Accurate Roof Takeoffs –
Step 5: Calculate Labor & Other Costs

Replacing a residential roof requires careful planning and calculation of materials, costs, and labor requirements. The process of estimating materials and dimensions for a roof replacement is called a roof takeoff. A precise takeoff helps ensure that a contractor orders the correct amount and lengths of metal panel, trim, and accessories to manage project costs effectively.

In the previous article in this series we discussed panels and underlayment and trim and accessories needed to complete a metal roofing project. Today, we will work on finances, ensuring that you cover all your bases with considerations for labor costs, tools, and more.

Labor Requirements & Other Costs

Labor costs are a substantial part of any roofing project. To ensure accurate labor estimation:

• Assess Roof Accessibility and Complexity: A steeper pitch, complex roof shapes, and multiple obstructions (like chimneys and skylights) increase labor hours.
• Determine the Installation Rate: This varies depending on your team’s productivity and level of experience. Estimate how many squares (100 square feet) – or linear feet – your team can complete per day.
• Calculate Total Labor Hours and Cost: Multiply the estimated labor hours by your labor rate to determine the total labor cost.

Some other costs may include:

• Delivery of materials to the jobsite.
• New tools (for new metal roofers, you will need tools specifically designed for metal roofing) – including bending and forming tools, cutting tools, and rivet guns.
• Additional equipment / rentals needed (for example: scissor lifts, roof brackets, boom truck, seamers).
• Other products requested by the customer. For example: skylights, cupolas, weathervanes, gutters, downspouts, etc.

These considerations are important for your business and for your customers. Ensuring you properly quote your projects will mean profitability for your business and confidence from your customers who will in turn refer you to others.

Ready to present your final quote?

You now have the required knowledge of metal roof takeoffs and estimation for ensuring a clean and accurate quote. In our final article, we will summarize all the steps and costs and provide some advice for presenting your quote. Until then, if you’d like to learn more about our products and services, please review the solutions section or contact us to be connected with a salesperson to get started.