Roofing Contractor Pricing Guide: What to Charge

Most roofing contractors who struggle financially aren’t underworked — they’re underpriced. Getting roofing pricing right requires understanding material costs, labor, overhead, and market rates in your area. This guide breaks down how to price roofing work profitably in 2026.

How Roofing is Priced: The Basics

Roofing is measured in squares — one square equals 100 square feet of roof surface. A 2,000 sq ft home footprint typically has 2,200-2,600 sq ft of actual roof surface (more with pitch), or 22-26 squares.

Most roofing contractors price jobs one of two ways:

Per-square pricing: A flat rate per square installed, covering materials + labor. This is the industry standard for asphalt shingle jobs. A complete tear-off and replacement of an average Texas home might run $350-$550/square total (materials + labor + disposal + overhead + profit).

Material + labor separation: Quote materials at cost (or with a small markup), then quote labor separately. Useful when material prices are volatile or for complex jobs where labor intensity varies significantly.

For most residential roofers, per-square pricing on complete replacements is simpler and more efficient.

Texas Roofing Market Benchmarks

Based on industry data and contractor reports, here are approximate price ranges for residential asphalt shingle roof replacements in major Texas markets:

Market	Low Range	Mid Range	Premium
Houston	$350/sq	$430/sq	$550+/sq
Dallas	$370/sq	$450/sq	$570+/sq
Austin	$380/sq	$460/sq	$580+/sq
San Antonio	$340/sq	$420/sq	$530+/sq

These are total installed prices including tear-off, underlayment, 30-year architectural shingles, new flashing, and disposal. Premium pricing applies to steep roofs, metal roofing, tile, or complex job conditions.

Note: These are market rates, not cost + margin analysis. Price against your specific costs — market rates only validate that your pricing is competitive.

Calculate Your True Cost Per Square

Before setting prices, calculate your actual cost per square:

Materials (per square, 30-year architectural shingles):

• Shingles: $80-110/square
• Underlayment (synthetic): $8-12/square
• Starter strip: $5-8/square
• Ridge cap: $3-5/square (averaged across squares)
• Flashing allowance: $3-5/square (averaged)
• Nails/fasteners: $2-3/square
• Materials total: ~$100-140/square

Labor:

• 2-person crew installing 12-15 squares/day = $30-50/square installed (varies significantly by market and difficulty)
• Tear-off labor: $15-25/square additional

Overhead allocation (per square):

• Truck + equipment depreciation
• Insurance (GL + workers comp)
• Licensing fees
• Office/admin
• Marketing
• Overhead: typically $30-60/square depending on your operation size

Total cost (before profit): ~$175-250/square

At market price of $400-450/square, a well-run roofing business should generate 30-40% gross margin on standard residential replacements. If you’re under 20% gross margin, you’re either priced too low or your costs are too high.

Pricing Storm Damage Work

Storm work (hail, wind damage) deserves different pricing considerations:

Insurance-paid jobs: When insurance is paying, the price is often set by Xactimate (the industry software adjusters use). Know what Xactimate pays for your market — adjusters will pay this, but won’t typically go above without a supplement. Supplementing is a legitimate and common practice: charging for items the initial estimate missed (steep charge, code upgrades, complexity).

Out-of-pocket storm repairs: Homeowners paying out of pocket for storm damage repair have less predictable price tolerance. Present repair vs. full replacement options with clear pricing.

Storm season surge pricing: During major hail events (common in DFW, Houston metro, and San Antonio) demand surges dramatically. Labor costs rise as you bring on additional crews. Price this in — your overhead per square effectively increases with storm surge hiring.

Insurance waiver laws: Texas law prohibits contractors from waiving a homeowner’s insurance deductible. Never offer to “cover the deductible” — it’s illegal and a significant liability.

Pricing Roof Repairs (not full replacements)

Roof repairs are priced differently — typically flat-rate by job type or hourly:

• Flashing repair (chimney, skylight, valley): $200-600 depending on complexity
• Missing/damaged shingles (localized): $250-500
• Ridge cap replacement: $300-600
• Pipe boot replacement: $150-300
• Emergency tarping (active leak): $300-600+
• Gutters cleaned as part of repair visit: $75-150 add-on

Set minimums: most roofing contractors set a $300-400 minimum for any truck roll. Don’t price small jobs so cheaply that they’re unprofitable after fuel, time, and overhead.

Overhead Recovery: The Number Most Roofers Forget

Fixed overhead must be recovered even on slow weeks. Calculate your monthly fixed costs (truck payments, insurance, office, tools, marketing) and divide by your productive square capacity per month. This is your overhead per square — it must be built into every job price.

Example:

• Monthly fixed overhead: $8,000
• Capacity: 200 squares/month
• Overhead per square: $40

If you priced a job at $400/square with $160/sq in materials and labor, you’d only have $240/sq remaining — but $40 of that is overhead, leaving $200/sq gross profit. At 25 squares, that’s $5,000 gross profit on a one-day job. Know your numbers.

Why Flat Monthly Platforms Beat Per-Lead Pricing for Roofers

Roofing leads are expensive on commission and per-lead platforms. A $400,000 roofing job with a 15% commission platform means $6,000 in platform fees — for one job. Per-lead platforms charge $80-200 per lead, and leads are often sold to multiple contractors simultaneously.

House Escort’s model is different: a low flat monthly subscription, zero commissions, zero lead fees. Pros keep 100% of what they earn on every job. For a roofing contractor completing 3-5 replacements per month, the cost difference is significant.

Try House Escort Free for 1 Month →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should I charge per square for roofing in Texas?

In Texas, complete asphalt shingle replacement typically runs $350-550/square in total installed price (materials, labor, tear-off, disposal). Houston runs slightly lower than Austin or Dallas. Your specific price should be based on your costs + target margin, not just market rates — but market rates confirm you’re competitive.

Should I charge more for steep roofs?

Yes — a steep pitch surcharge is standard practice. A roof over 8/12 pitch increases labor time, safety requirements, and fall risk. Most contractors add $25-75/square for roofs steeper than 6/12-8/12, with more significant charges for very steep or complex roofs.

How do I price a partial repair vs. full replacement?

Partial repairs are priced on a flat-rate basis by task type (flashing, shingles, boots) with a minimum service call charge. Full replacements are priced per square with tear-off included. When a repair quote exceeds 35-40% of replacement cost, recommend replacement — it’s better advice for the homeowner and creates a larger revenue opportunity.

How do I compete with low-ball bids in Texas?

Focus on your differentiation: warranty terms, materials brand, installation quality, reviews, and responsiveness. Walk homeowners through what’s in your bid vs. what might be missing from a lower bid (ice and water shield, synthetic underlayment, full flashing replacement). Some homeowners choose price — those aren’t your customers. Others choose value — close those confidently.

What’s a good profit margin for a roofing contractor?

Industry benchmarks suggest 20-30% net profit margin for well-run residential roofing businesses. Gross margin (before overhead) should be 35-50% on each job. If you’re below 20% net, examine your overhead structure and pricing. Roofing is a high-revenue business — if margins are thin, something is off in your cost structure or pricing.