Many new roof projects will include tearing off and replacing old shingles, but what about new construction? How much should you expect to spend on building an entire roofing system for a new house, with structural components and all? Most homeowners nationally pay between $8,008 and $21,278, for an average cost of $14,643.
When pricing a roofing project, pros will charge by the square, which is a 100-square-foot area of roof. Common rates range from $263 to $1,769 per square. The national average is $1,016 per square.
How Much Does a New Roof Cost?
- National average cost: $14,643
- Typical price range: $8,008 – $21,278
- Extreme low end: $3,000
- Extreme high end: $75,000
When building a roof for a new construction home, the roofer has to start from scratch. They create the structure, lay the decking, install shingles, and everything else. So, even though you don’t have to pay for old roof removal, your costs for new construction will usually be higher than for a roof replacement.
For average-sized homes around the country, a new roof will cost between $8,008 and $21,278. If you have a smaller home and use less-expensive materials, you might be able to build your roof for around $3,000.
A large roof made with a heavy material like clay tile might cost as much as $75,000 for all the materials and labor from professional roofers.
Cost of a New Roof by Home Size
To figure out how much you’ll spend on the roof of your new construction home, you need to know the size of the roof you’ll need. A roof’s square footage will usually be about one and a half times the home’s total square footage. Use this formula to estimate the size of your roof:
Roof Size (square feet) = 1.5 x Home Size (square feet)
Once you’ve calculated approximate roof size, you’ll know how many roofing squares the project will take. One square covers 100 square feet of roof. Depending on your roofing material and your contractor’s labor rates, you could pay from $263 to $1,769 per square. That comes out to an average price of $1,016 per square.
We used this average rate to calculate the approximate cost of a new roof for homes of different sizes.
| Home Square Footage | Roof Square Footage | Number of Squares | Total Cost |
| 1,000 | 1,500 | 15 | $15,240 |
| 1,500 | 2,250 | 23 | $23,368 |
| 2,000 | 3,000 | 30 | $30,480 |
| 2,500 | 3,750 | 38 | $38,608 |
| 3,000 | 4,500 | 45 | $45,720 |
| 3,500 | 5,250 | 53 | $53,848 |
| 4,000 | 6,000 | 60 | $60,960 |
| 4,500 | 6,750 | 68 | $69,088 |
| 5,000 | 7,500 | 75 | $76,200 |
Cost of a New Roof by Roofing Material
The type of roof you choose will determine how much you pay for labor and materials. Heavy materials like tile and slate are more expensive than typical shingles, and they’re more difficult to install, which means the job will take more hours to complete.
Including supplies and installation, the most affordable roofing material is usually asphalt shingles. That’s why they’re the most popular choice in the U.S.: They have the perfect balance of affordability and durability. Some homes with flat roofs might have the option of a single-ply or built-up flat roof membrane, which can be as cost-effective as shingles.
Some roof types, such as green roofs, metal, or tile, may require a specialty installer. For these, labor rates will probably be higher. Talk to your roofing company about the pros and cons of each roof type and which best suits your new home.
| Roofing Material | Average cost per square * Includes labor and materials |
| Asphalt shingle roof | $200 – $483 |
| Flat roof membrane | $250 – $767 |
| Metal roof | $650 – $1,300 |
| Wood shake / shingle roof | $700 – $935 |
| Concrete tile roof | $1,067 – $1,733 |
| Clay tile roof | $1,150 – $2,250 |
| Solar roof | $1,200 – $2,500 |
| Slate roof | $1,250 – $2,750 |
| Green roof | $1,000 – $3,000 |
Labor Costs for a New Roof
The cost of hiring a professional roofer will make up about 60% of the total budget for most roofing projects. Labor rates usually run about $150 to $322 per square.
The lower end of that range covers simpler roofs made with commonplace materials like asphalt shingles. On the higher end, you’re paying for a roof that’s harder to build, like one with heavy materials or steep pitch.
Other Cost Factors
Size, material, and labor are the biggest influences on the cost of a new roof, but they aren’t the only ones. Your roof’s shape and design can affect the cost of the roof itself, and installing extra features will increase the price of the project.
Roof pitch and design
Some roofs are easier to install than others based on their design. While it’s hard to guess exactly how design will affect your cost without knowing the specifics of your roof, you can assume as a general rule that the steeper the pitch and the more planes your roof features, the more difficult it will be for the roofers to build and the more you’ll pay for it.
Each style of roof falls in a typical range of pitches. Again, your specific roof could differ in any number of ways, but here are the common pitch levels of some popular roof styles:
- Flat roof: less than 3/12
- Gable roof: 4/12 – 7/12
- Hipped roof: 4/12 – 7/12
- Butterfly roof: 4/12 – 6/12
- Mansard roof: Changes in pitch in different parts of the roof
- A-frame roof: 9/12 – 12/12
You can also measure the complexity of a roof’s construction based on how many planes it has. A plane is a flat surface of the roof with four separate edges, and it can sit pitched or at an angle. Typical homes have around six planes. The simplest flat roofs have fewer than six, and roofs are considered especially complex when they have 12 or more planes.
