How much you spend on a full roof replacement will depend on the size and pitch of your roof, your current roofing material, the material you’re replacing it with, and any additional repairs or services your roof may need. The national average cost for a roof replacement is $8,446, though typical prices range from about $5,706 to $11,185.
Most roof replacement projects will cost between $300 and $800 per square (which covers 100 square feet) for materials and professional installation. That makes a national average rate of $550 per square.
How much does a roof replacement cost?
- National average cost: $8,446
- Typical price range: $5,706 – $11,185
- Extreme low end: $2,500
- Extreme high end: $40,000
While you can expect a typical roof replacement to cost about $5,706 to $11,185, there are many cost factors that can result in a much higher or lower price.
Most roofing materials that are heavier and more durable than traditional asphalt shingles will be more expensive and harder to install, which can lead to a total cost of up to $40,000.
On the other end of the spectrum, you could pay as little as $2,500 total if you have a smaller, flatter roof and choose to roof over the old shingles instead of tearing off the worn and damaged ones first.
In the rest of this pricing guide, we’ll go into detail about replacement roof specifics and how you should expect each one affecting your budget.
Roof Replacement Cost by Home Size
Roofers will almost always charge for a roof replacement by the “square,” a unit of measuring materials that covers 100 square feet. To figure out how many squares your project will take, simply divide the square footage of your roof by 100.
Don’t know your roof’s square footage? Don’t worry — it’s easy to calculate an estimate. Though different types of roofs will take more or less materials to cover, you can assume as a general rule that your roof will be about 1.5 times the size of your home’s square footage.
You can get a close guess of your roof’s square footage with this formula:
- Home square footage x 1.5 = Roof square footage
Once you know the approximate size of your roof, you can figure out how many squares of material you need installed and an estimated budget for your project. Different roofing materials have their own price points, but a typical price range is $300 to $800 per square, for an average of $550 per square.
Using these numbers, we went ahead and calculated the total project cost for several home sizes so you don’t have to.
| HOME SIZE * square feet | APPROXIMATE ROOF SIZE * square feet | NUMBER OF SQUARES | APPROXIMATE TOTAL COST * includes labor and materials |
| 1,000 | 1,500 | 15 | $8,250 |
| 1,500 | 2,250 | 23 | $12,650 |
| 2,000 | 3,000 | 30 | $16,500 |
| 2,500 | 3,750 | 38 | $20,900 |
| 3,000 | 4,500 | 45 | $24,750 |
| 3,500 | 5,250 | 53 | $29,150 |
| 4,000 | 6,000 | 60 | $33,000 |
| 4,500 | 6,750 | 68 | $37,400 |
| 5,000 | 7,500 | 75 | $41,250 |
Roof Replacement Cost by Roofing Material
After home size, the roofing material you choose to install will be the most important factor in determining your roof installation cost. Asphalt shingles are the most common roofing material in the U.S. and usually the most affordable at about $200 to $483 per square.
If you want a longer lasting material than the traditional asphalt, you should consider a metal roof (standing seam, corrugated metal roofing, or tiles), slate roof, or concrete tile roof. Clay tile roofs can also last a long time with proper maintenance, but if you don’t take care of them, they can be fragile and prone to damage.
The downside to these high-durability materials is that they’re heavy, difficult to install, and often need reinforcement. Therefore, they’ll make the material cost and professional labor cost of your roof replacement higher.
Other options include wood shingles or shakes, solar roofing, or a flat roof coating in rare cases. While you might like the charm a wooden roof would add to your home, keep in mind that wood roofs are very high-maintenance.
Solar roofing systems (including solar shingles and Tesla brand solar roofs) are good for the environment and will save you money on energy bills in the long run, but they have high upfront costs.
Flat roof coatings are affordable, but, as you might have guessed, they’re only an option if you have a flat roof, which isn’t common in single-family homes.
