Last Updated: August 2026

Big EZ Renovations handles residential and commercial roofing throughout Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany, and St. Charles parishes, licensed by the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors under Residential #890459 and Commercial #3667. That dual licensing matters on this coast, because the same storm that lifts shingles off a house also strips a strip mall, and the repair, the insurance paperwork, and the code compliance run through one contractor rather than three. Every figure below is priced from work quoted in this market rather than a national average.

Roofing Work Covered Across Greater New Orleans

Eight roofing services run through this side of the business, covering the roof surface, the fasteners and flashing beneath it, and the insulation layer that decides how hard the air conditioning has to work. Most jobs start with an inspection, because the difference between a repair and a replacement is usually invisible from the ground.

• A worn or storm-damaged roof taken back to the deck and rebuilt is a full roof replacement, which becomes the right call once damage crosses a certain share of the surface.
• Localized leaks, lifted shingles, and failed flashing are handled as targeted roof repairs without disturbing sound sections.
• Before hurricane season, an inspection catches the small failures that turn into interior damage during the first serious rain.
• Flat and low-slope roofs that still have structure left in them can be sealed with a protective coating rather than torn off.
• After a storm, bruised shingles and dented flashing fall under hail damage repair, which is also where most insurance claims begin.
• Asphalt covers more Louisiana homes than every other material combined, so shingle roofing is the default system on residential work.
• Wind-driven rain gets behind walls as often as it gets under a roof, which is why siding installation sits with the same crew.
• Attic performance is part of the roof assembly, and roofing insulation is where most of the energy loss in a Louisiana house actually happens.

What Roofing Costs in the New Orleans Market

A full asphalt shingle replacement on a typical 2,000 square foot New Orleans home runs $6,000 to $18,000 installed, depending almost entirely on shingle grade. Coating an existing 1,500 square foot low-slope roof instead runs $750 to $10,500 and saves 40 to 60 percent against replacement. Each range below is the figure published on its matching service page.

Repairs sit outside that table because they scale with the damage rather than with the roof. A minor leak, a failed flashing, and a leak that has reached the decking sit in three very different price bands locally.

Why Roofs Fail Faster in Southeast Louisiana

Greater New Orleans sits in IECC Climate Zone 2A, classified hot and humid, and that combination attacks a roof from three directions at once. Ultraviolet exposure breaks down asphalt binders, standing humidity keeps organic growth alive on shaded slopes, and hurricane season delivers uplift forces that find every under-driven nail.

Wind rating is where material choice pays for itself. Standard 3-tab shingles carry wind ratings of 60 to 70 mph and a service life of 15 to 20 years. Architectural shingles are typically rated 110 to 130 mph, which is the range that matters in a hurricane zone.

Impact-resistant Class 4 products carry the highest rating under UL 2218, a test that drops a 2 inch steel ball onto the shingle rather than actual hail. Some carriers offer a premium discount for them. All of these are manufacturer ratings and depend on correct installation to hold. The gap between a 60 mph shingle and a 130 mph shingle is a few thousand dollars at installation and the entire roof after a named storm.

Attic conditions compound all of it. Air conditioning in this market runs eight to nine months a year, so an under-insulated attic is both an energy cost and a heat load pressing on the underside of the deck. Cellulose is the common budget choice and underperforms once Louisiana humidity reaches it.

Choosing Between Repair, Coating, and Replacement

The honest test is how much of the roof is compromised and how much service life remains in what is left. Isolated damage on a roof with years ahead of it is a repair. A structurally sound low-slope roof that is simply worn is a coating candidate. Widespread damage, or a roof near the end of its rated life, is a replacement.

You will hear the 25 percent rule quoted constantly, usually without anyone saying where it comes from. It originates in the International Existing Building Code, which requires a roof section to be brought up to current code when more than 25 percent of it is repaired or replaced within a twelve month period. Louisiana adopts the International Existing Building Code through the State Uniform Construction Code, so this is a code provision rather than a contractor rule of thumb, though how it applies to a specific roof is a call for the permit office reviewing the job. Insurers lean on the same threshold when deciding between funding a repair and funding a replacement. Confirm how it applies to your address with the parish permit office before assuming either outcome.

Coating changes that arithmetic on flat and low-slope roofs. Silicone at $3.50 to $7.00 per square foot handles standing water far better than acrylic, which softens and loses adhesion where rain ponds. That is the usual reason a coating fails early in a climate this wet.

