What a roof replacement costs in the Twin Cities
Two quotes on the same house can be thousands of dollars apart, and it is almost never because one contractor is greedy. It is because the two numbers include different work — and in this climate, the work that differs is usually the winter work: ice barrier, valleys, flashing and ventilation.
The lines that move the number
Tear-off comes first: code allows two layers at most, and a great many metro roofs were recovered once in the 1980s or 1990s, so this replacement strips to the deck — more labour, more disposal. Decking is the wildcard, priced per sheet by anyone doing it honestly; on a roof that has been through two tear-offs the boards have taken a lot of nails. Roof geometry does the rest of the arithmetic: the metro’s split-entries, walkouts and attached garages carry more planes, valleys and wall junctions than their square footage suggests.
Then the four lines this climate makes non-negotiable: ice barrier membrane at the eaves — with the run stated in feet, because the code minimum is a floor; valley construction, open with metal rather than woven shingle, because a smooth channel sheds ice; flashing replaced rather than reused at every wall junction; and attic ventilation, intake and exhaust balanced. That last one is the line most often missing from the thin bid, and the one that decides whether the new covering lives out its warranty.
Why timing changes the quote
The working season here runs roughly May through October — the shortest of any major market — because asphalt shingles need sustained warmth to seal. Every roof in the metro competes for those five months, and the calendar fills from the middle out. Quotes gathered in February and March consistently get more contractor attention, better scheduling and sharper pricing than the same job quoted in July, when the crews are already committed. On subdivision streets where whole plats reach replacement age together, quoting a season ahead of your neighbours is the single easiest money-saver available.
Before you sign, make every bidder answer
- How many layers come off, and is disposal included?
- What is the per-sheet price for decking replacement?
- How many feet up the slope does the ice barrier run?
- Open metal valleys or woven shingle — and why?
- New flashing at every wall junction, or reused and sealed?
- What exactly does the ventilation scope include?
Next step: How long a roof actually lasts here