Average Cost For New Garage Roof??

[MICHELLE H.]

Hi All,

Just wondering if someone can give me a rough estimate for the cost to install a new garage roof that needs all new plywood and shingles on a detached garage?? Our 1940 detached garage roof is in pretty bad shape. When we get rain, water leaks inside, and pieces of wood from the roof are starting to break apart and fall all over the place inside the garage. Luckily the beams inside the garage seem to be in good shape, but the garage will definitely need all new plywood and asphalt shingles. Going to try to get some estimates over the next few weeks from some different contractors, but just wondering if the experts here can give me a few "rough' estimates now?? Also, the garage is 16 x 19 in size.

Thanks in advance!

[Fred McKenzie]

Falcongirl-

I wonder if the rotten wood might make it a dangerous job? From your description, the roof might not support the weight of a roofer. It may be necessary to have a general contractor manage the job if an ordinary roofer can't do it.

Also, the lowest bid is not always the best job. Talk to some of your friends about their roofing experiences, and if they would recommend their roofer.

Fred

[hrhofmann]

The rafter spacing will dictate the thickness needed for the plywood decking, and where you live will make a difference. Give us that information.

[MICHELLE H.]

Yes, the plywood looks to be pretty rotted and soggy with water. When standing inside the garage under the roof, you can actually "lift" the rotted plywood with a broom handle! So no doubt, there is no way someone can climb up on the roof without falling through.

Also, I forgot to add in my original post that it is a "A-Frame" style garage, not a flat one. A-Frame garage built in 1940 with the ORIGINAL roof and shingles on it I believe!!

[MICHELLE H.]

The wooden rafters in my 1940 A-Frame garage are spaced roughly 2 feet apart. I live in the New England area.

[MICHELLE H.]

I bet that whoever wants to do the job will also want to replace the rafters/beams as well, because while they don't look rotted out, they are soaking wet from rain water leaking inside the garage. Plus, it's damp inside the garage, so they must be close to being wet 24/7. And I doubt that 1940 wood is "pressure treated"??

[Stormin Mormon]

Might be easier to level the whole thing, and get a steel building, or pole barn? If you're going that far, after all.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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[HerHusband]

Hi Michelle,

If the roof sheathing is that wet and rotten, you can almost guarantee the underlying rafters have rot as well. You may not be able to see it from below, but I'm betting the top edge against the sheathing is gone.

If your garage really is an A-Frame, the roof structure is also the wall structure. If it's rotted, you essentially have none of the original structure left intact.

It's impossible to tell for sure without being there, of course, but you'll probably be better off tearing the whole thing down and rebuilding. A small garage (especially one only 16x19) would not be a major undertaking. Prices vary from one area to the next, but around here I'm guessing $10-15,000 for a complete rebuild. But that's just off the top of my head, based on what it cost to build our own several years ago. For a garage that small, you might want to look at places like "Tuff Shed" who build kit buildings.

Of course, if you have to tear it down anyway, you might consider rebuilding the garage a bit larger for two cars (or a larger workshop). Especially if you aren't able to reuse an existing concrete slab.

Good luck,

Anthony

[MICHELLE H.]

Thanks for all the great info, I really do appreciate it. Yeah, a few years ago during a strong Spring thunderstorm, a neighbor on my street had half of his HUGE "Silver Maple" tree fall on his 1940, 12 x 19 A-Frame wooden garage. Instead of rebuilding a new garage, he opted to go with a 19 x 21 steel carport from a place called "American Steel Carports", for around $1,000 bucks. Problem is, he had to remove the old concrete slab, and have all new concrete poured, because the 1940 code called for the slab to be 1 foot thick, and the new code calls for the concrete slab to be 3 feet thick!!!!!

[krw]

Where is that silliness required?

[Ed Pawlowski]

I think you have that wrong. Perhaps footings (the perimeter) but slabs are usually 4" or so.

[clare]

I believe by "a frame" she means a gable roof, as opposed to a flat or "shed" (sloped one way) roof.

[Evan]

te:

A 3 foot thick slab is not required, however having a slab on grade which is supported by proper footers at the perimeter which go below the frost line is, and that in New England is 3 to 4 feet...

[Evan]

Pressure treated wood is only required where the wooden structural members are designed to be in a moist location such as in direct contact with concrete or wood located outside exposed to the elements...

It does not extend to wood which is exposed to water due to a lack of proper maintenance and care of a building envelope...

I would be concerned that there is not enough of the original structure left intact and that more than enough of the old structure must be repaired or replaced such that all of the existing garage must be brought up to modern code...

In this case get estimates to replace the entire garage or to tear it down and remove it, as if you attempt to repair what you have it will only end up costing you more than having a contractor come in with a piece of power equipment to break it up and feed it into a dumpster and start fresh...

[krw]

Are you MICHELLE?

[bob haller]

around here one day garages put them up fast.

they come and prep the ground and pour the slab with a raised curb, to avoid the bottom edge of the walls rotting.

once the slab cures in less than a week they come witha truckload of pre fabricated walls and roof trusses. for larger building a crane is used.

in one day the garage is assembled on the prepped slab.....

amazing and nice looking too...

OP should price such a option before rebuilding their existing garage, it might be cheaper

[mark]

That's approx 3 square:

10 sheets plywood $150 10 bundles shingles $150 Tar paper, nails etc $100

Do one side at a time, 2 days work max

[Earl]

mark wrote in news:jr6jnl$k4c$ [e-mail]:

Don't believe the question was for a hill billy roof.

[bob haller]

10 sheets plywood $150 whens the last time you priced plywood?

[DerbyDad03]

He didn't say that they were 4 x 8 sheets.