What Is the Cost Per Roofing Square?

A roofing square equals 100 square feet of roof area, and it is the standard unit roofers use to price and order material. Cost per square varies significantly by material, with shingle at the lower end and tile at the higher end, and also varies by pitch, complexity and labor. Multiplying a generic price per square by your home's footprint will not give you an accurate number.

What a roofing square actually is

A roofing square is 100 square feet of roof surface area, not floor space. Roofers use squares to measure roofs, order the right amount of material and quote jobs consistently. Our what is a roofing square guide covers how this measurement works in more detail.

Why price per square varies

Price per square is not fixed. It changes based on material, with shingle generally the least expensive per square and tile generally the most. It also changes based on pitch, since steep roofs cost more per square to install than low slope roofs, and based on complexity, since a roof with many valleys and penetrations costs more per square than a simple rectangular roof.

Why you cannot just multiply a number by your roof size

Online estimates often quote a flat price per square and multiply it by an estimated roof size to produce a number. This ignores pitch, tear-off, decking condition and material grade, all of which shift the real price per square up or down. See what affects roof cost for the full list of variables that matter more than a flat per-square rate.