In the long run, steep slope roofs are often superior to normal roofs both in terms of energy efficiency and visual appeal. However, there are numerous unique challenges that your roofing contractor will have to face when you're getting work done on your steep slope roof. To ensure that you don't have any surprises going into this unique situation, make sure that you fully understand these three things to know about work on a steep slope roof.

Steeper Slopes Mean More Risk To Workers

Even on normal roofs, maintenance and repair work is quite dangerous relative to work on other building areas. This increased risk of worker injury means that roofing contractors have to pay a lot in insurance premiums, leading to higher costs on the consumer end.

On steep slope roofs, workers need to be attached to a pulley system at all times just so that they won't immediately fall off. The extra risks and hassle involved with pulleys means that any roofing contractors will have to charge you significantly more money.

Metal Roofs Are Often More Economical Than Shingles

Shingles on steep slope roofs won't suffer as much from water pooling as traditional roofs. However, the fact that water from heavy rainfall streams down a steep slope roof at a much faster rate means that corrosion and surface penetration are much more serious problems.

As a result of this, it's often worth it to pay more for a completely new metal roof when you develop problems with your shingles. Eventually, the high upfront cost will be offset by the reduced risk of future maintenance issues.

Changes In Roof Slope Around Your Windows Will Significantly Increase Costs

While steep slope roofs are more expensive to service, any breaks in slope around windows will add to the cost of your job even more. This is because the contractor has to specifically design the pulley system they install so that it won't get stuck on these sudden breaks.

However, this added cost is rarely significant enough to justify completely smoothing out your roof. Even on buildings where it's possible to do this, the job will take a long time and will usually decrease the square footage of the rooms adjacent to the windows.

Even if your roof only needs minor work, it's never wise to take any sort of steep slope roofing job lightly. It's also important to understand the challenges presented by your roofing job and why costs can be so high.