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Architectural shingles run about $700 to $1,008 per square installed in Boston, which puts a typical 25-square roof at roughly $17,500 to $25,200. That is 40% above the Massachusetts baseline. 2026 planning estimates, not quotes.
Roof replacement in Boston, Massachusetts runs roughly 40% above the Massachusetts state baseline in 2026, driven by local labor rates, permit fees, and code requirements. A typical 25-square asphalt shingle roof here comes to about $17,500–$25,200 installed. Snow + ice dam zone; 2x ice-and-water at eaves. Use this guide to size a per-square budget for asphalt shingles, standing-seam metal, or concrete/clay tile on a typical Boston home, then refine your estimate with our project estimator.
A roof replacement in Boston, MA costs about $17,500 – $25,200 for a typical 25-square asphalt shingle roof — $700 – $1,008 per square installed with tear-off. Standing-seam metal runs $1,400 – $2,184 per square. These are 2026 planning figures: the Massachusetts baseline scaled by Boston's local factor of 1.40.
Boston runs about 40% above the Massachusetts state baseline, so the state figures are scaled by 1.40 to give the local ranges below.
| Material | Per square installed | 20 squares | 25 squares | 30 squares |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural asphalt shingles | $700 – $1,008 | $14,000 – $20,160 | $17,500 – $25,200 | $21,000 – $30,240 |
| Standing-seam metal | $1,400 – $2,184 | $28,000 – $43,680 | $35,000 – $54,600 | $42,000 – $65,520 |
| Concrete or clay tile | $1,876 – $2,814 | $37,520 – $56,280 | $46,900 – $70,350 | $56,280 – $84,420 |
Figures are per square — 100 square feet of finished roof — for installed work including tear-off, and are 2026 planning estimates rather than quoted prices. Squares shown allow for a typical 6/12 pitch and 10% waste. Always get three written quotes before committing.
| Roof size | Squares | Asphalt shingle range |
|---|---|---|
| 1,200 sq ft footprint | 15 | $10,500 – $15,120 |
| 1,500 sq ft footprint | 18 | $12,600 – $18,144 |
| 2,000 sq ft footprint | 25 | $17,500 – $25,200 |
| 2,500 sq ft footprint | 31 | $21,700 – $31,248 |
| 3,000 sq ft footprint | 37 | $25,900 – $37,296 |
The Massachusetts state permit average is around $380; large metros frequently sit above that and may add inspection or scaffolding requirements of their own.
| House size | One storey | Two storeys |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft house | 12 sq · $8,400 – $12,096 | 6 sq · $4,200 – $6,048 |
| 1,300 sq ft house | 16 sq · $11,200 – $16,128 | 8 sq · $5,600 – $8,064 |
| 1,500 sq ft house | 18 sq · $12,600 – $18,144 | 9 sq · $6,300 – $9,072 |
| 1,800 sq ft house | 22 sq · $15,400 – $22,176 | 11 sq · $7,700 – $11,088 |
| 2,000 sq ft house | 25 sq · $17,500 – $25,200 | 12 sq · $8,400 – $12,096 |
| 2,500 sq ft house | 31 sq · $21,700 – $31,248 | 15 sq · $10,500 – $15,120 |
| 3,000 sq ft house | 37 sq · $25,900 – $37,296 | 18 sq · $12,600 – $18,144 |
Flat and low-slope roofs are priced differently from shingles: they use membranes (TPO, EPDM, modified bitumen) or spray foam with a protective coating, and are usually quoted per square foot of roof area. If your Boston home has a flat roof, size it with the flat roof calculator and ask roofers to quote the membrane or foam system, its thickness and the coating warranty separately.
| Measure | Index |
|---|---|
| All items | 108.3 |
| Goods | 99.7 |
| Housing | 148.4 |
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis puts prices for goods in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area at 99.7 in 2024, level with the national level and 1% above Massachusetts as a whole (98.8). Shingles, underlayment, flashing and fasteners track the goods index, so that is roughly how far the material half of a Boston bid sits from the state figure. Housing costs (148.4) feed into what local crews have to earn, which is why labor, not material, explains most of the gap between a big metro and the rest of its state.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (updated Feb 2026), metro 14460.
Codes are adopted and amended locally, so check your local building department before you sign. Sources: Massachusetts State Building Code (780 CMR); ICC International Residential Code 2021, Chapter 9 (R905.1.2 ice barrier, R908.3.1.1 recover limits).
Budget about $225–$600 for the permit in Boston (our planning average is about $380). Fees are set by each city or county — some charge a flat fee, others a share of the job value — so check your local building department; the contractor normally pulls the permit and passes the fee through.
How Boston compares with the rest of the country, for 14 materials: roof cost per square foot.
Getting quotes from crews that also work the next metro over? The same 25-square shingle roof is estimated at New York, NY (about $18,850 – $27,188 for 25 squares). Each figure is that city's own multiplier on its state baseline.
A typical 25-square asphalt shingle roof in Boston works out at roughly $17,500 – $25,200 installed. That is the Massachusetts baseline scaled by the local factor of 1.40.
A one-storey 1,500 sq ft house has about 18 squares of roof at a 6/12 pitch with 10% waste, so roughly $12,600 – $18,144 for architectural shingles in Boston. A two-storey house of the same floor area has about half the roof.
Snow + ice dam zone; 2x ice-and-water at eaves. Metro labour rates, permit and inspection requirements, and disposal fees all differ from the state average, which is what the 1.40 multiplier represents.
Measure your roof in squares, then get three written, itemised quotes from licensed and insured local roofers on the same scope. Compare the per-square price and check each quote covers tear-off, decking, underlayment, flashing, ventilation, disposal and the permit.
In almost every jurisdiction yes, and a licensed contractor will pull it as part of the job. Budget roughly $225–$600 for the fee, but check with the Boston building department, which sets it. Replacing a roof without one can cause problems at resale and can give an insurer grounds to dispute a later claim.
Three, from licensed and insured local contractors, each written against the same scope. Ask specifically whether flashing, drip edge, underlayment, ridge vent and decking replacement are included, because that is where quotes usually differ.