To help you figure out what your budget should be for different materials, we gathered national average per-square costs for each option. These approximate costs include the materials and the labor to install them.
| ROOFING MATERIAL | TYPICAL PRICE RANGE * per square, includes labor and materials |
| Asphalt shingles | $200 – $483 |
| Flat roof coating | $250 – $767 |
| Metal roofing | $650 – $1,300 |
| Wood shingles or shakes | $700 – $935 |
| Concrete tiles | $1,067 – $1,733 |
| Clay tiles | $1,150 – $2,250 |
| Solar roofing | $1,200 – $2,500 |
| Slate roofing | $1,250 – $2,750 |
Other Cost Factors
Home size and roofing material aren’t the only pieces of the puzzle when it comes to your roof replacement budget. Several other characteristics of your roof and special needs for your project will add or subtract from your roofing costs.
These factors are harder to quantify than size and material, but you should still take them into account for the most accurate cost estimate possible.
Roof pitch
Pitch is a fraction that essentially describes the angle of your roof. Depending on your roof’s pitch, you might need more or less materials, and they might be more difficult or easier for your roofing contractor to install. So, roof pitch will affect your cost of materials and overall labor cost.
The problem pitch presents when budgeting is that it’s difficult to measure pitch before talking to your roofing contractor. You can guess the pitch of your roof based on the style. Each type of roof falls into its own typical pitch range, as follows:
- Flat roof: less than 3/12
- Butterfly roof: 4/12 – 6/12
- Gable roof: 4/12 – 7/12
- Hipped roof: 4/12 – 7/12
- A-frame roof: 9/12 – 12/12
- Mansard: Varies in pitch because of design
In general, assume that the higher the pitch, the more material you’ll need, and the greater your roofing cost will be. You should also expect your project to cost more if your roof has a lot of peaks, valleys, or curves.
Roof tear-off vs. roof-over
Instead of tearing off the old roofing materials and replacing them from the bottom up, you could opt for a “roof-over” to save yourself thousands of dollars.
Roofing over means installing new shingles right on top of the old shingles. You can only have up to two layers of shingles on your roof at a time, so roofing over is only an option for a home’s first roof replacement.
If you choose to roof-over, you won’t have to pay for the hours of labor it takes to remove the existing roof.
The average overall cost of roofing over is $4,000 to $6,000. Compare that to the typical price range of a tear-off and replacement, $5,706 to $11,185.
Switching roof material
If your home currently has asphalt shingles or another lightweight roofing material and you want to replace it with something heavier like slate, clay tile, or concrete tile, your roof will probably need some level of reinforcement to be able to hold the extra weight.
How much you pay to reinforce your roof will depend on the project’s specific needs, but you can expect reinforcement to add between $500 and $2,000 to your total project cost.
Replace sheathing / re-deck roof
When your roofing contractors tear off your old roof, they may find structural damage underneath and determine they need to replace some of the decking. The decking/sheathing is the plywood underneath your shingles or other roofing material.
One sheet of plywood will cover about 32 square feet, and you should expect to pay $70 to $100 per sheet of plywood. Unless the damage is extreme, you usually won’t have to replace all the sheathing at once, only the damaged sections.
Roofing permits
Many cities and counties require a roofing permit to replace a roof. How much your permit costs will vary depending on where you live, but typical costs range between $150 and $500. Before work begins on your roof replacement, either you or your contractor will need to obtain the permit.
Homeowners insurance
Most homeowners insurance policies cover roof damage caused by acts of nature. If you need your roof replaced because of a hail storm, tornado, or other natural disaster, you should be able to file an insurance claim so you won’t have to foot the bill.
Note: If you need a new roof because you neglected to take care of the old one, your insurance company may not cover the replacement.
Keep in mind, your monthly insurance premium will most likely increase after you make a claim. Weigh the cost of paying for your own roof replacement versus the higher monthly premium you’ll pay for at least a few years to decide which route is more affordable for you.
Extra Services
Along with your roof replacement, you may need related features installed or removed. If you think you’ll need one of these additional services, mention it to your roofing company so they include it in your quote.
Roof inspection
Unsure if your roof is due for a replacement? Before you invest in replacing your entire roof, you may want to hire a roof inspector, who can tell you whether you need a full replacement or can get away with a smaller and less expensive repair.
