Metal Roof Cost Estimator
This metal roof cost estimator prices the two metal rows stored on the rate table. Standing seam is $1,800–$2,450 per square ($18.00 – $24.50 per sq ft) installed, before waste. On a clean 2,000 sq ft gable at 6/12 with one-layer tear-off, the rounded total is $41,100 – $57,000 at national average rates. Exposed-fastener metal on that same job is $13,600 – $29,500. Compiled September 2026. It is a budget estimate, not a bid.
Estimated cost — 2,000 sq ft, standing seam metal, 1 layer, national average rates
| Estimated total | $41,100 – $57,000 |
|---|---|
| Tear-off + installed material and labor + dumpster/permit allowance. Assumes a clean rectangle: no deck repair, one layer of penetrations, ground access. | |
| Per sq ft of roof | $20.55 – $28.49 / sq ft |
| Total divided by the roof area you entered, not by billable squares. | |
| Roofing squares | 20 squares |
| 1 square = 100 sq ft of roof surface. | |
| Waste allowance | 10% |
| Billable squares | 22 squares |
| Roofing squares × (1 + waste). This is what the prices multiply. | |
| Material (allocated) | $21,780 – $29,645 |
| Labor (allocated) | $17,820 – $24,255 |
| Tear-off and haul-off | $1,100 – $1,870 |
| Priced by the material on the roof now. Asphalt is $39–$53 / square per layer. | |
| Dumpster and permit allowance | $400 – $1,200 |
| A placeholder. Your city permit and dumpster ticket will differ. | |
| Labor region | national average rates × 1.00 |
| Applied to labor and tear-off only. Material stays on the national table. | |
Material and labor split is an allocation of the installed cost, not separate quoted figures.
How this number is built
Roof area 2,000 sq ft Squares 2,000 ÷ 100 = 20 Waste 10% (gable, 6/12) Billable squares 20 × 1.10 = 22 Installed range $1,800–$2,450 / square (standing seam metal) Installed subtotal 22 × $1,800 – 22 × $2,450 = $39,600 – $53,900 Tear-off $1,100 – $1,870 Dumpster / permit $400 – $1,200 Region national average rates × 1.00 on labor and tear-off Replacement total $41,100 – $56,970 Per sq ft total ÷ 2,000 sq ft = $20.55 – $28.49 Quoted on this page (rounded to $100) $41,100 – $57,000
Rate table updated September 2026. Previous: initial release.
This is a budget estimate, not a bid. Estimates were compiled in September 2026 from published U.S. cost guides. Final price depends on deck condition, penetrations, access, local code, and a contractor's on-site inspection.
Metal Roof Cost Estimator Per Square Foot
1 square = 100 sq ft of roof surface. Installed, before waste and tear-off, standing seam is $18.00 – $24.50 per sq ft ($1,800–$2,450 per square). Exposed-fastener metal is $5.50 – $12.00 per sq ft ($550–$1,200 per square). A metal roof cost per square foot calculator that prints only that band is leaving waste, haul-off, and the dumpster allowance off the unit price.
All-in per sq ft is the quote total divided by the roof area you typed, not by billable squares. On the default 2,000 sq ft standing-seam job that is $20.55 – $28.49 per sq ft. Exposed-fastener on the same roof is $6.80 – $14.74 per sq ft. The gap between $18.00 – $24.50 and $20.55 – $28.49 is 10% gable waste, tear-off at $50 – $85 per square, and a $400–$1,200 dumpster and permit allowance.
Billable squares are what the prices multiply. 2,000 sq ft is 20 roofing squares. At 10% gable waste the crew bills 22 squares. If the number you have is living area, convert it on the roof square footage calculator before you read either unit row. The cost per square foot for metal roofing page is the unit-rate sheet for those two rows.
Cost by Roof Size
Each cell below is the same engine as the quote sheet: gable, 6/12, one layer, tear-off on, national average rates, rounded to the nearest $100. The per-sq-ft column is that total divided by the roof area, so the flat dumpster allowance makes a smaller roof look slightly higher per square foot.
