Roofing pricing in 2026 is being pulled in two directions: aggregator marketplaces compressing retail to the bottom of the market, and rising material + labor costs raising the floor. Contractors who price by material tier and by lead source — and resist matching aggregator-bid pricing on self-generated leads — keep healthy gross margin.
Per-square installed pricing by material
| Material | Per-square range | 22-sq install | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural (dimensional) asphalt — GAF Timberline, OC Duration, CertainTeed Landmark | $450–$650 | $10K–$14K | The volume tier. 70%+ of reroofs. |
| Designer/premium asphalt — GAF Camelot, OC Berkshire, IKO Royal Estate | $600–$850 | $13K–$19K | Heavier shingle, premium curb appeal. ~20% of reroofs. |
| Standing-seam metal | $1,200–$1,800 | $26K–$40K | Lifetime install, 50-year warranty, energy efficient |
| Stone-coated steel — DECRA, Boral, Roser | $1,000–$1,500 | $22K–$33K | Metal performance with shingle look |
| Clay tile | $1,800–$2,800 | $40K–$62K | Southwest market, 50-100 yr lifespan |
| Natural slate | $2,500–$4,000 | $55K–$88K | Premium historic restoration, 100+ yr |
Per-square pricing assumes a standard pitch (6/12), no major decking replacement, and a single-layer tear-off. Add $50–$150/square for 12/12+ steep-slope work. Add $80–$200/square for full decking replacement. Add $30–$60/square for second-layer tear-off.
Regional variation
Pricing varies meaningfully by region. Northeast and West Coast labor costs add 20–30% over national averages. Southeast (especially FL, GA, AL) tends to run 10–15% below national. Storm-response markets briefly carry a 10–20% premium during the 4–8 week window after a confirmed hail/wind event.
The insurance-claim pricing dynamic
Insurance work is priced from Xactimate, the industry-standard estimating software. Adjusters work from local Xactimate rates as baseline.
- Xactimate base pricing typically runs 5–15% below median retail.
- Code-required upgrades (ice/water shield, drip edge, ridge vent, hip/ridge accent shingles) get added as supplements.
- Final approved scope after supplements usually lands at retail-equivalent or slightly above.
- Supplement-writing skill is the biggest gross-margin lever in insurance work.
Roof Launch's customer portal includes line items that align with common insurance scope language, so your upfront price reconciles cleanly against the adjuster's scope.
Gross margin math
Healthy residential roofing contractors target 30–40% gross margin per reroof. The math at $550/square retail pricing on architectural asphalt (22-square average home):
| Cost line | Per square | Per 22-square install |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue (homeowner pays) | $550 | $12,100 |
| Materials (shingle + underlayment + nails + flashing) | $165–$200 | $3,630–$4,400 |
| Labor (crew, all-in) | $140–$180 | $3,080–$3,960 |
| Disposal (dumpster + dump fees) | $20–$35 | $440–$770 |
| Customer acquisition (varies wildly) | $15–$60 | $330–$1,320 |
| Gross margin | $140–$210 | $3,080–$4,620 |
Customer acquisition is the most variable line. Aggregator leads at $1,000–$2,000 CAC vs mailed roof quotes at $300–$600 CAC swing gross margin by 4–8 percentage points per install.
Pricing the material tier upsell
The three-tier material picker on the customer portal is the single biggest gross-margin lever in residential roofing:
- Tier 1 (volume): Architectural asphalt at $500/square. Most homeowners default here on competing bids.
- Tier 2 (mid): Designer/premium asphalt at $700/square. 30–45% upsell rate when visible on the customer portal alongside Tier 1.
- Tier 3 (premium): Stone-coated metal at $1,300/square. 5–15% upsell rate, but the margin dollars per closed Tier 3 are 2–3× a Tier 1.
Without the visual tier comparison, most homeowners default to the cheapest option in the bid pile. With the rendered photo of THEIR house showing each tier, the conversation shifts from price to preference — and many homeowners step up to Tier 2 once they see the curb-appeal difference.
Common pricing mistakes
- Matching aggregator-marketplace pricing on self-generated leads. If the homeowner came from a mailed roof quote, they're not getting 5 bids. Price at your local median or above.
- Underpricing metal as "shingle-plus." Metal sells on lifetime value, not square pricing. Frame the conversation as cost-per-year, not cost-per-square.
- Not pricing supplements into insurance scope. Code-required upgrades (drip edge, ice/water shield, ridge vent) are legitimate scope additions. Contractors who don't write supplements leave $1K–$3K per claim on the table.
- Single-tier pricing with no upsell path. Showing only "your reroof is $12,000" denies the homeowner the option to step up. Three-tier visual comparison drives 30–45% to Tier 2.
Price your reroofs with the homeowner already seeing the tiers.
Roof Launch's customer portal shows three material tiers per home with upfront pricing — homeowners pick before you arrive. Type in a street and start a free campaign. Average return: $32 per $1 spent.
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