You’ve come to this article because you need to know how long does it take to replace a roof. If you live in a home, this comes up as part of regular maintenance for the home. You may also need to know what impacts how long it will take.
From the structure of your home to what your roof is made of to what time of year it is, these all impact how long it takes to replace a roof. So join us as we talk you through the 7 ways to decide how long it will take. Let’s get going.
How Long Does It Take To Replace A Roof: Here are 7 Ways To Figure It Out
- The Complexity Of Your Roof
- Accessibility Of Your Roof
- Size Of Your Home
- The Weather And Time Of Year
- How Much Needs Replacing
- Roof Replacement Process
- Cost To Replace
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1. The Complexity Of Your Roof
The first thing to determine how long does it take to replace a roof is how complex your roof is. This includes its angle of it, its pitch, and the dips and valleys it has. If you have a roof with several facets at different angles over a wide area, it will take a while to replace your roof. The cost of doing it will be much higher as well.
The other thing to consider is safety because the more complex your roofing structure, the more precautions will be taken when replacing the roof.
Depending on where you’re based, health and safety protocols will need to be followed to ensure that your contractor and their team are safe, so this will add to the time it will take to replace the roof. A complex roof may take over three days to replace, while a simple roof would take one day.
2. Accessibility Of Your Roof
Following on from the health and safety considerations, another consideration when deciding how long does it take to replace a roof is how accessible your roof is. This is basically how easy it is to get onto your roof.
Do you have some beautiful landscaping around your home, making it hard to access parts of your house? Or there needs to be a paved surface near the roof access point? Well, these pose roof accessibility issues.
Roof accessibility has to be considered to replace a roof. You need to remove the old roof, get this material into a truck, and then get the new roof material back up to the roof to be installed. If it’s hard to access your roof, it will add time to how long it takes to replace a roof.
3. Size Of Your Home
This should be a no-brainer. If you have a massive mansion with expansive roof space, it will take longer to replace your roof than a smaller home. Under 1200 sq. ft, a simple roof structure may only take a day. A bigger home will take longer.
4. The Weather And Time Of Year
Since this is work that needs to be completed outdoors, how long does it take to replace a roof is heavily based on what the weather is doing and the time of year. If you’re looking to replace your roof in the middle of winter, when you usually see your roof covered in snow, there are better times to replace it – especially if the contractor can’t do it in under a day.
Also – more work tends to get done when it stays lighter outside. If you’re in the middle of winter, even on a dry day, if the sun starts going down at 4 pm, you’re going to get little done, compared to a summer’s day when the sun goes down around 9 pm. This is why you see a lot of roofing work after daylight savings, which means the contractor can do the work faster.
5. How Much Needs Replacing
Another factor that answers how long does it take to replace a roof is based on how much needs replacing. Is your entire roof needing replacing or just parts of it.
Key things to keep an eye on
- Your roof is starting to sag. This is a big issue and could go beyond just your roof. Call a professional for a consult now.
- You can see sunlight coming through your attic. If the sun is getting in, so can everything else, including rain and snow. The more moisture that can get in, the more likely your roof will grow mould and rot.
- Your roof shingles are covered with moss.
- You find granules in your roof gutter. Granules keep the sun off the asphalt, and seeing them in your gutter is a sign that your roofing quality is beginning to deteriorate.
- You have cracked shingles. A handful of cracked shingles isn’t a deal breaker, but when the problem becomes widespread, you need to consider a full roof replacement.
- You’ve got curling shingles. This is a sign of weathering and that leaks could be coming. They can either curl upwards (cupping) or downwards (clawing). This is something to look into if you notice this asap.
Any of these things are signs that either your whole roof needs replacing, or just a part, so keep this in mind when looking at the problem.
6. Roof Replacement Process
Once you figure out the factors, like the roof size and time of year, let’s talk about replacing a roof. Make sure your day is as stress-free as possible, especially if you plan to live in your house during this time. Here’s what the day could look like.
- Roofing materials get delivered to your home.
- Move your vehicles out of the way.
- Protect your home from roof tear-offs, and cover your plants and landscaping with a tarp.
- The contractor will tear off your old roof.
- The contractor will clean out the gutters – what a win!
- The contractor starts installing the materials.
- Clean up all the material used after the replacement.
- Inspect their workmanship to ensure this roof will last you another 50 years.
7. Cost To Replace
There’s no way to sugarcoat this, but replacing a roof can cost a lot of money. This is why you shouldn’t expect to do this very often. The prices vary depending on where you live and could cost around $3.50 to $16 per square foot.
This is why the size of your home, materials required, and accessibility all determine how much you will pay – and, ultimately, how long does it take to replace a roof. On average, across the United States, a new roof could cost you between $8,000 to $12,000. Check your homeowners’ insurance policy, as it should cover damage caused by environmental factors.
What Is The Best Time To Replace A Roof?
Fall is the best time to replace the roof after daylight savings. With spring’s mild temperatures and the consistency of early summer weather, this is the best time to replace a roof.
How Hard Is It To Put On A New Roof?
It’s a challenging job to put on a new roof. It’s hard work, especially being out in the open in the elements. Removing the old material and replacing it with the new material takes a lot of effort, and you need to be fit, strong, and not afraid of heights. This is something you should do with professional help.
How Long Does It Take To Replace A Roof?
The roof of an average home, about 3,000 square feet or less, can be replaced in one day. As the complexity rises, or in the case of bad weather, this could take three to five days, to even a few weeks, as they can’t replace a roof in wet weather.
Well, there you have it. We’ve given you the 7 things to help you decide how long does it take to replace a roof. It’s more challenging than saying one day because it comes down to what your home is like and what needs replacing.
From the complexity of the roof to the size of your home. The weather and time of year will affect how long it will take. If you start noticing that your roof may need some work, call in a professional who will be well-versed in determining how long does it take to replace a roof.