Roof replacement cost calculator
Estimate a re-roof from your footprint, pitch and material — with the square count, the line items and a range you can hold a quote against.
Estimated cost
$11,130
per project
- Roof surface
- 2,000 sq ft
- Squares
- 20.0
| Line item | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Materials20.0 squares of architectural asphalt shingle | $3,700 | $4,600 | $6,000 |
| Labour20.0 squares installed | $2,320 | $3,480 | $4,980 |
| Tear-off and disposal1 existing layer over 20.0 squares | $1,700 | $2,600 | $4,000 |
| Permit and inspectionVaries widely by jurisdiction | $250 | $450 | $900 |
| Total | $7,970 | $11,130 | $15,880 |
This is an estimate, not a quote. It is arithmetic on a national average, adjusted for your state — not a price anyone has offered you, and not a price any contractor is bound by.
The national rates it starts from are our own compiled estimates rather than figures audited against a published price list. The state adjustment is derived from Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data. How we arrive at these figures.
A real quote moves on things this cannot see: access, existing damage, local permit rules, and how busy the trade is in your area this month. Use the result to judge whether a quote is in the right territory, then ask the contractor to itemise what puts it where it is.
How this calculator works
The formula
- Roof area = footprint × pitch multiplier (flat 1.05, low 1.12, medium 1.25, steep 1.42)
- Squares = roof area ÷ 100
- Materials = squares × material rate per square × the state material multiplier
- Labour = squares × labour rate per square × the state labour multiplier × storey multiplier (1.0 / 1.15 / 1.3)
- Tear-off = squares × tear-off rate × number of layers, when tearing off
- Permit = a flat regional amount, scaled by the state labour multiplier
What the range means
The low figure uses the bottom of every rate — a simple roof, a crew at the cheaper end of the local market, no surprises under the shingles. The high figure uses the top of every rate. Most straightforward roofs land near the typical column.
What it does not include
Replacement decking, chimney flashing rebuilds, new gutters, skylight replacement and structural repair are all priced separately by a roofer, and none of them is in this estimate.
The rates behind it
Every figure below is a national rate held in our cost database and adjusted for the state you pick. None of them is written into the page.
| Rate | Unit | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| roof-labor-asphaltLabour per square for asphalt shingle on a walkable roof. Derived from the BLS OEWS mean roofer wage of $27.95/hr, a 30% labour burden, a four-person crew over an eight-hour day and a 50% overhead and profit margin. The range spans a crew laying 15 squares a day at the low end down to 7 at the high end, against the NRCA standard of about 12. | square | $116 | $174 | $249 |
| roof-labor-metalLabour per square for standing seam metal. Roughly three times the hours of asphalt: panels are cut and formed on site, seams are mechanically locked, and the crew is smaller and more specialised. | square | $380 | $550 | $800 |
| roof-labor-tileLabour per square for concrete or clay tile. Roughly four times the hours of asphalt: the material is heavy, battens go down first, and tiles are placed individually. | square | $500 | $750 | $1,100 |
| roof-material-3tabMaterial per square of three-tab asphalt shingle, including underlayment, drip edge and fasteners. Derived from national retail bundle pricing at three bundles per square, plus accessories and contractor markup. | square | $95 | $120 | $155 |
| roof-material-architecturalMaterial per square of architectural asphalt shingle, including underlayment, drip edge and fasteners. Based on national retail pricing of roughly $40 a bundle at three bundles per square, plus accessories and contractor markup. | square | $185 | $230 | $300 |
| roof-material-metalMaterial per square of standing seam steel or aluminium panel, including clips, trim and underlayment. Copper and zinc sit well above this range. | square | $450 | $650 | $1,000 |
| roof-material-tileMaterial per square of concrete tile, including battens and underlayment. Clay tile runs higher. Assumes the roof structure already carries the weight. | square | $420 | $580 | $800 |
| roof-permitResidential re-roof permit and inspection. Varies more by jurisdiction than by anything else on this list; some cities charge a flat fee, others a percentage of job value. | project | $250 | $450 | $900 |
| roof-tear-offPer square, per existing layer removed, including dumpster and disposal. A second layer costs the same again. | square | $85 | $130 | $200 |
Rates last reviewed September 2026.
Roofers price in squares, and it is not a trick
A roofing square is 100 square feet of roof surface. Every quote you receive is, underneath, a count of squares multiplied by a rate, plus tear-off, plus whatever the crew finds when the old shingles come off. Once you know your square count, a quote stops being a single unarguable number and becomes arithmetic.
The catch is that roof surface is not the same as the footprint of your house. A roof slopes, so it always has more area than the ground it covers, and the steeper it is the bigger the gap. A 1,600 square foot footprint under a medium pitch is about 2,000 square feet of roof — twenty squares. Under a steep pitch it is closer to 2,270, or nearly twenty-three.
