Roof Replacement Cost in 2026: Price by Material and Size

Roofing is priced per square, and one square is 100 square feet of roof surface. Know your square count and your material, and you can sanity-check any bid that lands in your inbox.

What does a full roof replacement cost in 2026?

Most homeowners pay roughly $9,000 to $16,000 to replace an asphalt shingle roof on a single-story house with a 2,000-square-foot footprint, and premium materials can multiply that several times over. The table assumes about 24 squares, a single-layer tear-off, new underlayment, and standard flashing, with no decking repair. Treat the ranges as ballparks, because region, roof shape, and local contractor demand will move them.

For most homes, we'd pick architectural shingles. They run roughly $100 to $200 more per square than 3-tab, generally hold up better in wind and wear, and every roofing crew knows how to install them.

Standing seam metal and slate pay off only if you'll stay long enough to collect on the lifespan. Concrete tile, clay, and slate also weigh several times what asphalt does, so have a roofer or structural engineer confirm your framing can carry the load before you sign.

How do contractors measure a roof in squares?

Contractors convert your home's footprint into roof surface by applying a pitch factor, adding overhangs, and dividing by 100. You can do a rough version yourself:

1. Measure the footprint of the house, including the garage and any porch under the main roof.
2. Multiply by a pitch factor: about 1.05 for a 4/12 pitch, 1.12 for 6/12, 1.20 for 8/12, and 1.41 for 12/12.
3. Add roughly 5 to 10 percent for eaves and overhangs.
4. Divide by 100.

A 2,000-square-foot footprint at 6/12 works out to about 2,236 square feet, or roughly 24 squares once overhangs are added. Watch the wording on listings and bids, though. A two-story house with 2,000 square feet of living area has only about 1,000 square feet of footprint, so its roof is closer to 11 to 13 squares.

Divide any per-square price by 100 and you get cost per square foot. Architectural shingles at $400 to $650 per square equal $4.00 to $6.50 per square foot.

Roofers also add a waste factor for cut shingles at hips, valleys, and edges: commonly about 10 percent for a simple gable, 15 percent for a hip roof, and more for a cut-up roof with dormers. That belongs in the material order, so it shouldn't show up as a separate charge.

Where does the money go, materials or labor?

On an asphalt roof, labor and overhead often take around half the bill or somewhat more, with shingles, underlayment, and accessories making up the rest. Overhead covers insurance, permits, dumpster rental, and the office behind the crew.

The balance shifts as materials get more exotic. On slate, clay, and standing seam metal, the material dominates the cost, and labor is pricier too because fewer crews can install it correctly. A cheap bid on one of these roofs is a warning sign, not a bargain.

What pushes roof replacement cost up?

Four things move the price most: extra tear-off layers, rotted decking, steep or multi-story access, and a cut-up roofline with many penetrations.

Tear-off versus overlay

A roof tear-off typically adds $75 to $150 per square, or about $1,800 to $3,600 on a 24-square roof, compared with shingling over the old layer. Overlaying looks cheaper, but it hides soft decking, adds weight, and can shorten the new roof's life because the surface underneath is already worn. Model codes generally cap asphalt shingles at two layers total, and local code and manufacturer warranties can be stricter. Check with your building department. In the common case, pay for the tear-off.

Decking, pitch, and complexity

Rotted or damaged plywood or OSB is replaced sheet by sheet, often at roughly $70 to $120 per 4x8 sheet. Ask how many sheets the quote assumes and what each extra sheet costs.

Crews can't walk a steep roof freely. Above about 7/12 expect roof jacks, fall-arrest gear, and slower work, and a labor premium to match. Two-story access, valleys, and dormers push it further.

What brings the price down, and how do you save safely?

A simple gable roof, a flexible schedule, and bundled work bring the price down, while skipping underlayment or flashing only saves money on paper.

You can't change your roofline, but you can skip optional extras like decorative ridge caps. Crews fill up after storm season and ahead of winter, so ask about late winter or early spring pricing if your climate allows. Replacing gutters, vents, or flashing in the same visit can save a second mobilization charge.

Get three written quotes and make each bidder price the same material and scope. Ask your insurer about impact-resistant shingles, since some carriers offer a discount, depending on the state. In hot climates, ENERGY STAR lists qualifying cool roof products that can reduce cooling loads.

Never trade away the parts that keep water out: synthetic underlayment, ice and water shield at eaves and valleys in cold climates, and a proper drip edge. They cost little compared with an interior leak.

Can you DIY a roof replacement?

You can DIY a roof replacement only on a low-slope, single-story, simple gable roof, and we'd recommend it just for experienced people with helpers and fall protection. Labor is around half the cost of an asphalt roof, so DIY could save several thousand dollars. You'd still pay for materials, a dumpster, and tools, and you'd have no workmanship warranty.

A handy homeowner can inspect from the ground or a ladder, clean gutters, clear the yard, move cars, prep the attic, replace a few damaged shingles on a low-pitch roof, and pull the permit where the jurisdiction allows it. Steep or two-story roofs, tile, slate, metal, chimney and skylight flashing, and structural repairs to rafters or decking belong to a licensed, insured roofing contractor.

Going solo carries one more risk: if a helper is hurt on your property, your homeowners policy may not cover it. That alone steers most people toward a hired crew.

How do you compare roofing quotes line by line?

Compare quotes by putting the same line items side by side. Bids that look 20 percent apart usually differ in one or two of these lines, not in the shingles.

• Squares: Do the totals match your own estimate within a square or two?
• Tear-off: How many layers are being removed, and where does the debris go?
• Decking: Is a price per replaced sheet stated up front?
• Underlayment and edge metal: Is it synthetic, is ice and water shield included, and is new drip edge included?
• Flashing and vents: Is flashing replaced or reused, and does the quote include a ridge vent?
• Permit and cleanup: Who pulls the permit, and does cleanup include a magnetic nail sweep?
• Warranty: Is it the manufacturer's, the contractor's workmanship coverage, or both, and for how many years?

Material grade, dumpster charges, and optional extras are negotiable. License, insurance, and flashing details are not. Confirm the license with your state or local board, ask for a certificate of insurance, and read the FTC's consumer advice on hiring contractors and avoiding repair scams, including demands for large upfront payments.

For standards and contractor guidance, the National Roofing Contractors Association is a good place to start, and the International Code Council can point you to the model codes your local rules are based on. Your next step: measure your footprint this weekend, work out your squares, and request three written quotes that all use that number.