ShingleTallySquares, bundles and everything else a roof needs, counted properly.

How much does a 20-square roof replacement cost in Ames, IA?

A full asphalt shingle roof replacement in Ames, IA
$10,498
20 squares · typical range $7,124 – $16,872
Typical total$525 per square$10,498
Range you should see in bidsthree bids on the same scope normally land inside this$7,124 – $16,872
Labor portion60% of the job — this is the part that moves by city$6,299
Material portion40% — bought at national prices$4,199
Roofers pay near AmesBLS does not publish a metro figure for roofers near Ames, IA, so this is the Iowa state average, SOC 47-2181$52,070/yr
U.S. mean for the same tradeSOC 47-2181$58,140/yr
Versus the national pricetrade pay here runs −10.4% against the U.S. mean−$702
Ice barrier requiredAmes designs to -6°F, so IRC R905.1.2 ice barrier applies — two courses of membrane at the eaves, typically $60–$120 per square added—

Notes

  • Where the number comes from. The national price for a full asphalt shingle roof replacement is $560 per square — installed asphalt shingle pricing published for 2026, $3.50–$10.00 per ft² of roof. Labor is about 60% of that. Roofers near Ames, IA average $52,070 a year against a U.S. mean of $58,140 — a factor of 0.896 — so the labor half is scaled by that and the material half is not. Source: BLS does not publish a metro figure for roofers near Ames, IA, so this is the Iowa state average, SOC 47-2181.
  • This one falls back to a wider average. BLS did not publish a metro-level wage for this trade near Ames, IA, so the figure above is a state average. It is still the right order of magnitude, but a local bid carries more weight here than it would in a large metro where the survey has more responses.
  • Ice barrier required. Ames designs to -6°F, so IRC R905.1.2 ice barrier applies — two courses of membrane at the eaves, typically $60–$120 per square added.
  • What is in the price: tear-off of one layer, synthetic underlayment, architectural shingles, starter, ridge cap, drip edge, nails, disposal and labor.
  • What is not: decking replacement, chimney or skylight flashing rebuilds, structural repair, and permits. These are the lines that turn a $10,498 quote into a $13,123 invoice, so ask about each one before signing.
  • Use this as a bid check, not a quote. It prices an average job in average condition. Difficult access, the state of what is being replaced, the season, and a crew booked out three months all move the real number, and none of them are in a per-unit average.

a full asphalt shingle roof replacement in Ames, IA

$10,498 is the typical number, and three bids on the same scope normally land between $7,124 and $16,872.

That is $702 less than the same job priced at the national average.

Why the city changes the number

About 60% of this job is labor — $6,299 of the $10,498 above. Labor is the only part that moves locally; a bundle of material costs what it costs wherever it is nailed down.

Roofers near Ames average $52,070 a year, against a U.S. mean of $58,140. That is a factor of 0.896, so the labor half is scaled by it and the material half is not.

Source: BLS does not publish a metro figure for roofers near Ames, IA, so this is the Iowa state average, SOC 47-2181.

What the quote should include

Ice barrier required

The lines that turn a quote into an invoice

Ask about each of them before you sign. On a job this size they are the difference between $10,498 and something a quarter higher.

Use it as a bid check, not a quote

This prices an average job in average condition. Access, the state of what is being replaced, the season, and a crew booked out three months all move the real number, and none of them are in a national average.

If a bid lands outside $7,124 – $16,872, that is not automatically wrong — but it is the question worth asking out loud.

Nearby sizes

Read more