Replacement cost
How Much Does Roof Replacement Cost Per Square?
Short answerRoofers price by the roofing square — 100 square feet of actual roof surface. A total replacement cost is essentially your roof's square count multiplied by a per-square rate, adjusted for pitch, complexity, tear-off layers and decking. Your home's living area is not the same as its roof area.
Squares, not square feet
A 30-square roof is 3,000 square feet of roof surface. Material is ordered by the square, labor is estimated by the square, and disposal scales with it, which is why per-square pricing is the industry's working unit.
Converting your home to roof squares
Start with the footprint — the ground-floor area under roof, including the garage — not the total living area of a two-story house. Multiply by a pitch factor, then add for dormers, overhangs and complexity. Our calculator does this conversion for you.
Why two 30-square roofs can price very differently
- A steep roof needs staging, slows every task, and raises labor per square
- A cut-up roof with many valleys wastes material and adds flashing work
- Two existing layers double the tear-off and disposal
- Soft decking discovered at tear-off adds sheathing cost
- Poor access for the dumpster and delivery adds handling time
Not sure where your roof stands?
A free assessment tells you which of the three paths fits your roof — including when rejuvenation is not appropriate.