In a word, yes. When you’re considering a new roof for your HOA or multi-family development, cost is understandably a big factor in your decision.
Many things affect the cost of a new roof, and slope is one of the big ones. If your roof isn’t too steep to safely walk on, roofers will deem this “walkable,” usually applying to roofs with pitches of 3/12 or less. These are known as “low-slope” roofs. But when the pitch of the roof is too steep, usually 10/12 or more, these are not considered “walkable” and are known as steep-slope roofs. Medium slope roofs fall somewhere around 6/12.
If your roofers can’t easily access or safely walk on the roof, they will have to use additional equipment and safety tools to perform the job, which drives up the price.
How Pitch Impacts Price
A steeper slope means more square footage for the roof deck. This means more shingles and other materials will be needed to sufficiently cover it than on a low slope roof. For instance, you may double the price for asphalt shingles on a 12/12 rather than a 4/12 roof. And as mentioned above, price will increase if the roof isn’t walkable. These are the top two influencers of price when it comes to high slope vs. low slope roofs.
Some of the specific contributors to price include:
- Additional caution must be taken on roofs with steep slopes to ensure the safety of the roofers. The job will take longer because the roofers have to work at a slower pace. The estimate you get will take into account how long they anticipate the job to take from start to finish.
- The use of roof safety equipment like scaffolding and rigging will increase price as well. Not only is that equipment expensive to buy or rent, it takes extra care to use, which extends the timeline of the job.
- Different techniques of installing shingles on steep-pitched roofs also drive up price. That’s because the roofers have to use more nails on each shingle to properly secure them, or they may have to use roofing cement on each to ensure the warranty is not voided. In turn, you will see a higher price estimate.
- Higher insurance premiums are also likely, and will also increase price. Higher insurance premiums are often necessary on steep slope roofs due to the nature of this higher-risk work. As such, roofers pay more in monthly premiums, and will pass this cost on to the customer.
When choosing a roofer for the job, it’s important to ask if they perform high slope roof installations. Some smaller companies don’t have the proper safety equipment, tools or even personnel to complete this more complex job.
Contact Allstar Construction and Maintenance for Roof Replacement Services
Here at Allstar, we have many years of experience installing new roofs on multi-family properties in HOA and apartment complexes of varying slopes. You can trust us to perform this type of job with confidence. To learn more, contact us today at (952) 234-9995.