So what do you all know about roofs?
Because apparently mine has decided it wants to be replaced. I want to do some research, though. I’d like a metal roof, but I know they recommend sound proofing it. But I would also like to consider adding solar panels if it makes sense.
Basically, when I find a decent roofer, all I want to do is say “I would like this and I want to make sure the next time my roof needs to be done it will be replaced by the guy who is motherfucking my me in the grave about the giant oaks and maples in the front yard and the giant maple and willow in the back yard.”
How much is this going to cost me?
Searcher
Just go into it expecting to spend $70k.
frosty
I’ll go out on a limb: Metal is going to cost a lot. Second thought: Why do you want metal if you’re going to cover it up with solar panels?
We just did siding and found out we don’t need a new roof. But we had our siding/roofing contractor put metal on the porch roof and a couple of smaller areas as accents. It looks nice.
Suzanne should weigh in on this, even though she’s a commercial architect.
Jager
My neighbor just had half his roof redone, removed barrel tiles, took off old roofing paper, replaced leaky plywood, repapered, sealed, and re-installed the old tiles. They started at 8 am and broke for lunch at 12. Back to work at 12:30 and finished at 5:15. 5 young, spry Mexican Americans working their asses off, laughing, playing music, and turning their job into a good time. The roofing company owner, said, ‘”you should have seen me when I was their age.” My neighbor gave them a case of Modelo Negra as a thank you. BTW, my sprinkler system was watering when the crew got there, the owner of the roofing company fixed one of my sprinklers that was shooting water straight up in the air. Thanks, Rodrigo. 2 other houses on our block have hired Rod’s company to do their roofs since he did my neighbor’s in November.
Dan B
Standing seam metal is great for solar. The installation is easy – direct to the seams. Metal is forever.
Urza
I can’t remember what it was called but Google has a map that will tell you by house what your likely solar panel efficiency is. My house with several very large trees made it not cost efficient, but your house is likely fine unless you have 60ft trees that never showed up in pictures.
soapdish
You live in WV.
Just get regular shingles and call it a day.
Urza
@frosty: Metal roof lasts longer, though if he goes with solar I don’t think there’s a point to doing both.
kindness
A metal roof will outlast you John. Pricey but it’d be the last roof you ever bought in that house. People I know who have them tell me they get to liking the sound of rain on the roof.
Ohio Mom
All I know is our house had two layers of shingles that had to be removed before the new shingles could be installed.
The next owners will put a second layer our our shingles and the owner after that will get stuck removing two layers. The circle of house-owning.
Chip Daniels
The thing to watch out for is if the underlying sheathing or framing is damaged, rotted or sagging.
Comp shingles are inexpensive and usually give about 20 years.
Urza
I’ve never had to replace a roof and my parents paid for it upfront when they did. How does one normally pay? Home equity line of credit or can you go to a bank for roof loan?
Ohio Mom
@soapdish: Good point. Cole has already declared he will not be aging in that place, he and his bride will be decamping for TBA. It’s not his forever home.
When he sells, he won’t get more money for a metal roof.
.
Barbara
My BIL installs metal roofing and it is quite pricey. He recommended for us just to use the basic tiles. If only we could find a roofing company to return our calls.
Sister Golden Bear
My house is roughly 20×40 with a fairly uncomplicated roof. NorCal prices was about $20K for a composite shingle roof with a 25-year guarantee, and another $15K for the solar panels, which are on one-half the roof.
As others have said, the solar panels will protect the roof itself, so metal + solar panels is likely overkill, plus having to add sound insulation will drive the costs up.
Trivia Man
ours was about $12k. Full tear off, smallish house with very simple lines. Single day, also lots of music and smiles. Sunup to sundown, I brought kringle and pepsi (I asked if they wanted coffee, coke, pepsi, Dew, or something else). That included replacing a few surprise rotted sections at very little extra cost.
Lots of nooks and crannies will add to the cost. Solar is coming in the spring probably. Another $10k I think?
ruemara
I have no idea what I’ll do about a roof issue but your bank account will need to pony up about $20k for roof & another $10-15k for solar.
Trivia Man
Make sure the roof isn’t too close to the willow!
Alison Rose
I have read this sentence like ten times and I cannot figure out what you meant to type.
Trivia Man
@Alison Rose: “not me in my grave”
Alison Rose
@Trivia Man: That still doesn’t make sense if you keep reading the sentence.
MazeDancer
Having my roof replaced right now. Small house.
