What Does a Roofing System From Malarkey Cost?

If you’re considering a Malarkey roofing system, one of your biggest questions is most likely: How much is this going to cost?

The frustrating part is that roofing prices can vary by thousands of dollars depending on the materials you choose, your roof’s design and size, and what’s included in the roof replacement.

At Happy Roofing, we’ve helped hundreds of homeowners throughout the greater Naperville area replace their roofs. As a certified Malarkey contractor, we install their products regularly and have developed a deep understanding of their performance and cost.

While we stand behind Malarkey and think they make durable products, we recognize that they aren’t the right choice for every homeowner or every budget. In this article, we’ll break down what a Malarkey roofing system typically costs, what’s included in that price, and what can make the final cost go up or down.

Table of Contents

• How Much Does a Malarkey Roofing System Cost?

• What’s Included in the Cost of a Malarkey Roofing System?
• What Can Impact the Cost of a Malarkey Roofing System?
• How Does the Cost of Malarkey Compare to Other Shingle Brands?
• Is a Malarkey Roofing System Worth the Cost?

How Much Does a Malarkey Roofing System Cost?

A complete Malarkey roof replacement in the greater Naperville area, based on a year of our most recent projects, typically costs between $15,000 and $36,000, with the average project landing around $26,400.

That’s a wide range, but there’s a reason for it. The cost of any roof replacement includes the materials and labor needed to remove your existing roof and install a complete roofing system designed for your home.

Two homes of similar size can also have very different replacement costs. A simple roof with few penetrations (vents, pipes, skylights, satellite dishes, etc.) and no underlying damage will generally cost less to replace than a steep, complex roof that requires additional flashing, ventilation work, or wood replacement.

How Has the Cost of Roofing Changed Over the Years?

The cost of replacing a roof has steadily increased over the past several years as both material and labor costs have risen across the roofing industry.

In our experience, roofing material prices have increased steadily over the years, but this isn’t unique to Malarkey. In some years, manufacturers have issued more than one price increase, with individual increases sometimes falling in the 5% to 10% range.

Labor costs have increased as well. This is especially relevant in Illinois, where roofing labor can cost roughly 10% to 25% more than in neighboring states like Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri.

That doesn’t mean you should replace a healthy roof early just because prices could increase again. But if your roof already needs replacement, waiting for prices to return to what they were several years ago just isn’t realistic.

What’s Included in the Cost of a Malarkey Roofing System?

The cost of a Malarkey roofing system accounts for the materials and labor needed to remove your existing roof and install a new roofing system. This includes more than the shingles that are visible from the exterior.

While shingles make up the visible surface, they’re only one part of the system protecting your home. A complete roof replacement should include:

• Tear-off and disposal: Your existing roofing materials are removed and properly disposed of so the new system can be installed on a clean surface. When new shingles are installed over existing ones, this is called an overlay. While an overlay can cost less upfront, it can hide problems with the roof deck underneath and makes it harder to ensure the new roofing system is installed on a sound surface.
• Roof decking: The decking is the wood base underneath your roofing materials that the new system is installed over. It should be inspected for wear, rot, or other damage during the tear-off. If the existing decking is still in good condition, the reusable sections should be re-nailed to make sure they’re secure before the new roofing materials are installed.
• Roofing underlayment: A protective layer is installed over your roof deck to provide an additional barrier between your home and the elements. This should be replaced as part of every roof replacement to help keep moisture out.
• Ice and water protection: In areas with harsh winters like Northern Illinois, additional waterproofing is installed along roof edges and vulnerable areas (such as valleys, eaves, and around roof penetrations), where water and melting snow are more likely to find their way beneath the shingles and cause leaks.
• Starter shingles and ridge caps: These components help protect the edges and peaks of your roof while giving the shingle system a finished installation.
• Flashing: Metal flashing helps direct water away from areas where your roof meets chimneys, walls, vents, and other penetrations. Sometimes, flashing can be safely reused, but we always recommend replacing it whenever possible as worn, bent, rusted, or otherwise damaged flashing can lead to leaks and damage to surrounding materials over time.
• Ventilation: Proper intake and exhaust ventilation help regulate heat and moisture in your attic and are an important part of how the roofing system performs. Not every roof replacement will require ventilation updates, but in our experience, many homes suffer from poor airflow in the attic space, and ventilation should at least be assessed as part of every roof replacement.
• Installation labor: Your final quote also accounts for the crew, equipment, setup, cleanup, and workmanship required to install the roofing system correctly.

But even when two homeowners are getting the same type of Malarkey roofing system, their final costs can still be thousands of dollars apart. That’s because the size, design, condition, and needs of the individual roof all play a role in determining the final price.

The photo below is sourced from Malarkey's website, and is a good representation of a roofing system. It shows the components that make up a roof, from the roof deck to the shingles:

What Can Impact the Cost of a Malarkey Roofing System?

The biggest factors affecting the cost of a Malarkey roofing system are the size and complexity of your roof, the materials you select, and the condition of the roof underneath your existing shingles.

This is why two homeowners can choose similar Malarkey products and still receive very different estimates. Your roofing contractor has to account for the amount of material your home needs as well as the labor and additional work required to install it properly.

