A roof is your home's topmost protective layer against the elements, but it can also be a design statement. Wood shingles are a traditional Grenadian roofing material, but are vulnerable to fire and mold, and must be replaced fairly frequently. Because of their relative low cost and ease of installation, asphalt shingles are now the most common roofing material in Grenada. However, many people choose a tile or metal roof because they are so long-lasting and stylish.

Typical costs: EC$

Do-it-yourself materials to install an asphalt shingle roof on an average one-story home (with a gently sloping roof of 1,700-2,100 square feet) can run $680 -$3.700, depending on the quality of the materials. Having the old roofing materials removed and new asphalt shingles professionally installed is about $1,700 -$8,400 on a typical ranch-style home, depending on materials and location.

Wood shingles are beautiful but require ongoing maintenance, can be prone to fires and don't last as long as other roofing materials. Installing natural wood shingles or shakes on an average one-story, home (1,700-2,100 square feet of gently sloping roof) costs around $6,800 -$20,000 or more. Re-roofing the same home with high-quality, fire-resistant materials of recycled rubber or plastic molded to look like wood runs around $12,600 -$18,900 or more.

A tile roof is distinctive, durable, fire-resistant and impervious to insects or rot. Installing a concrete tile roof can run $7,650 -$21,000 for a basic roof on a home. Roofing the same surface with ceramic clay tiles can be $11,900 -$2,100 for standard shapes and colors in lower-grade tile, and $17,000 -$60,000 for more custom shapes and colors, or complex installations.

A metal roof is lightweight, durable, fire-resistant and does not rot. A professionally installed steel roof can be $5,100 -$22,000 for steel roofing on a simple one-story style house; aluminum runs $11,900 -$24,200 for the same roof; and copper jumps to $25,500 -$39,600.

A slate roof is one of the most long-lasting roof materials available. Installing natural slate tiles can run $17,000 -$84,000 for a 1,700-2,100 square foot roof, or $27,000 -$120,000 for a 3,000-square-foot roof, depending on the quality of the slate and the complexity of the installation process. Roofing with synthetic slate tiles (recycled rubber or plastic molded to look like slate) is about $11,900 -$18,900 for an average house with a 1,700-2,100 square foot roof; or $21,000 -$27,000 for a 3,000-square-foot roof.

Except for asphalt shingles, the prices shown above do not include removing the old roofing material. The cost for removing and properly disposing of existing shingles starts around $3 -$5 a square foot or $510 -$1,100 for a basic home -- and costs go higher depending on the type of materials being removed, the location and the difficulty of the removal project.

What should be included:

The cost of re-roofing your home will depend in part on its shape and size. The Builders Guide magazine provides a description of the basic roofing process and illustrates standard roofing terms such as gabled or hipped. .

Additional costs:

If the framing supporting your roof is damaged or rotted, it may need repairing or replacing. Or it might need reinforcing to hold heavier roofing materials. This work could add $1,000 -$10,000 or more to the roofing project, depending on what's needed. See roofing contractor