Quick Page Navigation:

• What is IB SolarWise PV? – Introduction to roof-integrated Solar PV system produced by leaders in flat roofing and renewable energy – IB Roofs and Uni-Solar
• IB SolarWise video – Watch IB Solar PV roofing system in action – installation, performance and financial benefits.
• Prices of IB SolarWise PV – Estimate how much an IB Solar PV roofing system will cost for your project before any Federal Renewable Energy Tax credits and State solar rebates.
• Why should you want roof-integrated Solar PV system? – Learn why BIPV is the way to go when you want to switch to solar PV, and probable consequences of using conventional solar systems.
• Financial benefits of IB SolarWise – Discover why IB solarwise is the least expensive solar PV system to install and maintain.

IB SolarWise roof-integrated Photo-Voltaic systems:

IB SolarWise Roofing is a Revolutionary Product combining Permanent Flat Roofing and Renewable Energy in one easy-to install, leaks-proof flat roofing solution for environment and money conscious Home and Business owners, and has a pay-off period of under 5 years*, while industry standard is 7-10 years or more.

IB SolarWise utilizes Thin Film laminate Solar PV modules produced by Uni-Solar – a US manufacturer of Solar products. Both IB Roofs and Uni-Solar have been in business for over 30 years, and combining their respective experience in Flat Roofing and Solar Photo-Voltaic gives you the highest quality, Super-Energy-Efficient product for Residential, Commercial or Industrial buildings.

SolarWise is more than just a system – it is a way to integrate two different system to work seamlessly, to be leaks free and maintain its warranty without incurring additional costs for the building owner.

IB Solar Wise helps roofing contractors and solar integrators eliminate their biggest worries – roof leaks and solar photovoltaic equipment damages by creating a seamless integration between two previously incompatible technologies.

IB SolarWise Video

Until recent availability of IB SolarWise system, solar integrators had to rely on caulking and screws to attach solar panels to the roof surface. This created leak problems for which solar integrators did not want to take responsibility. Roofing contractors were ‘terrified’ of solar equipment and its sky-high replacement cost in case of a damage during a roof repair. Now all these problems are eliminated by integrating solar PV components into a long-lasting IB roofing membrane, resulting in leaks elimination, reduced solar and roofing installation & materials costs and reduced requirement for dead-wight load on the structural components of the building.

IB SolarWise Prices

Here we will demonstrate a cost structure for a hypothetical 3 KW solar PV system installed on a roof of home or business. Do understand that this cost includes the installation of IB Roof, BIPV Solar panels, Inverter, wiring, etc., and the prices are provided “before” any Federal tax credits and State rebates for solar and other renewable energy projects.

Lets assume that our roof is an average residential roof that is 1500 sq. ft., which has a slight pitch and is positioned in a southern direction with no shading (perfect conditions for solar PV installation). Please note that slope of the roof, shading or southern exposure do not directly affect your cost for solar system, but these conditions will affect your system’s efficiency and total electricity output. Theoretically, on a 1500 sq. ft. roof, we can install up to 7 KW of IB Solar Panels, but for the purposes of this example we will use 3 KW system mentioned before.

There is a lot of confusion about ho the solar PV systems are priced – many people assume that solar is priced by Square Foot, but that is the furthest thing from the truth. Because Solar Panels from various manufacturers have different efficiency, the electricity produced by 15 sq. ft. panel from Manufacturer A can be double that produced by same size panel made by Manufacturer B. Therefore all solar PV systems are priced by their output measured by Watts DC. Average industry cost for solar PV systems that are rack-mounted, and installed on an asphalt shingles roof of a residential homes, range from $10 to $12 per Watt DC.

