Is a $5,000 to $8,000 new roof real? What a roof replacement actually costs

The owner posted the question on r/Roofing after a run of such ads on social media. Roofers price by roof area, and Storm Force Roofing, a contractor based in Southlake, Texas, notes that pitch and overhangs make a roof larger than the floor beneath it. The company lists Texas installed prices of about $5.25 a square foot for 3-tab shingles and $6.00 for architectural shingles, and says most full replacements it does across Dallas-Fort Worth run $15,000 to $25,000.

NerdWallet, citing Angi, puts the national average at $9,500 and gives $6,000 to $16,500 for a 1,500-square-foot roof and $8,000 to $22,000 for 2,000 square feet. With eaves and slope, a 1,600-square-foot ranch can need close to 2,000 square feet of shingles, or about 20 squares. At Storm Force's architectural rate, that is roughly $12,000.

A $5,000 ad price usually leaves something out. Ask whether the number covers a full tear-off and disposal, replacement of rotten decking at a stated price per sheet, new underlayment, drip edge and flashing, ventilation, the permit, and which shingle line and warranty. NerdWallet puts permits at up to $500 and notes that tear-off and structural repairs add labor. Get the scope in writing so bids can be compared line by line.

Texas has one more rule worth knowing. Under state law, the Texas Department of Insurance says, a contractor may not waive a policyholder's deductible, pay it back or cover it, or even offer to, and contracts of $1,000 or more tied to an insurance settlement must state that the owner pays it. A roofer offering to cover the deductible on a hail claim is offering to break that law.