What a Roof Replacement Costs in St. Louis
Nobody can quote your roof from a web page, and the calculators that claim to are guessing.
Why the numbers online disagree so violently
Search roof replacement cost in St. Louis and you will get figures that differ by a factor of four. That range is not because the market is chaotic. It is because most of those pages are generated, have never seen a roof in Missouri, and are quietly averaging a 1,200 square foot ranch against a 4,000 square foot two storey with three valleys and a chimney.
What actually moves the number
- Squares, not square feet. Roofing is priced in 100 square foot squares of roof surface, which is not your floor area. A steep roof has considerably more surface than the house underneath it.
- Pitch. Past about 7:12 a crew cannot walk the roof freely and the labour line climbs.
- Layers. Tearing off two existing layers costs more to remove and to dispose of than one.
- Decking. Nobody knows what is under the shingles until they are off. Soft or delaminated decking gets replaced, and it is the most common reason a real number moves after work starts.
- Penetrations and detail. Chimneys, skylights, dormers and valleys are where the labour and the future leaks both live.
- Material. Atlas and Malarkey architectural shingles sit well above a builder grade three-tab, and impact-resistant products cost more again.
An honest estimate comes from someone who has been on the roof and measured it. Anything quoted sight unseen is a number designed to get an appointment.
The work, and its limits
Keys does roofing, gutters and downspouts. It does not do siding, windows or general contracting, and saying so is more useful than a longer list would be. Shingles are Atlas and Malarkey.
- Tear-off and full replacement, decking replaced where it has softened
- Leak tracing and repair: flashing, boots, valleys, fasteners
- Documented inspections, photographs and a written scope in your hand
- Seamless gutter rolled on site, guards, resealing and re-hanging
- Downspout reroutes, extensions and buried drainage to a proper outlet
Drainage is the unusual one. Most roofing companies here stop at the gutter and leave the water to find its own way, which it does, usually into a basement.
Call Keys Roofing at (314) 220-2333
Straight through to the office. Roofing, gutters and downspouts only, across greater St. Louis.
Get a real number
Measured on site, not guessed from a postcode.
Before you sign anything
Get the scope in writing first. It should say what is being torn off, what is going back on, what happens when soft decking appears, and who carries the workmanship warranty as distinct from the shingle warranty. Ask whether the crew are employees or subcontractors and whether the salesperson attends the job.
Two warning signs specific to this state. A contractor offering to cover or rebate your deductible is offering something RSMo 407.725 bars. So is one promising to negotiate your insurance claim. Both tell you the company is comfortable operating outside the rules, which is worth knowing before it is on your roof.
Questions people actually ask
Why will nobody quote a price over the phone?
Because the honest answer depends on squares, pitch, layers, decking condition and the number of penetrations, and none of that is knowable from a postcode. A number quoted sight unseen is an appointment-getting device.
What is the most common surprise once work starts?
Decking. Nobody knows what is under the shingles until they are off, and soft or delaminated sheathing has to be replaced. A good estimate says in advance what that costs per sheet.
Is an impact-resistant roof worth the extra?
Sometimes, and the deciding factor is usually your insurer rather than the roof. Some carriers offer a premium credit for a Class 4 rated roof. Ask yours before you decide.