Roofing in Downtown Nutley

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.

Eight of them are visible without climbing anything. Shingle courses that wander, or exposure that changes from row to row -- nobody snapped a chalk line. Nail heads showing on the exposed face of a tab, each of which is a hole with a metal plug in it. No starter course under the first row at the eaves or up the rakes. Ridge cap made from three-tab cut into squares on an architectural roof. Valleys with sealant instead of metal. Fresh caulk on old flashing at the chimney, meaning it was reused. No drip edge behind the gutter. And nails and debris left in the garden. Look for all eight before the final payment, not after.

An architectural asphalt roof runs $9,500 to $26,000 in New Jersey, and most 2,000 square foot houses land at $12,000 to $18,000 installed. Per square foot that is $5.50 to $8.00 for architectural against $4.50 to $6.50 for three-tab. If a quote is well under those figures, the question is not whether it is a bargain -- it is which of the tear-off, the ice barrier, the starter course, the drip edge or the decking allowance is missing from it.

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.