A roof is the single most expensive maintenance system on a typical home — and the one that does the most damage when it fails. Whether you have a single missing shingle, a sudden interior leak after a storm, or a 22-year-old asphalt roof that has finally reached the end of its service life, a licensed roofing contractor is the right call. Roofing falls under one of the most heavily regulated trades because of fall-protection rules (OSHA 1926.501), and any reputable company will carry workers-comp insurance and a state contractor license.
The national mean hourly wage for a Roofer in the most recent BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) release is $26.36/hour (SOC 47-2181). Once you add the standard 2.4× contractor markup that covers vehicle, insurance, overhead, and owner profit, the typical service rack rate works out to ~$63/hour nationally — meaningfully higher in California, Hawaii, and the Northeast, lower across the South and Midwest.
| Project | Time | Typical cost | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof inspection + written report | 1–2 hours | $127 | $104 – $152 |
| Single leak repair (small area, replace ~10 shingles) | half day | $373 | $306 – $448 |
| Shingle replacement (storm spot repair, ~1 square) | half day | $596 | $489 – $716 |
| Step-flashing replacement around chimney or skylight | 1 day | $600 | $492 – $720 |
| Seamless aluminum gutter install (150 ln ft) | 1 day | $1,733 | $1,421 – $2,079 |
| Tear-off + asphalt re-roof (1700 sq ft, mid-grade) | 2–3 days | $10,596 | $8,689 – $12,715 |
| Standing-seam metal roof (1700 sq ft) | 3–5 days | $18,561 | $15,220 – $22,273 |
| Synthetic underlayment + ice-shield refresh | 1 day | $1,736 | $1,423 – $2,083 |
| Skylight replacement (one fixed unit) | 1 day | $960 | $787 – $1,152 |
Sources: BLS OEWS May 2024 (47-2152, 47-2111, 49-9021, 47-2061), MERIC State Cost of Living Index 2024, NAHB Construction Cost Survey 2024.
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.
The cheapest Roofer visit is the one you avoid. These are the seasonal tasks that prevent the calls most pros wish they didn't have to make.
Cost figures above are national medians. Tap any city to see the rate for that metro, anchored on local BLS OEWS wage data and a state cost-of-living adjustment.