Cost estimate
Roof replacement (asphalt shingles)
What replacing an asphalt shingle roof can cost, built from published wages, shelf prices and contractor cost data.
Data last checked . Every input is dated below.
Typical cost
Planning range $7,200 to $14,700
About $5.48 per sq ft, typical.
typical
Where the money goes
- Labor$2,20020%
- Materials$4,25039%
- Permits and inspections$2002%
- Haul-away and disposal$5505%
- Contractor overhead and profit$3,80035%
For information only. A planning range, not a quote. We take care, but our sources can lag and so can we, so a figure may be out of date. It combines the low end of every input and the high end of every input, so it is deliberately wide. Real quotes can still fall outside it.
What moves the price
The same job can quote very differently. These are the usual reasons.
- Pitch and cut-up shape
- Steep slopes, many valleys and dormers slow the crew and use more material.
- Shingle grade
- Premium lines cost about 35 to 65 cents a square foot more in shingles alone than standard architectural shingles; the choice above moves the range.
- What is underneath
- A second layer to tear off is a choice above. Rotted decking is the most common surprise and is not in these figures.
- Access and disposal
- Tight driveways, far dumps and two stories add labor and haul-away cost.
- Your town
- Permit fees, local wages and material prices all vary by region.
The same job at other sizes, and in each state
Both tables use the same estimate as the calculator above and its first choice, standard shingles, one old layer. They are here to read across; the calculator takes your own size and state.
| Size | Typical | Range | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 800 sq ft | $4,550 | $2,950 to $6,200 | $5.71 |
| 1,600 sq ft | $8,850 | $5,800 to $11,900 | $5.52 |
| 2,400 sq ft | $13,100 | $8,600 to $17,500 | $5.46 |
| 3,200 sq ft | $17,400 | $11,500 to $23,200 | $5.42 |
| 4,000 sq ft | $21,600 | $14,300 to $28,900 | $5.40 |
Small jobs cost more per sq ft because a contractor has a minimum charge, and the per-unit figure falls as the job grows until the minimum no longer applies.
Cost by state, at 2,000 sq ft
| State | Typical | Range | Against the US average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $9,950 | $6,700 to $13,200 | −9% |
| Alaska | $12,100 | $7,900 to $16,400 | +11% |
| Arizona | $10,100 | $6,700 to $13,500 | −8% |
| Arkansas | $9,600 | $6,500 to $12,800 | −12% |
| California | $12,100 | $7,900 to $16,300 | +10% |
| Colorado | $10,700 | $7,100 to $14,400 | −2% |
| Connecticut | $11,600 | $7,400 to $15,700 | +5% |
| Delaware | $10,500 | $6,900 to $14,100 | −4% |
| District of Columbia | $12,200 | $7,900 to $16,400 | +11% |
| Florida | $10,200 | $6,800 to $13,500 | −7% |
| Georgia | $10,200 | $6,800 to $13,500 | −7% |
| Hawaii | $12,000 | $7,900 to $16,000 | +9% |
| Idaho | $10,400 | $6,900 to $14,000 | −5% |
| Illinois | $12,600 | $8,100 to $17,200 | +15% |
| Indiana | $10,800 | $7,000 to $14,500 | −2% |
| Iowa | $10,100 | $6,700 to $13,500 | −8% |
| Kansas | $10,200 | $6,700 to $13,700 | −7% |
| Kentucky | $10,100 | $6,700 to $13,500 | −8% |
| Louisiana | $10,100 | $6,700 to $13,600 | −8% |
| Maine | $10,500 | $6,900 to $14,000 | −5% |
| Maryland | $11,400 | $7,500 to $15,300 | +4% |