Some of the biggest factors that impact cost include:

• Roof size: The larger your roof, the more shingles, underlayment, ice and water protection, and other materials you'll need. A larger roof also takes more time and labor to tear off and replace. Keep in mind that roof size is based on the actual surface area of your roof, not the square footage of your home.
• Roof pitch and complexity: A simple roof with a lower pitch will generally cost less to replace than a steep or highly complex roof. Multiple valleys, dormers, rooflines, and penetrations require more material, cutting, flashing, and installation time.
• The Malarkey products you choose: Malarkey offers several shingle options at different price points. Moving into a higher-priced shingle can increase your material cost, particularly on a larger roof. If you're still deciding which product makes sense for your home, we have a separate breakdown of Malarkey's shingle options and how they compare.
• The condition of your roof decking: Damaged or rotted decking discovered after tear-off will need to be replaced before the new roofing system can be installed. Because some of this damage may not be visible until the old roof comes off, decking replacement can sometimes add to the original estimated cost.
• Flashing and ventilation needs: If your existing flashing can't be safely reused or your attic doesn't have adequate ventilation, correcting those issues can add materials and labor to the project. While these improvements increase the upfront cost, ignoring them can compromise how the new roofing system performs.
• Accessibility: Homes that are difficult for a roofing crew to access can require additional time and labor. Limited driveway access, landscaping, neighboring homes that are close together, or areas where materials can't easily be staged can all affect the installation process.

Ultimately, there isn't one set price for a Malarkey roofing system because there isn't one standard roof size or design, and every homeowner has different goals.

The best way to understand where your project falls within the typical price range is to have the roof inspected and determine exactly what materials and work your home requires so you can get an accurate quote unique to your project.

How Do Different Malarkey Shingles Affect the Cost?

The Malarkey shingle you choose can add anywhere from a few hundred dollars to more than $1,000 in material costs to a typical roof replacement.

Malarkey offers several shingle lines at different price points, with Highlander (an architectural shingle) serving as the more budget-friendly option and Windsor (a designer shingle) sitting at the premium end of the lineup.

To show how that affects the price of an actual project, let's use a 2,500-square-foot roof, or 25 roofing squares, as an example.

Keep in mind that these differences reflect the shingle material cost, not the total cost of the roof replacement. The rest of your roofing system, labor, tear-off, and any additional work your home requires will still affect the final price.

For many homeowners, this also means upgrading from one Malarkey shingle to another may not change the overall project price as dramatically as you might expect. For example, moving from Highlander to Vista could add only a few hundred dollars in shingle material to a 2,500-square-foot roof.

That doesn't mean the upgrade is worth it for every homeowner. The right choice depends on your budget and whether the additional impact resistance, durability, warranty coverage, or appearance of a higher-tier shingle matters to you.

How Does the Cost of Malarkey Compare to Other Shingle Brands?

Malarkey shingles generally fall toward the middle to higher end of the asphalt shingle market, depending on the product you choose and what you’re comparing it to.

Malarkey’s product lineup starts at a relatively high performance level. Even its entry-level Highlander shingle carries a Class 3 impact rating, while some manufacturers offer broader product lineups that include entry-level shingles with lower impact ratings. Because of that, comparing the least expensive shingle from each manufacturer isn’t always an apples-to-apples comparison.

When you compare shingles with similar features and performance ratings, a Malarkey shingle may be priced similarly to comparable options from other manufacturers, while Malarkey’s higher-performance and designer shingles will typically cost more.

It’s also important to remember that the shingle brand is only one part of what you’re paying for. The size and complexity of your roof, labor, tear-off, decking repairs, flashing, ventilation, and other components can have a much greater impact on the final project price than choosing between two similarly positioned shingle brands.

So, while Malarkey isn’t typically the lowest-cost option available, choosing Malarkey doesn’t necessarily mean your roof replacement will cost thousands more than a comparable roofing system from another major manufacturer.

Is a Malarkey Roofing System Worth the Cost?

A Malarkey roofing system can be worth the cost if you value durability, impact resistance, and long-term performance, but that doesn’t mean every homeowner needs to pay for a higher-end Malarkey product.

Part of what you’re paying for with Malarkey is the technology built into its shingles. Many of its products use rubberized asphalt designed to improve flexibility and impact performance, and certain shingle lines offer higher impact-resistance ratings that may be appealing in an area like Northern Illinois where hail and severe weather are concerns.

But more expensive doesn’t automatically mean better for your home.

• Malarkey may not be the right fit: If you’re working with a tighter budget, don’t plan to stay in your home long-term, or simply don’t need the added performance features of a higher-end shingle, the additional cost may not provide enough value to justify the investment.

• Malarkey may be right for you: If you plan to stay in your home for many years and value added durability, impact resistance, and long-term performance, investing more upfront in a higher-performing Malarkey roofing system may be worthwhile.

Ultimately, whether Malarkey is worth the price depends on what you expect from your roof and how much you’re comfortable investing to get it. If you want to dig deeper into that decision, read our article, An Honest Review of Malarkey Roofing Products, where we dive deeper into the pros, cons, and key factors to consider before choosing Malarkey.

If you’re ready to find out what your roof needs and what a Malarkey roofing system would cost for your home, schedule a no-commitment roof consultation with our team. We’ll assess your roof, walk you through your options, and give you the information you need to decide what makes the most sense for your home and budget.