What does a metal roof cost? It's what almost everyone who contacts us wants to know. And, by Murphy's Law, it's also the trickiest question to answer! There are so many variables that there is no single answer. The cost of a metal roof depends on any number of factors, but today we're doing our best to offer an answer that should be useful to everyone.
Imagine you see an ad for a metal roofing material that costs $2 a square foot. Multiply the square footage of a roof - say 1,000 square feet, or 10 squares - by 2, and you're looking at $2,000 for your roofing material price.
But it's not that simple. Instead, it works more like this:
Material price per square + waste percentage (including details) + shipping + labor = total cost of roof project
Working from the advertised price listed above - $2/sq ft - it's still true that the majority of roofs (not just metal roofs, either) can't be installed without some degree of waste material in the process. It's like installing flooring - there's always some scrap. The rule of thumb is to approximate waste factors between 5 and 7% at the low end up to 20% plus in the high end - it'll depend on the roof in question.
Add to this waste factor roof details like gable edges, drip edges, valleys, fasteners, pipe flashings, ridge caps, plus freight, sales tax, crating and handling charges, and other possible options, plus the labor to install all of this material, and suddenly, that $2/sq ft price is looking more like $5 to $10/sq ft when all is said and done. And that's a lot different than the $2000 expectation we had at the beginning!
It's important to understand that any approximate is really just an educated guess, but these prices are in the ballpark:
- Low end metal roof material package, including matching accessories: around $2/sq ft
- Medium quality metal roof package, including matching accessories: around $3 to $5/sq ft
- High end metal roof package (such as copper or zinc), including matching accessories: around $10 to $15/sq ft
Labor is likewise on a spectrum. The range of hired roof installers may be anywhere from $.50/sq ft up to $10 to $15/sq ft - and that's on top of material.
Clearly, there's a huge range of prices for a new metal roof. Variables specific to the roof and roofing material themselves - the profile, complexity, slope - plus the abilities and competency of the installer, all affect the final number.
If you're ready for specific numbers for your project, we're happy to help. It's helpful to have the following information handy:
- Pictures or drawings of your roof
- An idea of your budget
- An idea of which roofing materials and profiles you're considering