IB SolarWise PV system utilizes a thin-film Solar PV laminates produced by Uni-Solar Ovonics. These solar panels have lesser efficiency than a more common crystalline silicon panels (big aluminum boxes) per sq. ft., therefore they require more space to have a large size solar array installed. However that is rarely a concern as usually there is plenty of unused, unshaded space on the roof. Prices of IB Solar Wise PV are in the range of $13-14 per Watt DC. This is slightly more than you conventional PV panels, but it also includes a Lifetime roof, and provides a complete, water tight systems, which is guaranteed not to leak, as is often the case with conventional PV systems installed on rack mounting systems, bolted to the roof.

The $13-14 per Watt DC figure is flexible and a lot depends on the size of the roof and size of the solar system (number of KWatts), and in some cases can actually be on par with cost of conventional Solar systems which do not include the roof. Each individual project will be different, so use these numbers for reference only.

Also we recommend that you read our next section of this article, discussing why you would want to have a a roof-integrated solar system installed vs. a conventional solar system.

Solar Flat Roofing: Cautionary tale with the end in mind

Forewords: This story is fictional in nature but real in substance, and definitely happened before.

A brave, responsible, and hard-working person – Jack – decides that installing a Solar PV system it is not only beneficial for the environment, but is also a sound investment. So after doing the due-diligence he lines up a solar integrator to install a the Solar System on the his 7 years-old flat roof. The roof has no signs of leaks and he feels as though there won’t be any problems.

The solar integrator know his job well and completes the project in a timely manner, applying and receiving all the available incentives for the client. System performs as stated and generates expected amount of electricity. All goes well.

3-5 years later the roof begins to leak and the building owner is faced with a dilemma. He needs to stop the leaks but the solar equipment is in the way. Roofing contractor that is supposed to fix the leak hesitates to move the solar equipment which prevents him form fixing the roof. The only option is to remove the solar panels array completely, remove the old roof, install a new roof, and then put the solar array back.

Excluding the cost of re-roofing, as it is not related to the solar system, the hero of our story had to pay at least a dollar/watt for removal and a dollar/watt to put back the solar panels. Lets say he had a small commercial system of 10 kW or 10,000 watts. This means that he had to pay EXTRA $20000 just to take the solar system off and put it back on, so the roofing crew could do the work.

Why was this a cautionary story with the END in mind? Very simple: Jack could avoid the extra expense $20000 by using a roof-integrated solar system such as IB SolarWise. Cases like this one happen all to often, and not just with flat roofs. A more common example would be an asphalt shingle roof with solar pv system, where shingles not covered by solar panels deteriorate at normal rate and will have to be replace about every 15 years. Lets face it: Shingles rarely last more than 15 years. Consider all the roof penetrations form the solar panels’ rack mounts and the roof lasts 12, after which the process described above has to accrue, unless of course you are willing to take the roof leaks.

IB SolarWise roof save you money in FOUR ways:

1 – IB Cool White PVC roofing membrane reflects up to 90% Sun’s heat, thus your AC does not have to work as hard as if you had black roof. Read more about benefits of IB Cool Flat Roofs.

2 – SolarWise PV modules (solar panels) generate free electricity** by converting sun-light into Electricity you can actually use, so you do not have to buy it from your utility company, or you buy a lot less than you had to before. In some cases you IB SolarWise PV system will produce MORE electricity than you new, and you electric company will buy it from you at retail price, in states that have Net Metering laws (most state).

You will also we able to sell so called Renewable Energy Credits or RECs to give you even more money for extra electricity that you produce, thus speed-up you pay-off period! But that is not all – there are also numerous incentives, grants and tax-rebates offered by Federal, State and local Government, as well as your utility companies.

3 – IB Roof’s durability and proven performance ensures years of leaks-free operation of you roof as well as virtually no maintenance. As a result you save money on flat roof and interior repair, which you will otherwise incur with other flat roofing systems, renowned for constant roof leaks.

4 – IB SolarWise PV system will save you money on the installation costs. SolarWise PV is a Building-Integrated PV (BI-PV) which means it is actually a part of IB flat roofing system, which eliminates the need to use expensive solar panel mounts, brackets and railings that takes long to install, therefore adding a lot of money to

How IB SolarWise PV works?

