Roofing: what to ask, what it costs, and one number to call
Updated June 2026 · By the Mobile Phonebook editorial team · How we research pricing
If it's happening right now: do this
- Active leak? Deal with the inside first. Move belongings, set buckets, and poke a small drain hole in any bulging ceiling bubble. A controlled drip beats a ceiling collapse.
- Do not get on a wet roof. A tarp can wait for dry conditions or for the pro. No leak is worth a fall.
- Storm damage? Photograph everything, inside and out, before any repairs. Then call your insurer's claim line. Sudden storm damage is typically covered, and the photos do the heavy lifting.
- Expect door-knockers after any hailstorm. You choose the roofer, not the other way around, and never sign an assignment-of-benefits form on the doorstep.
- Then call the number on this page for a tarp-and-inspect. Say whether it's actively dripping or stain-only. One is a today problem, the other can wait for this week.
Roofers handle everything from patching a leak around a chimney to tearing off and replacing the whole roof. The most common calls: active leaks, missing shingles after a storm, hail damage, aging roofs near end of life, and pre-sale inspections. The big fork in the road is always repair versus replace, and the answer depends on the roof's age, how widespread the damage is, and whether insurance is involved.
Roofing is also a trade where being informed pays off more than almost anywhere else. The price tags are five figures and the industry has a genuine scam problem. Storm-chasing crews that follow hail across the country are real, and so are inflated insurance claims that end with your contractor gone and your claim denied. A few good questions sort the pros from the chasers fast.
What should you have ready before you call?
- The roof's approximate age and material (asphalt shingle, metal, tile). Check sale documents or ask a neighbor with the same builder.
- What you're seeing: leak location inside, missing or lifted shingles, granules in gutters, sagging, daylight in the attic
- Photos from the ground or a window. Don't climb the roof.
- Whether there was a specific storm, since the date matters for insurance claims
- Whether you've filed an insurance claim or had an adjuster out already
- Your home's rough square footage and number of stories
- Whether you want a repair price, a replacement price, or both to compare
What should you ask before hiring? The 8-question script
This is your script. Nobody expects you to be an expert. Sound like someone who asks the right questions, and anyone good will answer all of these without flinching.
The honest answer ties to the roof's age and the damage pattern. A 10-year-old roof with one bad flashing detail is a repair. A 22-year-old roof with widespread granule loss is a replacement. Make them show you photos of what they found.
Roofing has high injury rates, and you want the company carrying liability and workers' comp so an accident doesn't land on your homeowner's policy. Ask for current certificates, not verbal assurance.
This is the storm-chaser filter. A local company with years of history will be around when warranty issues surface. A crew working out of a motel won't.
Cheap quotes get cheap by reusing old flashing, layering over old shingles, or skipping underlayment upgrades. Line-item comparisons show you where a low bid is cutting.
Manufacturer warranties cover defective shingles. Almost all leaks come from installation errors, which only the workmanship warranty covers. Reputable companies offer multi-year written workmanship coverage.
Subbed crews are normal in roofing, but you want a named supervisor responsible for quality and a company that inspects the finished work.
The clean arrangement is the contractor working to the approved insurance scope, with you paying your deductible. Anyone offering to 'eat' or rebate the deductible is proposing insurance fraud.
Typical is a modest deposit with the balance due on completion, or materials-on-delivery milestones for big jobs. Large cash up front before any materials arrive is a classic disappearing-contractor setup.
How much does roofing cost in 2026?
Replacement is priced per square (100 sq ft of roof) and varies hugely by material and roof complexity. Repairs are priced by the fix. National 2026 ranges:
| Typical job | National range | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Minor repair (shingles, pipe boot, small flashing) | $150 – $1,000 | Trip minimums mean even small fixes cost a few hundred |
| Larger repair (valley, chimney flashing, decking section) | $1,000 – $3,500 | Decking rot found under the shingles adds cost |
| Asphalt shingle replacement, typical home | $7,000 – $17,000 | Roughly $3.50-$8 per sq ft installed, depending on pitch, stories, and complexity |
| Architectural shingles, per sq ft installed | $4 – $6 | The standard choice; 3-tab runs slightly cheaper, premium lines higher |
| Metal roof (standing seam), per sq ft installed | $10 – $25 | Corrugated panels come in cheaper; standing seam sits at the top |
| Metal roof replacement, typical home | $10,000 – $40,000+ | Panel style and roof size swing this widely |
| Roof inspection | $0 – $400 | Many companies inspect at no charge hoping to win the job; independent inspectors charge |
| Emergency tarp / temporary leak cover | $200 – $1,500 | Size of the damage and after-hours timing |
These are typical 2026 U.S. ranges for planning purposes; your market, season and job specifics can land outside them. Always get the price for your job confirmed on the call and in writing. Ranges compiled June 2026 from national cost data and industry sources (methodology).
