Trusted Roofing Contractors | Newman Homes
Most people hiring a roofing contractor in Maine compare three numbers without seeing what separates them.
- 25+ years in construction, building as Newman Homes since 2017
- Over 200 projects completed in Central Maine
- Affordable work, two-year written warranty
What Newman Homes charges to replace a roof in Central Maine, and why three bids on the same house can differ by thousands without any of them being wrong.
Roof pricing runs on roof area rather than the floor area of the house, and a steeper pitch puts more roof over the same footprint. Roofers quote in squares, and one square covers 100 square feet. Published rates on this page run $6.00 a square foot for architectural asphalt on a simple gable up to $16.00 for standing seam metal.
The thing worth taking away is the ice barrier. Maine roofs fail at the eave in February, not in the field in July, and the amount of ice-and-water membrane a contractor runs up from the edge is the single biggest difference between a roof that lasts and one that leaks. Most bids do not say. This page says.
What a Roof Replacement Actually Includes
Six things happen to a roof between the first bundle coming off and the last one going on. Four are invisible afterward.
That’s why low bids leave them out.
- Full tear-off to the deck. Every layer comes off. Roofing over an existing roof hides the sheathing, adds weight, and shortens the life of what goes on top.
- A deck inspection you get told about. Once the roof is open we walk it, count what needs replacing, and price it at the unit rate you already agreed to.
- Ice barrier at the eaves, to code. Self-adhering membrane, run past the inside face of the exterior wall. More on that below, because it is the single most skipped item in this market.
- Synthetic underlayment across the full field. Not felt, and not just the bottom three feet. The deck is never left uncovered overnight.
- All new flashing. Drip edge, valley metal, step and counterflashing at every chimney, and new boots at every vent. Old flashing bent once already.
- Ventilation checked, intake and exhaust. A ridge vent with blocked soffits makes an attic worse. This gets looked at before the shingles get ordered.
What homeowners say
Read more reviews- ★★★★★
I had been waiting to do my roof for a few years and Newman Homes came around with some serious competitive pricing. They were quick and efficient. Left no mess behind.
Ben G. - ★★★★★
We used Newman Homes for a new roof and found Brandon to be knowledgeable, responsive, and professional. We highly recommend Newman Homes and plan to use them in the future.
Dawn R. - ★★★★★
Very quick, efficient, and enjoyable to work with. Everyone was so friendly, and I was so pleased with the way the roof came out!
Erin R.
How Much a New Roof Costs in Central Maine
Roofs are priced by roof area, not floor area. Pitch changes the calculation.
A 1,200 square foot footprint under an 8:12 roof has roughly 1,440 square feet of roofing before the overhangs are counted.
The trade unit is the square, or 100 square feet. Learn that one word and you can compare three bids in about a minute.
| Scope | Per square foot of roof | Per square |
|---|---|---|
| Architectural asphalt, one layer off, simple gable | $6.00 to $7.50 | $600 to $750 |
| Asphalt on a cut-up roof: dormers, valleys, 8:12 or steeper, or two layers off | $7.50 to $9.50 | $750 to $950 |
| Exposed-fastener metal panel | $8.50 to $11.00 | $850 to $1,100 |
| Standing seam metal | $11.00 to $16.00 | $1,100 to $1,600 |
Maine's average roof is about 1,650 square feet, or 16.5 squares. For that roof, a simple asphalt replacement runs about $9,900 to $12,400. Standing seam runs about $18,200 to $26,400. Those are planning ranges, not bids. Each figure is an average drawn from hundreds of estimates, and a real house rarely lands dead center. Five items carry separate prices because they can't be counted from the ground: sheathing replacement, chimney flashing rebuilds, skylights, rafter or ridge repair, and ventilation corrections. Our roof replacement cost guide breaks down each line item.
Related Services
The Ice Barrier Rule Nobody Publishes
An ice dam isn't a roofing failure. It forms when heat leaves the house and melts snow higher on the roof.
