Advice on budgeting for a leaky roof

Got a drippy ceiling? Here’s how to prepare for costs for what could be a major home repair.
Drip, drip, drip…that constant plunk of water into your bucket is just one irritating reminder that you need to get your roof fixed. But how much will that run you? While financial experts suggest keeping a bank account for home repairs, here are four questions to help further prepare you for roofing costs.

A: This answer truly varies, because you may need a small patch job done or you may need an entire roof ripped off and replaced. Patches are one of the most common repair jobs roofers take on and those can start as small as $200–$300, depending on how big a repair job it is and where you live. Full roof repairs can run you anywhere from $1,500 and up.

A: The costs of a roof repair break down to cover a few areas including:

• Materials — think plywood, shingles, roofing nails, roofing cement, and more.
• Labour — the people who are doing the work on your roof
• Expert labour — if you have a repair job involving a specialized area such as a skylight, that may involve a higher set of materials and labour (again, depending on the job)

A: Roofing repairs run the gamut of problems, like any sort of home maintenance repair. This could include:

• Leaky skylights
• Shingles that are ripped, broken, or even missing.
• A general roof leak
• A roof that sags
• Broken or rusted flashing (the metal that protects your roof from leaking)

A: The best way to get started is the way you would with any repair job for your home — ask around to see if anyone had their roof done recently and if they were happy with the work. Try to collect a few names if you can and call the companies to send over someone to inspect your roof and estimate how much it will cost. (Then add 10 per cent in case the job goes over.) If you ask several companies, it’s not likely you’ll have all the estimates come in at the same price. You may have to choose from a low, medium, and high price quotation. Also check their references from recent jobs to find out if clients were happy and ensure that they’re a qualified roofer.