When you don't need to call anyone
We get paid when you call, so take this section as seriously as we do. Sometimes the honest answer is that you can handle it yourself or fix it cheaper first:
- A few lifted or missing shingles on a low-slope roof you're genuinely safe walking? Roofing cement and matching shingles is a known DIY repair. Be honest about your ladder comfort first, though. The fall costs more than the leak.
- An attic inspection costs nothing. A stain tracked back to a vent boot or flashing usually means a few-hundred-dollar repair, not the replacement a storm-chasing salesman wants to sell you.
- One leak on a roof with years of life left is a repair. Replacement talk belongs at end-of-life across the whole surface, not at the first drip.
- Moss on the shaded side is maintenance (gentle cleaning, zinc strips), not evidence you need a new roof.
How the roofing business works
Roofers price by the 'square,' which is 100 square feet of roof surface. A typical single-family home runs 20-35 squares. The quote bundles tear-off of the old roof, materials (shingles, underlayment, flashing, vents), labor, disposal, and permits. Materials are maybe a third of the cost; labor and overhead make up the rest. Steeper pitches, multiple stories, complicated rooflines full of valleys and dormers, and multiple existing layers to tear off all push the price up.
Repairs are a different business than replacements. Small repairs like a pipe boot, a few shingles, or flashing around a chimney often run a few hundred dollars, and some larger companies don't even want them, because replacements are where the money is. If a company quotes a full replacement for a localized leak on a roof with years of life left, get a second opinion from someone who advertises repair work.
Insurance drives a huge share of roof replacements, especially in hail country. If a storm damages your roof, your homeowner's policy may cover replacement minus your deductible. The process goes like this: you file a claim, the insurer sends an adjuster, and the adjuster writes a scope. Good roofers will meet the adjuster on the roof to argue for what they see. What you should never do is sign a contract that assigns your claim to the contractor or commits you to them before the insurer approves anything. That's the storm-chaser playbook.
Who actually shows up matters too. Many roofing 'companies' are sales organizations that subcontract the labor to crews paid by the square. That's not automatically bad (most roofs in America are installed this way), but it means workmanship depends on the crew and the company's supervision. Ask who's on the roof and who inspects the work.
Red flags & good signs
Red flags
- Door-knockers after a hailstorm claiming they 'noticed damage' and offering a free inspection. That's the classic storm-chaser opener.
- Pressure to sign a contingency agreement or assignment of benefits before your insurer has even inspected
- Offers to waive, absorb, or rebate your insurance deductible. That's fraud, and it's your name on the claim.
- No local address, out-of-state plates, and a phone number that won't matter next year
- A large cash deposit demanded before materials are ordered
- A 'free inspection' that produces dramatic damage photos taken somewhere you can't verify is your roof
- Quotes that skip tear-off and propose layering new shingles over old without explaining the tradeoffs
Good signs
- Established local address and a track record you can verify with past customers in your area
- Written line-item scope covering tear-off, underlayment, flashing, ventilation, permits, and cleanup
- A real workmanship warranty in writing, separate from the shingle manufacturer's warranty
- Willing to quote a repair when a repair is all you need
- Sensible payment terms: modest deposit, balance on completion
Frequently asked questions
How much does a new roof cost?
Should I repair or replace my roof?
Will insurance pay for my roof?
How long does a roof replacement take?
How long does a roof last?
How do I know if I have hail damage?
Is it OK to put new shingles over old ones?
Do roofers need a permit?
Related services
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