The short answer
The cost of a new roof comes down to two numbers multiplied together: how many square feet of roof you have and what the material costs per square foot to install. The first is larger than most people assume, because a roof slopes and overhangs the walls. The second ranges from about $4 for basic asphalt shingles to more than $30 for natural slate.
On top of that come the things you cannot see from the ground: tearing off the old roof, replacing damaged decking, new flashing around chimneys and skylights, and a permit. For an asphalt roof those add roughly a third to the material and labor price. The calculator above itemizes each one.
How the calculator works
- Roof area = footprint × pitch factor. The factors are 1.06 for a low slope, 1.16 for a medium pitch, and 1.30 for a steep roof. If you already have a measured area, enter it and the estimate is skipped.
- Roofing, installed = roof area × the material's cost per square foot × adjustments for shape (up to 15% for a complex roof), height (8% for two stories, 15% for three), steep pitch (15%), and local cost level.
- Tear-off = roof area × the removal cost for one or two layers.
- Decking = roof area × the percentage you expect to replace × the cost per square foot of new sheathing.
- Flashing, ventilation, and permit are added as flat amounts.
The replacement fund figure divides the typical estimate by the months your current roof has left, based on its age and the typical life of the material.
Cost and lifespan by material
These are the figures behind the calculator: installed cost per square foot of roof, excluding tear-off, at the national baseline. The last column is the typical total for the example roof used throughout this page, a 2,090 square foot simple gable on a one-story house, including one layer of tear-off, 10% decking replacement, and a permit. They are planning ranges compiled from published 2026 roofing cost guides, not quotes.
| Material | Installed, per sq ft | Typical life | Example roof, typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt, 3-tab | $3.25 to $5.50 | 15 to 20 years | $13,100 |
| Asphalt, architectural | $4.00 to $7.50 | 20 to 30 years | $15,700 |
| Asphalt, premium designer | $5.50 to $10.00 | 25 to 35 years | $19,900 |
| Metal, exposed fastener | $5.50 to $11.50 | 25 to 40 years | $21,000 |
| Wood shakes or shingles | $8.00 to $15.00 | 25 to 35 years | $27,200 |
| Synthetic slate or shake | $9.00 to $17.00 | 30 to 50 years | $30,400 |
| Metal, standing seam | $9.50 to $18.00 | 40 to 60 years | $32,500 |
| Concrete tile | $9.50 to $19.00 | 50 years or more | $32,500 |
| Clay tile | $12.00 to $26.00 | 50 to 100 years | $39,800 |
| Natural slate | $15.00 to $34.00 | 75 years or more | $52,300 |
Scope items are priced separately:
| Item | Unit | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tear-off, one layer | Sq ft of roof | $1.00 | $1.50 | $2.50 |
| Tear-off, two layers | Sq ft of roof | $1.75 | $2.50 | $4.00 |
| Decking replacement | Sq ft replaced | $2.50 | $3.50 | $5.00 |
| Skylight flashing | Each | $300 | $500 | $900 |
| Chimney flashing | Flat | $400 | $750 | $1,500 |
| Ridge vent and ventilation | Flat | $400 | $700 | $1,200 |
| Permit and inspection | Flat | $150 | $400 | $1,000 |
Measuring your roof
Roofers price by the square, which is 100 square feet of roof surface. You do not need to climb anything to get a usable number.
- Find the footprint. Use the ground-floor area of the house plus any attached garage and covered porch. Add about a foot on every side for eave overhangs. For a two-story house, use only the ground floor, not the total living area.
- Identify the pitch. Pitch is the rise in inches for every 12 inches of horizontal run. A roof you could walk on comfortably is 4/12 or less. Most houses are between 5/12 and 8/12. A roof that looks dramatic from the street is 9/12 or more.
- Multiply. Footprint × pitch factor = roof area. Divide by 100 for squares.
Contractors increasingly use aerial measurement reports, which are accurate to within a few percent. If a bid lists the roof area or the number of squares, enter that in the optional field and compare the bids on the same basis. Bids also include a waste allowance of 10% to 15% for cuts at hips and valleys, which is one reason a complex roof costs more per square.
What drives the price of a quote
- Pitch. Steep roofs have more surface, and crews need harnesses, roof jacks, and more time.
- Shape. Every hip, valley, dormer, and penetration means cutting, flashing, and waste.
- Height and access. Two- and three-story houses, tight lots, and landscaping that blocks a dumpster all slow the job.
- Layers to remove. A second layer of shingles roughly doubles the weight to haul away.
- Decking. Soft or rotted sheathing has to be replaced before new roofing goes on, and nobody knows how much until the old roof is off. Ask each bidder for a price per sheet in writing.
- Underlayment and ice barrier. Synthetic underlayment and self-adhered membrane at the eaves and valleys cost more than felt and are required by code in cold climates.
- Season and demand. Prices and wait times rise after a hailstorm or hurricane.
Asphalt, metal, or something else?
Architectural asphalt shingles are the default on most American houses because they are the least expensive roof that looks good and lasts 20 to 30 years. Three-tab shingles cost a little less, look flatter, and are being phased out by some manufacturers.