IB SolarWise PV produces DC-current, which goes into an Inverter where it becomes AC-current. Inverter is connected to you home’s or building’s electric circuit and also to your meter. You use all electricity you need, while ALL excess electricity goes into the Grid. Electricity that goes into the grid, is purchase from you by your utility company through Net Metering, usually at retail price.

Most of the electricity produced by the SolarWise PV system occurs in the summer, when days are longer and more sun-light is available. At the same time people will usually use a lot more electricity in the summer to run the Air Conditioning units, so depending on the “size” of your solar system, you will produce more, less or the same amount of electricity than you actually consume. However, practice shows that in the summer months, Solar systems produce more electricity then is consumed. Therefore, all excess kWh sent to the grid in the summer you will use in the winter, when a lot less of sun-light is available.

Download Official IB SolarWise PV Brochure

Note: you will need a PDF Reader to open this brochure. We recommend fast and free Foxit PDF Reader.

Benefits Summary

With all the positive qualities of IB SolarWise PV system is the Best solution available for any one looking to have an energy-efficient Cool Flat Roof and a Solar PV system. IB SolarWise PV offers the best of flat roofing and solar electricity:

• Lowest Cost per Watt installed with simplified installation and fastest pay-off period of around 5 years!
• Longest Service Life of both the Roofing System and Solar Modules. IB offers a 20 years Material warranty for the SolarWise PV modules and up to 25 years Commercial warranty with its 80-mil flat roofing membrane – the highest commercial warranty available from any flat roofing manufacturer.Home Owners will enjoy IB’s Lifetime Residential Warranty on any IB roofing product. You will not find it anywhere else, guaranteed! IB Roof Warranty Summary
• Fully Integrated Solution eliminates the risk of roof leaks, often associated with regular Solar systems! Light Weight of about 1 lb. / sq. ft. eliminates the need to upgrade the structural components of your flat roof, which further reduces you costs.

• SolarWise PV is BI-PV which qualifies it for additional incentives and rebates from State and Federal government and other
  entities.

Overall, IB SolarWise PV system is the Most affordable and the Longest lasting, Fully Integrated Solar system you can find for Residential and Commercial / Industrial / Restaurant flat roof!

This frequently asked questions section is designed to cover the topics that you are most interested in, and always as us about.

• Q: Can I install IB Solar Wise panels over EPDM Rubber (Modified Bitumen, Tar roof, etc)
• A: No. IB SolarWise PV system must be installed over IB roof. The solar panels are welded down to the IB PVC roofing membrane which acts as a water-tight barrier and a substrate for IB Solar
• Q: How much does a square foot of IB Solar PV cost?
• A: IB SolarWise PV system as well as other solar systems are not priced by the square foot, but rather by $/Watt DC. Please refer to our IB Solar PV pricing section for more details
• Q: What is the output of IB SolarWise PV module
• A: IB SolarWise PV modules come use 4 Uni-Solar thin-film laminates per module. Each Unisolar module is 136 Watts DC, so each IB SolarWise PV module is 544 Watts. You also have an option of getting modules that are 1/2 the physical and output size and are 272 watts.
• Q: How many KW of IB solar can I install on my roof?
• A: The 544 Watt IB SolarWise PV modules is 19 feet long by 6 feet wide and require 120 sq. feet of unshaded roof area. Therefore, for 1 Kilowatt of electrical output, you will need about 200 sq. feet of roof. However, since IB Solar modules come in sizes of 544 Watts, you need to calculate how many modules you want installed and how much unshaded roof area you have.

More Q and A are coming soon.

Solar PV References and Resources:

To discover more information and methods of designing a solar house, visit our Renewable Energy Blog. There you will find detailed guides to creating a Net Zero Energy consumption home concept that utilizes Solar and Geothermal technologies that are available on the market today.

Solar PV installation Prices – Detailed guide to $$/Watt price-structure of SolarWise PV and other solar systems.

