Home maintenance is not easy sometimes.
I don't know how anyone can estimate the cost of re-covering a roof without going slightly insane! A roof estimate calculator is a tool that enables a home owner to approximate the cost of covering a roof.
Amounts for the squares of shingles, rolls of felt, bundles of ridge, rolls of starter, sheets of valley metal, sheets of plywood, pieces of metal nosing and total number of squares can be calculated with it.
A roof calculator can usually be available online for free.
Some programs may be required to be downloaded, but are also free of charge most of the time.
Generally, in order to use this calculator, you need to have the following dimensions: the length and width of the building over which you want the roof to be.
This includes the roof overhangs that extend beyond the walls.
You also should know how steep your roof is, known as the slope or pitch.
This can be estimated with a pitch meter available from any hardware store.
Roofs slopes are generally low, medium or steep.
Remember not to climb onto your roof unless absolutely necessary! Lastly, the type of roof you have determines the cost of re-covering it.
Gable, or simple roofs, uses less roofing material than a hip roof would.
Roofs with more dormers, valleys, hips, slope changes will need even more material and time to complete.
The type of material you intend to use to re-cover a roof is also usually factored in the equation when using a roof estimate calculator.
Materials such as asphalt shingle, modified bitumen, rubber and thermoplastic polyolefin are more cost-effective than premium materials like slate or clay tiles or metal roofing.
Most roofing calculators should have taken these materials into consideration in order to be able to provide you with an estimate.
If that fails, you can always ask your friendly neighborhood contractor.
Aside from estimating how much it will cost you to put up a new roof, you should always engage a knowledgeable and experience roofing contractor.