Metal Roof Cost Per Square Foot
This sheet prices metal roof cost per square foot as a unit rate, not a whole-job total. Standing seam stores at $1,800–$2,450 per square ($18.00 – $24.50 per sq ft) installed, before waste and tear-off. Exposed-fastener metal stores at $550–$1,200 per square ($5.50 – $12.00 per sq ft). 1 square = 100 sq ft of roof surface. On a clean 2,000 sq ft gable at 6/12 with tear-off, all-in is $20.55 – $28.49 and $6.80 – $14.74 per sq ft at national average rates. Whole-job totals are on the metal roof installation cost page. Compiled September 2026. It is a budget estimate, not a bid.
Rate sheet
| Installed, per sq ftNo waste, no tear-off | $18.00 – $24.50 / sq ft |
|---|---|
| All-in, per sq ftWaste, tear-off, dumpster, and permit | $20.55 – $28.49 / sq ft |
| Equivalent per squareAll-in total ÷ roof squares | $2,055.00 – $2,848.50 / square |
How this number is built
Installed range $1,800 – $2,450 / square (standing seam metal) ÷ 100 $18.00 – $24.50 / sq ft installed, before waste and tear-off Roof area 2,000 sq ft Squares 2,000 ÷ 100 = 20 Waste 10% (gable, 6/12) Billable squares 20 × 1.10 = 22 × billable squares 22 × $1,800 – 22 × $2,450 = $39,600 – $53,900 Pitch on labor × 1.00 – 1.00 on the labor share only Material $21,780 – $29,645 Labor after pitch $17,820 – $24,255 Tear-off $1,100 – $1,870 Dumpster / permit $400 – $1,200 Region national average rates × 1.00 on labor and tear-off All-in total $41,100 – $56,970 ÷ roof area $41,100 ÷ 2,000 – $56,970 ÷ 2,000 = $20.55 – $28.49 / sq ft Equivalent / square all-in total ÷ 20 squares = $2,055.00 – $2,848.50
Rate table updated September 2026.
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 Per Square Foot Installed
Installed, before waste and tear-off, standing seam is $18.00 – $24.50 per sq ft ($1,800–$2,450 per square) and exposed-fastener metal is $5.50 – $12.00 per sq ft ($550–$1,200 per square). Those are the stored per-square rows divided by 100. 1 square = 100 sq ft of roof surface.
Those two rows are the ends of what this table covers. The spread is the content. Standing seam alone is on the standing seam metal roof cost page. Standing seam source: U.S. roofing cost calculator tables (peer set), 2026. Exposed-fastener source: U.S. roofing cost calculator tables (peer set), 2026. The sheet multiplies the stored dollars, not a figure that appears only in a source note.
All-In Cost Per Square Foot
Waste on the default gable is 10%, so 2,000 sq ft bills 22 squares. Standing seam installed on those squares is $39,600 – $53,900, before tear-off. Tear-off adds $1,100 – $1,870. Dumpster and permit add $400–$1,200. At 6/12 the labor multiplier is 1.00, so material plus labor equals that installed subtotal. The sum is $41,100 – $56,970, which is $20.55 – $28.49 per sq ft of the 2,000 sq ft entered.
On a clean 2,000 sq ft gable at 6/12 with one-layer tear-off, all-in is $20.55 – $28.49 per sq ft for standing seam ($41,100 – $57,000 for the whole roof, rounded) and $6.80 – $14.74 per sq ft for exposed-fastener ($13,600 – $29,500 rounded). The same all-in total is $2,055.00 – $2,848.50 per square of roof entered for standing seam and $680.00 – $1,473.50 for exposed-fastener, which is the total divided by 20 squares, not the installed band. Those figures include waste, tear-off, and the $400–$1,200 dumpster and permit allowance. Total divided by the roof area you entered, not by billable squares.
Cost Per Square Foot by Panel System
Standing seam, field-seamed with concealed fasteners, is the $18.00 – $24.50 per sq ft row ($1,800–$2,450 per square) installed, before waste and tear-off. On the default 2,000 sq ft roof the all-in rate is $20.55 – $28.49 per sq ft and the whole roof is $41,100 – $57,000, rounded.
Exposed-fastener metal, corrugated and screw-down, is the $5.50 – $12.00 per sq ft row ($550–$1,200 per square) installed, before waste and tear-off. On that same 2,000 sq ft roof the all-in rate is $6.80 – $14.74 per sq ft and the whole roof is $13,600 – $29,500, rounded.
