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

How much does a 30-square roof replacement cost in Washington, DC?

A full asphalt shingle roof replacement in Washington, DC
$17,452
30 squares · typical range $11,842 – $28,048
Typical total$582 per square$17,452
Range you should see in bidsthree bids on the same scope normally land inside this$11,842 – $28,048
Labor portion60% of the job — this is the part that moves by city$10,471
Material portion40% — bought at national prices$6,981
Roofers pay near Washingtonabout $30/hr · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro$61,900/yr
U.S. mean for the same tradeSOC 47-2181$58,140/yr
Versus the national pricetrade pay here runs +6.5% against the U.S. mean+$652
Ice barrier requiredWashington designs to 16°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 Washington, DC average $61,900 a year against a U.S. mean of $58,140 — a factor of 1.065 — so the labor half is scaled by that and the material half is not. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, SOC 47-2181.
  • Why the city matters, not just the state. Trade pay moves inside a state as much as it does between states. Crews do not commute across a state to bid a job, and materials ship at national prices either way — so a metro wage is the honest input here and a state average quietly rounds four different cities into one number.
  • Ice barrier required. Washington designs to 16°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 $17,452 quote into a $21,815 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 Washington, DC

$17,452 is the typical number, and three bids on the same scope normally land between $11,842 and $28,048.

That is $652 more than the same job priced at the national average.

Why the city changes the number

About 60% of this job is labor — $10,471 of the $17,452 above. Labor is the only part that moves locally; a bundle of material costs what it costs wherever it is nailed down.

Roofers near Washington average $61,900 a year, against a U.S. mean of $58,140. That is a factor of 1.065, so the labor half is scaled by it and the material half is not.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, 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 $17,452 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 $11,842 – $28,048, that is not automatically wrong — but it is the question worth asking out loud.

Nearby sizes

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