Atlas shingles. 15 years full replacement, with labor. 30 covers shingles, not labor.
Got two bids. Each were 12K. The other guy’s shingles were Owens- Corning. Not as long a warranty.
You intend to move, John. 12K is enough. People buying your house will not pay more for metal or solar.
chopper
roofer: you mean that willow that’s too close to the house?
Citizen Alan
I paid around $10-12k for a metal roof in Mississippi. That came with insulation that also dampened the sound. It was quieter in the rain than my prior shingle roof.
cmoren
Three years ago, we paid apx 22k to replace the original roof (built 1993), for a 3200 sq ft house (but two stories, so roof footprint was probably more like 2200sq ft). That includes replacing maybe seven or eight of the plywood underlayer panels. We did *not* pick the cheapest Raleigh area roofing contractor, but rather elected to go for quality with a reputable local company who’s been in the business 50 years and whom we could be confident would not be cutting any corners. The composite shingles we selected were rated for 30 years – the original shingles lasted 27 years without leaking, but were clearly on their last legs reliably doing so when we replaced them
Figure that costs for materials and labor have probably gone up 20-25% since then.
StringOnAStick
Metal roofing is stunningly expensive, and composition shingles have gotten better. If you’ve already made the decision to not age in place in this two story home, do not spend the big $ on metal. Metal roofs around here are on the million dollar plus houses.
I loved the Hispanic crew that finished ours in 2 days last year($14,000), fun music, one who loved singing loudly and off key, just good guys. That’s where the R’S can shove it; these immigrants work their butts off and seem happy to do the work.
divF
@Sister Golden Bear: This is consistent with our NorCal experience 15 years ago – $15K for a composite shingle roof on a 25×40 house. However, we had amusing complications. We started out with a project to put a skylight in the bathroom. Step 1 was that the coated metal shingles (faux-tile) on the existing roof were no longer manufactured, so the only choice was to put in a new roof – ok, fine. Then when our contractor started to cut into the roof, she found three more roofs – apparently, so one had bothered to remove the old roofing when the house had been re-roofed multiple times since it was first built in 1926. So, they stripped all that old roofing off, and we got one new roof (and the skylight, which was not included in the $15K).
BTW we are very happy with our contractor. She did a great job on a major remodel of our house in 2001, plus the roof / skylight / bathroom remodel job, and now she is repairing the damage from some flooding on the ground floor due to the rains last month. Same contractor, and the same team lead as 21+ years ago.
StringOnAStick
The worst thing about our roofing journey was agreeing to let the guy who came to the door make an appointment to discuss our roof with us. It turned into the total hardsell and when they asked what monthly payments we could afford we asked for the bottom line, which was $68k. We said no, he calls the manager twice (shades of car salesmen) and eventually got to $28k, no warranty. We said no, and the last thing was “you have 24 hours, so think long and hard”.
This is a national chain out of TX (of course), and I since found out that they prey on the elderly and in people who can’t afford a roof without a payment plan, and then when you need repairs, they never return your calls.
We used the local guy, warranted shingles for 20 years, and I chatted with the site supervisor, which is how I got the skinny on the hard well company. I looked online and found similar stories. The local guys did 5 roofs by us last summer, everyone was happy with the work.
Keith P.
Use GoFundMe to get a copper roof.
I had insurance help with mine, but it’s regular shingles. Cost $16k
John Revolta
I’m with soapdish and Ohio Mom. If you’re not staying past say ten years, put the shingles on and put the rest into the nest egg. And if there’s only one layer on there now you don’t have to take them off.
Honus
@soapdish: actually, John lives near Follansbee West Virginia, where tin, or “Follansbee” roofing is manufactured. But I agree with you. A good shingle roof will likely outlast John. Also, a metal roof will cost three or four times as much as shingles, and that’s if you can find somebody that can install a standing seam metal roof. Otherwise there’s the pre-fab metal systems, or what we call the Cracker Barrel roof.
Shalimar
Probably not as much of a problem to find in rural West Virginia as it is in Florida, but get someone with a great reputation for quality work. Roofing is an industry that is rife with scam artists.
BruceFromOhio
Don’t skimp. Like tires and brakes, its something worth spending for quality goods.
The replacement roof in my 1700 sq ft split was $13k, the guys tore off the old shingles, replaced some sheathing and put in ridge vents, shingled and put all but one of the downspout & gutters back on correctly, and did it in a day. About 15 years ago. Still going strong.
Tim in SF
Thatch is much cheaper than metal.
