Did you just get the news that your asphalt shingle roof needs to be replaced? Is the biggest concern how much a new asphalt shingle roof costs?
With the large investment a new roof requires, it’s understandable that pricing is at the top of the list of worries. Unfortunately, searching online can lead to roadblocks and only getting material costs to make it appear cheaper than it really is.
I’m tired of seeing partial answers without full context.
For over 35 years, Bill Ragan Roofing has been transparent with homeowners about everything cost-related when it comes to asphalt shingles and roofing in general. That's why I'll break down everything you need to know about pricing an asphalt shingle roof.
This article answers the following questions:
A new asphalt shingle roof costs around $20,000 to $25,000 for a standard middle-class home, give or take a little, in 2025. This price range includes installing 30 squares of architectural asphalt shingles with 30-lb. felt (or equivalent synthetic) underlayment, galvanized drip edge, and mill-finish aluminum flashing on a rectangular hip roof with two average-size skylights.
This very general price doesn’t account for area-specific pricing, roof size/complexity, or other cost factors (more on this later). There are also three types of asphalt shingles that greatly impact the cost.
So, let's get more specific with the price per square foot of each type of asphalt shingle for you to apply to your roof’s square footage. On top of the pricing, you'll learn the lifespan, warranty options, and the pros and cons for each shingle.
A 3-tab asphalt shingle roof will cost around $4.00 square foot. This shingle was the standard in residential roofing until improved technology led manufacturers to create architectural asphalt shingles.
Lifespan: ≈20 years at most
Material warranty: 25-year limited warranty from the manufacturer
3-tab asphalt shingle pros:
3-tab asphalt shingle cons:
An architectural (also called dimensional) shingle roof costs around $5.00 to $7.00 per square foot. This asphalt shingle is not only the most common shingle but also the most common roofing material in the United States in general.
Lifespan: 22-25 years
Material warranty: 30-year warranty (prorated after 10 years) from the manufacturer. Upgrade to a 50-year non-prorated enhanced warranty with a full roof system.
Architectural asphalt shingle pros:
Architectural asphalt shingle cons:
A luxury (also called designer or premium) asphalt shingle roof costs around $8.00 to $10.00 per square foot. These shingles are larger, more durable, offer the highest curb appeal with their slate look, and are the most expensive of three types of asphalt shingles.
Lifespan: ≈30 years, up to 50 in perfect conditions
Material warranty: 30-year warranty (prorated after 10 years) from the manufacturer. Upgrade to a 50-year non-prorated enhanced warranty with a full roof system.
Luxury asphalt shingle pros:
Luxury asphalt shingle cons:
Now you know the average cost of an asphalt shingle roof and the price per square foot based on the asphalt shingle. While the shingle type and roofer you choose have the biggest impact on the final cost, much more goes into pricing a new asphalt shingle roof.
Below are the main factors that impact the cost of not only an asphalt roof but a new roof in general.
Labor costs are factored into every line item on an estimate. So, if anything takes time and labor, it adds to your asphalt shingle roof's labor costs.
Unfortunately, there’s no set price for labor and time because it depends on the roofing contractor you hire. But the more manpower and time it takes to replace your roof, the higher the cost.
During the tear-off process, your old roof is ripped up until there's only a clean roof deck. All the torn off debris will then be loaded into a dump truck or trailer to be taken to a dump of the contractor’s choice.
The dumpsites charge significant fees for this service, which means disposing of your old shingles always factors into the cost of a new asphalt shingle roof. Like everything else, a labor cost is also associated with the crew member who dumps your old roof.
Tearing off your old roof has an associated labor cost and dump fees. But if your roof has more than one layer, it requires more labor and increases the amount of debris coming off your roof.
This not only increases labor costs but also the dump fees when getting rid of the torn-off shingle and other older materials. There will be an initial labor and dump fee for the first layer, plus an added cost for each additional layer.
The type and brand of asphalt shingle determine most of the material costs associated with a new roof. However, the other components that get installed when getting a new asphalt shingle roof also add to the cost.
Including the shingles, the components you'll pay for when getting a new roof are:
Every component and material listed here must be included in your asphalt shingle roof replacement. If just one is missing or left off to save money, I guarantee you’ll have problems.
A roofing contractor uses a designated access point for every part of the roof replacement process. The harder your roof is to access, the more it adds to the cost.
Some things that make a roof hard to access are:
Even if the roofs are the exact same, a home with an easy access point will have lower labor costs than a home with the things listed above.
The most obvious thing that affects your asphalt shingle roof's cost is the size, either measured in squares or square footage. Your roof’s square footage affects the amount of materials used, labor, and time needed to complete the job.
I say square footage because it’s what homeowners are familiar with. However, you’ll also hear a roofing contractor say “price per roofing square” (100 square feet).
Roof pitch is your roof's slope (angle), which can go from flat to almost completely vertical. The steeper the roof pitch, the more it increases labor costs for an asphalt shingle roof due to moving slower and safely.
Pitch will always play a huge role in pricing, especially labor costs. However, steep pitches can also create more square footage, which also increase material prices.
Complexity is how your roof is cut up with different facets, hips, valleys, and stories off the ground. Your roof’s complexity has a huge impact on the cost based on how it’s cut up with different facets, hips, valleys, and stories off the ground.
Just like with pitch, a roof with a high number of facets at multiple angles, hips, valleys, and two or more stories off the ground is more difficult and takes a lot longer to roof than a ranch-style home’s roof.
A roof penetration is anything that comes through your roof, like plumbing vents, gas vents, kitchen/bathroom vents, skylights, and chimneys. The more penetrations your roof has, the more it impacts the cost.
Smaller pipes or vents won’t impact much, but skylights and chimneys add more to a new roof’s cost because they take longer to flash and work around.
After reading this article, you now know asphalt shingle roofs cost around $20,000 to $25,000 on average. Just remember, the specific shingle type, roofer you hire, and your roof ultimately determine how much your new asphalt shingle roof will cost.
So, use your roof’s square footage and the per-square-foot price for a better understanding of the budget you need. However, getting an estimate from a roofing contractor is the only way to get 100% accurate pricing.
But before picking up the phone to call or do a Google search, there are some things you need to keep in mind before starting your asphalt shingle roofing project. Trust me, the last thing you want is to be taken advantage of because you didn’t have the right information.
Check out 5 Things to Consider When Replacing Your Roof to learn what every homeowner should keep in mind as they start the process.
If you're local to Nashville or a surrounding Middle Tennessee area, Get a Free Quote here or call our office at (615) 242-0333 today to schedule your free roof replacement estimate.