensive mistake and choose the correct materials for your roof.

Roofing Square – in few words it’s a 10×10′ roof area or 100 sq. ft., but there is much more to a roofing square that just that. Learn how roofers, architects and suppliers use a roofing square in measuring roof area and pricing roofing materials, building costs and roof installation.


These are just some of our roofing articles for home and building owners, and there will be more to come very soon. Follow our roofing blog to stay up-to date with new developments in the roofing industry, new roofing materials, roof installation prices, etc.

In this guide you will find many helpful resources and information, which can make your everyday tasks of running a roofing company, easier and more streamlined, so you can actually do the roofing part, and not spend all your time chasing dead leads, or getting a competitor’s roofing quote in your face, that is a half of yours, and wandering how you keep on loosing business, when your prices are more than fair.

Note – we recommend that you read the “roofing business marketing guide” in the new roofing contractors section, whether you are a seasoned roofing contractor or just starting out in the business, as it contains information that we used to make leads coming in without having to pay for them.

We’ve logically divided this roofing contractor’s guide into three sections (click on link to jump to desired section):

• Technology for roofing contractors – tools, software, social media, online marketing – these are all essential tools, that when implemented efficiently, will streamline your roofing business and allow you to concentrate on installing roofs.




• Info for new roofing contractor – from establishing your roofing company, to getting work, to running and managing the business – in this section you will find answers to many of your questions, which I had to learn through trial and error method, and you shouldn’t repeat many of my mistakes.




• Info for established roofing contractors – though you’ve been roofing for many years, there is always new tricks you can learn to make your business more profitable, and for some old school roofer, rejuvenate your company from stagnation. As they say, an old dog can always learn new tricks

Technology for roofing contractors:

To be a successful roofing contractor in the 21st century, you need to be on top of technological developments that are actually created to simplify your work. I believe that every roofing contractor should have a work laptop, a smart phone – iPhone / Android / BlackBerry, etc. for mobile email and web, and possibly a tablet (such as iPad, PlayBook* or XOOM, etc.) for in home presentation.

Also, every roofing contractor absolutely NEEDs a well designed and search engine optimized website, as today your website is your face and that is how most of your customers do and will find you.

Here at RoofignCalculator.org, we have created few very helpful tools that will improve your efficiency in roof estimating and help you sell more roofing jobs, while spending less time on it. These tools are made for both your mobile devices as well as your website.

Roofing Calculator app for mobile phones and other devices. Roofing Calculator helps you quickly price almost any roof, and generates list of roofing materials needed for the job, cost of those roofing materials, your labor and total roof prices. This app has multitude of settings, to make it work for nearly any roof, as simple or complicated it is.

Roof Calculator app will also improve your sales closing ratio, by enabling you to provide a roofing quote on the spot, without having to go to your truck or office, to work on the quote. We made roofing calculator app to work on all major mobile platforms – iPhone, Android and BlackBerry.

Android Roofing Calculator – this is our original app, and the one we’ve put most effort into (though all roofing calculator apps have the same cross-platform functions). Developing this app proved most challenging, yet was most rewarding for us, and gave us inspiration to move onto other mobile platforms.

iPhone Roofing Calculator – after release of Roofing Calculator for Android platform, we began development of iPhone version, and from technical perspective, this was the most difficult app to make, as the platforms are so much different, and we were trying to maintain same functionality, look and feel across these two most popular mobile phone systems.

BlackBerry Roofing Calculator – at this time, the app will work only on BalckBerry PlayBook tablet, which runs the latest version of RIM o.s. We are hopeful that all future phones and tablets will run this new os, making our app available on all future smart phones made by RIM.

* Note that we will be porting our Android roofing calculator to BlackBerry system, and to run the roofing calculator app on PlayBook, RIM will be releasing special software layer that enable Android Apps to run seamlessly. This software will be released sometime in the summer of 2011. As soon as it’s available, we will release the roofing calculator into BlackBerry App World store.