Finding your pitch without getting on the roof
Pitch is expressed as rise over twelve inches of run. A 6/12 roof rises six inches for every foot across. You can estimate it from the ground: if the roof looks almost flat, it is probably 2/12 or under. If you could comfortably walk on it, it is likely 3/12 to 4/12. If walking on it looks unpleasant but possible, 5/12 to 7/12. If it looks like you would need to be tied on, it is 8/12 or above, and the labour rate reflects that.
Steep roofs cost more for two reasons that compound: there is more surface to cover, and every hour spent on that surface is slower and needs fall protection. That is why moving from medium to steep in this calculator moves the number more than you might expect.
Material and labour are different decisions
On an asphalt roof, materials are usually the smaller half of the bill. This surprises people who have priced a bundle of shingles at a home centre and multiplied. The labour, the tear-off, the disposal, the underlayment, the flashing and the fasteners are the rest, and they do not change much when you upgrade the shingle.
That asymmetry is why upgrading from three-tab to architectural shingle is usually worth it. You are paying more on the smaller half of the bill for a product that lasts materially longer and looks better. Going from asphalt to metal or tile is a different decision: there the material cost multiplies several times over, and the case rests on lifespan and on whether the roof structure can carry the weight.
Tear-off, and why layers matter
Removing the old roof is a real line item with a real disposal cost, priced per square per layer. Most roofs have one layer. Some have two, because a previous owner overlaid rather than tore off, and in that case the removal cost doubles — more dumpster hauls, more labour hours, and often more surprises underneath.
Codes in most jurisdictions allow at most two layers total, so a roof that already has two must be stripped. Overlaying is cheaper today and more expensive over the life of the roof: the new shingles run hotter, wear faster, and hide any decking problem until it becomes a structural one.
What changes this number
Deck condition. The sheathing under the shingles is invisible until the roof is stripped. Rotten plywood has to be replaced, and it is the single most common reason a final invoice exceeds an estimate. A fair contract states a per-sheet price for replacement decking up front, so the change is priced before it is discovered rather than after.
Complexity. This calculator prices a straightforward roof. Every valley, dormer, skylight, chimney and pipe penetration adds flashing work and waste. A cut-up roof with six dormers can run well above the high end here on the same square count as a simple gable.
Access. A crew needs somewhere to put a dumpster and somewhere to stage materials. A tight urban lot, a long carry, or a house that a boom truck cannot reach all add hours that do not show up in the square count.
Season and demand. Roofing is weather-dependent and demand spikes after a storm. A roof quoted in a hail-damaged market three weeks after the storm will not be quoted at the same price as the same roof in a quiet month.
Storeys change the labour, not the material
A two-storey house needs taller ladders, more staging and a slower, more careful crew, and a three-storey house needs equipment. None of that changes how many shingles go on the roof, which is why this calculator applies the storey multiplier to the labour line only. If a quote raises the material price because the house is tall, that is worth questioning.
Reading the quote you get
A complete quote names the shingle manufacturer and product line, the underlayment, the ice and water shield coverage at eaves and valleys, new drip edge, new pipe boots, ridge venting, the dumpster and disposal, and a magnetic sweep of the yard for nails. It states the workmanship warranty in years separately from the manufacturer’s material warranty, because those are two different promises from two different parties.
Ask for three figures as separate numbers: the price per square, the number of squares, and the per-sheet decking rate. That turns an unverifiable lump sum into something you can compare against the next quote, and against this page.
If a quote is far below the low end here, something is missing — usually the permit, the tear-off, or the flashing. If it is far above the high end, ask what the roofer has seen that the calculator has not. Often there is a real answer, and it is worth hearing.
Common questions
- How much does it cost to replace a roof?
- Most homeowners pay somewhere between nine and seventeen thousand dollars for an architectural asphalt roof on a typical single-family house. Size, pitch, material and how many old layers have to come off drive nearly all of the spread.
- What is a roofing square?
- One hundred square feet of roof surface. Roofers quote in squares rather than square feet, so a 2,000 square foot roof is twenty squares.
- How do I work out my roof area from my house size?
- Multiply the ground-floor footprint by a pitch factor: about 1.05 for a nearly flat roof, 1.12 for a low slope, 1.25 for a medium pitch and 1.42 for a steep one. A 1,600 square foot footprint under a medium pitch is about 2,000 square feet of roof.
- Does a two-storey house cost more to roof?
- Yes, on the labour line only — about 15% more for two storeys and 30% for three, because of staging, ladders and fall protection. The material cost does not change, because the roof is the same size.
- Can I put a new roof over the old one?
- Most codes allow at most two layers total, so a roof that already has two must be stripped. Overlaying saves the tear-off cost today but runs hotter, wears faster, and hides any decking problem until it becomes structural.
- Why did my final invoice come in above the estimate?
- Almost always rotten deck sheathing, which is invisible until the old roof is off. A fair contract states a per-sheet price for replacement decking up front so the cost is agreed before it is discovered.