No honest price list can be given for a roof in Albuquerque without seeing the roof. What this guide does instead is explain the things that move a quote up or down, so a homeowner can read a written scope and see why one number is larger than another.
Key takeaways
- A roof quote is driven by the area and the number of planes far more than by the size of the house.
- Tear-off, the number of layers already on the roof and the condition of the decking can each add a separate line.
- Flat and low-slope roofs price their drainage and seam work differently from pitched roofs, where flashing and valleys carry more of the labour.
- The City of Albuquerque's permit and load rules, confirmed with the Building Safety Division, can add a line that is not visible from the street.
- A written, itemised quote is the only reliable comparison between two roofers.
- No price on this site is a promise. The roofer sets the figure on site and confirms it in writing before work starts.
Why can't a roof price be read from a website?
Because the price depends on things that cannot be seen from the street: the decking under the covering, the layers already on it, the framing, and the drainage that only shows up on the roof.
Most homeowners want a number before they make a call, and that is understandable. A roof is a poor thing to price from a distance, though. Two houses on the same street with the same footprint can produce quotes that are far apart, because one has a single layer of shingles on sound decking and the other has three layers over soft boards and a flat section that ponds.
This guide explains what the roofer is measuring and why. The aim is to let you read a written scope and understand each line, rather than to hand you a figure that will not hold up once the covering is off. A roofer who gives a firm number before seeing the roof is guessing, and a guess is the thing most likely to change once the work begins.
- Measure the roof on site, not from a photograph
- Ask for each line of the quote to be named
- Treat a single lump sum with no detail as incomplete
What does roof area and shape do to the quote?
Area sets the material, but the number of planes, the pitch and the number of cuts set the labour. A simple gable is cheaper than a roof of many small sections.
The raw area of the roof is the starting point for the material. Every extra plane, hip, valley and dormer adds cuts, flashing and waste, and those take more time than the material itself. A roof that looks the same size from the street can carry a much larger labour line once the number of changes of plane is counted.
Pitch matters too. A steep roof takes more time to work, needs more fall protection and is slower to move material on. A low-slope or flat section is quicker to cover but needs more care at the drains and the seams, so the two kinds of section are priced on different grounds in the same quote.
- Count the planes, the valleys and the hips
- Note the pitch and the access to the roof edge
- Ask how the flat and pitched sections are priced separately
How do layers and decking change the number?
Each layer that has to come off adds labour and disposal. Damaged decking found under the covering is replaced and priced by the sheet, so the quote should say how that is handled.
A roof with one layer of covering is simpler to remove than one with two or three. Each extra layer adds hours of removal and a larger load to carry away. A roofer will count the layers at the start, usually at an edge or a vent where the layers show, and write the number into the scope.
The decking is the largest unknown. Boards that are soft, split or stained are only found once the covering is off, and a sound quote says what happens when they are found. A fair approach is to replace damaged sheets as a separate line, priced per sheet, agreed before the work and not absorbed into an unrelated figure.
- Count the layers at an edge or a vent
- Ask how damaged decking is priced and who approves it
- Keep the deck repair as a line of its own
What does flashing and drainage add?
Flashing at walls, chimneys and vents, and the drains or scuppers on flat roofs, are fiddly and skilled, and they often matter more to the leak than the covering does.
Flashing is where most leaks start, and it is slow work. Each wall join, chimney and penetration has to be detailed on its own, and cheap flashing that is set wrong costs more later than a sound job does now. A quote that prices the covering and leaves the flashing out is not a complete quote.
On a flat roof the drainage is the line that moves most. A drain set above the low point of the roof needs to be re-set, and that work is quoted as its own line. A roofer who does not mention the drains on a flat roof has not looked at them.
- Itemise the flashing at each penetration
- Check the drain height against the low point
- Ask whether scuppers and outlets are included
Which permit and load steps add to the cost?
The City of Albuquerque's Planning and Building Safety Division decides whether a permit applies, and the City sets the ground snow load by elevation. Both can add a line that the quote must show.
The FACTS sheet says that a permit question belongs to the Planning and Building Safety Division, and that the City sets its own ground snow load by elevation. This guide does not state a fee or say whether a re-roof needs a permit, because those depend on the City's current rules and the scope. Ask the roofer to show who files the permit, who pays for it and whether an inspection follows.
The load question matters most for a replacement. The roof has to carry the City's load at the address, and the roofer confirms that value before the covering is ordered. If the framing is short, the strengthening is a separate and possibly large line, and it should be explained before any work starts.
- Ask who files and who pays for the permit
- Confirm the snow load value for the address with the City
- Put any strengthening on its own line
How should you compare two written quotes?
Line by line. Two quotes that differ by a large amount usually differ in the scope, not the price of the same job, so check the layers, the decking, the flashing and the permit line on each.
Put two quotes side by side and check that they describe the same roof. A quote that leaves out the flashing or the drains is cheaper for a reason. A quote that names the layers, the decking allowance and the permit process is more complete, even if it is larger.
Ask each roofer to confirm the licence number in writing and to say which lines are fixed and which depend on what the roof shows. A fixed line is worth paying for when the roofer can show the reason, and a line marked as depending on the roof is only as good as the explanation for it.
- Check that both quotes describe the same roof and scope
- Compare the decking and permit lines, not only the total
- Ask which lines are fixed and which depend on the roof
How should a homeowner plan the budget before the visit?
Plan for a range of outcomes rather than a single number, and set aside money for the lines that depend on what the roofer finds under the covering.
A sensible budget for a roof has two parts: the work you expect to pay for, and a reserve for what the roof reveals when it is opened. A reserve is not a sign of a bad roofer. It reflects the fact that decking, flashing and drainage cannot be fully seen before the work starts, and a roof that is worth replacing is often a roof with a few surprises under it.
Ask the roofer to mark which lines are fixed and which are priced on what is found. A fixed line is one you can plan around. A line priced on what is found should carry the price per unit, such as per sheet of decking or per linear metre of drip edge, so the total can be worked out once the roof is open.
- Set aside a reserve for hidden decking damage
- Ask which lines are fixed and which are per unit
- Plan for the permit and inspection as a line of its own
What questions should you ask before signing?
Ask who will do the work, what the scope includes, what is excluded, how changes are priced and when payments are due.
Start with who does the work. A roofer's crew may differ from the person who sells the job, and you should know who will be on the roof. Ask what the scope covers, line by line, and what it leaves out. Ask how a change found during the work is priced and who approves it before it is done.
Ask about the payment schedule as well. A payment that falls due before any material has arrived is a risk, and a schedule tied to visible stages of the work is easier to check. Ask for the licence number, the insurance proof and the permit steps, all in writing, before any deposit is paid.
- Who does the work and who is on the roof
- What is included and what is excluded
- How a change is priced and approved before it is done
Frequently asked questions
Can you tell me a typical price for a roof here?
No. This site does not publish a price, because a number given without seeing the roof would be invented. The roofer sets the figure on site and confirms it in writing.
Why do two quotes for the same house differ so much?
Usually because they scope different things, such as the layers, the decking allowance, the flashing or the drains. Compare the lines, not the totals.
Is the permit included in the price?
It depends on the job and the roofer's scope. Ask the roofer to show the permit as a line, with who files and who pays.
Does a bigger roof always cost more?
In general, yes, but the number of planes, the pitch and the drainage can matter as much as the area.
Sources
This guide is general information for Bernalillo County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.