Roof Replacement Cost: What Cost Surveys Report, Side by Side

A full roof replacement usually costs several thousand dollars at the low end and tens of thousands for large roofs or premium materials, depending on the survey and the job. Fixr reports a typical range of $7,500 to $14,000, with an average of about $10,000, for a roughly 2,000-square-foot roof on a 1,700-square-foot home (updated February 4, 2026) ¹. This Old House puts an asphalt shingle roof at an average of $5.16 per square foot, or about $10,319 for a 2,000-square-foot roof (updated October 7, 2026) ². In a survey of 1,000 homeowners it commissioned, 52% said they paid $5,001 to $20,000 for their new roof ².

At the high end, the 2025 Cost vs. Value report prices one defined job, a 3,000-square-foot tear-off and reroof, at $31,871 nationally with asphalt shingles and $51,865 with standing-seam metal ³⁴⁵. These numbers measure different jobs in different ways. The rest of this article explains how, and what moves the price of your own roof, so you can read your quotes against them.

The surveys side by side

Each source below is a cost survey or cost report, not a price list. None of them is our figure, and none is a quote for your home.

Why the sources disagree

The spread is not an error. It comes from three differences in how each source builds its number.

Method. Fixr says it gathers figures from pricing databases, contractors and industry experts, without giving a sample size ¹. This Old House says its cost data comes from Homewyse unless noted otherwise, and that it also surveyed 1,000 homeowners who had replaced a roof in the last five years ². Cost vs. Value builds a national cost index from Bureau of Labor Statistics and Bureau of Economic Analysis price and wage data, then applies local building cost data from Verisk's XactRemodel estimating software ⁶.

What the job includes. Cost vs. Value prices a fully specified job. The asphalt version removes the old roofing down to the bare wood sheathing and installs 30 squares of heavyweight fiberglass shingles with new underlayment, drip edge, aluminum flashing, flashing around two skylights and a vented ridge, on a hip roof ⁴. The metal version adds an ice-barrier membrane at the perimeter and premium synthetic underlayment under 3,000 square feet of standing-seam panels ⁵. That is a bigger roof and a fuller scope than the 2,000-square-foot roof most survey figures assume, which is one reason its totals sit higher. This Old House says its per-square-foot figures assume builder-grade materials, medium labor and simple, low-slope roof shapes ².

Year. The Cost vs. Value figures are from its 2025 report ³. Fixr's page was updated in February 2026 ¹ and This Old House's in October 2026 ².

How roofs are measured

Roofers price by the square. The National Roofing Contractors Association defines a square as a unit of roof area equal to 100 square feet, or the amount of material that covers 100 square feet of roof deck ¹⁰. A roof's area is not the same as a home's floor area: overhangs, pitch and the roof's shape all add surface. Fixr's own example puts about 2,000 square feet of roof on a 1,700-square-foot home ¹. The roof replacement cost per square foot article explains the conversion, and cost to replace a roof by house size works through common home sizes.

What moves the price of a roof

Roof size

Size drives the total more than anything else. Fixr's size table runs from $3,750 to $11,000 for a 1,000-square-foot roof to $11,250 to $33,000 for a 3,000-square-foot roof ¹. This Old House's asphalt figures run from about $5,160 for 1,000 square feet to about $15,480 for 3,000 square feet ².

Roofing material

Material is the other large swing. Fixr's whole-roof ranges for its 2,000-square-foot example start at $6,000 to $10,000 for basic asphalt shingles and reach $20,000 to $60,000 for slate ¹.

Within one material the product line matters too. Fixr's asphalt page reports $3 to $5 per square foot for 3-tab shingles, $4 to $8 for architectural and $6.50 to $16 for luxury or designer shingles (updated January 21, 2026) ⁷. Its metal page reports $7 to $30 per square foot for standing seam and $6 to $22 for metal shingles (updated January 23, 2026) ⁸. Flat and low-slope roofs use membranes instead of shingles; Fixr reports $4 to $14 per square foot for a flat roof replacement (updated January 27, 2026) ⁹. Details by material: asphalt shingle roof cost, metal roof cost, tile roof cost and the guide to roofing materials.

Labor and roof pitch

Labor is a large share of a roofing bill. Fixr says labor makes up 40% to 60% of the total, or an average of $4,000 to $6,000, covering removal of the old roof, underlayment and installation ¹. Steeper roofs have more surface to cover and need extra safety equipment, which slows the work and raises labor costs, according to Fixr ¹. This Old House also lists pitch as a cost factor and notes that a shortage of roofers or a high cost of living can push local labor rates up ².

Tearing off the old roof

Most replacements start by removing what is there. Fixr reports tear-off and disposal at about $50 per square on average, including dump fees, and up to $150 per square for heavy materials such as concrete tile or roofs with several layers of asphalt ¹. Putting new shingles over the old ones (a recover, or overlay) skips that step, which This Old House says is often faster and less expensive ². It is not always possible. Under the 2018 International Residential Code as adopted by the Town of Firestone, Colorado, a recover is not allowed where the existing roof already has two or more layers of roof covering, and all old material must be removed ¹¹. Check with your own building department, since local codes differ. More in tear-off vs roof-over.

