What Affects The Difficulty Of A Roofing Job?

The prospect of dealing with a roof is never fun. People often worry about whether the roofers are going to have a hard time with a project and how that might affect the price. Roofers can't guarantee anything until they've fully assessed the structure, but you can look at these four factors to make a reasonable guess about the potential difficulty. 

Slope and Complexity

Generally, the steeper the slope of a roof is, the harder the job is going to be. A roofing company may need to bring extra equipment to cope with a highly sloped roof safely. Roofing contractors will also have more trouble dealing with homes that have lots of eaves, valleys, dormers, and other complex features. Such jobs usually require the contractors to cut materials to fit, and that leads to materials waste and more labor.

Condition

If you're dealing with an existing roof, the company will also need to assess the condition. Deterioration of the shingles and other materials is usually a bad sign, especially if you're hoping to just put down a new layer of materials. If you see any spots where water or ice is collecting on the roofing materials, that's also not a good indicator. Mold growth on the roof is bad, too.

You should also look for signs inside the house that there might be roof issues. If you see evidence of water leaks causing stains on the walls of the floor below the roof, that's a poor sign.

Conversely, there are scenarios where the condition of the roof could be positive. If there's no evidence of the previous problems, there's a good chance a roofing company can put down a new layer of materials on a shingle roof. Even if that's not the case, they may be able to strip the roof down to the decking. If the roof deck is in good shape, then there will be few if any repair costs.

Location Issues

Some locations are harder to deal with. If there isn't an easy place to park trucks and station materials, that will make the job tougher. Similarly, a tall house could force the roofing company to use longer ladders and lifts to get people and materials to the top of the building.

Season

Roofing season in most parts of the U.S. stretches from late spring through the middle of the fall. If there is an emergency during the offseason, a roofer will usually patch the structure and come back when the weather is better to complete the job.

Speak to a roofing contractor to learn more. 


Share