Solar Rebates and Incentives Guide – Summary of Federal, State and Local tax credits, grants, rebates, incentives for installation of Solar PV systems – both for Residential and Commercial installation. Make your Solar PV profitable from the day it is installed!

Solar PV Price Estimator – Calculate the approximate PV System-size in Watts, Cost/Watt and the Price to install your SolarWise PV system, and an IB Roof of your choice.

Solar PV Pay-off / Break-Even Guide – Detailed look at how Solar PV works, Solar systems design, and how you can get Free Electricity. Speed up the pay-off period of your SolarWise PV. In some instances you can make your Solar PV profitable from the day it is installed!

IB Roof References and Resources:

IB Green/Roof-top Garden Roofs – If you are Eco/Environmentally conscious or just want more Green in your live, and have a flat roof Home or Office building, see why IB Roof is the perfect choice for your Greed Roof!

Green Resources Directory – Visit other Green / Eco-Friendly resources available online.

Installation price from every roofing company also includes that company’s overhead or cost of running business. For example, an established roofing company should be fully insured. This includes adequate Liability and Worker’s Comp Insurance. If for example you get a very low bid, consider that the bidder might not be adequately insured or have no insurance at all. If that is the case and you hire such a contractor, you will be responsible for any damages or injury claims that may occur.

Introducing IB PVC Roof – the longest lasting flat roofing system.

IB Roofs, once a small family-owned company importer and installer of German-developed PVC flat roofing systems, has become over last 30 years a household name in flat roofing industry. There is a reason for IB’s success – it is the ultimate quality of their products and unparalleled customer service. IB’s original roofs from 30 years ago are still in service and performing well, and when it comes to working with customers, IB will go out of their way yo give you the product you are looking for – be it a color of the membrane, a thickness or the special application requirements.

Quality of IB Flat Roofs:

IB Roofs has not changed the formulation of their PVC membrane since its early days in late 1970′. Today’s IB membrane is the same great proven product they were importing from Germany 30+ years ago. IB did try to make the product cheaper, by using less expensive components and fillers. IB is using the more expensive non-wicking scrim to prevent the membrane from splitting in the center due to water penetration, as is often the case with cheaper TPO roofs.

At some point, there comes time when flat roof patches stop working and it is time for a replacement.

Here we will review flat roofing cost structure and factors affecting your price, IB Roof prices in Massachusetts and surrounding states ( CT, RI, NH, ME and VT). We’ll also discuss the insights of choosing your flat roofing contractor, and what you should expect to pay for your particular roof and your specific roofing product choice.

Flat Roof Replacement Cost: Residential and Commercial

Our general pricing for flat roof replacement works in the following manner:

Residential flat roofs are priced at $675 per square for a simple roof, with no existing roof removal. This includes 50-mil IB Roof membrane, 1/2 inch foam insulation with 2 r-value, perimeter pressure-treated wood nailer and half-roll membrane around the roof edges for wind-uplift prevention. Roof attachment using heavy-duty screws and barbed plates, 6 inches O.C. along the perimeter and 12 inches O.C. in-field. All required roofing parts and accessories are included.

Generally, for a 1000 sq. ft. residential home, your cost should be around $6750 for an average (simple) roof. If you would like to upgrade the membrane type or add more insulation, this will slightly increase your price. Please note: For all residential installations, all IB roofing membranes come with a lifetime residential warranty, therefore there is no need to upgrade from 50 to 80-mil product, as both will perform the same in protecting your roof from the elements and will remain water-tight throughout its life and beyond.

Commercial flat roofs are priced at $600 per square for roofs over 25 squares (2500 sq. ft.) The price difference from residential roofs is due to ‘economy-of-scale’ factors and lower per-square ‘setup’ and insurance costs.

If your commercial roof is around 50 squares you can expect a $30000 price range.

Use our interactive roof price calculator to estimate the cost of you roofing project. You can choose different roof options difficulty level, and will get ‘quotes’ for IB roof as well as other roofing products and approximate energy-savings derived from using IB roof.