The water freezes again at the cold eave until it backs up under the shingles.
Maine's residential code addresses this with a membrane at the eave. The ice barrier must run from the lowest edge of the roof to a point at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line.
On a roof of 8:12 or steeper, it must also run at least 36 inches measured along the slope.
Do the arithmetic on a real house. Two feet of overhang, the wall thickness, and 24 inches inside add up to more than one 36-inch course can cover.
On most houses in this service area, code calls for two courses. A cheap bid includes one.
Read the requirement in Maine's roof assembly code.
Asphalt or Metal
Both are correct for this climate. The honest choice depends on how long you plan to own the house.
Architectural asphalt is the common choice, costs less than half what standing seam does, and gives you decades of service if it is installed with proper ventilation behind it. Installation standards come from the asphalt roofing manufacturers' association, and most warranty claims fail on fastening rather than on material.
Standing seam metal costs two to three times more and lasts two to three times longer. It also sheds snow instead of holding it, which matters more at elevation than it does on the valley floor.
Exposed-fastener panel is the right answer on a barn, a shop, or an equipment shed, and the wrong answer on a house. The screws are a maintenance item and on an outbuilding that is fine.
Why Homeowners Hire Us for Roofs
Six of our 18 Google reviews cover roofing jobs, making roofing our best-documented work.
How We Run a Roof
We get on it.
Not a windshield estimate. We walk the roof, measure it, and look in the attic at the ventilation and the underside of the deck.
One written price.
Field rate, flashing, disposal, and named allowances with unit costs for whatever the tear-off turns up.
Tear off and dry in the same day.
The deck is never left open overnight, regardless of how the day went.
Shingle, flash, and finish.
New metal at every penetration, ventilation corrected if the attic needed it.
Clean and walk it with you.
Two magnet passes over the lawn and the drive, then a walkthrough on the ground before the final invoice.
For jobs lasting longer than two days, progress photos go out twice a week. The work comes with a 2-year workmanship warranty.
What a Roofing Contractor Should Put in Writing
Maine has no state licensing standard for roofers or general contractors. The state issues no credential, and no board reviews who climbs onto your house.
That isn't a scare tactic. It means the contract matters more here than it does in states with licensing boards.
If you’re owed something, write it down.
Six items belong in any roofing agreement you sign:
Insurance is the one credential you can verify. Ask for general liability and workers' comp certificates.
Then confirm them with the carrier, not the contractor.
This page publishes our rates, explains what changes them, and identifies the four line items that separate a correct roof from a cheap one.
Newman Homes has worked out of Augusta since 2017. Owner Brandon Roberge answers the phone himself.
He has 25+ years of building experience in Florida and Massachusetts, as well as Maine.
94% of our completed jobs finish on the original schedule and at the original price. We recalculate that figure monthly.
A dated percentage tells you more than an adjective.
- The ice barrier run, in feet, and where it stops relative to the exterior wall.
- A unit price for sheathing replacement, per sheet, agreed before anything comes off.
- Which flashings are new, itemized, chimney by chimney.
- The nail count per shingle and the fastening pattern, because that is what the manufacturer warranty depends on.
- A fixed price recorded under Maine's home construction contract law, which caps the first payment at one third of the total.
- A written workmanship warranty. Ours is 2 years, and our BBB profile is A+ if you want to check the file first.
Common Questions
Physically yes, and we will not do it. Layering hides a deck nobody has inspected, adds weight to framing sized for one roof, and shortens the life of the shingles you just paid for.
Most houses are one to three working days. The deck is dried in the same day it is opened, so weather between days is not a risk to the house.
Usually not for a straight replacement, and usually yes once structural repair is involved. Your town's code office is the authority on that and we handle the application.
Workmanship. Material defects run under the manufacturer's warranty, which is a separate document and a longer term.
Get a Roof Estimate
Call (207) 480-7700. The line is answered around the clock, and Brandon handles most calls himself.
You can also email info@newmanhomesme.com or request a free estimate.