Shingles? Roofing materials? (Home Depot, buy, new construction)

[southfoke]

Can anybody tell me where to get shingles/roofing materials at a good price. I am looking to have an existing roof replaced. I am also open to hiring a roofer if I can get some recommendations.
Thanks!

[J. Trent Hicks]

If you are looking for a good price on roofing materials . . . . . brace yourself!

The cost of shingles right now is the highest in the past 30 years. Yep, that's right. Even after major natural disasters like Hurricane Andrew, Hugo, Fran, and the ice storms of the most severe winters when the roofing material prices spike; we're paying more for roofing materials today than ever before.

You might ask, "Why is that?" Well, there has been some consolidation within the past 10 years or so of the companies who manufacturer shingles so there are fewer suppliers. GAF/ELK have merged and are now major players along with Certainteed, Atlas, and Tamko.

The shingle suppliers tell me that oil prices drive shingle prices. Well, that is true; but only up to a point. When oil prices increase you an count on shingle prices increasing; but, when oil prices fall, shingle prices seem to stay the same. They say that oil bought today doesn't impact the shingle pricing for six to eight months. With the downturn in new construction there has been some reduction of manufacturing capacity that has affected price as well.

Last month, GAF changed suppliers for the shingle granules that they use and the tried to "dump" as many of the old supplier's granule products on Home Depot to clear their inventory. AS a result, HD has been running specials on existing shingle inventory at 25% off.

Perhaps you could find enough inventory of the same "color lot" and "manufacturing run" to take advantage of this reduced pricing. Know that if you do so, you should buy a significant amount above what you really need to re-roof because there won't be any more that will match the color you select should you need a future repair.

[lovebrentwood]

What about metal roofing?

Is that outrageously priced?

Is it something that a homeowner could purchase and install?

[J. Trent Hicks]

There is a lot of discussion about metal roofing in our area. Some HOA's allow it, others do not, Most shingle roofing contractors do not do metal roofing; however, some do. It requires a different set of skills and tools to install a metal roof.

Metal roofing technology has come a long way; especially in the coatings of the metal. But, we are seeing premature UV failure and "chalking" on metal roofs as young as ten years old. The manufacturers are showing us all kinds of new coatings but IMHO the jury is still out on the expected service life compared to asphalt/fiberglass laminate shingles.

[wheelsup]

Look into white shingles if you can do it (HOA limits). I read a study showing they save considerable amounts of money due to much lower cooling costs in the summer. In the winter, there is less heating but the savings overall factor out in your favor. I don't remember the exact quote but IIRC it was around 20% of your cooling bill.