2002 Cost vs. Value Report

People are worried about water," says Jana Peters, of Mark Peters Realty, Bridgeton, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis. "So basements and roofs are always questioned."

But even if a roof is new, that doesn't ensure that it's high quality. As Minnesota remodeler Marty Schirber points out, a homeowner thinking of selling might solicit 10 bids from 10 roofing companies and go with the cheapest. That may account for the relatively low estimated resale percentage.

Re-roofing costs range widely, from $6,288 in Norfolk, Va., to $15,435 in Chicago. The national average for the project specified in our description is $11,399. Real estate agents and appraisers estimate homeowners would recoup 67% of that in resale.

Project description

Remove existing roofing to bare wood and dispose of properly. Install 30 squares of fiberglass asphalt shingles with new felt underlayment, galvanized drip edge, and mill-finish aluminum flashing.

Market Job Cost Resale Value Cost Recouped
National Average $11,399 $7,644 67%
Atlanta 8,955 5,592 62
Boston 14,445 12,422 86
Buffalo, N.Y. 12,048 6,650 55
Chicago 15,435 11,887 77
Cincinnati 12,624 6,417 51
Cleveland 13,008 8,082 62
Columbus, Ohio 11,280 3,346 30
Dallas 8,976 6,250 70
Denver 9,585 4,308 45
Detroit 12,824 5,114 40
Houston 9,408 5,962 63
Indianapolis 10,560 4,100 39
Kansas City 10,560 4,363 41
Los Angeles metro 12,986 14,445 111
Los Angeles 13,392 18,370 137
Orange Cty, Calif. 12,579 10,520 84
Miami 8,880 6,375 72
Milwaukee 13,344 8,884 67
Minneapolis 13,856 8,083 58
New Orleans 8,256 6,629 80
New York metro 13,568 11,442 84
Passaic, N.J. 13,392 9,750 73
Nassau-Suffolk, N.Y. 14,352 9,370 65
Fairfield-New Haven, Conn. 12,960 15,207 117
Norfolk, Va. 6,288 2,700 43
Orlando, Fla. 9,312 4,528 49
Philadelphia 14,832 9,735 66
Phoenix 9,504 4,417 46
Pittsburgh 12,096 5,500 45
Portland, Ore. 11,660 8,500 73
Providence, R.I. 12,000 6,000 50
Sacramento, Calif. 12,336 8,500 69
Salt Lake City 9,312 5,840 63
St. Louis 12,768 5,917 46
San Antonio 7,824 5,275 67
San Diego 12,576 10,625 84
San Francisco metro 13,248 13,118 99
San Francisco 13,248 12,600 95
Oakland, Calif. 13,248 13,635 103
Seattle 12,536 8,505 68
Tampa, Fla. 8,880 5,720 64
Washington metro 9,401 5,903 63
Washington, D.C. 10,560 7,667 73
Baltimore 9,168 6,167 67
Richmond, Va. 8,476 3,875 46