Please Note: All prices described above are assuming an ‘average’ roofing project and may/will change depending on your roof conditions and scope of work required. Price may change in either direction and will be determined on case-by-case basis.

We are premium roofing contractor and do not compete with other roofing companies solely on price. Our roof packages are priced accordingly to the quality, warranty and customer service we provide.

IB Roof packages and prices in New England

All packages described below, include roof installation in accordance with manufacturer’s specifications and state/local building codes. They also include the cost of building permits, material warranty and our labor warranty. Prices below do not include tear-off of existing roof, as that usually varies a lot from one flat roof to another. The cost of a tear-off is determined on case-by-case basis when we perform a roof inspection. Please refer to our Residential roofing and/or Commercial roofing sections to see the available material / color / membrane thickness options available for you particular roof.

Package 1 – 50-mil white residential IB Roof with Lifetime warranty:

Our basic and most common roof package, includes 50-mil white IB Roofing membrane with all necessary trim, flashings and accessories such as drip edge, air-vents, inside/outside corner flashings, drains, etc., and 1/2 inch fan-fold Styrofoam insulation.

Cost of this package starts at around $675 per square (100 sq. ft.) of roof area.

Package 2 – IB Traditions flat Roof – Architectural Shingles Pattern imprinted onto the membrane:

IB Traditions was created specifically for low-slope roofs with aesthetics in mind. They offer the beautiful look of architectural shingle combined with proven reliability of IB roofing membrane to give you decades of leak-free performance and curb-appeal. IB Traditions come in three color option: Sierra Vista ( beige / brown ), Stony Ridge (grey) and Mountain Spruce (green). To maintain a consistent shingles look, all IB Traditions installation feature hand-welding of all seams, and use special accessories / flashings designed to match the aesthetics of IB Traditions.

Cost per square for IB Traditions is $775-825, and includes 1/2 insulation and all necessary trim and flashings.

Package 3 – 80-mil white residential IB Roof with Lifetime warranty:

Includes 80-mil white membrane, 1/2 insulation and all necessary trim / accessories / flashings. Cost per 1 square is $800. If you are looking for an 8-mil Color IB roof, there are six standard colors available and $850 per square. For custom colors the minimum order must be 100 squares ( This is the requirement of IB Roof Systems, and we have no control over it).

One: Roof Installation Prices

Our pricing structure is based on two direct (main) variables and a number of indirect variables that affect the total price of your roof replacement project. You can expect similar pricing methods from other roofing contractors.

First cost variable: Roof Size

The most important variable is the size of your roof. The bigger the roof, the higher the roofing cost. We base our pricing on the number of Squares, where each square is equal to 100 sq. ft. For example if your flat roof is 1900 sq. ft. it is 19 squares.

Second cost variable: Roof difficulty

The difficulty of roof installation is the second most important variable affecting the cost of your roofing project. If you have a simple roof with minimal number of roof penetrations (such as HVAC units, sky-lights, roof drains, through-wall scuppers, vent-pipes, posts, etc.), than your roof prices will be much less than if you had a more difficult roof with multiple roof penetrations and obstacles that require more roof flashing details. These roof penetrations require a great deal of professional manual labor and time, and slow-down the entire roof installation process.

Another factor associated with roof difficulty is the roof’s present condition, and presence of gravel and/or multiple roofing layers, which generally require removal, and consume a lot of time as well as need to dispose off them. At the same time, roof removal must be performed quickly, to eliminate the possibility of water penetration during the removal process.

Third cost variable: Indirect costs and material upgrades

Additionally, you can expect changes in roofing cost, depending on ease of access, roof location, and material options: As far as material options go, we offer a complete line-up of IB roofing membrane for residential and commercial installations including 50, 60 and 80-mil membrane in white and custom colors, as well as specialty membranes such as ChemGuard for restaurants, and IB Traditions (Architectural shingles pattern imprinted onto the membrane) and a Slip-proof IB DeckShield for walk-on flat-roof decks. We also offer a wide range of insulation options from 2-r fan-fold foam insulation to 20-r 3.3 inch ISO board and “tapered insulation” to create a slight roof pitch for drainage purposes.

