What Should I Charge for Roofing? (2026 Contractor Pricing Guide)
Short answer
Architectural asphalt shingles run about $400 to $665 per square (100 sq ft) installed, plus roughly $85 to $150 per square to tear off and dispose of one existing layer, so a standard 20-square roof lands near $9,700 to $16,300 before steep-pitch or multi-layer charges.
Roofing unit prices by work item
Enter a ZIP code to adjust every row to local cost levels. Rates start from a national baseline of 1.00 and scale by the published city cost index for that area.
Showing national baseline rates.
| Work item | Unit | Material | Labor | What to charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Architectural asphalt shingles, installed Assumes single layer, walkable pitch up to 6/12. | square | $165 | $245 | $399 to $665 |
Tear-off and disposal, one layer Each additional layer adds roughly 60% to this line. | square | $22.00 | $68.00 | $84.66 to $151 |
Synthetic underlayment Ice and water shield at eaves is priced separately. | square | $22.00 | $28.00 | $51.83 to $77.75 |
Standing seam metal, installed Panel gauge and finish drive most of the material swing. | square | $520 | $430 | $858 to $1,593 |
Ridge vent Requires cutting the deck, so it is not a pure material add. | linear ft | $6.50 | $7.50 | $13.59 to $22.65 |
Step and chimney flashing Most callback leaks start here, so do not shave this line. | linear ft | $8.00 | $16.00 | $21.87 to $40.61 |
Material and labor columns are bare cost per unit before markup. The charge column applies +15% materials, +20% labor, then +10% overhead and profit, and shows a realistic range rather than one false-precision number.
How this number is built
There is no proprietary data feed here and nothing is hidden. Every figure above comes from four visible steps, which is exactly how your own price book should work:
- 1Start from bare material and bare labor cost per unit, at a national baseline.
- 2Multiply both by your local cost factor, from the ZIP table below.
- 3Add markup: 15% on materials, 20% on labor. This covers waste, procurement and supervision.
- 4Add 10% overhead and profit on the marked-up subtotal, then show a range rather than one number.
Regional cost factors
A national average is close to useless on its own. The same roofing job prices very differently across markets. These are the multipliers applied above, against a 1.00 national baseline.
| Metro | Factor | Architectural asphalt shingles, installed (square) |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | 1.38x | $551 to $918 |
| New York, NY | 1.32x | $527 to $878 |
| Boston, MA | 1.24x | $495 to $825 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 1.22x | $487 to $811 |
| Seattle, WA | 1.20x | $479 to $798 |
| Chicago, IL | 1.18x | $471 to $785 |
| Washington, DC | 1.15x | $459 to $765 |
| Denver, CO | 1.08x | $431 to $718 |
| Austin, TX | 1.04x | $415 to $692 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 1.02x | $407 to $678 |
| Atlanta, GA | 1.00x | $399 to $665 |
| Houston, TX | 0.98x | $391 to $652 |
Before you send this number to a client
Worth doing
- Walk the actual site before committing to a fixed price.
- Itemize disposal, permits and prep as their own lines.
- Write down what is excluded, not only what is included.
- Compare these rates against your own last three invoices.
Where bids go wrong
- Using a national average as if it were a local quote.
- Forgetting that overhead is a real cost, not profit.
- Absorbing prep and access problems instead of pricing them.
- Quoting from memory when material prices moved.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I charge per square for roofing?
Architectural asphalt shingles are about $400 to $665 per square installed, and tearing off and disposing of one existing layer adds roughly $85 to $150 per square, so $485 to $815 per square all in is the normal range nationally. Steep pitch, multiple existing layers, and complex cut-up roofs push above that.
How do I price a steep or complex roof?
Apply a pitch multiplier rather than guessing. A common approach is no adder up to 6/12, roughly 15% on labor at 7/12 to 9/12, and 25% to 40% above 10/12 where staging and safety equipment become mandatory.
Should the roofing estimate include a dumpster and permit?
Yes, and show them as their own lines. Disposal and permit fees are the two items homeowners most often claim were hidden, and itemizing them is the cheapest dispute prevention available.
Other trades
Turn these rates into a sent proposal
A table is a starting point. Describe the job in plain words and Takeoff Convert prices it from your own price book, then produces an itemized proposal your client can e-sign.
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