| Massachusetts | $12,000 | $7,700 to $16,300 | +9% |
| Michigan | $10,900 | $7,100 to $14,800 | about the same |
| Minnesota | $12,100 | $7,700 to $16,400 | +10% |
| Mississippi | $9,750 | $6,600 to $12,900 | −11% |
| Missouri | $10,600 | $7,000 to $14,200 | −4% |
| Montana | $10,600 | $7,000 to $14,300 | −3% |
| Nebraska | $9,800 | $6,600 to $13,100 | −11% |
| Nevada | $10,700 | $7,000 to $14,300 | −3% |
| New Hampshire | $11,300 | $7,300 to $15,300 | +3% |
| New Jersey | $12,600 | $8,100 to $17,100 | +15% |
| New Mexico | $9,950 | $6,700 to $13,200 | −9% |
| New York | $12,300 | $8,000 to $16,600 | +12% |
| North Carolina | $10,100 | $6,800 to $13,500 | −8% |
| North Dakota | $10,800 | $7,100 to $14,600 | −1% |
| Ohio | $10,400 | $6,800 to $13,900 | −6% |
| Oklahoma | $9,850 | $6,600 to $13,200 | −10% |
| Oregon | $11,600 | $7,600 to $15,500 | +5% |
| Pennsylvania | $10,800 | $7,100 to $14,500 | −2% |
| Rhode Island | $11,200 | $7,300 to $15,100 | +2% |
| South Carolina | $10,100 | $6,800 to $13,500 | −8% |
| South Dakota | $9,850 | $6,600 to $13,100 | −10% |
| Tennessee | $9,850 | $6,600 to $13,100 | −10% |
| Texas | $10,000 | $6,700 to $13,300 | −8% |
| Utah | $10,300 | $6,800 to $13,700 | −6% |
| Vermont | $10,700 | $7,000 to $14,300 | −3% |
| Virginia | $10,500 | $7,000 to $14,000 | −4% |
| Washington | $12,000 | $7,800 to $16,300 | +10% |
| West Virginia | $10,200 | $6,800 to $13,600 | −7% |
| Wisconsin | $10,600 | $6,900 to $14,200 | −4% |
| Wyoming | $10,000 | $6,700 to $13,400 | −9% |
Each state's wages for this trade, material price level and permit level are applied to the same job. They are statewide averages; towns within a state differ, and an expensive city and a rural county can sit far apart.
How we got these numbers
Labor, parts, overhead and permits, added up. Each assumption below says how solid it is.
Checked sourcePublished, secondhandOur estimate
- Published, secondhandLabor hours of 0.02 to 0.04 per square foot (2 to 4 labor-hours per roofing square) cover tear-off and installation. Trade blogs give 1.0 to 1.6 hours per square for tear-off (5 to 8 squares per person-day) plus 1.6 to 2.7 for shingles (3 to 5 squares per person-day) on an 8-hour day, and 18 to 24 squares a day for a simple-roof crew; steep or cut-up roofs take longer.
- Checked sourceMaterials of $1.65 to $2.14 per square foot of roof for standard architectural shingles come from Lowe's shelf prices on 4 Nov 2026: shingles at $1.29 (Columbus, $42.97 to $44.97 a bundle) to $1.59 (San Jose, $50.97 to $52.98 a bundle) per square foot, plus $0.36 to $0.55 for synthetic underlayment, ice and water shield, drip edge, flashing, ridge cap, starter strip and nails.
- Our estimateThe amounts of underlayment, ice and water shield, drip edge, flashing, ridge cap, starter and nails per square foot of roof are estimates (see material-prices.json, derivation).
- Our estimate12% waste covers cuts, valleys and leftovers.
- Our estimateDisposal covers dumpster or dump fees for one layer of old shingles.
- Checked sourcePermit fees of $100 to $300: re-roof permits cost $100 to $190 in the official city fee schedules we read (Auburn CA, Pleasanton CA, Albany NY; a small sample, not a national survey); the top end allows for plan review, technology and state surcharges and for higher-priced places.
