It's the first thing almost everybody asks us, usually before anything else. Fair enough. A roof is one of the bigger checks a homeowner writes, and nobody wants to call three companies just to find out whether they're in the right ballpark. So here's the ballpark, the same one John gives in the video, and then the honest version of why your number might land a little above or below it.
What does $4 a square foot actually mean for my house?
The square footage that matters is the roof, not the living space. A 2,000 square foot ranch and a 2,000 square foot two-story don't have the same roof. The ranch spreads the whole footprint under one roof. The two-story stacks it, so its roof is smaller. Overhangs, a covered porch and an attached garage all add to it, and so does pitch, because a steep roof has more surface than a drawing of the house from above would suggest.
So the math is simple. Take the roof area, multiply by about four dollars, and you have a starting point. A 2,000 square foot roof lands around $8,000. A smaller roof lands lower, a bigger one higher. That's what we see on houses across St. Louis and Kansas City right now.
Why isn't every roof quote the same?
Because every house is different. Three things move the price more than anything else.
Steepness. A roof you can walk on goes faster. Once the pitch gets steep, our crews need roof jacks, harnesses and more time on every section, and that labor shows up in the price. Steep roofs usually carry more surface area for the same footprint, too.
Layers to tear off. One layer of old shingles is routine. Two or three layers means more weight to strip, more trips to the dumpster and a longer day. Nobody knows how many layers are up there until somebody actually looks at the edge of the roof.
Flashing. Flashing is the metal that seals the roof where it meets a chimney, a wall, a skylight or a valley. Some houses have almost none. Others have a chimney, two dormers and a skylight. Doing flashing the right way takes time, and skipping it is how a brand-new roof ends up leaking in the first spring storm.
Why do you measure the roof before you quote it?
Because a guess doesn't help anybody. A quote built off a phone call or a quick look from the street can come in high and scare you off, or come in low and turn into surprise charges halfway through the job. Neither one is honest.
When we come out, we measure the roof, count the layers, look at the decking where we can see it, and check every spot where the roof meets something else. Then you get a written number for your house, not an average. The inspection is free, and you're under no obligation to go any further.
Can I save money by putting new shingles over the old ones?
You can. Roofing over one existing layer skips the tear-off, so the number on paper is lower. Our honest answer is that it's better to tear the whole thing off. When the old shingles come off, we can see the wood underneath and fix the bad spots before anything new goes down. When they stay on, whatever is wrong under there stays hidden, and your new roof starts life sitting on an old problem. A full tear-off means the new roof starts fresh.
Will insurance pay for my new roof?
Sometimes. If hail or wind damaged your roof, your homeowner's policy may cover the replacement, minus your deductible. How much it pays depends on your policy, and whether it pays actual cash value or replacement cost makes a real difference to what lands in your hand. Read that part of your policy before you sign anything with anyone.
One thing to watch for: a contractor who offers to cover or waive your deductible. That's illegal in Missouri and in Illinois. The deductible is your share of the claim, and anybody offering to make it disappear is asking you to be part of insurance fraud.
How do I compare two roofing quotes?
Lay them side by side and make sure they're quoting the same job. Ask each company:
- Is the old roof being torn off, and how many layers does that price cover?
- Is new flashing included at the chimney, the walls and the valleys, or is the old metal being reused?
- What happens if the crew finds soft or rotten decking once the shingles are off?
- Who is actually doing the work, the company's own crews or whoever they could find this week?
- What workmanship warranty comes with it, and is it in writing?
A quote that's a couple thousand dollars lower usually leaves something out. You want to find that out before the job starts, not after. And since Missouri doesn't license roofers at the state level the way Illinois does, checking out the company yourself matters even more on this side of the river.
What comes with a John Beal Roofing replacement?
We're a family-run company, and we've been putting roofs on Midwest homes since 1947. Our own crews do the work. Every replacement comes with our limited lifetime workmanship warranty. Our phones are answered 24/7, so if a storm opens up your roof on a Saturday night, you get a person, not a voicemail.
We work across Greater St. Louis and Kansas City, plus Columbia, Springfield, Lake of the Ozarks, and the Metro East and Carbondale in Illinois. Our Kansas City office is at 7440 NW River Park Drive in Parkville, MO 64152. Call 816-572-9500 on the Missouri side or 913-281-6000 on the Kansas side. Everywhere else, call 1-800-JOHN-BEAL.
What John says in the video
Transcript: How much does a new roof cost? In St. Louis and Kansas City, about $4 a square foot. So a 2,000 square foot roof is roughly $8,000, give or take. Every house is different. The steepness, the layers to tear off, the flashing. We measure your roof before we quote it. Call me. 1-800-JOHN-BEAL.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a new roof cost in St. Louis?
About $4 per square foot of roof. A 2,000 square foot roof runs roughly $8,000, give or take. The steepness, the number of old layers to tear off and the flashing work are what move the final number up or down.
How much does a new roof cost in Kansas City?
The same ballpark as St. Louis: about $4 per square foot, so roughly $8,000 for a 2,000 square foot roof, on both the Missouri and Kansas sides. We measure your roof before we give you a written quote.
Why did my roof quote come in higher than $4 a square foot?
Usually it is one of three things: a steep pitch that takes more time and safety gear, more than one layer of old shingles to tear off, or a lot of flashing around chimneys, walls, skylights and valleys. Ask the contractor to show you which one it is.
Is it cheaper to put a new roof over my old shingles?
Upfront, yes, because it skips the tear-off. We still recommend tearing the whole thing off. It lets us see the wood underneath, fix the bad spots, and start your new roof fresh instead of on top of an old problem.
Do you charge to measure my roof and give me a quote?
No. The inspection is free and there is no obligation. We measure your roof, count the layers, check the flashing, and give you a written number for your house. Call 1-800-JOHN-BEAL, answered 24/7.