Flat roof replaced? - Posted by Dan(FL)

Real Estate Investing
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Posted by Dan-fl-2 on February 02, 2002 at 06:34:20:

I live in pasco county,port richey.I’m about a hour and a half from you.Ya I just claim the materials.Drive around town and find some guys from a good roofing company working on a roof and ask them if they do sidejobs.If they say yes,ask them to come look at the job and give you a price on labor only and ask them how long it will take,because you want to be there.( you are not really going to hang out there,just make them think you are so they don’t pad the hours) If you like there price.Ask them what they need and You buy the materials and have them delivered.I have done this many times and always got a great deal and a good roof with no leaks and no problems to date.

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Flat roof replaced? - Posted by Dan(FL)

Posted by Dan(FL) on January 30, 2002 at 21:16:47:

I have a property in Central Florida that I am trying to bid on and the only snag is a flat roof that is in need or very shortly will need to be replaced. Does anyone out there have a ball park figure or even better have had a flat roof fixed or replaced with a pitched one and can give me an idea of what I can expect for it to cost?

Thanks for your help,

Dan (FL)

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Re: Flat roof replaced? - Posted by Mark (WV)

Posted by Mark (WV) on February 01, 2002 at 08:10:09:

The other posts are right on as far as the flat roof so as to give you the choice you asked for here it is.
You don’t mention size so figure on if replacing a flat with a pitch: $45-70 per every 2 feet of length will get you in the ballpark for the trusses then $2 per sq foot for sheeting and shingles,that leaves the eves at $2 per running ft and gutters at $2.50 per ft.

That will give you a idea, like Nate said it’s going to be cheaper to replace the flat one but you decide which is better for your taste.

Good Luck
Mark (WV)

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Re: Flat roof replaced? - Posted by GL(ON)

Posted by GL(ON) on January 31, 2002 at 10:45:54:

I wouldn’t mess around with a flat roof. A shingle roof OK, but not a flat roof. There are too many problems with a cheap flat roof.

About 5 years ago I replaced a flat roof about 40X45 feet. Bids ranged from $1800 (membrane) to $5000 (5 ply tar and gravel). I took the $5000 job and never regretted it.

I looked into the membrane or torch down. This is a rubberised roll roofing where the seams are melted together with a torch. The manufacturer doesn’t recommend it for a flat roof, or one where the water can lay. Only a roof with a slight slope.

If you have a slight slope maybe it’s OK but I have heard horror stories about it on a flat roof, even when installed by a professional, but especially when installed by a roofer who is not experienced it that type roof.

Same for the roll roofing, that is for a sloping roof only.

A pitched roof is much better and cheaper to repair, but if you have to have a whole new roof installed over a flat one, it may well cost more than a good flat roof. Once it’s done it’s cheap to reshingle though.

Here is a tip given me by my roofer. The roof deteriorates as the top surface of tar dries out and wears away. This is why they put gravel on, to protect it. Well if you get a roofer to go up there every 10 or 15 years and recoat the roof it will NEVER wear out! They just sweep aside the gravel, scrape off the surface, give it a coat of hot tar, and spread the gravel back over it.

So if you have a tar and gravel roof and it isn’t too far gone, you may be able to have the leaks repaired and the whole roof recoated, and it will be good as new.

The winter is the best time to have this done. You get a thicker coat of tar and the workers don’t perish to death from the heat.

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Re: Flat roof replaced? - Posted by Frank Chin

Posted by Frank Chin on January 31, 2002 at 09:56:05:

Hi Dan:

I have new flat roofs done on these attached houses I own, most recently a little of $1,700 for an 1100 sq ft area. Its a single with a 20 year guaranty.

I could’ve have it done for less than $1,500, but the owner of the firm I used is the grandson of the founder, and one of the workman who came was trained by the gransdfather, semi-retired, and has been doing roofing for nearly 50 years.

Up here, there have something called double roof, as opposed to single. Double is where the roof paper overlaps halfway into the one next to it, and tarred. Single overlaps by 3 inches.

I guess you don’t have ice or snow buildup in FL where you really need a double roof.

As for weekend roofers, I used one once and wished I didn’t. Water damage from roof leaks can be costly to fix, and the extra $200.00 sometimes is worth it for someone with a good recommendation.

Frank Chin

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I agree, find a weekend roofer - Posted by Marcos

Posted by Marcos on January 31, 2002 at 09:13:21:

I just got a 1000sf roof done(strip down, haul off, new shingles), including replacing rotting wood, for about $1,000. This was a weekend roofer.

I suggest you stay away from the ads in the yellow paper.

Marcos

P.S.- I have two more roofs for him this month, it’s going to cost me around $1,200 for each.

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Re: Flat roof replaced? - Posted by Dan-fl-2

Posted by Dan-fl-2 on January 31, 2002 at 06:35:36:

One of my tenants is a roofer and does side jobs.He replaced one of my rentals flat roof for $700.Find a roofer who does side jobs.

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Re: Flat roof replaced? - Posted by Nate(DC)

Posted by Nate(DC) on January 30, 2002 at 23:01:18:

I would think you would not want to convert to a pitched roof. Too expensive, and particularly if you’re going to resell the property because it will add nothing to the value vs. a new (flat) roof.

I recently replaced a flat roof on a home here in DC. It was a 1500 SF row house (2 story, so about 750 SF floorplate/roofplate). Got several bids - $2,950, $4,600, and $5,500. (Guess which one I went with?)

NT

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Re: Flat roof replaced? - Posted by Lor

Posted by Lor on January 30, 2002 at 21:37:22:

I’m answering your post to show you the range of prices. I just put on two flat roofs last fall - one was tar and gravel and the other a torch down. $4,500 and $19,000. They were located in different parts of the state. The houses were about the same square footage but one was located in a high labor cost area. I would call some local roofing companies tomorrow and give them the square footage and ask for a price range.

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Re: Flat roof replaced? - Posted by Dan (FL)

Posted by Dan (FL) on February 01, 2002 at 22:10:49:

Mark-

Great info. I appreciate it.
Dan

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Re: Flat roof replaced? - Posted by Dan (FL)

Posted by Dan (FL) on February 01, 2002 at 22:05:21:

Thanks for the tip and your time. I can always get great advice from this group.
Dan

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Re: Flat roof replaced? - Posted by Dan (FL)

Posted by Dan (FL) on February 01, 2002 at 22:00:34:

Frank Chin- Thanks for your reply. I agree with you in the concerns of using a weekend roofer. Yes…no concerns about snow ( I was glad to leave that on long island)
Dan!

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Re: I agree, find a weekend roofer - Posted by Dan (FL)

Posted by Dan (FL) on February 01, 2002 at 21:55:26:

Good luck and thanks for the info!
Dan

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Re: Flat roof replaced? - Posted by Dan (FL)

Posted by Dan (FL) on February 01, 2002 at 21:52:51:

Dan- Where in Fl are you(if you dont mind me asking)? I am in Lakeland. Also…you didnt get to claim the whole job, just the materials- right? Or how did you work this out?
Thanks for the help,
Dan

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Re: Flat roof replaced? - Posted by Dan (FL)

Posted by Dan (FL) on February 01, 2002 at 21:49:27:

Nate- Thanks for the info. I think you may be right about replacing the flat roof with another flat roof.
Dan

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Re: Flat roof replaced? - Posted by Dan (FL)

Posted by Dan (FL) on February 01, 2002 at 21:46:49:

Thanks for your reply. Your all very helpful.
Dan