Decking found during the job

The decking (the plywood or board sheathing under the roof covering) often cannot be judged until the old roof is off. Fixr reports $2 to $8 per square foot to replace decking ¹, and This Old House notes that this carpentry is added to the bill when damaged decking or framing turns up ². Ask each company how it prices decking replacement before the job starts, so it does not arrive as a surprise change order. See roof decking replacement cost.

Permits

Fixr reports $100 to $500 for a roofing permit ¹. This Old House notes that permit fees may not show up in an original estimate ². Whether your job needs a permit, and who applies for it, is set by your local building department; Firestone, for example, exempts repairs of less than 100 square feet from its permit requirement ¹¹. See do you need a permit to replace a roof.

Where you live

Fixr and This Old House both say prices vary by location, through labor rates and local demand ¹². State notes: Texas, Florida, Colorado and Oklahoma.

Repairing instead of replacing

A roof with one problem may need a repair rather than a new roof. Fixr reports roof repairs at $400 to $1,900, with an average of $1,150, and puts a typical roof leak repair at $350 to $1,500 (updated January 21, 2026) ¹². It suggests a repair generally makes more sense when it costs less than half of a replacement, the roof has no ongoing problems and it has more than half of its life left ¹². Our repair or replace a roof guide goes through the signs, and roof leak repair cost covers the most common repair. If you want a professional opinion on the roof's condition first, see roof inspection cost.

How we know these prices

Every price in this article comes from a published source that we read on November 11, 2026, and each is labeled with the source and its own date. We do not blend the sources into one number, because they measure different jobs in different ways. Cost vs. Value publishes its method ⁶; Fixr and This Old House describe theirs in a short note on each page ¹². All of them are labeled Reported below: they are industry reports, not official records. None of them prices your home. A written quote from a roofing company that has measured your roof and looked at its condition is the only figure that does. Our methodology page explains how we choose and check sources.

What to ask before you compare quotes

Ask each company the same questions so the quotes line up. Will the old roof be torn off, and how many layers are there? Which shingle or panel line, underlayment and flashing are included? How is decking replacement priced if damaged boards turn up? Is disposal included? Who pulls the permit, if one is needed? What does the workmanship warranty cover, and for how long? Is the company licensed where your local rules require it? Our guides to choosing a roofing contractor and comparing roofing quotes go through each one.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a new roof cost on a 2,000 square foot house?

The roof is usually larger than the floor area, so start with the roof's own measurement. For 2,000 square feet of roof, Fixr reports $7,500 to $22,000 across materials ¹, and This Old House reports about $10,320 with asphalt shingles and about $38,600 with metal ².

What is the least expensive type of roof?

In both surveys, asphalt shingles sit at the low end. Fixr reports 3-tab shingles at $3 to $5 per square foot ⁷, and This Old House reports asphalt at $5.16 per square foot against $19.30 for metal and $22.21 for clay tile ².

How much does a metal roof cost compared with shingles?

For the same 2,000-square-foot roof, This Old House reports about $10,319 for asphalt and about $38,593 for metal ². Cost vs. Value's 3,000-square-foot job is $31,871 with asphalt shingles and $51,865 with standing-seam metal ³. See metal roof cost.

Does a roof replacement include new decking?

Usually not in the base price. Fixr lists decking replacement separately, at $2 to $8 per square foot ¹. Ask how it is priced before you sign.

About these figures

• ¹ Reported: Fixr whole-roof range and average, per-square-foot range, material and roof-size tables, labor share, tear-off, decking and permit figures, page updated February 4, 2026, checked November 11, 2026.
• ² Reported: This Old House per-square-foot figures by material, roof-size table, the 1,000-homeowner survey (52% paid $5,001 to $20,000) and its cost factors, page updated October 7, 2026, checked November 11, 2026.
• ³ Reported: Cost vs. Value 2025 national job costs for asphalt shingle ($31,871) and metal ($51,865) roof replacement, checked November 11, 2026.
• ⁴ Reported: Cost vs. Value description of the asphalt shingle job (tear-off to sheathing, 30 squares of shingles, underlayment, flashing, hip roof), checked November 11, 2026.
• ⁵ Reported: Cost vs. Value description of the metal job (tear-off, ice barrier, synthetic underlayment, 3,000 square feet of standing-seam panels), checked November 11, 2026.
• ⁶ Reported: Cost vs. Value 2025 methodology (BLS and BEA price and wage data plus Verisk XactRemodel local cost data), checked November 11, 2026.
• ⁷ Reported: Fixr per-square-foot ranges for 3-tab, architectural and luxury shingles, page updated January 21, 2026, checked November 11, 2026.
• ⁸ Reported: Fixr per-square-foot ranges for standing-seam and metal shingle roofs, page updated January 23, 2026, checked November 11, 2026.
• ⁹ Reported: Fixr flat roof replacement range per square foot, page updated January 27, 2026, checked November 11, 2026.
• ¹⁰ Reported: NRCA glossary definition of a roofing square (100 square feet), checked November 11, 2026.
• ¹¹ Official record: Town of Firestone, Colorado reroofing requirements under the 2018 IRC (recover not allowed over two or more layers; repairs under 100 square feet exempt from permit), checked November 11, 2026.
• ¹² Reported: Fixr roof repair range and average, leak repair range and its repair-or-replace guidance, page updated January 21, 2026, checked November 11, 2026.