TL;DR: Summary
About 1 in 4 of our repairs over the last year were done for $725 or less, plus tax, some for the $475 dispatch alone. Across 476 invoiced RoofSmart repairs, the median was $1,003, and half of jobs fall between $725 and $1,564.
What pushes a repair higher is rarely the leak itself. It's what the leak has done: rotted wood, a whole roof of moss, a flat section that needs new membrane, cracked pipe boots, a skylight, or water that got in through siding or a window. Catch it early and it usually stays small.
Is your roof leaking after another Seattle rainstorm? Are you wondering whether it's a quick fix, or something that'll cost thousands? The honest first step is diagnosis, not a guess. This guide walks you through how repair pricing works and what actually moves the number, using our own repairs over the last year.
Need it fixed? $475 gets a crew on your roof. See real prices and book on our roof repair page.
How roof repair pricing works at RoofSmart
Repairs vary so much that a flat price would be a guess. So we price time and materials:
- $475 dispatch. This covers a typical two-person crew's first hour on your roof.
- After that, $125 per worker per hour, plus materials.
- Distance. If your home is more than 45 minutes away, time is billed door to door.
Some repairs are done for the $475 dispatch alone. Repairs are usually done within 1 week.
What did repairs actually cost over the last year?
We looked at 476 invoiced RoofSmart repairs over the last year:
- About 1 in 4 (121 repairs) were done for $725 or less, plus tax. 33 of those were the $475 dispatch alone.
- The other 355 cost more than $725. Their median was $1,225, and half of jobs fall between $913 and $1,800.
- All 476: median $1,003, and half of jobs fall between $725 and $1,564.
Repair cost by type of repair
These are whole-visit totals by the main thing fixed. One visit often fixes more than one thing, so each row is the whole visit, not the price of that one part.
Repair Typical (median) Half of jobs fall between
- Leak find and fix $935 $725 to $1,350
- Pipe boots, vents and penetrations $1,035 $800 to $1,550
- Missing or wind-damaged shingles $1,100 $705 to $1,565
- Flashing, valleys and drip edge $1,190 $730 to $1,815
- Chimney $1,075 $770 to $1,415
- Skylight $1,100 $845 to $2,130
- Flat roof patch $1,165 $820 to $1,625
- Ridge and hip $1,260 $840 to $1,920
- Rotted wood, sheathing and fascia $1,335 $910 to $2,640
- Gutter and downspout repair $1,080 $725 to $1,685
- Moss cleaning and treatment $1,100 $800 to $1,605
- Tarp or emergency $975 $775 to $1,465
Ticket totals from 476 invoiced RoofSmart repairs over the last year. Prices plus tax.
By roof type
- Asphalt shingle: typical repair $965, half of jobs fall between $735 and $1,385.
- Flat and low-slope: typical repair $1,100, half of jobs fall between $800 and $1,590.
- Metal: typical repair $1,350, half of jobs fall between $845 and $1,725.
- Mixed roofs (a pitched roof with a flat section): typical repair $1,225, half of jobs fall between $740 and $1,795.
We repair cedar shake and tile roofs too. We did too few of those over the last year to give a fair typical number.
What parts of a Seattle roof need repairs most often?
With this much rain, most repairs come back to a leak in some way. Pretty much any part of a roof can leak. The usual suspects:
- Rubber pipe boots. The seals around pipes coming through your roof crack with sun and weather, and rain finds the gap. Learn how to prevent pipe boot leaks.
- Vents. Sometimes a few vents need resealing or reinstalling. Sometimes more of the ventilation needs rework.
- Skylights. Flashing around a skylight is fussy work, and an old unit may need replacing. See why skylights leak.
- Valleys. Where two slopes meet, water runs fast, and worn shingles there leak first.
- Flashing details. Flashing is the thin metal that steers water off the roof and covers the gaps where shingles meet walls, chimneys and other materials. You might need it in one spot, or in many.
- Leaking sections of the roof. Common trouble spots:
- around anything that pokes through the shingles
- a multi-level roof that drains badly onto the lower roof
- areas without ice and water shield underneath
- low-slope areas where water pools
What drives a repair's cost up?