Besides roofing calculator app, we also developed a system for you to quickly add our free online roofing calculator software on you website, which will help your customers estimate roofing prices right on your websites.

Install a roofing calculator software for your website in as little as 5 minutes.

The pros of this include filtering out most price shoppers / tire kickers before they even call you. Imagine how much time you will save if you don’t have to meet with “clients” that will never buy form you – those who just want a quote, for whatever reason.

Potential cons of this include a seeming effect of getting fewer calls / roof estimate submittions through your website. However, our experience shows that having a roofing calculator on your website in fact attracts more site visitors, and for most homeowners it is important to know “how much”, and many are often too lazy to call. This way they find out the price and when they are ready to buy, they will call you if your website convinced them to work with you.

Info for new roofing contractors:

Starting a roofing company is not an easy task, and challenges that you will have to overcome, can often be discouraging. Not only you will have to invest a decent sum of money into new business that may not pay off, you will also have to protect your company from dishonest clients, competition that is out to get you, uncle Sam’s all-grabbing hands. Bellow are some good tips on how to make this process easier and to succeed in your new endeavor.

How to start a roofing business guide will walk you through the steps you will need to take to establish your new roofing company and explain how to get your name out there and to start getting roofing leads.

Marketing a roofing business – this guide concentrates on acquiring work in this tough economy, with least expenses, and is centered around online marketing of your roofing business. It also covers why you will want to stay away from 19th century marketing methods such as local newspapers and yellow pages, and why they are ineffective and too expensive.

Starting a roofing business with a partner – are you considering opening a roofing company with your buddy? Here is a list of pros and cons of having a partner in a roofing business, based on my personal experience, of working with a partner for a few years. While it’s easier to run a business when you can rely on your partner, there are many things you should consider and know, before you “merry” into a business.

Info for established roofing contractors

Well – we have nothing to teach you because you already know it all … Just kidding of course, but seriously – I will not even attempt to teach you. I just wanted to stretch a point that if you still do not have a website – you absolutely need to make one. Whether you will attempt to do it yourself or hire your nephew to do it, or actually go to an established web design firm to have them build it for you – here are a few things you should definitely know:

First and foremost – why you NEED a website (info for unbelievers):

My neighbor Mike who is a framing contractors of 20 years, has been busy with work for the past 19 years. The past few years, most of his work was from GC’s building new homes. This past year, work has dried out and competition reduced prices by almost 20%, while everyone’s cost went way up. He does not have a website, and does not even know how to send a text message from his phone (mind you he is only about 45) – even my dad who is 73 can send a text / email and uses iPad on regular basis. Mike does not believe in websites and hopes for the best – I wish him luck!

Now my other framer friend who’s work also dried up, had my other friend – web-savvy roofing/siding contractor – built him a website. A rather simple site with just about 10 pages, half of which are pictures, and a decent, easy to navigate site design. His crews are busy again and now about 75% of his work comes through his website, and directly form homeowners, so the GC is not collecting the markup.

Point is – even if you came to rely on word of mouth or GC’s giving you work, nothing is permanent, and you need to explore and develop other streams of getting roofing leads, and finding work, and in my opinion and experience, having a website is the best thing you can do for your business – it’s the least expensive investment into marketing, that will keep on paying off for years to come.

Once again, here is a link to roofing business marketing guide, which also walks you through ins and outs of getting a website.

Main things you should avoid when getting a site built for you:

Always register your own domain name – the .COM or whatever you choose Domains are cheap and easy to register, but a well developed domain is worth much more than a design and hosting of your site. If an unscrupulous “web developer” gets a hold of your domain name – i.e. registers it “for you” and manages it – if things go south you loose your web site!

I know of TOO many examples when businesses lost their website that was well established, and developed for few years. Don’t become a victim of such scams.

You can register domain name for $7.49 per year with GoDaddy and get website hosting for $1.99 / month.

