What a Shingle Roof Costs
Reroofing costs $350 to $700 per square installed including tear-off, where a square is 100 square feet of roof surface. A 2,000 sq ft roof footprint at a 6/12 pitch is 2,236 sq ft of surface — 22.4 squares, not 20 — so the bill is roughly $7,800 to $15,700. The pitch multiplier is what separates those two figures, and it charges twice — more material and more labour to stand on it.
Roofing is quoted per square — 100 square feet of roof surface, not of the ground under it. The gap between those two numbers is the pitch multiplier, and it is why a steep roof costs more twice: more material, and more labour to stand on it.
A square is not a square foot
One roofing square is 100 sq ft of roof surface. Architectural shingles come three bundles to the square, so a 20-square roof is 60 bundles.
The surface is always bigger than the footprint. A 6/12 roof is 12% larger than the ground under it; a 12/12 roof is 41% larger. Quoting from the footprint under-orders every roof and badly under-orders steep ones.
Tear-off, and how many layers are under there
Removing the old roof is a separate line, priced per square, and it doubles if there are two layers. Most codes allow at most two layers total, so a second layer usually means the next roof is a full tear-off whether you wanted one or not.
Disposal is by weight and asphalt is heavy — a tear-off on a 20-square roof is roughly three tons into a skip.
What is not shingles
Underlayment, ice-and-water shield at the eaves and valleys, drip edge, starter strip, ridge cap and flashing are all separate materials, and they are ordered on top of the square count rather than out of it. Starter and cap alone commonly add 10–15% to the material bill.
Decking repair is the line no quote can fix in advance. Soft sheathing only reveals itself once the old roof is off, so expect a per-sheet rate in the contract rather than a number.
Waste rises with complexity
A plain gable roof wastes about 10%. Hips, valleys and dormers all force diagonal cuts, and a diagonal cut rarely yields a usable offcut — 15–20% is normal on a complex roof, and that is before the ridge cap.
Typical costs, US, 2026
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Architectural shingles, materials | $100–$200 per square |
| Synthetic underlayment | $45–$90 per roll |
| Tear-off and disposal, one layer | $100–$200 per square |
| Installed, including tear-off | $350–$700 per square |
| Decking replacement, if needed | $60–$120 per sheet |
Excludes structural repair, skylights, chimney reflashing and gutter work. Steep pitches above about 8/12 carry a labour surcharge that is not in these ranges.
Ranges as of 2026 and indicative rather than sourced from a price index. Use them to sanity-check a quote, not to replace one — regional labour rates move these figures more than any material choice.
Questions people actually ask
- Can I roof over the old shingles?
- Codes commonly allow a second layer but not a third, and a layover hides any decking damage until the next tear-off, when you pay to remove both. It saves money now and costs it later.
- How long should a shingle roof last?
- Architectural shingles are warranted 25–30 years and reach it in a temperate climate with adequate attic ventilation. Poor ventilation cooks them from underneath and takes years off.
- Why does pitch change the labour price?
- Past about 7/12 the roof is no longer walkable and the crew works from staging and harnesses. That is slower per square regardless of the material.
Sources: Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association, National Roofing Contractors Association