Honus
@ruemara: Roofing, whether metal (tin or copper), shingle or slate, is priced by the square. A square is 100 square feet of roof surface. The roof pitch and number of hips and valleys can also affect the price. It’s worth talking to a few contractors to ascertain the customary per-square price for each type of roof in your area.
Kelly
Our house has a standing seam steel roof that was there when we bought. All my other houses have had composition roofs. I don’t notice much more rain noise, maybe a bit more from hail. I don’t think there’s any special soundproofing.
The biggest drawback is it’s kinda slick when I need to get up there. I only go up on the first sunny day after a rainstorm wearing sneakers. Clean and dry it’s not to bad. Now that I have the shop vac attachments to clean the gutters from the ground I only go up the valleys to clean them with a blower. With one foot on each side of the valley I’m reasonably stable.
One of our neighbors is a high end home building contractor. He just put a 50 year composition roof on his vacation home. His vacation home is a little gem displaying all the nice stuff he can build.
VOR
The Google tool to estimate the solar potential of your roof is called Project Sunroof. Basically, they are using Google Maps imagery. https://sunroof.withgoogle.com/
Alison Rose
@Tim in SF: Aaaaaaand this one is back in my head.
jimbales
@Alison Rose: I did a triple-take on that bit myself!
I think it is meant to be, “it will be replaced by the guy who is motherfucking my [na]me in the grave [because of the trees]”
Best
Jim
Mike in NC
Our house turned 20 in October and we had the roof replaced. $14K and we won’t worry about living long enough to do it again.
Honus
Well, so much for the Follansbee or “terne” metal roof. This is from 2012:
“A few months ago Follansbee Steel http://www.follansbeesteel.com/about stopped producing what we have come to know as terne metal or tin roofing; the company was founded in the early 1800’s and had changed hands a number of times since then. It doesn’t look like they will begin producing metal anytime soon if ever unless a buyer is found for the plant. It is one of my favorite metals to work with and I truly hope they find a way to get back in business. Terne is a mild steel with a coating of zinc and tin alloy to protect the steel from rust. Once the material is formed and installed it gets painted; as long as the paint is kept up once every ten-fifteen years you are left with a roof that can last a century.”
Steeplejack
@Alison Rose:
I eventually reworded it in my mind to be “the guy who is [cursing] me in the grave about the giant oaks and maples in the front yard and the giant maple and willow in the back yard.”
Alison Rose
@Steeplejack: Ohhhhhhh okay. I think that makes it clear.
Randal Sexton
The place I just built and moved into has metal roof — there is an issue with condensation. Be aware of that. In our attics we could only finally solve the condensation by ripping out the “R8” condensation barrier and having a spray foam insulation put in. Kinda spendy, but it worked, and made those attics R30 or so.
NotMax
Have your parents ever had a new roof installed on their house? If so, are they satisfied with it? How has it held up?
Random thought: may want to reconsider going metal, what with living in a region prone to thunderstorms.
SeattleDem
My understanding is that the new federal rebates cover 1/3rd of the cost of the re-roof if you do it to put on solar panels, so do them as a single package if you can. Metal roofs are a forever solution, composite roofs are a 20-year solution and can be done by any yahoo that can watch youtube. If you have any hips, valleys, excretions, or fancy doodads, get a professional with a listing on Angie’s List or similar. Depending on the size and complexity of the roof, $25000 is in the right order of magnitude and something like $1000/panel for solar is considered reasonable in Seattle.
lgerard
Not about roofs, but this lady has the right idea
Poe Larity
I thought you were moving to Florida. So don’t worry about it. Save up for roof replacements in FL because you won’t have insurance.
Mart
If you go for solar be careful with contractor experience/knowledge. Wind uplift (panels can act as wings) and can rip the panels off the roof if improperly secured. Dumb ass electrical installations can lead to fires. Know of a person who leased/rented? his roof to a solar company. Don’t know the financial details but the installation made his giant house looked like shit. Might be worth investigating.
Pete Mack
The sound of rain on a metal roof is lovely. Prdonaru.R-30 is more than good enough for sound insulation. In WV, out of the.high winds,it should be good for 25-30 years
cain
I have not bought a new roof so I can’t comment.
But super grateful to hear of people giving food and drinks. I think that is something those of an age do. My parents and I always treated the folks working on our homes like guests and provided water and food as needed.
