Gable roofs are among the most common and economical, characterized by their triangular shape. Their design simplicity leads to lower installation costs. The steep pitch allows easy water runoff, reducing potential risks of water damage.
Generally, a gable-style roof with asphalt roofing shingles is one of the most affordable roofs you can build on a residential home. Asphalt shingles typically cost $1 to $2 per square foot, excluding installation costs.
In general, your homeowners insurance may cost less if you have a newer roof made of more durable materials, like metal or slate. Explore Progressive's editorial standards for Answers articles to find out why you can trust the insurance information you find here.
Asphalt Shingles
They are an affordable, easy-to-install option that is also easy to repair and replace as needed. You can even choose from a basic asphalt shingle to something higher-end like 3-tab or architectural.
From a cost perspective, gable roofs are typically less expensive to build, with costs ranging between $16 and $30 per square foot. In contrast, hip roofs can cost between $20,000 and $50,000, or about $8 to $12 per square foot.
The most expensive type of roofing material is slate.
For labor and materials, you can expect the cost of a slate roof to start around $15.00 per square foot and has the potential to get up to around $30.00 or more per square foot.
Metal roofing has up to 85.9% return on investment because of its durability and energy efficiency. Slate and copper roofs can last over a century. They give you a high return on investment because of their long life and added home value.
While slate roofs are amongst the most expensive roofs sold today, they typically last between 75 and 200 years. If you plan to pass your home down to your kids, a slate roof offers value that few other roofing materials can match. If your budget allows, slate roofs offer the best value available today.
Roof age significantly impacts insurance coverage. Most insurance companies won't cover roofs older than 20 years. Additionally, if a roof is over 20 years old, insurance may only cover the original cost and not the current replacement cost.
Plain and simple, the absolute cheapest roofing material based on cost alone is asphalt shingles. However, some other options are more expensive at the initial cost but will last longer, such as wood shingles, metal shingles, slate shingles, and solar glass shingles.
A hip roof is a roof where all four sides of the roof slope downwards from the peak. It does not have a gable or a flat end. Hip roofs are popular on church steeples, where they typically have a high pitch. They're also popular on houses in the suburbs, because they are easy to build.
Fiberglass asphalt shingles, also known as square shingles, are a cost-effective and durable roofing option. These shingles consist of a fiberglass base mat covered with mineral granules and asphalt. They provide excellent protection against harsh weather conditions and can last up to 30 years with proper maintenance.
Asphalt roof
Some shingles, like energy-star-rated ones, are more energy efficient. Asphalt roofs with lower emissivity, like Duration® Premium Cool and Supreme Owens Corning shingles, are among the most energy efficient shingles.
Metal roofs require almost no maintenance and have a much longer life expectancy than asphalt products. As such, metal roofing requires more of an upfront investment for the homeowner.
Terra-cotta tiles, ceramic roofs, concrete tiles, EPDM roofing membranes, metal roofs, and green roofs are all great options for keeping your home cool and energy-efficient in the summer heat.
Asphalt shingle roofs are one of the cheapest options and can last up to 30 years. Other materials, such as metal, slate, concrete, and clay, cost more upfront but can last much longer.
Closing thoughts. Generally, getting a new roof lowers your home insurance premium, but be sure to double check with your insurance company to find out how much of a discount they offer for homes with new roofs as well as how much you could save if you updated your current roof.
Gable roofs are among the most common and economical, characterized by their triangular shape. Their design simplicity leads to lower installation costs. The steep pitch allows easy water runoff, reducing potential risks of water damage.
Another popular option (and probably your best option) is to have the seller deduct the cost of roof installation from the agreed offer on the house, so you can use the difference to have a roof installed yourself after closing. Sellers are typically far more likely to agree to these terms.
Asphalt shingles are generally the cheapest option as they are not only one of the cheapest roofing shingles but also one of the cheapest types of roof to install. Metal roofing can also be an affordable alternative as well.