Roof costs · Jul 3, 2026
Solar Panels and Your Roof: What Roofers Wish You Knew
The rule roofers wish every solar buyer knew: roof first, then panels. Remove-and-reinstall costs, penetration risks, insurance wrinkles, and sequencing.
7 min read
Free tools + field-tested guides
Know your roof before anyone quotes it.
Measure it, price it, and pressure-test the insurance question with free calculators that run right in your browser. Every guide is written and reviewed by a contractor with 20+ years on roofs.
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The toolbox
11 tools, in working order
Start by measuring, end with a number you can defend. Everything runs in your browser: no account, no email, no callback.
01
Roof Area Calculator
Turn your home footprint and roof pitch into square footage and roofing squares.
Open tool 03Roof Replacement Cost Estimator
A realistic price range for your state, roof size, material, and difficulty.
Open tool 07Insurance Claim Readiness Quiz
Is your storm damage worth a claim? Find out before you call your carrier.
Open toolWhy trust this site
Written like a manual, checked like a job
Transparent math
Every calculator shows its assumptions inline. The multipliers, waste factors, and price ranges are printed on the page, so you can check the work.
Expert reviewed
Drafts are researched and fact-checked, then reviewed, corrected, and approved by a licensed roofing contractor before publishing. Nothing goes live without that pass. Read the editorial policy.
No pay-to-say
This site earns from clearly labeled ads, not from roofing companies paying for placement. Nobody buys a recommendation here.
James Turner
Roofing contractor with 20+ years in roofing and insurance restoration, based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
About the authorFrom the manual
Latest guides
Materials · Jul 3, 2026
Skylights During a Roof Replacement: Replace or Keep?
A contractor's honest answer on skylights during a reroof: the lifespan math, cost now versus later, when keeping them is fine, and what the bid must list.
7 min read
Insurance claims · Jul 3, 2026
Roof Insurance Depreciation: RCV, ACV, and Recoverable
RCV, ACV, and recoverable depreciation in plain English: a worked $18,000 example, roof payment schedules, deadlines, and the mistakes that forfeit money.
7 min read
More in the manual
The wire
Roofing news
Trade press, manufacturer, and storm headlines from across the country, refreshed daily.
Read the wireReference
The glossary
Every term on an estimate or insurance scope, defined in plain English. 70+ entries.
Open the glossaryReference
Roof types, illustrated
Gable, hip, gambrel, mansard, and more, drawn and explained the way a contractor sees them.
See the shapesReference
Price tables
Installed prices per square by material, plus state multipliers, straight from our estimator data.
Open the tables