What a roof replacement actually costs
and why every source gives you a different number

Four national sources put the average somewhere between $9,500 and $15,439. That is not a small gap. Below we show every one of them, say who published it, and then hand you the number that actually matters, which is your roof's area in squares.

Satellite measurement. No cost, no obligation.

The short answer

Most US roof replacements land between $5,800 and $46,000, and the published national averages cluster between $9,500 and $15,439 depending on whose methodology you use. For a typical 2,000 square foot roof in asphalt shingle, the commonly cited planning band is $8,000 to $22,000.

Those ranges are wide because they average across every roof size, pitch, material and region in the country. The way to narrow it is not a better average. It is knowing your own roof's area, because that is the number your contractor is pricing against.

What each national source says a roof costs

Most cost guides publish one average and stop. Here is every major published figure together, so you can see how much they disagree before you anchor on any of them.

Swipe the table to compare all columns

Source Average Range
NerdWallet (citing Angi data) $9,500 $5,800–$46,000
Broad range reflects very different roof sizes, materials and regions.
Angi $9,607 $5,902–$46,000
The primary dataset NerdWallet cites. Angi's own page has since moved slightly off the number NerdWallet quotes.
Fixr $10,000 $7,500–$14,000
Tighter typical range than Angi because it excludes the high-end outliers.
This Old House $15,439 $6,885–$23,993
Models a 2,000 sq ft asphalt shingle roof. Higher average is largely a methodology difference, not a different market.

Figures retrieved 2026-08-21. Each links to its publisher. We did not average them together, because averaging four different methodologies produces a number that describes nothing.

Roof replacement cost by roof size

These are roof square feet, not house square feet. That distinction is the single most common reason a homeowner's expectation and the quote do not match.

A 2,000 square foot single-story house can easily carry a 2,400 to 2,600 square foot roof once pitch and overhangs are counted.

Roof size Squares Estimated cost
1,000 sq ft 10 sq $4,000–$11,000
1,500 sq ft 15 sq $6,000–$16,500
2,000 sq ft 20 sq $8,000–$22,000
2,500 sq ft 25 sq $10,000–$27,500
3,000 sq ft 30 sq $12,000–$33,000

Source: NerdWallet (citing Angi data), retrieved 2026-08-21.

Don't know your roof's square footage?

Almost nobody does. We measure it from satellite imagery and show you the area in squares, free, with no obligation to talk to anyone.

Cost by roofing material

All five rows come from the same source, so the comparison holds even where the absolute figures disagree with other publishers. Each linked material has its own page showing every published figure we could verify for it.

Material Per sq ft Typical total
Asphalt shingles $3.40–$5.95 $5,840–$10,100
Metal roofing $6.00–$24.50 $10,245–$41,640
Tile roofing $6.30–$12.30 $10,665–$20,900
Slate roofing $23.49–$31.77 $39,925–$54,020
Wooden shakes and shingles $6.00–$9.15 $10,230–$15,500

A deliberate second opinion

Homewyse puts asphalt shingles, installed at $5.09 to $6.66 per square foot as of May 2026, which is higher than the figure in the table above for the same material. We show both rather than picking the one we like. Homewyse

Tear-off is priced separately

Removing the old roof is its own line item, and it is one people forget when they compare quotes.

  • • Asphalt shingles: $0.39 to $0.53 per square foot (roofingcalculator.com)
  • • Wooden shakes and shingles: $0.50 to $0.68 per square foot (roofingcalculator.com)
  • • Slate roofing: $1.21 to $1.63 per square foot (roofingcalculator.com)
  • • Tile roofing: $1.45 to $1.97 per square foot (roofingcalculator.com)

How to check a quote you already have

You do not need us to hire a roofer. If a quote is already sitting on your kitchen table, here is how to sanity-check it in about two minutes.

  1. 1

    Get your roof area in squares

    One square is 100 square feet. This is the unit contractors order and price in. If your quote does not state a square count, ask for it.

  2. 2

    Multiply by the per square foot range for your material

    Use the material table above. Asphalt shingle sits roughly between $3.40 and $6.66 per square foot across the sources we cite.

  3. 3

    Add tear-off

    Roughly $0.39 to $0.53 per square foot for asphalt. More if there are multiple layers to strip.

  4. 4

    Ask about anything outside the band

    A quote above your band is not automatically wrong. Rotten decking, a steep pitch, complex valleys and premium material all legitimately push it up. What matters is that the contractor can point at the line item that explains it.

Step 1, free, right now

We will measure your roof from satellite imagery and show you the square count and a price range. You are not obligated to speak to a contractor, and we will tell you if we think the quote you have is already fair.

Go deeper on your material

Each of these pages puts every published figure for that material side by side, including the ones that contradict each other, with a link to the source for each.

Asphalt shingles cost

$3.40–$5.95 per sq ft

See every published figure →

Metal roofing cost

$6.00–$24.50 per sq ft

See every published figure →

Tile roofing cost

$6.30–$12.30 per sq ft

See every published figure →

Slate roofing cost

$23.49–$31.77 per sq ft

See every published figure →

Common questions

How much does a roof replacement cost in 2026?

Published national averages disagree. NerdWallet, using Angi data, puts the average at $9,500 with a range of $5,800 to $46,000. Fixr puts it at $10,000 with a typical range of $7,500 to $14,000. This Old House puts it at $15,439 for a modeled 2,000 square foot asphalt roof. The spread is mostly a methodology difference, not a real market difference, which is why no single average tells you what your roof costs.

Why do roof replacement quotes vary so much?

Three reasons. Roof area is not house area, so a 2,000 square foot house can have a 2,600 square foot roof once pitch and overhangs are counted. Tear-off of the old roof is priced separately and runs about $0.39 to $0.53 per square foot for asphalt. And material tier, pitch, layers, decking condition and flashing scope all move the number before any contractor markup.

How do I know if a roofing quote is fair?

Start from your actual roof area in squares, since one square is 100 square feet. Multiply by a published per square foot range for your material, then add tear-off. If a quote sits far outside that band, the difference should be explainable by something specific, such as decking replacement, a steep pitch, or a premium material. A quote that cannot be explained line by line is the one to question.

What is a roofing square?

A roofing square is 100 square feet of roof surface. Contractors price and order material by the square, so a 2,400 square foot roof is 24 squares. Knowing your square count is the single most useful number to have before you take a quote, because it is what the contractor is actually pricing.

Does a bigger house mean a bigger roof?

Not proportionally. Roof area depends on footprint, pitch and overhangs rather than total living space. A two-story home often has a smaller roof than a single-story home of the same square footage, because the footprint is smaller. This is the most common reason homeowners misjudge what their roof should cost.

Sources

Cost figures on this page are published by the third parties named above and are national estimates, not quotes. Your actual price depends on your roof, your material and your local market. Last reviewed 2026-08-21 by The Roofer Ron Team.

Get Free Roof Assessment →