Cost guide · 2026 Q3 data
Roof cost per square foot in 2026
How much does a roof cost per square foot?
Architectural shingles cost $4.00 to $6.00 per square foot of roof, installed. That is $400 to $600 per square (100 sq ft).
Add tear-off, a permit and a dumpster and a typical job is $5.67 to $10.44 per square foot of roof, or $6.34 to $11.67 per square foot of a 2,000 sq ft single-story home.
Cost per square foot by material
Installed price for the roofing material, split into the material itself and installation labor, at US-average labor. Per square = per square foot x 100. Tear-off, decking and fees are not in these columns. Installed ranges are shown as the cost guides publish them. The Index builds its whole-roof figures from the separate material and labor ranges (see the methodology page), so the parts do not always add up exactly to the installed range.
| Material | Installed / sq ft | Installed / square | Material / square | Labor / square |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural shingles | $4.00–$6.00 | $400–$600 | $100–$250 | $300–$350 |
| 3-tab shingles | $2.00–$5.00 | $200–$500 | $80–$130 | $200–$300 |
| Standing seam metal | $9.00–$16.00 | $900–$1,600 | $400–$800 | $500–$800 |
| Metal panel | $5.00–$12.00 | $500–$1,200 | $100–$500 | $400–$800 |
| Tile | $7.00–$25.00 | $700–$2,500 | $200–$1,200 | $500–$1,700 |
| Slate | $10.00–$30.00 | $1,000–$3,000 | $600–$1,600 | $400–$1,400 |
| Flat membrane | $3.50–$10.00 | $350–$1,000 | $50–$250 | $200–$450 |
Square, square foot, or house size?
Three different areas get quoted, and they are easy to mix up:
- Square foot of roof: the surface the shingles cover. Most per-square-foot prices, including the table above, use this.
- Square: 100 sq ft of roof surface. Roofers quote and order material in squares.
- Square foot of home: the floor area. A roof is larger than the footprint under it: at a 6/12 pitch the surface is 1.118 times the footprint, and roofers add 10% for cut waste. A two-story house has half the footprint of a single-story house with the same living area.
For the 2,000 sq ft single-story home (6/12 pitch, one layer torn off, permit and dumpster included): 2,236 sq ft of roof, 24.6 squares with waste, and a typical total of $17,967. That is $8.04 per square foot of roof or $8.98 per square foot of home. The cost by house size page runs the same numbers for 1,000 to 3,000 sq ft homes.
Roofing labor cost per square, by state
Only labor changes by location in the Index. Architectural shingle labor is $300 to $350 per square at US-average wages ($27.95/hour, BLS May 2025). Each state's figure is that range times its roofer wage index. At the midpoint of $325:
Highest labor
- Illinois $434/sq · $37.33/hr
- New Jersey $416/sq · $35.76/hr
- Massachusetts $408/sq · $35.09/hr
- Minnesota $408/sq · $35.06/hr
- New York $388/sq · $33.34/hr
Lowest labor
- Mississippi $253/sq · $21.77/hr
- Arkansas $256/sq · $22.01/hr
- Tennessee $261/sq · $22.47/hr
- South Dakota $263/sq · $22.59/hr
- Texas $264/sq · $22.69/hr
Tearing off the old roof is priced separately: $100 to $300 per square for each layer removed.
Using per-square-foot prices to check a quote
- Ask the roofer for the number of squares on the quote.
- Take out the fixed items (permit, dumpster, any skylights or chimney flashing) and divide the rest by the squares.
- Compare the result with the installed per-square range for your material, plus $100 to $300 per square for each layer of tear-off, and with your state figure.
Sources: installed, material and labor ranges from the cost tables quoted on the methodology page (retrieved 2026-09-25); roofer wages from BLS OES May 2025 (SOC 47-2181). Written by the Thomas Town Digital editorial team. We match homeowners with roofers; we do not roof.
Cost per square foot questions
How much does a roof cost per square foot?
Architectural shingles cost $4.00 to $6.00 per square foot of roof installed (2026 Q3 Roof Cost Index cost tables). With one layer of tear-off, a permit and a dumpster added, a typical 2,000 sq ft home works out to $5.67 to $10.44 per square foot of roof.
What is a square in roofing?
A roofing square is 100 square feet of roof surface. Roofers quote in squares, so $500 per square is $5.00 per square foot of roof.
What is the labor cost per square for roofing?
Installation labor for architectural shingles is $300 to $350 per square at US-average wages. The Index scales it by each state's BLS roofer wage: about $434 in Illinois and $253 in Mississippi at the midpoint. Tear-off is separate, $100 to $300 per square per layer.
Is roof cost per square foot based on the house or the roof?
The roof. A roof has more surface than the floor under it because of the pitch and overhangs. A 2,000 sq ft single-story home at a 6/12 pitch has about 2,236 sq ft of roof, so the same job is $6.34 to $11.67 per square foot of home.
How much is a metal roof per square foot?
Standing seam metal costs $9.00 to $16.00 per square foot installed; exposed-fastener metal panel costs $5.00 to $12.00.
Price your roof by the square
Low / typical / high ranges from cited national cost tables, adjusted by local roofer wages (BLS). No email required.