When we compared repairs over $725 with those done at or near the minimum, these showed up more often in the bigger bills. They are common reasons, not rules:
- Rotted wood. Soft plywood, fascia or soffit has to be cut out and replaced. Repairs over $725 were about twice as likely to include it. In Seattle's wet climate, a slow hidden leak can rot decking long before you see a stain.
- Whole-roof moss work. Cleaning and treating moss across a whole roof takes crew hours, not minutes.
- Flat roof patches. Membrane repairs need material and careful time to seal right.
- Pipe boots and vents. Often there's more than one to replace.
- Skylights. More flashing, more care.
- Work beyond the roof. Sometimes water gets in at siding or a window, and that has to be fixed too.
Two more things that add time:
- Access. A very steep roof, a long narrow driveway, a tight lot with neighbors close by, or lots of trees all mean more setup time to work safely. We see all of these around Seattle.
- What we find once we're up there. As crews open up a repair, they sometimes find more that needs fixing, most often rotted decking from an old hidden leak. We show you photos of what we find before any repair plan changes.
Simple leaks, on the other hand, often stay near the minimum.
When should I repair vs. replace my roof?
Sometimes the damage is so widespread that replacing the roof makes more sense than patching it. If you have leaks all over, repairing each one adds up, and patching small sections may not catch them all. A roof with lots of problems at once is usually worn out.
If you have one problem that hasn't damaged anything around it, repair is the better choice. If you don't need a new roof, we say so.
Read Roof Repair vs Replacement: How Do I Decide What's Best for My Seattle Home? or see what a new roof costs in Seattle.
What should I do next if I think my roof needs a repair?
Two ways to start:
- Leaking now? Book a $475 repair visit. It covers a typical two-person crew's first hour. After that it's $125 per worker per hour, plus materials, plus tax.
- No active leak? Talk to an expert about a free inspection.
Whoever you hire, make sure they're the right roofer. Read How Do I Know If A Roofing Contractor is Qualified? to vet contractors with confidence.
Hiring someone for a repair? Use our Qualified Roofer Checklist to vet them.
Need it fixed? $475 gets a crew on your roof.
Book a repair visit EMERGENCY SERVICE
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common roof repair in Seattle and what does it cost?
Finding and fixing a leak. Over the last year, a leak find-and-fix visit had a median of $935, and half of jobs fall between $725 and $1,350, plus tax.
Why do some roof repairs cost so much more than others?
The bigger bills usually involve rotted wood, whole-roof moss work, flat membrane patches, pipe boots, skylights or work beyond the roof. Simple leaks often stay near the minimum.
How much does it cost to fix a leaking skylight?
Over the last year, skylight repairs had a median of $1,100, and half of jobs fall between $845 and $2,130, plus tax.
What are the "hidden" factors that can increase my repair bill?
The most common is hidden rot. Crews may find decking that rotted from a long-term leak. Steep roofs and hard access also add labor time.
How much does it cost to repair roof valleys or flashing?
Flashing, valley and drip edge repairs had a median of $1,190 over the last year, and half of jobs fall between $730 and $1,815, plus tax.
When is it better to replace the whole roof instead of just repairing it?
If your roof has many leaks in different areas, the shingles have often reached the end of their life. A full replacement can make more sense than repeated patch jobs that don't fix the underlying wear.
How much do pipe boot and vent repairs cost?
Pipe boot, vent and penetration repairs had a median of $1,035 over the last year, and half of jobs fall between $800 and $1,550, plus tax. Proper ventilation also matters in Seattle to help prevent attic mold.
Does the roof type change the repair cost?
Yes. Over the last year, typical repairs were $965 on asphalt shingle, $1,100 on flat and low-slope, $1,350 on metal and $1,225 on mixed roofs, plus tax.
How do I know if the roofing contractor I hire for a repair is actually qualified?
Look for certifications, local history, and a willingness to do a thorough inspection of your attic and roof deck, not just the shingles. A meticulous approach finds the root cause of the leak.
What should I do immediately if I notice a leak after a storm?
Document the damage, then have a professional look at it. Waiting lets water soak into insulation and structural wood, which raises the eventual repair cost.
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