- Checked sourceOverhead and profit of 40% to 60% is added on top of field wages with payroll costs, materials, permits and disposal. Census 2022: roofing contractors' receipts were 59% above direct cost (materials, subcontracted work, field wages with fringe benefits, fuel); NAHB's remodeler study gives 43% (33% in 2021); roofing-vendor blogs imply 27% to 52%.
- Checked sourcePayroll costs of 23% to 30% of wages follow the Census 2022 figure for roofing contractors (fringe benefits 25.5% of payroll, 15.7% of it legally required).
- Checked sourceCross-check: Census 2022 shows roofing contractors did $231 of construction work per field labor-hour (all work types); a 2,000 sq ft roof at about $11,000 and 40 to 80 labor-hours is $140 to $275 an hour, the same order.
- Not includedReplacing damaged decking or rafters, more than two old layers, skylights, gutters, chimney work and metal, tile or slate roofing are not included.
- Published, secondhandStandard shingles, two old layers: A second layer adds one more tear-off pass: 1.0 to 1.6 labor-hours per roofing square (0.010 to 0.016 per square foot), the same trade-blog tear-off figure used for the first layer, so labor is 0.03 to 0.056 hours a square foot.
- Our estimateStandard shingles, two old layers: Disposal doubles to $0.30 to $0.80 per square foot because there is about twice the old roofing to haul and dump.
- Checked sourcePremium shingles, one old layer: Materials of $2.31 to $2.70 per square foot: premium shingles at $1.95 per square foot (Lowe's, one San Jose store, $64.98 a bundle, 4 Nov 2026) plus the same $0.36 to $0.55 for underlayment, flashing, drip edge, ridge cap, starter and nails as the standard choice. The $2.15 top of the shingle price allows for other premium lines and is our estimate; only one premium price was captured.
- Checked sourcePremium shingles, two old layers: Materials of $2.31 to $2.70 per square foot as for premium shingles over one layer, and the extra tear-off labor and disposal for a second layer as for standard shingles over two layers.
Sources
Where each input comes from, and when we last looked.
- Checked sourceU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data year 2025, checked 2026-11-04.
- Checked sourceU.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Economic Census, table EC2223BASIC (Construction: Summary Statistics), NAICS 238160 Roofing Contractors, United States; fringe benefits are 25.5% of payroll and revenue is 59% above direct cost. Data year 2022, checked 2026-11-04.
- Checked sourceLowe's shelf prices read on lowes.com, Central Columbus OH (43211) and E. San Jose CA (95131) stores, 4 Nov 2026. Data year 2026, checked 2026-11-04.
- Published, secondhandTrade-blog productivity figures: Projul (26 Apr 2024) asphalt shingles 3 to 5 squares per roofer per day and tear-off 5 to 8 squares per person per day; RoofSnap (15 Jan 2026) crews 18 to 24 squares a day on simple roofs, 12 to 18 moderate, 6 to 12 steep. Neither cites a study; crew size and day length are not stated by Projul. Data year 2026, checked 2026-11-04.
- Published, secondhandNAHB Remodelers' Cost of Doing Business Study, 2026 edition (fiscal 2024), as reported by NAHB's Eye on Housing blog, 8 Apr 2026: cost of sales 70.1% of revenue, operating expenses 23.6%, net profit 6.3%; 2021 gross margin 24.9%; 2018 30.1%. Data year 2024, checked 2026-11-04.
- Checked sourceOfficial city building permit fee schedules read 5 Nov 2026: City of Auburn CA (building fees, 24 May 2025), City of Pleasanton CA (building permit and plan review fees) and City of Albany NY (building and zoning permit application fees, revised Feb 2026). Three small or mid-size cities, not a national survey; fees in larger cities and valuation-based schedules can be higher. Data year 2026, checked 2026-11-05.
- Our estimateOur working assumptions, marked as estimates on this page; not checked against contractor quotes. Data year 2026, checked 2026-11-04.
- Published, secondhandU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (US = 100), as republished by FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis). Goods parity is used for materials and all-items parity as a rough stand-in for permit fees. Data year 2024, checked 2026-11-04.