Keep price in mind when making design decisions about your new home’s roof. If you’re looking for ways to save money on construction without compromising quality, you could consider a flatter and simpler style of roof.
Gutters
When you build a new roof, you’ll need to install gutters, too. Gutters catch the rainwater running off your roof to protect your home’s foundation and any landscaping close to the house. You pay for gutters by the linear foot, so the cost they’ll add to your project depends on the size of your home.
Common gutters are made of vinyl or aluminum. Vinyl is the more affordable option, while aluminum tends to be more durable. You may also want to consider gutter guards to save you the trouble of cleaning them every year.
| Gutter Material | Average cost per linear foot * includes labor and materials |
| Vinyl | $3 – $6 |
| Aluminum | $5 – $11 |
| Gutter guards | $4 – $13 |
Skylights and chimneys
You may choose to add other features to your new roof, such as a chimney or skylight. A chimney is a somewhat complicated installation, since it has to connect to a fireplace inside your home. A skylight is a little simpler since it’s essentially just a window in the roof instead of the wall.
| Roof Feature | Average Cost To Install * includes labor and materials |
| Skylight | $753 – $2,624 |
| Chimney | $3,500 – $11,500 |
Related Roofing Services
New roof installation isn’t the end of the line. Over the years, you’ll need related maintenance services to prolong the roof’s lifespan.
If you live in the same home for 15 years or more, you’ll eventually have to replace the entire roof. We’ll go over some roof maintenance costs to help give you a good idea of what your new roof will cost you in the long run.
Roof replacement
The most expensive part of roof maintenance is a roof replacement, also known as a re-roof. Depending on the material, your roof may last for 15 to 20, or even up to 100 years. So, re-roofing isn’t a frequent expense. You’ll probably only have to replace a roof once or twice in your lifetime.
Replacing a roof costs almost as much as building a new one. In most cases, roofers will have to tear off the existing roof and install new shingles, metal, tile, or whatever material your roof is made of. They may even have to replace the underlayment if your roof suffers significant damage.
A typical roof replacement costs about $5,706 to $11,185. Just like with a new roof, the cost of replacing a roof depends on home size, roofing material, and roof pitch.
Roof Repair
Roof repairs are far more frequent than full replacements. It isn’t unusual for a well-kept roof to need a minor repair every few years, especially if you live in an area that regularly suffers from severe weather.
Your roof repair costs can vary as widely as the repairs themselves. You might spend a few hundred dollars to replace a section of shingles or a few thousand dollars to replace structural elements like underlayment and roof trusses that suffer from water damage. Most roof repairs will cost between $348 and $1,186.
Roof Inspection
Another common expense is a roof inspection. It’s a good idea to have your roof inspected by a professional at least once a year to make sure you catch any issues before they become too large to solve. The average cost of a roof inspection ranges from $100 and $450.
Cost of a New Roof by Location
Consider the huge difference in cost of living between a small Midwestern town and a huge city on the coast like New York or Los Angeles, and you’ll understand why roofing costs can vary so significantly by location.
In cities with high costs of living, the construction materials and roofer’s labor rates will be much more expensive than the national averages covered in this pricing guide.
If you want to understand the typical cost of a new roof in your area, you’ll need to get quotes from local roofing contractors. To make sure you get the best price, contact at least three pros.
FAQ About Roofs
Asphalt shingle roofs, the most popular type for homes in the U.S., usually last about 15 to 20 years. Other roofing materials last longer or shorter time frames. Metal roofing, clay or concrete tile, and slate roofing can sometimes last up to 100 years.
Asphalt shingles will usually be the cheapest roofing material, which is why they’re so popular. A flatter and simpler roof will also be cheaper to build than a more complex one.
Production homes have limited personalization for most of their features, and that includes roofing options. Most production homes come with asphalt shingle roofs, and the homeowner may get to choose the color. Upgrades to other roofing materials usually aren’t available.
Find a Roofing Contractor Near You
New roof costs are different from roof replacement costs, even if the two jobs seem similar. They both involve installing new roofing materials, but a new roof for a new construction home also needs all the structural elements involved, such as trusses, decking, and support beams.
When building a new home, the roof will usually cost between $8,008 and $21,278 for supplies and professional installation.
Your new roof cost will depend on the roof’s size, and you can calculate an estimate using the average rate of $1,016 per square. Typical costs range from $263 per square on the low end and $1,769 per square on the high end.
Main Photo Credit: Pixabay
