The cost to replace a roof ranges from $5 to $14 per square foot of roof, including the materials and the cost of labor.
The average residential roof size in the U.S. is 1,700 square feet. The total cost to completely replace your roof is about $8,500 with lower-cost materials like asphalt shingles to about $23,800 with expensive materials like clay. If you need only some portion to be replaced, your cost will be lower, of course.
For this pricing guide, we estimated the prices based on our survey of roofing prices across various large cities and small towns in the U.S. Your actual project cost will depend on the replacing material, size of your roof, steepness of your roof, and other factors.
Cost by Location
If you live in a metropolitan area, you might pay more for labor as the cost of living is generally higher than in a small town. For most roofing projects, labor makes up 60% of the total budget. That means more than half of your costs depend on labor rates where you live.
The table below shows the cost to replace a roof across small and large cities in the U.S. The low ends of the ranges listed are based on budget-friendly asphalt shingles, and the high ends are based on expensive clay shingles.
| Location | Cost to replace roof per square foot (including labor and materials) |
| Northeast U.S. | |
| Pawtucket, RI | $5 – $13.80 |
| New York, NY | $6.10 – $17.10 |
| Southeast U.S. | |
| Dothan, AL | $4.50 – $13.70 |
| Raleigh, NC | $4.90 – $13.50 |
| Atlanta, GA | $4.90 – $13.70 |
| Manassas Park, VA | $5.70 – $14.10 |
| Midwest U.S. | |
| South Bend, IN | $4.50 – $13.70 |
| Green Bay, OH | $4.90 – $13.50 |
| Columbus, OH | $4.90 – $13.60 |
| Elmwood Park, IL | $5.10 – $14.10 |
| Northwest U.S. | |
| Portland, OR | $5.20 – $14.40 |
| Seattle, WA | $5.30 – $14.60 |
| Southwest U.S. | |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $4.70 – $13.20 |
| Roswell, NM | $4.90 – $13.70 |
| San Diego, CA | $5.10 – $14.20 |
| Houston, TX | $5.40 – $15 |
Using these cost comparisons, you can estimate the price of roof replacement in your region based on the size of your city relative to the ones listed.
Cost by Size
Larger roofs mean higher replacement costs, of course. If you don’t know the size of your roof, you can get a close guess of your roof’s square footage with this formula:
Home square footage x 1.5 = Roof square footage
The table below shows the average cost by roof size, with an average of $5 to $14 per square foot:
| Roof Size in Square Feet | Average Cost(including material and labor) |
| 1,200 | $6,000 – $16,800 |
| 1,500 | $7,500 – $21,000 |
| 2,000 | $10,000 – $28,000 |
| 2,500. | $12,500 – $35,000 |
| 3,000. | $15,000 – $42,000 |
| 3,500. | $17,500 – $49,000 |
If your pro charges by each 100 square feet, simply divide the square footage of your roof by 100.
Cost by Material
Roofing material is the most important factor in determining your roof installation cost. 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.
| Material | Cost per square foot of roof (including labor cost + materials) |
| Asphalt | $4 – $5 |
| Concrete Tile | $9 – $13 |
| Wood Shake | $9.5 – $13 |
| Metal | $14 – $19 |
| Slate Tile | $16 – $22 |
| Clay Tile | $16 – $23 |
Asphalt shingles are the most common roofing material in the U.S. and usually the most affordable. Wood shingles add charm to your home but usually require high maintenance.
If you want a longer-lasting material than traditional asphalt, consider metal, slate, or concrete tile. Clay tiles also last a long time with proper maintenance, but they are fragile, so if you don’t take care of them, they are prone to damage.
Cost of a Permit
Many cities and counties require a roofing permit. Permit costs vary depending on your local government or municipality, but typical costs range between $100 and $1,100. Your roofing contractor generally obtains the permit for you and builds it into the overall cost of the job.
Other Factors that Affect Cost
Along with home size and roofing material, there are a few other factors that affect the overall replacement cost.
Debris Disposal
Replacing the roof involves removing the existing roof. If the pro charges an additional fee to clear the waste, expect to pay around $0.3 to $0.5 per square foot. You can even DIY, and rent a dumpster for $40 to $100, depending on the size.
Roof Pitch
Pitch, also called steepness, describes the angle of your roof. 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 dormers.
Roof Inspection
Unsure if your roof is due for a replacement? Before you replace 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.
On average, the cost to inspect a roof ranges from $0.19 to $0.23 per square foot of roofing.
If the inspector confirms that a repair is enough, you can save lots of money. Repairing a roof leak costs $6.50 to $7.50 per square foot, or $50 to $115 per hour.
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.
Note: 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 replace everything, you’ll need to factor in the cost of removing the old roof.
The cost to remove lighter materials, like asphalt shingles, is $1 to $3 per square foot, while heavier materials, like clay, are $2 to $5 per square foot.
Switching Roof Material
Suppose your home has asphalt shingles or another lightweight roofing material, and you want to replace it with something heavier, like slate, clay, or concrete. In that case, your roof may need reinforcement. This is necessary to support the added weight of the new material.
FAQ
Even if you’re a capable DIYer, we do not recommend you replace the roof yourself. Home insurers take a dim view of anyone but a licensed professional replacing a roof, which is essential to the structural integrity of the home..
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.
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.
Who to Call to Replace Your Roof
Home Gnome pros can come to your rescue if you decide to go with a full replacement or replace only a portion of your roof. No matter the size of your roof, our licensed pros expertly replace your roof and answer any questions you may have.
Home Gnome delivers the best home service experience at the click of a button. Book reliable, skilled roofing services and leave the rest to us.
Main Image Credit: Shutterstock
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