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Home › Cost Guides › Roofer Cost › Madison, WI
🏠 Cost Guide · Madison, WIA roofer in Madison charges $60/hour for a standard service call — that's 5% below the US median of $63/hour. The differential reflects the WI cost-of-living composite of 95.1 (US average = 100) applied to BLS OEWS national mean wage data for SOC 47-2181.
| Project | Time | Typical cost | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof inspection + written report | 1–2 hours | $120 | $99 – $144 |
| Single leak repair (small area, replace ~10 shingles) | half day | $355 | $291 – $426 |
| Shingle replacement (storm spot repair, ~1 square) | half day | $567 | $465 – $681 |
| Step-flashing replacement around chimney or skylight | 1 day | $570 | $468 – $684 |
| Seamless aluminum gutter install (150 ln ft) | 1 day | $1,648 | $1,351 – $1,977 |
| Tear-off + asphalt re-roof (1700 sq ft, mid-grade) | 2–3 days | $10,077 | $8,263 – $12,092 |
| Standing-seam metal roof (1700 sq ft) | 3–5 days | $17,652 | $14,474 – $21,182 |
| Synthetic underlayment + ice-shield refresh | 1 day | $1,651 | $1,354 – $1,981 |
| Skylight replacement (one fixed unit) | 1 day | $913 | $748 – $1,095 |
Sources: BLS OEWS May 2024 (SOC 47-2181), MERIC State Cost of Living Index 95.1 for WI, NAHB Construction Cost Survey 2024.
At an effective contractor rate of $60/hour, Madison sits right around the national median for roofer work. Homeowners here will see lower-than-average prices on labor-intensive jobs (re-pipes, panel upgrades, full system replacements) where labor is the bulk of the cost. Materials-heavy jobs (water-heater swaps, furnace replacements, large appliance installs) will track somewhat below the national figure because regional materials inflation in WI runs about 5% below the US benchmark.
A residential roofer either performs targeted repair (lifted shingles, popped nails, failed flashing, single-leak diagnosis) or a full tear-off and replacement. A reputable contractor will start with a multi-point inspection: shingle condition (granule loss, curling, cracking), flashing integrity around chimneys/sidewalls/penetrations, ridge and soffit ventilation, attic moisture signs, and decking condition (you don't know about rotten plywood until tear-off). Asphalt shingle is the dominant material in 80% of US homes; metal and tile dominate in storm-prone or arid markets. All re-roofs require a permit and at least one mid-roof inspection by the local AHJ in most jurisdictions, and OSHA 1926.501 requires fall protection for any work at heights above 6 feet — a non-negotiable safety/insurance issue.
Door-to-door storm-chaser pitches, "we just did your neighbor's roof" without proof, asking for full payment up front, no permit pulled, or the company refusing to provide its state contractor license number.