Angi puts the 2026 national average for a roof replacement at $9,610, with most jobs between $5,903 and $13,378 (updated 22 October 2026). Most roof repairs cost far less: HomeAdvisor gives $395 to $1,967 (updated 19 June 2026). Gutters, chimneys and inspections are separate bills, often from separate trades. This page covers what drives each of those costs, why published figures disagree, and which guide to read first for the problem you have.
CostPlain has no crew and gets no quotes. Every worked estimate in these guides is built from dated shelf prices, federal wage data and stated assumptions, using the method on our how we estimate costs page. A licensed local roofer and your building department decide what your roof needs.
The costs at a glance
One published figure and our worked example for each job. Each guide explains what its figures measure.
| Job | A published estimate | Our worked example |
|---|---|---|
| Shingle roof replacement | Angi: average $9,610 (Oct 2026) | $9,227 for a 2,012 sq ft gable roof, one layer torn off |
| Metal roof | HomeGuide: $5 to $16 per sq ft (Nov 2025) | Same roof: $12,527 exposed fastener, $16,161 standing seam |
| Roof repair | HomeAdvisor: average $1,174 (Jun 2026) | $179 pipe boot; $542 one square of shingles; $927 leak with rotted deck |
| Roof inspection | HomeGuide: $100 to $400 (Dec 2025) | $214 for a basic visit with a photo report |
| Gutters, 150 ft, one story | HomeGuide: $1,800 to $3,800 (Oct 2025) | $1,815 for aluminum with four downspouts |
| Chimney repair | HomeGuide: $200 to $850 for minor fixes (Jan 2026) | $404 reflash; $383 crown seal and cap; $1,383 stainless liner |
Why the published figures disagree
We found no government survey of what homeowners pay for roof work. What exists measures different things, so the numbers don’t line up:
- Insurance claims are bigger jobs. Verisk’s 2025 averages were $17,631 for an insured roof replacement and $4,699 for an insured repair. Those are mostly storm claims, and a repair under the deductible rarely becomes a claim.
- Cost guides mix job sizes and materials. Angi’s replacement range runs from $420 to $46,000 overall because it covers every roof size and material.
- Some leave out the markup. Homewyse’s per-foot rates exclude contractor markup, permits and sales tax. Lead-generation sites report what contractors quoted or billed, markup included.
- Labor is the least certain line. Our build-ups use the BLS median roofer wage of $26.65 an hour (May 2025), times 1.44 for benefits and payroll taxes, plus 20% overhead and profit, our assumption. Fixr, RoofingCalculator and This Old House put labor at 40% to 65% of a roofing bill. In our shingle example it is under a third of the direct cost. A quote with a bigger labor line isn’t wrong for that reason alone.
What drives the cost
- Roof area and pitch. Roofers price by the square, 100 sq ft of roof surface. A sloped roof is bigger than the footprint: a 12 in 12 roof has 41% more surface than the ground it covers, and steep roofs need more safety setup and slower work.
- Layers and decking. Each old layer adds tear-off hours and tons of debris. Rotten sheathing often isn’t found until the old roof is off, so ask for a price per sheet in writing before work starts.
- Shape and openings. Valleys, dormers, chimneys and skylights mean cutting and flashing. In our worked examples a hip roof with a steeper pitch and two layers to strip cost $13,240, against $9,227 for the simple gable.
- Material. On the same example roof, our build-ups come to $4.58 a square foot for architectural shingles, $6.23 for exposed-fastener steel and $8.03 for standing seam.
- Height and access. A second story slows the crew and lengthens downspouts. Our two-story gutter example comes to about $15.82 a foot, against $12.10 for one story.
- Minimum charges. HomeGuide says most roofers have a $150 to $300 minimum call-out fee, so on a small repair the minimum can set the price.
Where to start
You don’t know what’s wrong yet
Start with an inspection. A roofer’s free inspection is a sales visit: the person deciding whether you need a roof sells roofs. Our guide to what a roof inspection costs compares physical, drone and infrared inspections, explains what a good report should list and when an independent inspector is worth paying for.
You have one leak or some storm damage
Price the repair you actually have. Our roof repair cost guide works through a pipe boot, a patch of shingles and a leak that has rotted the deck, and explains why a ceiling stain can be feet away from the hole. It also shows how to compare repair and replacement by cost per year: in its example, a $930 repair that buys 5 years is $186 a year, against $600 a year for a $15,000 roof expected to last 25.
The roof is near the end of its life
Our roof replacement cost calculator builds a shingle roof from your footprint, pitch, layers and roof shape, with every price dated and every assumption open to change.
You’re weighing metal
Our metal roof cost comparison prices exposed-fastener panels, standing seam and shingles on the same house. Over 10 years, shingles are cheaper in our example. Over 40, a metal roof that outlasts two shingle roofs comes out ahead. Lifespan figures come from sellers and cost guides, not long-run public studies, so the page treats them as claims. The federal energy-efficient home improvement credit doesn’t apply to property placed in service after 31 December 2025 (IRS).
Gutters are overflowing, sagging or rusted
Our gutter installation cost calculator prices your house from its gutter length, downspouts, corners and height. If a new roof is coming soon, think about timing: gutters often come down during a tear-off, so ask the roofer whether taking them down and rehanging them is in the price. The Department of Energy’s Building America guide calls for downspouts to discharge onto ground that slopes away at least 5 feet from the foundation. If water is already reaching the basement, our foundation and crawl space guides cover drainage and waterproofing.
The chimney leaks or is crumbling
Many chimney fixes are small, but a new liner or a rebuild costs thousands. Our chimney repair cost guide explains the difference between the crown and the cap, which quotes often mix up, and when a liner is needed. If you’re replacing the roof anyway, reflashing the chimney as part of the new roof avoids paying for the same work twice.
What every quote should list
A single “roof, $X” line can’t be compared with anything. Whatever the job, ask each contractor to price the same scope, line by line:
- The area in squares or linear feet, and the waste allowance
- Materials by maker and product line: shingle, panel gauge, gutter size, flashing metal
- Tear-off, disposal and cleanup, including magnetic sweeps for nails
- Unit prices for hidden damage, such as per sheet of decking or per foot of fascia, agreed before work starts
- The permit, who pulls it, and the inspection
- Workmanship and maker’s warranties, in writing
- The payment schedule
Storms, insurance and safety
- Door-to-door sellers. Under the FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule, a sale of $25 or more made at your home generally comes with a written right to cancel within three business days, with some exceptions. The FTC lists pressure for an immediate decision and demands for full payment up front or in cash among the signs of a home improvement scam.
- Insurance. As the DC insurance regulator explains, replacement cost value pays for new materials of similar kind and quality, minus the deductible, while actual cash value pays the roof’s depreciated value. Policies vary by insurer and state; this is not claim advice.
- Stay off the roof. Falls are the leading cause of work-related deaths among residential construction workers (OSHA). Look from the ground or with binoculars, or ask for dated photos.
- Old attic insulation. If the attic has loose, pebble-like vermiculite, EPA says to assume it contains asbestos and not disturb it. Tell the roofer before any deck boards come off.
- Lead paint. In homes built before 1978, paid work that disturbs painted fascia, soffits or trim generally needs a firm certified under EPA’s lead-safe work rule. Ask for the firm’s certification.
- Codes are local. Whether new shingles may go over an old layer, how much ice barrier the eaves need and whether gutter work needs a permit are set by your local building department, not by a national rule.
This page is general information, not professional, legal, insurance or financial advice. All figures are published estimates or worked examples, not quotes, and local prices vary. CostPlain takes no referral fees and sells no leads.
Sources checked on 3 November 2026.