1,000 sq ft standing seam is $20,800 – $29,100 ($20.75 – $29.09 per sq ft). Exposed-fastener is $7,000 – $15,300 ($7.00 – $15.34 per sq ft). 1,200 sq ft is $24,800 – $34,700 standing seam ($20.68 – $28.89 per sq ft) and $8,300 – $18,200 exposed-fastener ($6.93 – $15.14 per sq ft). 1,500 sq ft is $30,900 – $43,000 standing seam ($20.62 – $28.69 per sq ft) and $10,300 – $22,400 exposed-fastener ($6.87 – $14.94 per sq ft).
2,000 sq ft is the default ticket: standing seam $41,100 – $57,000 ($20.55 – $28.49 per sq ft) and exposed-fastener $13,600 – $29,500 ($6.80 – $14.74 per sq ft). 2,500 sq ft is $51,300 – $70,900 standing seam ($20.51 – $28.37 per sq ft) and $16,900 – $36,500 exposed-fastener ($6.76 – $14.62 per sq ft). Those areas are roof surface. For every covering on one compare, use the roof cost calculator.
| Roof surface | Standing seam | Per sq ft | Exposed-fastener | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft | $20,800 – $29,100 | $20.75 – $29.09 | $7,000 – $15,300 | $7.00 – $15.34 |
| 1,200 sq ft | $24,800 – $34,700 | $20.68 – $28.89 | $8,300 – $18,200 | $6.93 – $15.14 |
| 1,500 sq ft | $30,900 – $43,000 | $20.62 – $28.69 | $10,300 – $22,400 | $6.87 – $14.94 |
| 2,000 sq ft | $41,100 – $57,000 | $20.55 – $28.49 | $13,600 – $29,500 | $6.80 – $14.74 |
| 2,500 sq ft | $51,300 – $70,900 | $20.51 – $28.37 | $16,900 – $36,500 | $6.76 – $14.62 |
Same engine as the quote sheet. Gable, 6/12, one layer, tear-off on, national average rates. Rounded to $100. Per sq ft is the total divided by roof area entered.
Cost by Panel System
Standing seam, field-seamed with concealed fasteners: $18.00 – $24.50 per sq ft installed ($1,800–$2,450 per square), and $41,100 – $57,000 for the 2,000 sq ft tear-off job ($20.55 – $28.49 per sq ft of roof entered). Tear-off on that row is $50 – $85 per square. The standing seam metal roof cost page prices that row by profile and roof size.
Exposed-fastener metal, corrugated and screw-down: $5.50 – $12.00 per sq ft installed ($550–$1,200 per square), and $13,600 – $29,500 on the same 2,000 sq ft roof ($6.80 – $14.74 per sq ft). Face fasteners are the maintenance point. The stored band stops at $1,200 per square.
Metal shingles and stone-coated steel are not priced on this sheet. The rate table does not cover them. Standing seam and exposed-fastener are the two stored rows. Selecting either name in the ticket prints that sentence instead of a dollar range. Gauge, coating, and the install split for the two stored rows are on the metal roof installation cost page.
| Panel system | Installed / sq ft | All-in / sq ft | 2,000 sq ft roof |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standing seam | $18.00 – $24.50 | $20.55 – $28.49 | $41,100 – $57,000 |
| Exposed-fastener (corrugated) | $5.50 – $12.00 | $6.80 – $14.74 | $13,600 – $29,500 |
| Metal shingle | Not in the rate table | Not in the rate table | Not in the rate table |
| Stone-coated steel | Not in the rate table | Not in the rate table | Not in the rate table |
Installed per sq ft is the stored per-square row divided by 100, before waste. All-in per sq ft and the whole-roof total include 10% gable waste, one-layer tear-off, and the dumpster allowance on 2,000 sq ft at national rates.