No coating substitutes for a sound deck or for correcting an area that ponds badly, and adhesion still depends on preparation. Set against a replacement at $8,000 to $15,000 or more, a coating buys a decade or more of service life for a fraction of the cost. Material choice and expected lifespan diverge sharply across the roof types common in New Orleans.

Storm Damage, Hail, and Insurance Claims

Storm work runs on a different clock from planned roofing. Documentation has to happen before repairs start, the insurer sets its own deadlines, and Louisiana law gives policyholders protections many homeowners never learn about. Big EZ Renovations documents damage, provides written estimates, and coordinates with adjusters so that the claim and the repair stay aligned.

Hail is the damage most often missed, because bruised shingles and granule loss are invisible from the street and only surface on an inspection. Bruising, granule loss, and dented soft metal are what hail actually leaves behind on a Louisiana roof. Where a hurricane rather than a hailstorm is the cause, tarping, documentation, and filing run in a specific order that is easy to get wrong.

The claim itself has rules worth knowing before you file. Deadlines, proof of loss requirements, and the appeals route through the Louisiana Department of Insurance all shape how a Louisiana roof claim actually proceeds. Homeowners upgrading to a stronger roof also have state grant and tax credit routes worth checking first, because the two carry different eligibility rules and different deadlines.

Licensing and Service Area

Big EZ Renovations holds Louisiana Residential Contractor License #890459 and Commercial Contractor License #3667, both issued by the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors. Roofing crews work across the metro area and out to the North Shore and the River Parishes.

Coverage includes New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, Gretna, Slidell, Mandeville, Covington, Madisonville, LaPlace, St. Rose, Hammond, and Baton Rouge. Permit requirements differ by parish, with Orleans Parish Building Department, Jefferson Parish Inspection and Code Enforcement, and St. Tammany Parish Permits and Inspections each running their own process. Properties inside an Historic District Landmarks Commission district, and anything in the French Quarter under the Vieux Carre Commission, need design approval before exterior work begins, which affects roof material and color as well as siding.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average cost to replace a roof in Louisiana?

A full asphalt shingle replacement on a 2,000 square foot home runs $6,000 to $18,000 installed in the Greater New Orleans market. 3-tab shingles sit at the bottom of that range at $3.00 to $5.00 per square foot, architectural shingles at $4.00 to $7.00, and impact-resistant Class 4 products at $5.50 to $9.00.

How much do roofing contractors charge per hour?

Roofing in this market is quoted by the square foot or by the job rather than by the hour, because labor, tear-off, disposal, and materials all scale with roof size and pitch. Ask for a written per square foot figure and confirm whether tear-off and haul-off are included, since those are the line items most often left out of a low quote.

Does a roof coating work on a New Orleans flat roof?

Yes, provided the deck underneath is structurally sound. Silicone coatings at $3.50 to $7.00 per square foot are the practical choice locally because they tolerate standing water far better than acrylic, which softens where rain ponds and is the usual reason a coating fails early here. Preparation and a sound deck still decide whether it lasts.

How long does a roof last in New Orleans?

Shorter than the national figure for the same material. 3-tab shingles rated for 15 to 20 years elsewhere lose ground to ultraviolet exposure, sustained humidity, and hurricane season uplift, while architectural and impact-resistant products with higher wind ratings hold up considerably better in Zone 2A conditions.

Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Orleans Parish?

Roof replacement generally requires a permit, and the process differs between Orleans Parish Building Department, Jefferson Parish Inspection and Code Enforcement, and St. Tammany Parish Permits and Inspections. Properties inside an HDLC district or the French Quarter also need design approval before exterior work starts.

Who handles roofing in Metairie and on the North Shore?

Big EZ Renovations covers New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, Gretna, Slidell, Mandeville, Covington, Madisonville, LaPlace, St. Rose, Hammond, and Baton Rouge, working under Louisiana Residential Contractor License #890459 and Commercial Contractor License #3667.

Should hail damage go through insurance or be paid out of pocket?

It depends on the deductible measured against the repair estimate, and on whether the damage is localized or spread across the roof. An inspection that documents bruising and granule loss before anything is repaired is what makes a claim work, so have the roof looked at before deciding either way.

Booking a Roof Assessment

Roofing decisions in this climate are easier to make with a written assessment in hand than from the ground, particularly where an insurer is involved and the damage is not visible from the street. Call Big EZ Renovations on (504) 294-8616 to have the roof looked at, or describe the problem first through the project inquiry form. Roofing sits alongside outdoor construction and interior work at the wider renovation business, so storm repairs that run into interior damage stay with one contractor.