Roofing in Avondale

For a standard asphalt roof on an average house here, yes -- that is well above the $12,000 to $18,000 most 2,000 square foot houses cost. It is not unreasonable for a large or steeply pitched house, a roof with a lot of valleys and dormers, or slate. The number alone does not answer the question; what the quote itemizes does. If it does not break out area, tear-off, decking and the details, no figure can be judged either way.

Labor, usually -- typically more than half the total, and the share rises with pitch and complexity because steep, broken-up roofs take far longer per square foot. But the item that most often moves a final bill away from the quoted figure is different: replacement decking, which nobody can measure until the old covering is off. That is why it belongs in the scope as a rate per sheet rather than a lump sum, and why a quote without one will probably change.

Look at the paperwork rather than the pitch. In New Jersey a home improvement contract over $500 must be in writing and signed, must carry the contractor's legal name and business address, and must give you three business days to cancel -- so a price described as good only for today is not something the law holds you to. Add two practical tests: a deposit that is a large share of the total before any material arrives, and a quote that names no specific materials. A scope that says only 'strip and re-roof' cannot be held to anything.

Questions with checkable answers. How many nails per shingle and where -- a real roofer answers immediately and quotes the manufacturer's pattern. Is a starter course included at the rakes as well as the eaves. Is the ridge proper cap shingle or cut three-tab. Is the decking priced per sheet or as a lump. Is there a registration number on the document. Vague answers to specific questions are the signal; and afterwards, the roof itself either shows those things or it does not, which is why the walkaround matters more than any conversation beforehand.