The Trump’s we are not
patrick II
Fine years ago I went to the GAF website where you can find a list of local ‘master” GAF roofers. They will use top notch materials and give a 25 year warranty on workmanship and 50 on materials . It’s a good deal and when I sold the first house I did that it was a strong selling point.I called several contractors and got Competitive bids and a very reasonable deal. about $10,000 fee for a roof Covering a 2300 sq ft plus garage ranch house. I did again this past year for 12,000
way2blue
In addition to federal incentives for installing solar panels, perhaps your local utility offers rebates (I know it’s WV). I installed 15 panels in 2018 and PG&E gave me ~$6K in rebates. Used SunPower panels. And also installed two PowerWalls. So we’re mostly self-sufficient, energy-wise. Albeit in the winter we pull power from the grid whereas in the summer feed it… Really nice to have electricity when the power goes out—like last week with the high winds in the SF Bay Area. (I have a fairly new cedar shake roof, so no insights on composite versus metal.)
No One You Know
We put in solar panels. Pretty good financing, comparable to credit union rates despite the recent hike, no early pay penalty. When electric company flips a switch this week, we start getting credit for it. We’re plowing the solar tax credit back into the loan, and whatever we owe is assumable by a new buyer if we sell the house before it’s paid off. We went with Blue Raven, but there’s quite a few installers out there.
Looks as if we don’t have a ‘bill’ per se, so much as a loan payment. Which means our energy bills will flatten and become predictable– nice for fixed income. It was a little scary to do, but genuinely no money up front. I only wish I could’ve put some more money down but it wasn’t required.
Grover Gardner
We had our roof redone with standing seam metal two years ago. 1700 sq mid-century custom house with interior beam ceilings and very shallow slope on the roof. Should never have had shingles. They ripped out two layers of old roof. We love the metal roof but 1) it is noisy in the rain and 2) I feel we lost some insulation. There were a lot of rot issues and patio roofing and side ally overhang had to be rebuilt. $32K. Basically we had to go that way and we’re glad we did. It did add value to the house when we refinanced shortly afterward. We are here to stay, and I like not having to worry one iota about the roof until I die. For your house, though, I’m not sure it’s necessary.
SectionH
@Grover Gardner: That sounds great to me. Never mind I love rain on the roof. Esp the mid-century modern bit. Comment I didn’t post to Cole earlier:
California and WV do not have the same needs about roofs. Substitute KY for WV, I know from experience. I’ll try to find what “we” put on our roof in Lexington which was a 40-yr guarantee. (I hate it for looks – our house is one of the few dozen Isenhour -yes google him) mid-century modern houses in Lexington – and that roof is horribly “cabin in the fields old style”, but 40 yrs? I’ll take it. And it’s kinda ignorable at least.
That kind of roof would fit Cole’s house perfectly. I mean style too. As to cost? I have no idea.
We had a guy who lived in our house for a decade, and he was a good ol’ boy, or could fake it anyway, so he mostly took care of the place, and knew a a guy who did roofs… and no leaks at all.
patrick II
@patrick II:
I forgot to add that those prices were with a veteran’s discount. But they include an upgraded underlayment which means even if you lose a few shingles during a storm, the water still won’t get through to the roof.
opiejeanne
Whoever you do hire to replace your roof, make sure the contractor is licensed and that he has insurance.
p.a.
If you’re moving, go basic. Metal/solar may help your resale value, but you won’t recover 100%, and there will be potential buyers who won’t see it as a + factor.
How many shingle layers currently? I know here in S.E. New England if you have only one layer it’s acceptable to just add a new layer on top (assuming no wood damage underneath), but if there are 2 (or more😱) layers it’s strip the old. Adding a 2nd layer if possible saves $.
Tangental question on your house sale: considering you live in Red WV, will you be (subtly, of course) investigating potential buyers’ politics? After all you’ve put into the house, how will you feel if the new owner throws up a “Fuck Biden” sign on the front lawn?
satby
Skip the metal because it’s crazy pricey if you’re not staying there forever. I want it too, but I think I have less than 10 years in this house before I either croak or my kids insist on me living closer to them. Even the payback on solar for me is 17+ years with a mediocre savings of $3k over 30 years, again not worth it to me.
For my house, which is comparable in size and shape to yours, the estimated I got last year ranged from $8k to $30k, and the high end was assuming only 1 layer to remove and no plywood replacement, both clearly wrong assumptions. I couldn’t swing the loan last year, so will try this year, but with the low end and midrange guys rebidding the job. The cheaper guys repaired my garage roof and did a roof down the street pretty well, but I suspect they’re using undocumented workers (it’s owned by a local Mexican couple). I just want to be sure they’re not being exploited with low salaries.
bbleh
We’re in WV. We had to replace the old asbestos-tile shingle roof on my mom’s HUGE house. I figured $50K minimum, but maybe as high as $70-80K.
