Quick answer: the average installed cost of asphalt shingle roofing in 2026 is $450 – $650 per square ($4.50 – $6.50 per sq ft). Metal runs $900–$1,400/sq, clay tile $1,200–$1,800/sq. Below: every line item, regional adjustments, and how to budget your job.
Roofing is priced per square — 100 square feet of finished roof. Turning that into a total for your house takes three steps: measure the footprint, apply the pitch multiplier, divide by 100.
| Driver | Effect |
|---|---|
| Region and local labour rates | The largest single factor — a wider spread than materials |
| Material choice | Metal roughly doubles asphalt; tile more again |
| Tear-off layers | A second layer roughly doubles the tear-off line |
| Pitch | Above 9/12 the labour rate per square roughly doubles against 4/12 |
| Complexity | Valleys, dormers and skylights are slow detail work |
| Access | Nowhere for a dumpster adds carrying time to every load |
| Season | Off-season quotes are frequently lower |
The cost by state pages carry per-square ranges for asphalt, metal and tile in every state along with the average permit fee, and the city pages scale those by the local metro factor. Both are planning estimates for budgeting rather than quotes, and both state their assumptions in full.
Then get three written quotes against the same scope. Most of the spread between quotes comes from what is included, not from the labour rate — one may be replacing all the flashing while another reuses it.
One hundred square feet of finished roof. Roofing is priced that way because the arithmetic is easy on site — three bundles to a square, a hundred square feet to a square.
Tear-off and disposal per layer, underlayment and ice barrier, the covering and fasteners, new drip edge, starter, valley metal and step flashing, and the labour with its insurance. Usually not the permit or replacement decking.
Mostly scope. One may be replacing all the flashing and adding ventilation while another reuses the flashing. Compare three quotes against the same written scope before comparing the totals.
Measure the footprint, apply the pitch multiplier for the roof area, divide by 100 for squares, add waste, then multiply by the per-square rate.