Charles Wright, whose C.L. Wright roofing company did the Kline job, said the couple saved at least 10 percent by replacing their roof in 2007 instead of this spring.

Prices literally have gone through the roof. Since January, roofing costs have risen as dramatically as gas prices. Wright said his materials have gone up 23 percent in the past four months.

Why? Almost everything that goes on a roof, from shingles to tar to membranes or underlayments, is petroleum based. Asphalt is the residue left when crude oil is refined.

Shipping costs, affecting all varieties of materials, also have driven up prices.

Patrick Sullivan, whose family owns Pinnacle Enterprises, a Highland Springs roofing company, watched as his father and brother hammered new asphalt shingles onto the roof of a Cape Cod house in North Richmond.

The homeowner, who rents the property, "signed the contract about two months ago and really got a deal," said Sullivan, seeking refuge from the sweltering heat under a small tree in a front flower bed. "The price was $4,600. Now, we'd have to add about 20 percent."

This year, Sullivan said prices have gone up between 5 percent and 15 percent each month. "The month of July has had two of those price increases," he said. "It's difficult to keep up."

Shingles, for example, are sold in bundles. The most common shingles are a 30-year dimensional asphalt shingle. Eight months ago, Sullivan said, those shingles cost $15-$16 a bundle. They're about $21 now.

His suppliers have told him to expect another major increase Aug. 1. "We can only guarantee [contract prices] 15 to 30 days," he said.

"It's really bad right now because we're getting increases every month," said Katherine Cisneros, owner of Cisneros Roofing in Henrico County.

Cisneros cited a customer whose home her crew re-roofed a year ago. "He contacted us about doing his garage, which is basically the same area as his house -- a large, detached garage," she said. "It would cost $1,200 more this year than it was a year ago. He's having to think about it because it's not what he was thinking it was going to cost."

Roofers say their business is off because of the increased costs. "This should be one of our busiest seasons," Cisneros said.

Sullivan said the stagnant new-home market and cautious consumers have added up to a drop in business for most companies. Pinnacle hasn't been as adversely affected because the Sullivans work only for a few custom homebuilders and directly for homeowners and business owners.

Wright's company does 90 percent re-roofing and only 10 percent new-home jobs. "We did 150 new houses last year," he said. "We've done 10 so far this year."

Some area neighborhood associations have altered their architectural policies to allow homeowners to downgrade their roof systems because of the economy and particularly the cost of roofing materials, Sullivan said.

The best advice for homeowners? Get an estimate and lock it in. "The price of materials is not going to come back down," Sullivan said. "Your home is usually your biggest investment, and if your roof is leaking, you are going to cause damage that can be very costly to repair, and can even affect your health."

More sound advice -- beware of a roofing deal that sounds too good to be true. Disreputable companies might push low-quality materials, use incorrect installation methods and work too quickly to save labor costs.

"Wrong and incorrect installations are even more of a problem than low-quality materials," Sullivan said. This can lead to:

Contact Julie Young at (804) 649-6732 or jyoung@timesdispatch.com.