We found — via family friends — a reputable local contractor who routinely rebuilt houses for some local landlord / flippers, and who employs local labor. He did the whole thing, disposal included, for like $20K, plus what the tree-trimmer cost.
Lesson: prices vary considerably, even for good-quality work. Ask around, be willing to wait a while.
As to metal, we considered it, and it is indeed durable. BUT, a problem I learned about, and the roofer agreed, was rust around the holes, which can lead to leaks and eventually to loosening. We went with good old shingles, which are expected to last 20-25 years anyway.
Central Planning
@Ohio Mom:
This is the way.
I got my roof done 18 months ago. About $10k and they did a tear-off. I think I have more roof than I’ve seen in the pics of your house
mardam
I was a roofer in another life. My Dad owned a roofing company, and I worked there for years on and off.
Price will depend on whether or not you remove the old roof first (I suggest you do), and the square footage/slope/how much is straight run vs. small pieces of roof to make the whole.
Assuming your roof is about 1200 sq.ft. And from what I’ve seen a bit steep and a bit cut up.
I’m guessing about $500/100 sq.ft. installed.
Solar panels should be done for free by the solar company. That should be done after the roof. But think about how much shade is thrown onto the roof by the surrounding trees. That will cut down significantly on your power generation. I know. I installed solar on my house after I put the roof on 10 years ago. Had good generation for about 7 years. Then a maple tree near the house on the west side started throwing shade. My power generation is down at least 25% the last two years.
Jinchi
It will be replaced in 50 years by a guy who is looking at the overgrown estate muttering “motherfucking John Cole and his trees”.
OlFroth
We just had solar installed at no cost via Trinity Solar. I’m in SW PA, don’t know if they operate in the panhandle. We replaced our roof about two years ago (110 year old Queen Anne style home) and it cost us 13K
KayInMD (formerly Kay (not the front-pager))
@lgerard: That’s adorable.
Paul in KY
My thing about a metal roof is that they cost a whole lot. They say “it’s a 500 year roof”. OK, but why do I need to be providing a free roof for Vornack 16 and his Robotwife Gracie 500M in the year 2345?
To me, the only way I would splurge for a metal roof was if I was 99% sure the house would be property of my descendants many years from now.
Paul in KY
@StringOnAStick: They were trying to cheat you. Would never use that company.
Fake Irishman
Two things I didn’t see here:
1. If you decide to go solar, replacing the roof immediately before you do so means that you can count roof replacement as part of the solar project, meaning you can claim it as part of the project when you claim the 30 percent tax credit for installing solar on your home thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act (Thanks Biden!)
2. there are several ways to do solar, figure out which one works for you. (eg install for free, then you lease them; purchase panels straight up then reap benefits of ownership and claim the tax credit directly) figure out with WV’s net metering policy is and go from there. You might also want to consider a battery for back up; that might add $10,000 to $15,000 to cost which may or may not be worth it. Call several contractors and see what they pitch you.
In Texas, net metering isn’t great as the utilities have stopped offering really generous terms (eg they settle up at the end of every month instead of annually which essentially is a lose-lose for the customer). Still, my family took the plunge last summer and immediately cut our electric bill by more than 70 percent, not a mean feet where you run air conditioning for eight months out of the year.
The Castle
@mardam:
Mardam knows what they’re talking about, John. I am reroofing my own house but did research on having it done for me. Barring any major issues, your house should be in the range of $5-10k.
Asphalt shingles are the way to go for your house. Everything else is some combination of too expensive or inappropriate. I would spend a little more to get architectural shingles – they’re thicker and more durable, have a better warranty, and just look nicer.
I also would recommend stripping off the old shingles, even if you’re not staying in the house much longer. A house inspector will pick up on this and it might affect future buyers’ decisions. Maybe not, but I would want that dead weight off of my roof in case you are sticking around, plus the roofers won’t need longer nails to keep the 2 shingle layers attached to the underlayment.
Solar is trickier. I am not a big fan of leasing unless you have a short time horizon. You start saving up front, but you really lose out on the big savings down the road. I have no idea how leased panels would affect most homebuyers’ decisions, but I know I would shy away from that. But a house with panels purchased by the seller would be very attractive to me.
