Pick your state, your roof style and your roof size, and get a low, typical and high installed estimate you can take into your bids. The numbers come from national trade price ranges adjusted for your state, plus local quotes where we have collected them.
Estimates use national trade price ranges adjusted by a state cost index, and local figures where we have them. Prices updated October 24, 2026. This is a planning number, not a quote: real bids depend on your roof, your market and the month. Get three written bids.
What moves the price
- Style and metal. Exposed-fastener steel panels cost the least; standing seam, metal shingles and stone-coated steel sit in the middle; copper and zinc are premium metals with specialty labor.
- Complexity. Hips, valleys, dormers, skylights and steep pitch add cutting, flashing and time. A simple gable roof is the cheapest shape to cover.
- Tear-off and decking. Removing old layers and replacing rotten decking adds cost that no calculator can see from the street.
- Finish and gauge. A PVDF paint system on 24-gauge steel costs more than SMP on 26 or 29 gauge, and lasts longer. Read our finish guide and gauge guide.
- Metal prices. Steel, aluminum, copper and zinc move with the markets; our market watch tracks the numbers contractors use when they price coil.
For the long version, with a worked example and a style-by-style table, read what a metal roof costs. When you are ready, find roofers near you and ask three of them for itemized bids. Already holding bids? Put them side by side against the range for your state before you choose.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is the estimate?
It is a planning range, not a quote. The calculator starts from national installed price ranges for each style, adjusts them with a state cost index and your roof's complexity, and adds tear-off and extras you select. Real bids depend on your roof, your market and the season, so expect quotes to land inside the range more often than on the typical number.
Why does the state matter so much?
Labor rates, permits, insurance, fuel and the cost of running a crew differ a great deal between states and even between cities. The state index moves the national range up or down to reflect that. Where we have local quotes for a state, the calculator uses those instead and says so under the result.
What is roof area versus footprint?
Footprint is the ground area the house covers. Roof area is larger because the roof slopes and overhangs the walls. If you only know the footprint, choose that option and pick the pitch; the calculator converts it. If you have a roof measurement from a bid or a satellite report, enter the roof area directly.
Does the estimate include removing my old roof?
Only if you leave the tear-off box checked. Removing one layer of asphalt shingles is included as a separate line so you can see its share. Some metal systems can go over a single layer of shingles where the local code allows it, which removes that line; our guide on metal over shingles explains when that works.
Can I use the number to judge a bid?
Use it as a sanity check, not a target. A bid far below the low end deserves hard questions about gauge, paint system, underlayment, flashing details and insurance. A bid above the high end may be justified by a complex roof, a premium metal or a long warranty. Ask each contractor to itemize so you can compare like with like.