Roof inspections cost between $100 and $450 on average nationally.
Asbestos removal
Especially if you live in an older home, your roofing materials could include asbestos fibers. Because asbestos can be harmful to your health, you will want your roofing contractor to remove it if they find it.
Asbestos roof removal usually costs about $50 to $120 per square foot.
Replace flashing
Flashing keeps water from leaking through cracks or openings in the roof. You will find flashing around skylights, chimneys, and similar features.
When you get a roof replacement, it doesn’t automatically include new flashing. On the other hand, if you have a leaking roof, you may only need to replace some of the flashing instead of getting an expensive roof repair or replacement.
Installing new flashing, whether on its own or as part of a roof replacement, costs on average $200 to $500 for each chimney, skylight, or other project area.
Install or replace skylight
If you have been considering adding a skylight, you might want to go ahead and install one as part of your roof replacement project. Here’s why: You will have a roofing company onsite, and you’ll likely be away from the house as they work on your roof.
You might take the opportunity to replace an existing skylight, too, if you’ve noticed cracks, leaks, or other issues. Installing or replacing a skylight usually costs between $805 and $3,089.
Installing gutters
During your roof replacement, you might want to install new gutters, too. This is especially a good idea if your home doesn’t have gutters. Gutters help protect your home’s foundation and surrounding landscaping from rainwater runoff.
In most cases, you’ll be able to choose vinyl or aluminum gutters. Vinyl is more affordable, but aluminum is more durable and will last longer.
| GUTTER MATERIAL | TYPICAL PRICE RANGE * per linear foot, includes labor and materials |
| Vinyl | $3 – $6 |
| Aluminum | $5 – $11 |
Roof replacement for additional structures: garage, patio, bay window
Roofing additional structures attached to your home will add to your overall roof replacement cost. Of course, the cost per square of materials will be the same for these smaller areas as it is for the roof of your home.
Make sure you factor in the cost of a new garage, patio, or bay window roof when budgeting your overall project cost.
| ADDITIONAL STRUCTURE | TOTAL ROOF REPLACEMENT COST * includes labor and materials |
| Bay window | $400 – $1,000 |
| Garage | $1,000 – $2,500 |
| Patio | $1,000 – $2,500 |
Cost of Roof Replacement by Location
Because roofing contractors’ labor rates vary from region to region and town to town, the cost of a new roof will vary, too.
For most roofing projects, labor makes up 60% of the total budget. That means more than half your costs depend entirely on the cost of living and labor rates where you live.
For example, a roofing contractor in a small town might charge about $150 per square for labor, while one in a metro area could charge as much as $300 per square for labor alone.
You can see how varying local labor costs might make your overall project cost much higher or lower. That’s why contacting at least three local roofing contractors for quotes is the best way to get an accurate price estimate for your project.
FAQ About Replacement Roofs
Different roofing materials have different lifespans. A typical asphalt shingle roof needs replacing every 15 to 20 years. Some home insurance providers won’t cover homes with roofs older than 15 to 20 years old.
You can stay home if you want to, but the truth is you probably won’t want to. Most pro roofers recommend vacating the house while they work. Not only does a roof replacement make unbearably loud noises, you could also end up blocked into your home or driveway by the roofers’ trucks and equipment.
For some homes, roofers can finish a replacement in as little as one day. Large homes or more complicated installations can sometimes take three to five days.
Find a Roofing Contractor Near You
A roof replacement is a big investment and, more importantly, it’s vital to your family’s safety. That’s why you should hire a professional roofinc contractor and not attempt to replace your own roof (no matter how experienced you are with DIY home improvement projects).
Hiring a pro for a roof replacement will cost on average $8,446 for labor and materials.
If you’re looking to save money, instead of cutting out labor costs, you could choose an inexpensive roofing material like asphalt shingles. The size of your home and your chosen roofing material will play the biggest roles in determining how much your specific roof replacement costs.
Main Photo Credit: sturti / Canva Pro / License
