Tough one

400 sq slate, 18 x 12s, rip and re-roof, 1 story 5 on 12. 13 contractors at the bid. The lowest was 435K. I was at 597, the highest 777k and the rest somewhere in between. Materials alone were over 200 grand. It is a 180 day project. Labor price was $400 a sq, this I determined from doing a little research as it is the first slate project we have bid in the area and I am unfamiliar with pricing here. After revisiting the numbers it looks as if we had come down to $250 sq and worked a little on the per diem etc we would have been ball park. What do you slate boys think. Woody do the numbers compare with tile? Thanks>>>

You were cheap for sure. You can make money at that, but you will be doing all the work yourself or pushing like crazy. Someone has a lot of work ahead ot them!>>>

Jed, tile is WAY cheaper. Theoretically my starting price is just under $400 per square, although most of what I have done in past years is in the $500 to $600 per square range.>>>

The slate we use is from Hilltop in NY state and on this they came in at $300 sq for semi weathered grey. Two other vendors were at $320 and $365 respectivley. They originally specified a headlap of 3" but that always makes me nervous and code is 4" anyway, so that brought the slate to 170 or so a sq. Tear off was in the price...........400 bucks rip and replace (labor only)......that's what kills me, I thought that was a REALLY good number, but clearly it was'nt good enough. 380' of valley, 1,100 copper drip, 8" cut with a kick and inch an a half copper ringshanks, and 500 feet of concrete ridge.>>>

That is 160 slates per square. Like Copperman said, the number of valleys and flashing will make a big difference in the cost and price. If your tearoff ws in that price I would have been at the high end. People will learn the hard way. I predict they will screw it all up and then say that slate is no good. Where are they getting the slate from? Copper nails?>>>

With a 5/12 you could load the roof and nail the heck out of them in a day. I would of been in at around a $1000.00 a square sight unseen. What kind of flashing work and valleys? that puts the numbers up for sure.>>>

Been doing it for 28 years and I usually would figure on a job of this size and low to the ground at 1,000.00 a square. That is New England price though.

Jed Said: 400 sq slate, 18 x 12s, rip and re-roof, 1 story 5 on 12. 13 contractors at the bid. The lowest was 435K. I was at 597, the highest 777k and the rest somewhere in between. Materials alone were over 200 grand. It is a 180 day project. Labor price was $400 a sq, this I determined from doing a little research as it is the first slate project we have bid in the area and I am unfamiliar with pricing here. After revisiting the numbers it looks as if we had come down to $250 sq and worked a little on the per diem etc we would have been ball park. What do you slate boys think. Woody do the numbers compare with tile? Thanks