I got a quote of $4500 to replace the flat roof on an end unit row home. This includes three roofing sections, 3 new drain tubes, and flashing on one side of the house. The main section is 40x15, the front lower section is 15x8, and the back section is 15x8. There is no tear off and the roofing material is Firestone APP180.
Is this a fair price for the Philadelphia area?
Posts like these are frowned upon. Get more estimates.
Sounds like 9-10 sq. of total area but a job like this can not be bid by the square using per square pricing for a larger job. This is basically a repair job of sorts. There’s more to a job like this than just slapping down a roof. If it were a larger job most likely the contractor would have the materials delivered by the supply house and only a phone call, fax or email would be required. With your job however he most likely will have to go and pick up the material, bring it to the job and then it has to be unloaded by hand. He will end up spending more time traveling in the Philly traffic than he would have to do a larger job. He still has to take on the liability for this small job just like any larger job.
Three different sections are more difficult than just one large area. The price is affected by the height and truck access as well. The 3 new drains and flashing work are all additional items of work that will have to be done. This is not the kind of job that you want to price shop around on. If you get the feeling that this contractor is a skilled individual then by all means let him do the work. If not, keep getting bids until you feel comfortable with “someone”. Not when you feel comfortable with the “price”. Literally hundreds of home/building owners come on this site every year “after” they hired someone based mainly on price, complaining about shoddy workmanship. Some of the pictures they upload and show us are so pitiful it makes me want to throw up repeatedly. Don’t let this happen to you. Hire a pro not a cheapo! Good Luck.
Three different sections are more difficult than just one large area. The price is affected by the height and truck access as well.
Quality of materials, scope of work, and reputation of the roofing company WILL dictate price.
No two roofs are the same especially when it comes to flat roofing.
What is the access to the job?
How are they securing the new membane?
What is the existing membrane?
What about ALLLLLLL the many details like flashings, gutters, terminations, etc… How are these details being handled?
Will cranes need to be used for loading or unloading?
Will an electrician need to cover power lines?
$4,500 for 10 squares on a row house, which are tall and usually have very bad access, doesn’t seem like a bad price. Can you find it cheaper? You can always find it cheaper. *Just keep getting estimates until someone forgets to carry a one and shorts themselves outta $1,000, and then take advantage of this poor soul. *
That last part was sarcastic by the way. If you want it done right expect that the right guy won’t be the cheapest.
Nothing you wrote made any sense at all.
I am investigating the purchase of an early 1970s building with a built up roof that may need replacing. Are there better alternatives to built up roofs for smaller structures, and if so why are the BURs still used in structures (e.g., a school I recently saw reroofed)?
A built up roof is a good roof when properly installed and maintained. Why is it used in schools? Because it is your tax dollars at work. BUR is very labor intensive to install. Also insurance for hot tar and or open flame is furthermore very expensive, many insurance companies forcing contractors to exclude these business operations.
The roofing market is dominated now-a-days by single ply. If you have a BUR budget my advice is look at premium single ply membranes like some PVC’s and Fibertite KEE. IB is my go to membrane for residential low slope roofing because they are one of the very few that will actually offer any sort of extended warranty above and beyond the 10-year material only warranty that 99% of low slope roofing manufacturers offer on Residential.
The benefit is these premium roofs will cost roughly the same as a BUR, but require way less maintenance. No roof is maintenance free by the way. Having the reflectivity and reduced maintenance will give you a lower cost of ownership.
Very very few roofers install BUR anymore. It is dying off quickly. Most roofers I know have already sold their BUR equipment.
Interesting. This school (a small K-6) took weeks to complete, and stunk up the entire block.
I work eastern PA and New Jersey and the price is in line with your saying. Materials are around $2.00-$2.25 a sq ft add in the drop tubes your around 2000-2100 for material. Over the top, and three different selections, and depending the penetrations, and wall flashing I could see 2,000 to $2500 for labor.
For what it’s worth $2400 would get you 3 of my roofers for a day. Can 3 roofers do this in a day including loading, installation and cleanup? That’d be pretty tough in my opinion.
You can try this roof calculator to get a good idea for what your roof should cost: roofcalc.org/flat-roof-calculator/
You can eneter each roof section with job specs and get your “quote” in seconds
3 guys can’t lay 9 square over the top in one day?