The honest answer to “what does a roof cost?” is that nobody can tell you over the phone. What a good contractor can do is explain exactly how the number is built, so the estimate you receive is checkable rather than mysterious.
Roofs are priced by the square
A roofing square is 100 square feet of roof surface. It is the unit every contractor and every insurance adjuster works in.
Your roof’s square count is not the same as your home’s floor area. A 2,000 square-foot house with a steep, complex roof might have 28 squares of surface, while a simple ranch of the same size has 22.
What drives the price
Size and pitch
More squares cost more. Steeper pitches cost more still, because crews work slower and need additional fall protection.
Tear-off and layers
Removing the old roof takes labor and dumpster space. A second or third layer of old shingles multiplies both.
Decking condition
Nobody knows what the decking looks like until the old roof comes off. Rotted plywood must be replaced. A good estimate states the per-sheet price up front so a bad surprise cannot become a blank cheque.
Material grade
Impact-rated shingles cost more than three-tab. Standing-seam metal typically runs two to three times the price of asphalt, and lasts two to three times as long.
Accessories
Underlayment, drip edge, new flashing, ridge vent, and pipe boots are not optional extras. A bid that omits them is not cheaper — it is incomplete.
How to compare bids honestly
Put the estimates side by side and check that each one states:
- The square count and the pitch.
- Whether tear-off is included, and how many layers.
- The per-sheet decking replacement price.
- The exact material and its warranty.
- Which accessories are included.
- The workmanship warranty, in writing.
If one bid is dramatically lower, it is almost never because that contractor found a cheaper way to do the same work. It is because the scope is smaller. Find the missing line.
A firm price beats a cheap price
A written estimate should be firm — the number you approve is the number you pay, barring decking discovered under the old roof. Beware of same-day discounts that vanish tomorrow. Pressure is not a pricing strategy; it is a warning sign.