Metal roughly doubles the price and the lifespan. Exposed-fastener panels are the economical version; their screws and washers need periodic checking. Standing seam hides the fasteners under raised seams and is the longer-lived, cleaner-looking option. Metal sheds snow, resists fire and wind well, and may earn an insurance discount in hail-prone or wildfire-prone areas.
Tile and slate can outlast the house, but they are heavy. A roof framed for asphalt shingles may need structural reinforcement to carry concrete tile, clay tile, or slate, and an engineer should confirm that before you commit. Synthetic slate and shake give a similar look at a fraction of the weight.
A simple way to compare is cost per year of service. At the typical figures above, the example roof costs about $630 a year in architectural shingles over 25 years and about $650 a year in standing seam metal over 50. The two are close, so the decision usually turns on how long you will own the house.
Tear-off or overlay?
Building codes generally allow a second layer of asphalt shingles over a single existing layer in good condition, and no more than two layers in total. An overlay skips the tear-off line. It also hides the decking, adds weight, traps heat that ages the new shingles faster, and can reduce the manufacturer warranty. If the existing roof is curling, uneven, or already two layers deep, or if there has been any leak, a full tear-off is the right choice. The calculator defaults to one layer of tear-off.
Repair or replace?
A leak does not always mean a new roof. A few missing shingles, a cracked pipe boot, or failed flashing around a chimney can be repaired for a few hundred dollars. Replacement is usually the better use of money when:
- The roof is within a few years of its typical life.
- Shingles are curling, cracking, or shedding granules across the whole roof, not in one spot.
- There are leaks in more than one area, or daylight visible from the attic.
- The decking feels soft or sags between rafters.
- You are about to install solar panels, which should go on a roof with at least 20 years left.
Insurance and your roof
Homeowners insurance pays for roof damage from covered events such as wind, hail, fire, and falling trees. It does not pay for age or wear. Three policy details decide what a claim is worth:
- Replacement cost or actual cash value. Many insurers now pay only the depreciated value of a roof older than a set age, often 10 to 15 years, or apply a payment schedule that declines each year. On a 15-year-old shingle roof, that can cut the payout by more than half.
- Wind and hail deductible. In many states this is a percentage of the dwelling limit, commonly 1% to 5%, not your flat deductible. Two percent of a $375,000 limit is $7,500.
- Cosmetic damage exclusions. Some policies exclude dents in metal roofing that do not cause leaks.
After a storm, be cautious with contractors who knock on the door offering to "cover" or waive your deductible. Paying the deductible is a condition of the policy, and an arrangement to avoid it is insurance fraud in most states. A new roof is also a reason to call your insurer: it can lower your premium and restore replacement cost coverage. The home insurance calculator checks the rest of your limits.
How to compare roofing quotes
Get at least three written bids and check that each one states:
- The roof area or number of squares it is based on.
- The manufacturer and product line of the shingles or panels, and the underlayment.
- Tear-off of all layers, disposal, and protection of landscaping.
- A price per sheet for decking replacement.
- New flashing at chimneys, walls, valleys, and skylights, and new drip edge and pipe boots.
- Ventilation: ridge vent, intake vents, and whether existing vents are replaced.
- The manufacturer warranty on materials and the contractor's workmanship warranty, in years.
- Permit, license number, and proof of liability and workers' compensation insurance.
Our guide to finding the right contractors covers how to check licenses and references.
Does a new roof add value?
A new roof recovers part of its cost at resale. In Zonda's 2025 Cost vs. Value Report, an asphalt shingle roof replacement costing $31,871 added $21,501 to resale value, about 67%, and a metal roof costing $51,865 added $25,972, about 50%. Those averages understate what an old roof costs a seller, because a roof at the end of its life can block a buyer's financing or insurance, or become a large credit at the inspection. The renovation ROI calculator compares roofing with 26 other projects.
Budget for it, and keep the records
A roof gives years of notice. Enter its age in the calculator and treat the monthly figure as a bill you pay yourself. The annual maintenance cost estimator does the same for the other systems in the house, and the HVAC replacement cost calculator covers the next largest one.
When the work is done, keep four things:
- The contract and paid invoice. A new roof is a capital improvement that adds to your home's cost basis; the capital gains on home sale calculator shows what that is worth.
- The manufacturer warranty registration and the contractor's workmanship warranty. Many can be transferred to a buyer once, if you file the paperwork.
- The closed permit and the installation date. Insurers and buyers both ask for the roof's age.
- Photos of the decking and underlayment taken during the job.
What the estimate leaves out
The calculator does not price flat or low-slope membrane roofs, structural reinforcement for heavy materials, rafter or truss repair, new gutters, fascia and soffit replacement, skylight replacement, solar panel removal and reinstallation, chimney rebuilding, or insulation. Roof area is estimated from the footprint and pitch unless you enter a measured figure. Treat the result as a range to test contractor bids against.
Cost assumptions last reviewed November 2026. See our calculator methodology.