If you’re buying a system, count on about $3/watt installed. So here’s an example: If you can get 2 rows of 10 panels up on your roof, 300 watt panels = will cost you $18k for that 6kW system. You can get $5,400 of that $18,000 back due to the 30% solar credit on your federal taxes, so the final cost is $12,600. You can then use your household electricity savings to figure out a payback period. Your electricity is very cheap compared to mine, so that will make payback longer. The benefits of living in WV and still burning all that coal, I guess. Whether this all makes sense will strongly depend on the sun exposure, any problems with your roof or electrical system, and your appetite for having that money tied up for a while.
dearmaizie
@lgerard: Oh, how I love that! Where did you find it?
dearmaizie
@Alison Rose: Same here, but I’ve also noticed that more than a few of his posts contain strange phrases.
Gvg
Both dolor and reroofing with insulation added have potential savings through Biden’s energy bill and local utilities and states may offer different options including apparently how much upfront cash. Check.
In Florida metal roofs are popular for insurance reasons and safety as they can if installed right resist hurricanes better and I think small tornadoes. We also get a lot more rain than most of the country. My area normally gets 65 inches a year. The last a long time gets mentioned, as does the cost but it’s the storm resistance that people think of and that goes with getting and keeping insurance. I do not know what West Virginia’s factors on usefulness would be.
Another factor used to be reflecting heat before it was in the attic for energy efficiency but then they invented reflective film to put under shingles so that doesn’t get mentioned as much anymore.
Having an analysis of energy efficiency of your house done with different options would be worth it, keeping in mind certain costs are not going to stay the same in the future…but the guy they sent from my utility company for a general survey was pretty useless.
dearmaizie
I’m with @soapdish and Ohio Mom. Do the cheapest and let the next person worry about
Also, I haven’t seen any comment about insurance. You pay for these roofs with cash money?
Paul in NC
$200 a square (100 sf) for tear off old roof, replace with 25 yr. architectural shingles. Metal much much more. Solar panels are not part of a roof or roof system, even though they can be installed on the roof. They are part of the electrical system. Whether its worth it or not to install solar panels takes professional analysis of your electricity needs, possible location sites on the property, and other factors. Sometimes the cost savings are worth the installation price. Sometimes not. Your local utility is involved unless you live totally off the grid. Need an expert to run the numbers.
Sonora
@The Castle: Just finished my fed taxes and claimed the solar credit for the system we installed in 2022. I noticed there was also a credit for some metal and asphalt roofing. You might check into that before making your decision.
John Cole
@Steeplejack: THAT IS WHAT I MEANT!!!
Bruno McNasty
It’s funny this question comes up as I in fact can see through my closet access hatch straight through to the sky, as I am currently getting my roof replaced. Our roof is 4000 sq. ft., low slope on two different levels. They are installing a metal roof for about 105 K$. Ouch. The lowest we found were about 50 K$ with one of two different kinds of plastic covering. But of all the estimates we got, only one company actually looked in the crawlspaces under our current roof and found rotted wood that needed to be replaced, as well as a LOT of mold, owing to the poor job that the people who did the roof last time did. We seriously considered a solar system that would have paid for itself with rebates and tax incentives, and power plugged back into the system over the next 20 years. I wanted to pull the trigger on that, but it was another 42 K$ with the earlier quoted 105 K$ for the roof. We are fortunate that, because of the passing of our last two surviving parents in the last couple of years, we actually can pay for what we can afford with a minimal of borrowing against the house.
But who’s got that kind of cash sitting around?
Ron
this guy is all about building high performance homes. Has a lot of videos on metal roofs.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=matt+risinger+metal+roof
Steeplejack
@John Cole:
Got it. The “motherfucking my me” was a little unclear.
Mai Naem mobile
We’ve paid $10-15K for shingle roofs for regular size homes(1200-1500 sq ft single story.) Make sure you replace the wood underneath and the fascia if it needs it. I don’t know if this would work with the look of your current house but make the eaves bigger if you’re replacing the wood. It helps with rain and heat. I seem to remember there being an issue with metal roofs and solar(can’t remember if it was a contractor or if i read it somewhere.) I am all for solar but the numbers don’t always work. Do the numbers. You might be surprised. Also on the solar, it probably won’t make sense to cover 100% of your utility bill all the time because you’ll need more panels. You have to find the sweet spot where you may have a smaller utility bill during your high use months and no bill during low use months.