How to Estimate Metal Roof Cost
A metal roof estimate calculator and a metal roof estimator are this sheet. You enter roof surface. The engine does not multiply that surface by a pitch factor. Squares = area ÷ 100. Billable squares = squares × (1 + waste). Installed dollars = billable squares × the stored per-square band. Labor is only the labor share of that band, times the pitch labor multiplier (1.00 from 4/12 through 6/12). Tear-off and the $400–$1,200 allowance are added after.
Pitch factor belongs one step earlier, when the number you have is a footprint. The factor is sqrt(1 + (rise/12)²). At 6/12 it is 1.118. At 12/12 it is 1.414. A 2,000 sq ft footprint at 6/12 is about 2,236 sq ft of roof before waste. Bring that surface here. Do not also multiply the unit price by 1.118.
Waste on a simple gable is 10%. A hip is 15%. At 9/12 and steeper the sheet adds 4 points, so a steep hip is 19% and a cut-up roof sits at 15% and up. Two existing layers force tear-off: the 2,000 sq ft standing-seam ticket moves from $41,100 – $57,000 at one layer to $41,500 – $58,100 at two layers, because tear-off scales by 1.35–1.60 and the panel price does not. A blank ZIP keeps labor and tear-off at ×1.00.
Metal Roof Cost vs Asphalt Shingles
Architectural asphalt on the same 2,000 sq ft gable, 6/12, one-layer tear-off, national rates, is $10,300 – $17,000 ($5.15 – $8.51 per sq ft of roof entered). Installed, before waste, that row is $4.11 – $6.66 per sq ft ($411–$666 per square), with tear-off $39 – $53 per square. Standing seam on that job is $41,100 – $57,000 ($20.55 – $28.49 per sq ft). Exposed-fastener is $13,600 – $29,500 ($6.80 – $14.74 per sq ft).
The first-cost gap is the stored rows, not a different square. Asphalt tear-off is $39 – $53 per square. Metal tear-off is $50 – $85 per square. Same 22 billable squares, same dumpster allowance, same 10% gable waste. The asphalt shingle roof cost page prints the two asphalt rows on this engine.
Metal Roof Cost Estimator FAQ
How much does a metal roof cost estimator show for 2,000 sq ft?
$41,100 – $57,000 for standing seam and $13,600 – $29,500 for exposed-fastener metal on a clean 2,000 sq ft gable at 6/12 with one-layer tear-off, national average rates, rounded. It is a budget estimate, not a bid.
What is the metal roof cost per square foot?
Installed, before waste and tear-off: standing seam $18.00 – $24.50 per sq ft, exposed-fastener $5.50 – $12.00 per sq ft. All-in on the 2,000 sq ft tear-off job is $20.55 – $28.49 per sq ft for standing seam and $6.80 – $14.74 for exposed-fastener. Total divided by the roof area you entered, not by billable squares.
Does the metal roof estimate include waste and tear-off?
Yes on this ticket. Gable waste is 10%, so 2,000 sq ft bills 22 squares. Tear-off is $50 – $85 per square per layer on both stored metal rows. The $400–$1,200 dumpster and permit line stays on as well. 1 square = 100 sq ft of roof surface.
How much is a 1,500 sq ft metal roof?
At 1,500 sq ft of roof surface, 6/12 gable, one-layer tear-off, national rates: standing seam $30,900 – $43,000 ($20.62 – $28.69 per sq ft) and exposed-fastener $10,300 – $22,400 ($6.87 – $14.94 per sq ft), rounded.
How does a metal roof compare with asphalt shingles?
On the 2,000 sq ft tear-off job, architectural asphalt is $10,300 – $17,000 ($5.15 – $8.51 per sq ft). Standing seam is $41,100 – $57,000 ($20.55 – $28.49 per sq ft). Exposed-fastener is $13,600 – $29,500 ($6.80 – $14.74 per sq ft). Same engine and the same 22 billable squares.
Why is there no price for metal shingles or stone-coated steel?
Metal shingles and stone-coated steel are not priced on this sheet. The rate table does not cover them. Standing seam and exposed-fastener are the two stored rows.