Roof replacement cost per square (2026)
Using national-average material prices and construction wages, architectural asphalt shingles cost about $375 per square installed at contractor cost, or $431–$469 per square with typical contractor overhead and profit. A square is 100 square feet of roof surface.
That figure covers the shingles, fasteners and installation labor only. Tear-off, underlayment, flashing, ridge and edge details, deck repair and permits are extra, and we don’t have a published price for those lines, so get a local quote for them.
An example roof
Take a roof with 2,000 sq ft of surface, which is 20 squares (an illustrative size, not a typical one for your house). At the national rate the shingle line is about $7,500 at contractor cost, or $8,625–$9,375 with overhead and profit. In the Birmingham-Hoover metro the same line is about $6,700, or $7,705–$8,375.
Cost per square by area
| Area | Contractor cost per square | With O&P |
|---|---|---|
| United States (national average) | $375 | $431–$469 |
| Alabama (statewide) | $326 | $375–$408 |
| Birmingham-Hoover, AL | $335 | $385–$419 |
| Texas (statewide) | $331 | $381–$414 |
| Florida (statewide) | $332 | $382–$415 |
| Colorado (statewide) | $382 | $439–$478 |
| New York (statewide) | $421 | $484–$526 |
| California (statewide) | $426 | $490–$533 |
| Massachusetts (statewide) | $450 | $518–$563 |
| Illinois (statewide) | $463 | $532–$579 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $479 | $551–$599 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $462 | $531–$578 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $455 | $523–$569 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH | $453 | $521–$566 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $446 | $513–$558 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $444 | $511–$555 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $442 | $508–$553 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $417 | $480–$521 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | $409 | $470–$511 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $392 | $451–$490 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | $390 | $449–$488 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $390 | $449–$488 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | $380 | $437–$475 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $373 | $429–$466 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $341 | $392–$426 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $338 | $389–$423 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $335 | $385–$419 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $335 | $385–$419 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $333 | $383–$416 |
Each row is the per-square-foot figure from our asphalt shingle roofing cost guide times 100, with the guide’s typical 15–25% overhead and profit applied for the right-hand column. Material pricing as of 2026-06. Labor is about 67% of the contractor cost, so local wages drive most of the difference between areas. See construction costs in Birmingham and labor costs by metro.
What’s not in that number
These lines vary a lot from roof to roof. Get a local quote for each:
- Tear-off and disposal of the old roof, which depends on how many layers are on it.
- Underlayment, plus an ice barrier at the eaves where your code requires one.
- Drip edge, starter course, hip and ridge cap.
- Flashing at walls, chimneys, skylights and valleys, and new roof vents (see attic ventilation rules).
- Deck repair where sheathing is rotted or soft.
- Steep or tall roofs: pitch and the number of stories add labor and safety setup.
- Permit and inspection, where your city requires one.
Shingles need a slope of at least 2:12, with extra underlayment below 4:12; see minimum roof slope for asphalt shingles. For the permit question, see do I need a permit to replace my roof.
Common questions
How much does a new roof cost per square?
For architectural asphalt shingles, the national contractor cost is about $375 per square installed, or $431–$469 with typical overhead and profit. In the Birmingham-Hoover metro it's about $335, or $385–$419. Tear-off, underlayment, flashing and the other roofing lines come on top.
How many squares is my roof?
Divide the roof's surface area in square feet by 100. Roof area is larger than the house's footprint once you account for pitch and overhangs, so measure the roof planes or use a roof area calculator.
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Birmingham, AL?
Birmingham's 2024 Technical Code doesn't require a permit to repair or replace roof shingles or roof covering, gutters and downspouts on one- and two-family homes and townhouses. Homes in historic or design review districts still need a building permit. Other cities set their own rules.
Can I put new shingles over the old ones?
Under 2021 IRC R908.3.1.1, not if the existing roof is water-soaked or too deteriorated to be a base, if it's slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile, or if it already has two or more layers of roof covering. Your local code may differ.
Get a number for your roof
Describe your roof or upload a plan, and Ask Donnie builds an itemized estimate you can edit line by line. Ask where any line’s price came from and the app shows its source. Try it free: new accounts get a $5 credit once the email is confirmed, no card.
Start an estimate →Roof area calculator · Roofing squares calculator · Shingle calculator
Cost-basis figures (material + labor) are built from national-average material pricing (2026-06) and U.S. BLS OEWS 2025 construction wages (SOC 47-0000); regional figures scale labor by each state's or metro's BLS wage factor. A retail price adds typical contractor overhead & profit (15–25%). Benchmarks for budgeting — not a binding quote. The example roof’s size is illustrative. Ask Donnie is AI assistance and can be wrong; these are budgeting figures, not a bid or a quote. Get a priced quote for your roof and confirm code and permit requirements with your local building department and a licensed professional. Sources: Ask Donnie cost guides; 2021 International Residential Code R908.3.1.1; Technical Code of the City of Birmingham, 2024, Section 103.1.1 (birminghamal.gov).