Total Cost Concept

Consider total installation price of the new flat roof. It will include, labor, material and warranty and other factors. Roofing materials usually carry a manufacturer’s warranty period ranging from 5 to 25 years for commercial installation. Residential warranties will range from 5-15 years , while IB has the only Residential Lifetime Warranty in the industry. However, residential warranties are more complex, as many flat roofing manufactures will not warranty residential installations, or they fill impose certain requirements before they issue that warranty.

Any roofing job should also include a Labor warranty from the roofing contractor, and usually you can also purchase additional labor warranty from the manufacturer. IB Roofs offers an ‘NDL’ or No-Dollar-Limit labor warranty which you can purchase as an additional ‘insurance policy’ for your roof.

Flat Roofing – thinking long-term

Most roofing contractors will warranty the water-tightness of the roof they install for the minimum period required by state law or building code. In Massachusetts for example, such minimum period is 2 years. After that, you are usually on your own. We find this especially troubling when some one chooses to install Epdm or black-rubber roof, which is especially popular among roofing contractors for its low material cost. However, rubber roofs usually start to leak with-in 5 to 8 years after they are installed, due to failing seam adhesives. By this time your labor warranty has already expired and the cost to repairs is on you – the owner.

We at CoolFlatRoof warranty our jobs for the length of the material warranty! We can do so, because we exclusively use IB PVC/CPA roofs, and we know that our roofs will NOT leak due to failing seams or other flashing detail.

Two: Overheads or Cost of doing business

Insurance Costs

It is in your best interests to hire a fully insured roofing company. However, adequate insurance coverage for a roofing company is very high: Worker’s Comp is usually 40 cents for each 1 dollar of payroll, or higher if the company had some incidents in the past. Liability Insurance is cheaper, but still it is one of the most expensive in the construction industry, due to possible damages if contractor fails do adequately protect the building from water, during or after installation.

Advertising: Market acquisition cost

Another considerable overhead for most roofing companies are the Marketing/Advertisement costs as well as Sales-force commissions and office expenses. For many roofing companies, ‘market acquisition cost’ often range from $500 – $1500 per job. These include ‘Yellow Pages’ and news-paper ad, direct mailing, and Internet advertisement, such as Google or Yahoo Pay-Per-Click ads. As a result, you the customer, end up paying this expenses, or as we call it ‘marketing taxes’ that are not directly related to the cost of you roofing job.

We at CoolFlatRoof, do not spend any money on advertisement, except minimal expenses to run our web-site (around $100/year), so we will not charge you the ‘marketing tax’. Instead, we will provide you with the best materials and workmanship and warranty, for less.

Three: Ongoing repair and maintenance expenses

Ponding / Standing Water

While maintenance for most flat roofs is mostly due to location of the building and surrounding conditions, one of the most often occurring maintenance/repair expense is due to ponding water. Positive drainage is preferable for any flat roof. However, the very nature of flat roof construction makes it often impossible to avoid ponding water accumulation, or it is too expensive to fix it. Ponding water can be eliminated in two ways: Installing Tapered Insulation, or creating a pitch, which is often impossible due to building design. Both are extremely expensive and will cost more than the roof itself, so eliminating ponding water, is often out of budget.

While most plat roofing manufactures will void their warranty if there is presence of ponding water for periods of more than 72 hours after the rain, IB Roofs are explicitly warranted against ponding water and it is prevent that IB roof will keep your home or building dry even if you have big puddles of standing water for long periods of time!

Roof Repairs

As we mentioned above, many flat roofing systems will start to leak with-in 5 to 8 years after installation. Most roof leaks occur as a result of ponding water, failing seams, and to a lesser degree, faulty installation. Other factors affecting performance of a flat roof, are weather conditions and devastating UV rays of the Sun. This is very true in the New England. We have hot summers and cold winters, and the temperature can dramatically change in matter of hours. Refer to our flat roof repair guide for more information on how roof leaks occur, and what your repair options and costs will be.

