If you're trying to figure out what to charge for roofing labor, you've probably gotten a dozen different answers. That's because "roofing labor cost per square" depends on so many variables — material type, roof pitch, layers to tear off, your local market — that there's no single number that works everywhere.
But there are ranges that make sense, and if you're consistently pricing outside those ranges, you're either leaving money on the table or losing bids you should be winning. Here's a straightforward breakdown.
What is a "square" in roofing?
Quick refresher for anyone new to the business: one roofing square equals 100 square feet. A 2,000-square-foot roof is 20 squares. All roofing pricing — materials and labor — is quoted per square.
The average residential roof in the US is between 15 and 25 squares. Most contractors think in squares because it makes estimating and comparing prices much easier than working in raw square footage.
Labor cost per square by material type
Here's what roofing crews are charging for labor in 2026, not including materials:
| Roofing Material | Labor Cost per Square | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3-tab asphalt shingles | $50-80 | Fastest to install, lowest labor |
| Architectural shingles | $65-100 | Most common residential roofing today |
| Metal roofing (standing seam) | $120-200 | Skilled labor, slower install |
| Metal roofing (corrugated/screw-down) | $75-120 | Simpler than standing seam |
| Flat roof (TPO/EPDM) | $80-130 | Commercial and low-slope residential |
| Flat roof (modified bitumen) | $90-150 | Torch-down requires more skill |
| Clay/concrete tile | $150-250 | Heavy, slow, specialized crews |
| Slate | $200-350 | Premium labor, very specialized |
These are labor-only numbers. Total installed cost (materials + labor) for architectural shingles runs $300-500 per square in most markets. For standing seam metal, you're looking at $600-1,200 per square all-in.
Tear-off adds real cost
If the old roof needs to come off first, add $100-175 per square for tear-off and disposal. That covers labor to strip the old material, haul it to the dumpster, and the dumpster rental itself.
One layer of asphalt shingles is on the lower end. Two layers, or dealing with old wood shakes underneath, pushes to the higher end. Some areas allow a second layer of shingles over the first, which saves the customer money on tear-off but limits your ability to inspect the deck underneath.
Most experienced roofers recommend tear-off to bare deck every time. It's more work, but it lets you catch rotted decking, fix flashing properly, and install ice and water shield where it belongs. And it keeps you from inheriting problems from the last installer.
What affects labor pricing
Roof pitch
A 4/12 pitch is walkable and fast. An 8/12 pitch needs toe boards or scaffolding and slows everything down. Anything over 10/12 is steep work — harnesses, ropes, and significantly slower production.
Add a multiplier for steep roofs:
- 4/12 to 6/12: Standard pricing
- 7/12 to 9/12: Add 15-25%
- 10/12 and above: Add 30-50%
Complexity
A simple gable roof with two planes is fast. A roof with multiple hips, valleys, dormers, and skylights has way more cutting, flashing, and detail work. More penetrations means more potential leak points, which means more time doing things right.
Count the number of valleys, hips, and penetrations. Every valley adds 1-2 hours of work. Every pipe boot or vent takes 15-30 minutes. A dozen skylights can add a full day to the job.
Access and height
Two-story homes take longer than one-story homes because everything — materials, debris, your crew — has to go higher. Homes with limited driveway access or tight lot lines make material staging and dumpster placement harder.
Geography
Labor rates vary dramatically by market. Roofing labor in Houston or Dallas runs 20-30% less than the same work in Chicago or Boston. In the Pacific Northwest or California, add 15-25% over national averages because of higher wages and insurance costs.
How to build a roofing estimate
Here's the formula, same as any trade job:
Total price = Materials + Labor + Tear-off + Overhead + Profit
Let's estimate a 22-square roof, architectural shingles, one layer tear-off, 6/12 pitch:
- Materials: 22 squares × $130/sq (shingles, underlayment, flashing, nails, ridge cap) = $2,860
- Material markup (20%): $572
- Labor: 22 squares × $80/sq = $1,760
- Tear-off and disposal: 22 squares × $125/sq = $2,750
- Overhead (10%): $794
- Profit (15%): $1,311
- Total: $10,047
That comes out to about $456 per square all-in, or $4.56 per square foot. For a standard architectural shingle re-roof, that's right in the middle of the market.
Common pricing mistakes roofers make
Bidding by the square without adjusting for difficulty. A 22-square simple gable is not the same job as a 22-square cut-up hip roof with three dormers. If you use the same per-square price for both, you'll make money on the easy one and lose it on the hard one.
Forgetting incidentals. Rotted decking replacement ($75-100 per sheet of OSB, installed), additional drip edge, unexpected flashing work — budget a contingency of 5-10% or clearly state in your contract that deck repairs are billed extra.
Underpricing to win bids. Roofing is competitive, and there's always someone cheaper. But the contractors who survive long-term are the ones who price for profitability, not volume. A $8,000 job that costs you $7,500 to complete isn't a job — it's an expensive hobby.
If you need help getting the math right, our pricing calculator lets you plug in square count, labor rates, and materials to generate an estimate in seconds. It handles overhead and margin calculations so you can focus on measuring the roof, not wrestling with spreadsheets.
Build your roofing estimate in 60 seconds
Free pricing calculator built for trade contractors. Plug in your numbers, get a profitable estimate.
Try the pricing calculator →For more on pricing your trade work, check out our guide on how to price a plumbing job — the framework applies to any trade, and the overhead calculation method works the same whether you're on a roof or under a sink.