How many squares is my roof?

Divide your estimated roof surface area by 100. A 1,700 sq ft home with a medium pitch has about 2,150 sq ft of roof, or 21.5 squares. Order 10 to 15 percent extra for waste.

Is metal roofing worth twice the price of shingles?

Over 40-plus years, often yes: one metal roof can outlast two or three shingle roofs, and it sheds snow and resists wind and fire better. Over 15 years in a home you plan to sell, shingles usually win on pure dollars.

Why is tile so expensive to install?

Material cost plus weight plus skill: tile is heavy, fragile to walk on, and slow to lay correctly. Underlayment replacement under tile is also a specialized job that costs nearly as much as a shingle roof by itself.

Does a steeper roof cost more per square foot?

Yes. Steep roofs add 20 to 40 percent to labor because crews work slower, stage material differently, and use safety equipment. The material price per square foot is the same; the installed price is not.

Roof Replacement Cost Per Square Foot by Material (2026)

Summary: Summary: Installed roofing cost per square foot in 2026 runs $4.50 to $5.50 for 3-tab asphalt, $5.50 to $8 for architectural shingles, $9 to $16 for standing-seam metal, $10 to $25 for tile, and $5 to $9 for flat-roof membranes like TPO. Roofers also quote per square (100 sq ft): divide by 100 to convert. Labor is 55 to 65 percent of every per-sq-ft figure, which is why switching to a cheaper material does not cut the total proportionally.

Why roofers price per square foot

Roofing is priced on roof surface area because every cost in the job scales with it: shingles, underlayment, flashing, labor hours, and dumpster loads. Your home's floor area is only the starting point. Multiply the footprint by a pitch factor (1.05 for low slope, 1.15 for medium, 1.30 for steep) and add about 10 percent for overhangs and cutting waste to get the roof area the quote is based on.

Contractors also use the square: exactly 100 square feet. A quote of $650 per square is $6.50 per square foot. Materials are often quoted per square while labor is quoted per square foot or per square, so converting lets you compare quotes that use different units. Our calculator above does this math from your footprint and pitch automatically.

Asphalt shingle: the value tier

3-tab asphalt runs $4.50 to $5.50 per sq ft installed. It is the cheapest full replacement and lasts 15 to 20 years. Architectural (dimensional) shingles run $5.50 to $8 installed and last 20 to 30 years. Premium designer shingles reach $8 to $11 with 30 to 50 year ratings. The jump from 3-tab to architectural is the best value in roofing: roughly $1 more per sq ft buys a heavier shingle, better wind ratings, and a much better shot at reaching year 25.

Asphalt dominates because it is cheap, fast to install, and every roofer knows it. Its weakness is heat and UV: in hot southern climates expect the low end of the lifespan range, while cooler climates stretch it. Dark shingles absorb more heat; lighter colors and cool-roof rated shingles run cooler and can trim attic temperatures noticeably.

Metal: two very different products

Exposed-fastener metal panels run $6 to $9 per sq ft installed and last 25 to 40 years; the screws eventually need attention as gaskets age. Standing-seam metal, with hidden clips and no exposed fasteners, runs $9 to $16 installed and lasts 40 to 70 years. They share a material and almost nothing else: installation skill, detail work, and longevity differ enormously.

Metal's 2026 pricing carries a tariff story: Section 232 tariffs on imported steel and aluminum reached 50 percent in 2025 and remain in effect, pushing metal roofing material costs up. Get metal quotes locked in writing with a defined material-cost clause, since some contractors now build tariff-contingency language into contracts rather than honoring fixed quotes for long.

Tile, slate, and flat roofs

Concrete and clay tile run $10 to $25 per sq ft installed and last 50 years or more, though the underlayment beneath tile fails sooner than the tile and will need replacement once. Tile is heavy: many homes need structural verification before installation. Natural slate runs $15 to $30 or more per sq ft with a 75-plus year life, but few roofers install it and repairs require specialists.

Flat and low-slope roofs use membranes, not shingles: TPO and EPDM run $5 to $9 per sq ft installed with 20 to 30 year lifespans. These are different trades with different crews; a shingle roofer is not automatically a membrane roofer. If your home mixes pitched and flat sections, expect two scopes and sometimes two contractors in one project.

Reading a per-square quote like a pro

Convert everything to per square foot installed, including tear-off, so quotes compare cleanly. Check whether the per-square material price includes underlayment, flashing, vents, and ridge cap: a $550-per-square shingle quote that excludes flashing is not cheaper than a $650 quote that includes it. Waste factor matters too: complex roofs need 15 percent extra material, simple roofs about 10.

Ask for the quote in writing with material quantities: squares of shingles, rolls of underlayment, linear feet of flashing. A roofer who can show the takeoff is a roofer who measured your roof instead of guessing. Satellite measurement is standard now; there is no reason for a quote to be vague about square footage.

Frequently asked questions

How many squares is my roof?: Divide your estimated roof surface area by 100. A 1,700 sq ft home with a medium pitch has about 2,150 sq ft of roof, or 21.5 squares. Order 10 to 15 percent extra for waste.
Is metal roofing worth twice the price of shingles?: Over 40-plus years, often yes: one metal roof can outlast two or three shingle roofs, and it sheds snow and resists wind and fire better. Over 15 years in a home you plan to sell, shingles usually win on pure dollars.
Why is tile so expensive to install?: Material cost plus weight plus skill: tile is heavy, fragile to walk on, and slow to lay correctly. Underlayment replacement under tile is also a specialized job that costs nearly as much as a shingle roof by itself.
Does a steeper roof cost more per square foot?: Yes. Steep roofs add 20 to 40 percent to labor because crews work slower, stage material differently, and use safety equipment. The material price per square foot is the same; the installed price is not.

More roof cost guides

Data current as of October 2026. Sources: Angi, HomeGuide, and contractor pricing data. Estimates only, not a quote. Always get multiple written quotes from licensed local roofers.