Home Architecture Talk

How expensive it is to raise and flatten a residential roof?

I am considering the purchase of my first house. I am a mid-century modern architecture junkie and this house is a gabled-roof ranch home. The roof is about 10 feet at the ridge line and 8 feet at the exterior walls. I want to remodel the home and convert the existing roof to a flat roof, 12' high in the public areas of the house and 10' in the bedroom wing. The home is about 2,000 sf (figure 700 sf to be 12'). It has a slab on grade foundation and is entire wood frame. The lot is perfectly flat. How much will it cost to raise the roof and consequently raise all the exterior walls?

Public Comments

1. Well, since there are all sorts of trades inherently involved in the raising and flattening of the roof of the house you intendd to buy (from not only roofing to carpentry, etc.), your best bet is to seek the services of a local remodeling contractor. Have them come by the front of the house, even if you have not purchased it yet, to give you an assessment. Fortunately, there are plenty of local remodeling contractors seeking to give free estimates with no obligation, and taking advantage of this is the consumer-smart way to go about finding an accurate answer to your question. It's important that you get a local estimate and not rely on guesses found here on Yah, as a lot of factors really bear on the cost of such a project, including the following: The cost of material and labor greatly varies by location. Definitely get estimates to start your exploration of the cost, as contractors would be delighted to give you free estimates anyway. A local remodeling contractor can easily assist you in this project of yours. If you negotiate well with the contractor and he buys the building materials for you, you may try to have him pass the discounted cost of the materials to you, as usually contractors get discounts (called "contractor's discounts") when buying from home improvement stores because of the many purchases they make as required by their jobs. As I said, Free estimates from local remodeling contractors are the key to your success in this home improvement project of yours. Here's a great link to a handyman site that offers free very resourceful information to assist you in determining the cost of your project, and, ultimately, selecting a local remodeling contractor in an effort to get the best deal for you: REMODELING CONTRACTOR INFO: http://yourhandymanzone.com/Your_Handyman_Zone_Free_Estimates_Remodeling_In_Gen.htm I'm sure you'll find the information you need, specifically the tips, useful as it relates to being treated fairly by contractors and exploring the consumer-wise approach of getting free written estimates to find the best contractor in your area. . . Source(s): The Internet is what I use. I'm pretty knowledgeable about the Internet. I have a firm belief in helping people with what I know, including from my development of sites, such as the one cited above. Sharing really is caring, and I wish those who I help can reciprocate by sharing what they know.
2. First be prepared to have a very large bank account, ready for a big withdrawal. Next plan on having all new wiring installed as you cannot, by code, cover over junction boxes (which are now in your attic) and make them non-accessible. I could go on and on - but it's almost of no use !!!! Unless you are purchasing this house for under $10 I can tell you to start at $75,000 and go up to probably $100,000. Be logical, build this home yourself - you will get far more value than spending 50% of the cost on demolition labor, which you get nothing back for. Flat roofs require a good ventilation plan for the rafter cavities and insulation as there is no attic space to buffer the temp difference between living space and outside climate conditions. If you have plenty of money - call a residential architect and plan on $6000 + for a set of plans + the cost of the demolition and construction. * Too far off the wall and your neighbors might be hard to live with.