Methodology

Every range on this site is computed, not scraped. The inputs and their limits:

1. Wages

Hourly wages for each trade come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), matched to your metro area (CBSA). We use the 25th–75th percentile span — that spread is the range you see.

2. Labor model

Wages are multiplied by a calibrated labor factor of 13.44 per roofing square. It bundles crew hours (tear-off and install) with contractor burden: payroll taxes, workers' compensation — unusually high for roofers — insurance, overhead and margin. The factor was fitted against independent published project costs across 10 metros of different price levels.

Ranges describe a typical replacement. Choosing “complex” in the calculator — a hip roof, dormers, custom flashing — multiplies the estimate by ×1.85.

3. Materials

Materials are priced nationally at $177 per square plus 12.5% waste. Alaska (×1.45) and Hawaii (×1.5) carry a materials index; across the continental U.S. material prices vary far less than labor, so they stay national — a known simplification.

4. Regional adjustments

Geography enters mainly through wages: every metro uses its own BLS wage percentiles, so a high-wage metro is already priced higher. There are no state-wide factors. A few metros also carry a market index for the part of local prices that wages alone do not explain, set from published local cost anchors: Miami, FL ×1.24, Orlando, FL ×1.03, Tampa, FL ×1, Jacksonville, FL ×0.98, Seattle, WA ×0.98, Spokane, WA ×0.91. Every other metro uses ×1.0.

5. Floors and small roofs

Small roofs carry a mobilization surcharge that tapers off with size: +20% at 10 squares, +15% at 15 squares, and none from 18 squares up, interpolated in between. The surcharge is applied first; after that, no full replacement prices below $6,000 — the floor only works as a lower bound.

What this is not

These are planning ranges, not quotes. They cannot see your roof's pitch, layers, decking condition or access. Collect at least three local bids before committing.

Model last calibrated: 2026-09-10 · Wage data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · Next scheduled refresh: with the next annual BLS OEWS release.