One reason homeowners might delay replacing a roof is not knowing how long the process takes.
While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, it is possible to figure it out based on a few common variables.
On average, a roof replacement takes between one day and a few days. Below, we’re sharing what factors can affect that timeline and what you should expect for your own home.
As a rule of thumb, repairing the roof of a home that’s 3,000 square feet or less takes a day.
In the slower range, that home’s roof replacement might take between three and five days.
When there are other variables involved, including inclement weather, home accessibility issues, or roof complexity, the project can take up to three weeks.
Knowing that accessibility, intricacy, weather, and the time of year affect your roof replacement timeline is the first step.
Now it’s important to understand how they affect it.
The number of facets, angles, hips, valleys, and pitches that a roof has determines its level of complexity. These not only influence the average time for a roof replacement but also its cost.
The complexity of a roof is also influenced by the safety precautions the contractor must take. If your roof is higher up, the team must take more safety measures. If they’re working more slowly and cautiously, then replacing your roof will take longer.
Maintaining a high level of quality while replacing a more complex roof can extend the timeline.
Roof accessibility refers to your contractor's ability to reach your roof.
That access is necessary in order to remove old materials, place them in a dump truck, and get them away from the work site. That’s followed by trucking in new materials for the installation.
Here are some of the elements that make a roof difficult to access:
These all combine to slow down the average time for a roof replacement.
As you might expect, spending more time getting up to the roof limits the amount of time your roof can be worked on.
This extra work can add up to additional hours or even days in the timeline.
Certain weather criteria must be met to properly replace a roof. Roof replacements aren’t possible if it’s raining, snowing, freezing outside, or when it is too hot.
These all contribute to a roof that’s been poorly installed. Those delays often last until the conditions are appropriate enough to work on the roof again.
For instance, if it rains on the day that your roof needs to be replaced, the job will need to be postponed until the weather is dry again. If it rains while they are replacing it, they will cover your roof with a tarp to protect your house, and when it is dry enough to work on, they will resume where they left off. The replacement process takes longer in bad weather.
Depending on Daylight Savings Time, you may find roofers have more time to work on your home. Longer, lighter days after winter lead to more work opportunities. Because of this and the improving weather, it’s not surprising to see work pick up for contractors after March.
When the sun sets earlier during the winter, there is less time to work on your roof replacement. A complex project during this time of year can take even longer to handle.
Because of the size or scope, the average time for a roof replacement can be longer than a day. That said, you should be wary of businesses who claim they can do it in a single day.
Rushing a roof replacement can lead to pieces not fitting correctly and a lack of a thorough cleanup after the fact. It’s also difficult to know at the moment what other compromises have been made, and you may not find out until (when, not if) your roof starts to leak.
When it comes to your roof and your home, you shouldn’t compromise on quality for speed.
Do what you can to schedule your roof replacement during a week where the weather seems to be clear. If there is anything you can do to improve access to your roof, try to do it ahead of time. Finally, be sure to keep open communication with your roofing contractor about the progress of the roof. This makes sure you're prepared for the big day and that your experience will be stress-free.
If you are scheduling a roof replacement after a storm, you may be looking to submit roofing claims. At US Home Supplements, we know firsthand how long this insurance process can take - and how it can slow down your roofing projects. For help filing and managing your roofing claims, get in touch with the team at US Home Supplements today.