Roof replacements can have a major impact on your life. Between trucks in the driveway, containers for roofing material around your house, workers on your roof, and (perhaps most importantly) the lack of a roof during the swap, it’s completely understandable that most homeowners would like to know how long the roof replacement is going to take.
Luckily, it typically doesn’t take that long! Here’s how long the average roof replacement takes and a few of the things that could extend the project timeline.
The Average Timeline for a Roof Replacement
You might think it takes a long time to take off every shingle on your roof, prep the decking and underlayment, and put down a new layer of shingles one by one. When you list it out like that, it does sound like a lot! But the truth is that roofers are pros, and they know what they’re doing.
The average roof replacement takes only one day!
In extreme cases it can take up to three to five days, but a good roofer can replace an average-sized roof in less than 24-hours as long as there aren’t any problems or unexpected circumstances.
What Could Impact How Long a Roof Replacement Takes?
Unfortunately, not every job is completely straightforward. There are a few aspects that can impact the time it takes to replace your roof. Here are a few of the things that might make your roof replacement take a bit longer.
The Size of Your Roof
Obviously, the more roof you have to replace, the longer it’s going to take. An “average-sized” roof is anything around 3,000 square feet or less. If your roof falls into that range, there’s a good chance you’ll have a new roof by the end of one workday. If your roof is larger than 3,000 square feet, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to add a day or two to the expected project timeline.
Roof Complexity
It’s much easier (and therefore, faster) to replace a simple roof that doesn’t have any hips, angles, valleys, or facets. The more complex your roof, the longer it’s going to take to replace it.
Not only are complex roofs more difficult to replace, but they also require more safety precautions. Odd angles and steep pitches mean the roofers need to take their time and be careful, so they don’t fall. While it might help keep the workers safe (which is very important) it’ll also add a day or two to the total project timeline.
Accessibility
How easy is it to get up on your roof and bring equipment up to your house? Roofers need to climb up and down a lot to grab supplies and move around to different areas of your roof. If it’s hard for them to access your roof, the project might take a bit longer than average.
Things that hinder accessibility would be anything preventing the ability to get on and off the roof with ease:
- Tall bushes or trees around your house
- Fences or other decorative features
- No paved surface to bring in trucks, trailers, and containers
If you want your reroofing project to go quickly and smoothly, give the workers enough space to get on and off your roof easily. They’ll thank you for it!
Weather
Weather is something every Pacific Northwest resident has to deal with—especially roofers! It’s not a good idea to take off your roof while it’s raining! Not only is it bad for the rest of your house, but it’s also extra dangerous to walk around on the roof when it’s wet and slippery.
If there’s rain in the forecast, most roofers will simply postpone the project for a few days until everything dries out. Of course, in rainy areas like Kitsap County, it can be hard to avoid the weather.
Time of Year
It’s not easy to work in the dark. If you order a roof replacement in the winter, you’ll have to fight the shorter days to get the project done. The few extra minutes or hours of lost sunlight might make the difference between a one-day project and a two-day project.
Luckily, the flip side of that is also true. With the extra sunlight, roofers have a much easier time doing one-day roof replacements in the summer months. That’s why March and April are typically when the roofing season really takes off!
Your Roofer
Likely the biggest impact on your roof replacement timeline will be the roofer themselves. Experienced roofers who know what they’re doing can easily complete most roof projects in a day, or sometimes even less. Inexperienced contractors might not bring the supplies needed or make more mistakes that need correcting, which adds time to the project.
Before you hire a contractor, ask the right questions to make sure they’re the best for the job. Otherwise, you might be without a roof for multiple days at a time when it could be done in one!
The best way to ensure your roof replacement is done quickly and efficiently is to hire a roofer with a proven track-record of success like Cloise & Mike Construction. We’ve worked with Kitsap homeowners for over 20 years, helping with all their roofing needs. If you need a new roof, trust the experts. Contact us to get a free estimate today.