Metal shingles and stone-coated steel are not priced in this section. The rate table does not cover them, so this page does not print a band.
Installed and all-in rates for the two stored panels
| Panel | Installed / sq ft | Installed / square | All-in / sq ft | Whole roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standing seam | $18.00 – $24.50 | $1,800 – $2,450 | $20.55 – $28.49 | $41,100 – $57,000 |
| Exposed-fastener | $5.50 – $12.00 | $550 – $1,200 | $6.80 – $14.74 | $13,600 – $29,500 |
Installed columns are the stored band before waste and tear-off. All-in and whole-roof columns are a 2,000 sq ft gable, 6/12, one layer, tear-off on, national average rates. Whole roof is rounded to $100 and includes waste, tear-off, and the $400–$1,200 dumpster and permit allowance. Metal shingles and stone-coated steel are not rows.
Material and Labor Split Per Square Foot
Standing seam stores a 55% material share and a 45% labor share of the installed band. That is $990.00 – $1,347.50 per square material ($9.90 – $13.48 per sq ft) and $810.00 – $1,102.50 per square labor ($8.10 – $11.03 per sq ft), before waste and tear-off. Exposed-fastener metal stores 50% / 50%, which is $275.00 – $600.00 per square ($2.75 – $6.00 per sq ft) for material and the same band for labor. Material and labor split is an allocation of the installed cost, not separate quoted figures.
On 22 billable squares at 6/12 and national rates, standing seam material is $21,780 – $29,645 and labor is $17,820 – $24,255. Exposed-fastener material is $6,050 – $13,200 and labor is $6,050 – $13,200. Pitch other than 4/12–6/12 multiplies labor only.
Tear-off is a separate line, not inside that split. Both metal rows store $50 – $85 per square per layer ($0.50 – $0.85 per sq ft). On 22 billable squares that is $1,100 – $1,870. Source: Industry-typical, 2026. Not dual-sourced; not copied from the asphalt tear-off row.
Cost Per Square Foot at Different Roof Sizes
The table prices 1,000, 1,200, 1,500, and 2,000 sq ft of roof surface. Each total is gable waste, 6/12, one layer, tear-off on, national average rates, rounded to the nearest $100. The per-sq-ft cells are that all-in total divided by the roof area, not the installed band, which is the same job the metal roof cost estimator runs when you type an area.
Standing seam all-in is $20.75 – $29.09 per sq ft at 1,000 sq ft of roof and $20.55 – $28.49 at 2,000 sq ft. The installed band stays $18.00 – $24.50 per sq ft at every row, before waste and tear-off. The drop is the flat $400–$1,200 dumpster and permit allowance: $0.40–$1.20 per sq ft at 1,000 sq ft, and $0.20–$0.60 per sq ft at 2,000. Tear-off per square does not change with area.
1,000 sq ft of roof is not a 1,000 sq ft house. Convert living area on the roof square footage calculator before you trust a per-sq-ft row.
Whole-roof total and all-in per sq ft at 1,000, 1,200, 1,500, and 2,000 sq ft
| Roof surface | Standing seam total | Standing seam / sq ft | Exposed-fastener total | Exposed-fastener / 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 |
Same engine as the metal installation sheet. Gable, 6/12, one layer, tear-off on, national average rates. Totals rounded to $100. Per sq ft is the exact all-in total divided by roof area, including waste, tear-off, and the dumpster and permit allowance. Roof surface, not living area, entered the same way on the roof cost calculator.
What Moves the Per-Square-Foot Price
Pitch changes labor, not the material dollars. 4/12 to 6/12 is the 1.00 labor row. From 2/12 up to 4/12, labor is 10% above that row. 7/12 to 9/12 uses 1.15–1.25. 10/12 and steeper uses 1.40–1.80 for staging.
This ticket assumes a gable: 10% waste. Hip is 15% and shed is 9% on this engine. At 9/12 and steeper the sheet adds about 4 points of waste. Roof shape is not a field on this ticket.
Tear-off on this ticket is one layer, $50 – $85 per square per layer ($0.50 – $0.85 per sq ft). A second layer multiplies that tear-off line by 1.35–1.60. It does not double the installed band. The metal roof installation cost sheet is where layers and roof shape sit. A ZIP scales labor and tear-off by the state wage ratio. Material stays on the national table. A blank ZIP is national average rates × 1.00.