In most cases these repairs will be an out of pocket expense for you, as the usually warranty period will be long over by that time. We on the other hand will uphold our warranty after the usual 2-year period, if the leak happens. However, we do everything right the first time so there is usually no need to repair our roofs!

Four: Energy costs/savings

Cool, energy-efficient roofing form IB

Unlike most conventional roofing systems such as Epdm black-rubber, or Asphalt/Tar based BUR roofs, which attract, store and transfer solar heat, white IB Roofs reflect as much as 90% of solar heat, and carry a Cool Roof certification! Even you choose one if IB’s color choices, they also are certified by the Cool Roof Council, by implementing highly reflective color pigments. This will save you tremendous amounts of money in reduced HVAC costs. IB roofs act as complete thermal barrier and increase the R-value of your roof, thus also reducing your heating expenses in the winter. By adding more insulation you will further increase the thermal qualities of your roof.

Conclusion

IB Roof is the best choice when it comes to flat roofs. IB Roof has the lowest Total Cost combined with unsurpassed quality and longevity. If need to repair your IB roof ever arises, such repairs can be performed even 20 years from the day of installation, with IB’s unique Hot-Air fusion welding. It is however highly unlikely, unless there is unforeseen physical damage to the membrane. Expect not to have to repair IB roof, ever!
IB Roof will eliminate your ponding water problems and you will avoid expensive pitch-change. IB will also save you money every year, by reducing your energy cost, and you will be covered by the Industry’s Best warranty!

If you are looking for a sustainable, long-lasting roofing product for your home or business pitched roof, the Metal Roof will be the perfect choice for you. Known for decades of leaks and corrosion free service, Aluminum metal roofs are becoming prime choice for quality and longevity oriented home and business owners looking for a new roof. With its Cool Roof properties, and permanent design, metal roofs will outlast any conventional asphalt shingles roof. Metal roofs are light-weight, and do not require any structural modifications. In fact they are only 1/4 the weight of regular shingles and 1/10 the weight of slate, and ceramic / concrete tile. Learn more about metal roof pricing by viewing cost benefit analysis of common roofing materials designs and styles.

Use our Flat Roof Calculator to estimate the installation cost of a new IB Roofs, as well as compare it with other alternatives. You can also estimate your annual energy savings derived from installation if IB roof.

Are you excited about IB Roof? Fill out our Roofing Estimate Request form and indicate which IB product you are most interested in, as well as details about your roof. We will contact you very soon, after receiving your request, and will work with you in providing the best roofing system on available!

Quick Navigation:

• How roofing cost is calculated – Understanding the roofing price structure and the specifics of our calculator.
• Learn how to use our roofing calculator – If you have questions how to use our roof calculator, or need to know which info about your roof is required, read this quick user guide.
• Roofing material price updates – Because roofing materials as many other products are in some way are dependant on price of oil & other factors, we’ll update you on any major change in roof material costs.

Calculate you roofing cost now!

Please note that if you are still receiving last year’s prices, there is a good chance that you will receive a sub-par service, and/or your roofing contractor will use every chance to reduce their costs ( cut corners where ever possible ). No roofing contractor is immune from rising material prices unless they hold a huge inventory (nearly impossible). Therefore if you get a “great deal” you won’t get a great roof.

How to interpret the instant price quote:

We want you to know that your actual installation cost may vary based on the specifics of your roof and your roof difficulty, and the roofing contractor you use – refer to our roofing price guide for more insight on how roofing contractors come up with their prices. Also, you should know that the price for Tar and Epdm roof material greatly depends on the price of OIL, which was trading at its all time high of $147 per barrel in July of 2008. Although oil prices have fallen dramatically since then, the material costs remained the same and in some cases (for asphalt-bases products such as shingles, rolled roofing, built-up roofs, modified bitumen and EPDM rubber) the actually continue to increase – last major price increase occurred in March 2009 with all the major roofing manufacturers. Since we DO NOT install Epdm or Tar roofs, we provide you with our estimated cost, based on our experience. Epdm and Tar roof prices also very from one roofing company to another.

