Roofing in Forsgate, Monroe Township

Not on age alone. Asphalt shingle is generally rated at 15 to 30 years, so twenty is when a roof deserves a proper look, not an automatic replacement. If the shingles still hold their granules, the flashings at the chimney and skylights are sound and the attic is dry, a repair may buy years.

On a Monroe house, after the squares themselves, it is usually the openings and the deck. One Monroe contractor's published figures put a new skylight at about $900 to $2,200 each against about $200 to $450 to reflash one, chimney flashing at about $350 to $750, and plywood at about $85 to $110 a sheet with 2 to 12 sheets typical. That is why every opening gets its own line on our quotes.

In architectural shingle it is above most Monroe houses' estimated range of $13,000 to $21,000, so ask what is in it. Several skylights replaced at an estimated $900 to $2,200 each can account for a lot of the gap. A New Jersey thread about a $42,000 quote on roughly 2,300 square feet drew the reply that around $26,000 or lower was expected for a high-quality shingle. Ask for the openings line by line.

Most roof repairs are estimated at $300 to $3,000, with the average near $900 nationally. Locally, one Monroe contractor publishes chimney flashing at about $350 to $750 and skylight reflashing at about $200 to $450. A cracked pipe boot on a single-story roof sits at the low end; flashing cut into a two-story chimney sits higher.