Assumes a clean rectangle: no deck repair, one layer of penetrations, ground access. Dormers, skylights, chimneys, and a cut-up plan are not a dollar line on this table.
Metal vs Asphalt Cost Per Square Foot
Architectural asphalt stores at $411–$666 per square ($4.11 – $6.66 per sq ft) installed, before waste and tear-off. Tear-off on that row is $39 – $53 per square. On the same 2,000 sq ft gable, 6/12, tear-off on, national rates, all-in is $5.15 – $8.51 per sq ft ($10,300 – $17,000 rounded). Standing seam is $20.55 – $28.49 per sq ft ($41,100 – $57,000). Exposed-fastener is $6.80 – $14.74 per sq ft ($13,600 – $29,500). Same engine, same waste, same dumpster allowance.
The asphalt row on the same engine is the asphalt shingle roof cost sheet. This page does not print a cost per year. The rate table has no service-life field.
Metal Roof Cost Per Square Foot FAQ
How much does a metal roof cost per square foot?
Installed, before waste and tear-off, standing seam is $18.00 – $24.50 per sq ft ($1,800–$2,450 per square) and exposed-fastener metal is $5.50 – $12.00 per sq ft ($550–$1,200 per square). Those are the stored per-square rows divided by 100. 1 square = 100 sq ft of roof surface.
What does the all-in cost per square foot include?
A 2,000 sq ft roof on this sheet is 22 billable squares. All-in cost per square foot is $20.55 – $28.49 for standing seam and $6.80 – $14.74 for exposed-fastener metal. Those figures include waste, tear-off, and the dumpster and permit allowance.
Why does a larger roof show a lower cost per square foot?
Standing seam all-in is $20.75 – $29.09 per sq ft at 1,000 sq ft of roof and $20.55 – $28.49 at 2,000 sq ft. The installed band stays $18.00 – $24.50 per sq ft at every row, before waste and tear-off. The drop is the flat $400–$1,200 dumpster and permit allowance: $0.40–$1.20 per sq ft at 1,000 sq ft, and $0.20–$0.60 per sq ft at 2,000. Tear-off per square does not change with area.
How do standing seam and exposed-fastener compare per square foot?
Standing seam is $18.00 – $24.50 per sq ft installed ($1,800–$2,450 per square) and $20.55 – $28.49 per sq ft all-in on 2,000 sq ft. Exposed-fastener is $5.50 – $12.00 per sq ft installed ($550–$1,200 per square) and $6.80 – $14.74 per sq ft all-in on that roof. Metal shingles and stone-coated steel are not priced in this section. The rate table does not cover them, so this page does not print a band.
How is material and labor split per square foot?
Standing seam stores a 55% material share and a 45% labor share of the installed band. That is $990.00 – $1,347.50 per square material ($9.90 – $13.48 per sq ft) and $810.00 – $1,102.50 per square labor ($8.10 – $11.03 per sq ft), before waste and tear-off. Exposed-fastener metal stores 50% / 50%, which is $275.00 – $600.00 per square ($2.75 – $6.00 per sq ft) for material and the same band for labor. Material and labor split is an allocation of the installed cost, not separate quoted figures. Tear-off is a separate line, not inside that split. Both metal rows store $50 – $85 per square per layer ($0.50 – $0.85 per sq ft). On 22 billable squares that is $1,100 – $1,870. Source: Industry-typical, 2026. Not dual-sourced; not copied from the asphalt tear-off row.
How does metal compare with asphalt per square foot?
Architectural asphalt stores at $411–$666 per square ($4.11 – $6.66 per sq ft) installed, before waste and tear-off. Tear-off on that row is $39 – $53 per square. On the same 2,000 sq ft gable, 6/12, tear-off on, national rates, all-in is $5.15 – $8.51 per sq ft ($10,300 – $17,000 rounded). Standing seam is $20.55 – $28.49 per sq ft ($41,100 – $57,000). Exposed-fastener is $6.80 – $14.74 per sq ft ($13,600 – $29,500). Same engine, same waste, same dumpster allowance.
Is 1,000 sq ft of roof the same as a 1,000 sq ft house?
1,000 sq ft of roof is not a 1,000 sq ft house. Convert living area on the roof square footage calculator before you trust a per-sq-ft row.