Do you need a roof replacement? Are you worried about how much it’ll cost to tear off your old one and replace it?
After learning they need a new roof, the number one concern for 100% of homeowners is pricing. I won’t lie to you, a roof replacement is a very large investment.
Unfortunately, it’s impossible to provide exact pricing without a professional inspection and estimate from a local roofer. However, I can give you an idea of the budget you’ll need.
For over 35 years, Bill Ragan Roofing has provided transparent cost information the rest of the industry avoids. That’s why I’ll give you the average cost and price per square foot to tear off and replace your roof.
This article answers the following questions:
- What’s the average cost to tear off and replace a roof?
- How much does it cost to tear off and replace a roof per square foot?
- What impacts the cost to tear off and replace a roof?
What’s the average cost to tear off and replace a roof?
In the United States, the average cost to tear off and replace a roof in 2025 is $30,680. This includes tearing off and 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 roof size/complexity, or other cost factors (more on this next). Pricing is also specific to every area, with it even varying in the same state. For example, in Tennessee (our state) the average cost to tear off and replace an asphalt shingle roof is $25,644 in Nashville, but in Chattanooga the average cost is $29,650.
So, the pricing really does depend on where you live and what suppliers are charging in the area. But no matter where you live, the average cost to replace an asphalt shingle roof on most homes will be around $20,000 to $25,000.
Unfortunately, due to consistent increases in material prices, costs will continue to rise across the industry in 2025 and going into 2026.
How much does it cost to tear off and replace a roof per square foot?
The average above is only geared towards asphalt shingles because it’s the most commonly used roofing material. And it’s just what it is: an average.
On top of that, there are three different asphalt shingle types and plenty of other roofing material options. So, you can’t really determine how much it’ll cost to tear off and replace your roof with an average.
Below, you’ll find the cost per square foot of the top residential roofing materials for a full tear and roof replacement in 2025, including all labor and material costs.
| Roofing Material | 2025 Cost to Replace a Roof Per Square Foot |
| 3-tab shingles | $4.00 |
| Architectural shingles | $6.40 |
| Luxury shingles | $8.50 |
| Steel exposed fastener metal | $4.50 |
| Steel standing seam metal | $16.00 |
| Copper standing seam metal | $30.00 - $50.00 |
| Synthetic shingles | $15.00 - $20.00 |
| Cedar shake | $25.00 |
| Slate tiles | $25.00 - $30.00 |
| EPDM (flat roofing) | $14.00 |
| PVC (flat roofing) | $14.00 |
| TPO (flat roofing) | $14.00 |
(Click the link on an individual roofing material to learn more)
The numbers above are rough estimates because every area and roofer has different pricing, plus no two roofs are the same. However, you can use the prices to determine the budget you’ll need for a full roof replacement based on the material.
What impacts the cost to tear off and replace your roof?
The roofing material and roofer you hire have a huge impact on pricing. However, the cost to tear off and replace your roof also depends on a multitude of factors specific to your roof and roofer.
Below are the factors that impact the cost of every roof replacement and their effect on pricing.
Labor costs
Labor costs are factored into every line item on a roof estimate. So, if anything takes time and labor, it adds to the labor costs to replace your roof.
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.
Dump fees
When tearing off the old roof, the old materials are 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 roof always factors into the cost to replace it. Like everything else, a labor cost is also associated with the crew member who dumps your old roof.
The number of layers being torn off
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 materials. There will be an initial labor and dump fee for the first layer, plus an added cost for each additional layer.
The rest of the roof system components
As you know, the roofing material plays a huge role in pricing. However, the other components that get installed when replacing your roof also add to the cost.
Including the main roofing material, the components you'll pay for are:
- Decking (if any wood is compromised)
- Drip edge
- Underlayment
- Ice & water shield
- Starter shingles
- Roof vents and ventilation system
- Roof flashing
- Ridge capping
- Pipe boots
Every component and material listed here should be included in your roof estimate. If just one is missing or left off to save money, I guarantee you’ll have problems.
The accessibility of your roof
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 to replace it.
Some things that make a roof hard to access are:
- Landscaping or rows of bushes below the roof line
- A fence around the property
- No paved surface near the access point
- The neighboring houses are close
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.
Square footage of the roof
The most obvious thing that affects the cost to replace your roof is its 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
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 costs to replace 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.
Roof complexity
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.
Roof penetrations
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.
What should you consider before replacing your roof?
After reading this article, you now have an idea of the average cost to replace a roof, a rough idea of the cost for a roof replacement per square foot, and what impacts the pricing. While the cost numbers above aren’t exact, they do help you understand the budget required for a new roof.
However, you’ll never know how much it’ll cost to replace your roof until you get an estimate from a roofing contractor. But before reaching out to a roofer, there are some things you need to keep in mind before replacing your roof.
The last thing you want is to be taken advantage of because you didn’t have the right information or mindset. That’s why I wrote another article breaking down what you need to know before contacting a roofing company.
Check out 7 Things to Consider Before a Roof Replacement to learn what you need to think about before starting the replacement process.
If you’re in Nashville or a surrounding Middle Tennessee area, don't hesitate to Request a Quote Here or call our office at (615) 242-0333 today to schedule a free roof replacement quote.