Another VERY important part of creating a successful website is having it show up in search engine, when homeowners are searching for a roofing contractor. This is called SEO or search engine optimization and it is the second, yet never ending step you will need to make when building a site. Once again, this topic is also covered in the roofing marketing guide. As part of your SEO efforts, you will want to list your site in as many roofing sites, resources and directories – one such resource is our own roofing & construction directory, in which you can list your site for free (though we will be very pick as to which sites we will list, until we expand the directory and add categories for states).

This pretty much covers he most important topics for roofing contractors, and will keep you busy for a while. Read our Roofing Blog to keep up with new developments, and new information for roofers.

Many roofing materials are designed for certain slope of the roof and will not work properly, if at all, if the correct roof pitch is not met. Most common example is with asphalt roofing shingles and most types of metal roofing, which are designed for a minimum of 3 in 12 pitch roofs.

Everything below the 3 roof pitch, is considered a low slope roof, and requires a special low-slope of flat roofing material, to work properly without any roof leaks. Therefore asphalt shingle roofs will not work on low-slope roofs, despite the fact that they are still getting installed in violation with manufacturer’s minimum roof pitch requirement, and thus voiding the warranty.

Low slope roofs – roof pitch below 3 in 12:

Though many roofing contractors will insist that “they’ve installed 100s of such roofs, and none ever leaked” – this is not true, unless you live somewhere in Florida or other southern states, where there is never any snow. As you go up north into the snow country, most roofs will get affected by ice dams in one way or another, and even the most insulated / well ventilated roofs are not immune to ice-dams roof leaks. Due to the nature of ice dams, the lower pitch roofs are more prone to such leaks that higher pitch roofs.

All too often roofing contractors will tell you that using ice & water shield will protect your roof against ice dams, on high and medium slope roofs, and even on the low-slope roofs. However, our experience shows that we’ve replaced over 20 medium to low sloped asphalt shingles roofs in the past few years, all of which were under 5 years old, with ice & water shield installed underneath. This shows that not only roof pitch was not considered when choosing the roofing materials, but also that ice & water fails all too often, even with adequate roof pitch, when there are ice dams.

Most metal roofing systems are also designed for a minimum of 3 in 12 roof pitch, and though they have a much higher chance of not leaking on low slope roofs, you are still taking a chance, if you decide to install a metal roof, when minimum roof pitch requirement is not met. However on a proper roof pitch – even 3/12 – a metal roof will always outperform asphalt shingles, will last longer, will be pretty much immune to ice dams even without ice and water shield underneath (assuming there is a layer of synthetic underlayment installed under a metal roof). However a cost of metal roofing often scares homeowners away, and they still go with asphalt shingles, taking a risk of probable roof leaks and often having to deal with them.

Best solution in a low slope roofing situation, which in residential setting is often found on shed dormer roofs, is to use low-slope / flat roofing membrane such as IB Roof’s white PVC or IB Traditions, which has aesthetically pleasing asphalt shingles pattern printed on it. This is the material that we install for our customers to resolve their roof leaks issues, with 100% satisfaction and zero roof leaks!

Medium-to-high slope roofs – roof pitch between 6 and 12:

Even on higher pitch roofs, it is important to know that not all types of roofing materials will work for you. For example, I would not recommend installing a slate roof or synthetic slate imitations on any roof pitch below 8 in 12. Because of slippery surface of slate, the potential for wind-drive water increases exponentially as the roof pitch goes down. On a roof pitch below 8, it becomes too easy for water to travel all the way up, beyond the hidden edge of the slate, and the find its way inside your home. Even when using proper underlayment (not felt paper, as a slate roof will far outlast the felt, which will dry out and break / crack in multiple locations under the slate, in as little as 10 years), you don’t want to take a chance of roof leaks on a very expensive new roof.

One good thing about slate roofs, is that they will shed ice and snow, and are pretty immune to ice dams, just like metal roofs.