Dear visitors, please be aware that results of our calculator do not always reflect the price quote you are going to receive from us. Our calculator is designed to provide approximate pricing to install a 50-mil white IB roofing membrane on an average size home (1000-2000 sq. ft.). If your roof is small (about 300-400 sq. ft.), then your cost/sq. ft will likely be higher than results from this calculator. This is due to the fact that our set-up costs remain the same, while amount of work is smaller.

Like-wise, if your roof is large, your cost per sq. foot may be lower, depending various variables. There is no exact formula on ho the price is calculated, as there are too many factors affecting the price of each particular roof, and including them would make our roofing calculator too complicated to use.

Also bear in mind that Specialty Membranes such as IB Traditions for Residential low-slope roofing or 80-mil IB roof will be slightly more expensive compared to standard 50 mil roof.

IB DeckShield or 80-mil membrane assembly with Pressure Treated wood on top for walk-on flat roof decks will be considerably more per sq. ft., compared to results from our calculator. Please refer to our flat roof decks section of our website for explanation of our walkable flat roof assembly for both Deck-Shield and 80-mil with PT or composition deck.

How to use this roof price calculator

Plug in your roof dimensions into the calculator. Make sure you account for any overhangs / soffits, as that may add significant area to you total roof size. If your roof has an odd shape ( ‘L’ shape or similar ) you can divide your roof into virtual ‘rectangular blocks’ and add up all your measurements to get the total square footage. Plug in that number and multiply it by 1. For example: if your roof is 2300 sq. ft., type 2300 x 1 into ‘roof dimensions’ section of calculator.

Use appropriate ‘roof difficulty’ setting to get a more accurate roof price estimation. Although your roof may look simple, roof penetrations like sky-lights, chimneys specialty vents, AC units, etc. take long time to flash correctly, therefore adding significant amount to the total roof price tag.

Choose desired insulation thickness. Insulation makes up significant part of total material cost, and in some cases may cost more than roofing membrane itself. Having good insulating value may seem expensive at first, but it will greatly reduce your energy costs, eventually paying for itself. However, if you already have some insulation, adding more will not have a dramatic effect compared to having no insulation at all.

When comparing prices of IB roof and the cheaper alternatives like Epdm rubber, bear in mind that total roofing cost concept. While IB has higher initial cost of installation, the difference in price will be more than offset by savings in future roof repairs, energy saving, and virtually no maintenance required for the IB flat roof.

When looking at the numbers produced by this calculator, bear in mind, that each roof is different, and your actual cost will depend on your roof’s difficulty level, as well as number of other factors, such as ease of access, IB membrane thickness and type you choose, insulation thickness, etc.

Relative Roof Difficulty: Please Choose according to how many through-roof penetrations/HVAC units/Skylights/Vent or
Hot-stack pipes, etc., are on the roof, as this will make significant price difference. The more penetrations, the more precision
work will have to be performed.

Roofing Material Price Update – June 20, 2008

* IB White Membrane has the highest solar reflectance rate of almost 90%. Energy savings refer to the avoided cost of
electricity to operate AC in the summer. Our calculator does not consider the R-value of insulation, as a savings factor.
However, the thicker the insulation, the more savings you’ll realize all year round.

** Savings are calculated assuming the electricity rates in Metro Boston area from N-Star, effective April 1, 2007.
Going rate then was $0.1875 / kWh, for the consumption of 1000 kWh per month. Electricity rates found in the following
report from Hydro Quebec:
Hydro Quebec Electricity Rates
report – 2007 Your actual rate may vary. To calculate your rate per kWh, look at your last 12 electric bills. Add all 12
statement balances (exclude any previous balances, late fees or other misc. charges not related to your energy use), and divide by the total number of kWh consumed.