Roof Replacement Cost in New Orleans by Material and Roof Size
Most homeowners asking about roof replacement cost want one number, and the honest answer is a range. HomeGuide’s 2026 cost guide puts a full replacement at $5,700 to $16,000 for a typical house, with a national average of $10,800.
That spread comes down to three things. How many squares of roof you have, what material goes back on, and what the crew finds once the old roof is stripped off. You can see the material options we install on the TurnKey Roofers homepage.
If you’d rather have a number for your own address than a national average, send us the details through our contact page or call (504) 732-0336.
Key takeaways
- HomeGuide’s 2026 figures put a full roof replacement at $5,700 to $16,000, or $300 to $600 per roofing square, with tear off adding $100 to $300 per square.
- One roofing square covers 100 square feet, and your roof area is always larger than your home’s floor area because of pitch and overhangs.
- Material is the biggest single lever. Asphalt runs $3 to $6 per square foot installed, metal $5 to $16, tile $7 to $25, and natural slate $10 to $30.
- Louisiana follows the 2021 International Residential Code, which requires a replacement to strip the old covering down to the deck.
- Orleans Parish now requires a residential re-roofing permit when 50 percent or more of the roof is replaced, at a base fee of $60, or $90 inside a historic district.
- Get three to five written, itemized estimates and be careful with quotes that sit far below the rest.
What a roof replacement costs by roof size
Roofers price by the square, and one square covers 100 square feet. A quote of $400 per square on a 2,000 square foot roof is 20 squares of work, not 2,000 units of anything.
HomeGuide’s size table below assumes a single story home with a 6:12 pitch. Notice that the roof area is always bigger than the living area under it.
| House size (square feet) | Roof size (square feet) | Typical cost to reroof |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | 1,120 | $3,500 to $6,700 |
| 1,200 | 1,340 | $4,000 to $8,000 |
| 1,500 | 1,675 | $5,000 to $10,100 |
| 1,800 | 2,010 | $6,000 to $12,000 |
| 2,000 | 2,235 | $6,700 to $13,400 |
| 2,500 | 2,795 | $8,500 to $16,800 |
| 3,000 | 3,355 | $10,100 to $20,100 |
Why the roof is bigger than the house
Pitch adds area. A steeper roof covers more surface for the same footprint, and it also slows the crew down, which shows up in labor.
HomeGuide notes that pitches steeper than 6:12 need extra safety measures and more labor hours. Overhangs, dormers, valleys and a second story all push the number up the same way.
Cost by roofing material
Material choice moves the total more than anything else on the estimate. These are HomeGuide’s installed figures, covering labor and materials together.
| Material | Installed cost per square foot | Typical total |
|---|---|---|
| Asphalt 3 tab shingles | $3 to $5 | $5,700 to $12,000 |
| Architectural shingles | $4 to $6 | $7,500 to $16,000 |
| Metal | $5 to $16 | $7,500 to $40,000 |
| Concrete or clay tile | $7 to $25 | $10,500 to $62,500 |
| Natural slate | $10 to $30 | $22,000 to $70,000 |
| Flat or low slope membrane | $3 to $11 | $4,000 to $16,800 |
Asphalt shingles
Asphalt is the default for a reason. Three tab shingles are a single layer with cut outs, and HomeGuide puts them at $3 to $5 per square foot installed with a 15 to 20 year material life.
Architectural shingles are the laminated two piece product, thicker and longer lived at 20 to 30 years, and they run $4 to $6 per square foot installed. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association groups shingles into three families: three tab, laminated or architectural, and premium designer products that imitate shake, tile or slate.
Metal
Metal covers a wide price band because the metal itself varies so much. Corrugated panels start around $5 per square foot installed, standing seam runs $9 to $16, and copper or zinc climb past $20.
Most residential metal roofing is 24 or 26 gauge, and the gauge number falls as the metal gets thicker. Thicker metal costs more and is what HomeGuide recommends for severe weather regions.
Tile and slate
Tile and slate are the long life options, and both carry a weight penalty. HomeGuide notes that a slate roof may need structural reinforcement to carry the added load, which is a separate line item before any roofing starts.
Both materials also need specialist labor. HomeGuide puts labor at $1.50 to $3.00 per square foot for shingles and flat roofs, rising to $4 to $17 per square foot for tile and slate.
What else lands on the estimate
The covering is only part of the job. These are the line items that separate a thin quote from a complete one.
- Tear off and disposal. Removing the old roof runs $100 to $300 per square, and it isn’t optional on a true replacement.
- Underlayment. Materials run $0.10 to $0.80 per square foot depending on type, and new underlayment should be in every replacement estimate.
- Decking repair. Roof deck repair runs $200 to $500 per 100 square feet. Nobody can price this accurately until the old roof is off, so expect it as an allowance.
- Flashing. Valleys, chimneys, skylights and sidewalls all need new metal. Replacing flashing throughout costs $500 to $1,500 or more.
- Drip edge. Installing drip edge runs $1.50 to $3.00 per linear foot and keeps water off the fascia.
- Ventilation. Roof vent installation costs $200 to $700 per vent, and vents inside the field of the roof get replaced during a reroof.
- Permit. New Orleans charges $60 for a residential re-roofing permit, or $90 in a Historic District Landmarks Commission or Vieux Carre Commission area.
The rules that shape a New Orleans reroof
Louisiana adopted the 2021 International Residential Code, and Chapter 9 governs roof assemblies statewide. Two provisions change what a legitimate estimate can look like.
Section R908.3 says roof replacement includes removing the existing layers of roof covering down to the deck. Section R908.3.1.1 bans covering over an existing roof where the current covering is slate, clay, cement or asbestos cement tile, where it’s water soaked or too deteriorated to act as a base, or where two or more applications are already up there.
That last one matters on older New Orleans houses that have already been roofed over once. If a contractor offers to shingle over a second existing layer, the code doesn’t allow it.
The city permit, and the photos it wants
Orleans Parish opened a residential re-roofing permit process for single and two family homes, and it applies when 50 percent or more of the roof is being replaced. You apply through the One Stop App with a geotagged exterior photo and a signed contractor estimate.
Processing runs two to four days, longer inside a historic district. During the work, 16 geotagged inspection photos get uploaded covering four stages from all four sides of the house: old roof removed, underlayment down, drip edge and flashing set, and the finished shingles or panels.
A certificate of completion follows once the inspector approves. It’s worth asking any bidder who handles the permit and the photo uploads before you sign.
Repair or replace
Replacement isn’t always the right call, and a contractor who reaches for it on a sound roof is worth a second opinion. HomeGuide’s guidance is that replacement tends to win on three conditions.
- The roof is more than 20 years old.
- The repair estimate is over $3,000.
- Existing damage affects more than 25 percent of the roof.
Below those thresholds, targeted repair on corroded flashing, missing shingles or a small leak is usually the better buy. Our roof replacement page covers what a full tear off and rebuild involves, and the roofing types section lays out the materials side by side.
How to compare three estimates without guessing
Price alone tells you very little. Read the estimates against each other line by line instead.
- Confirm every quote uses the same roof area in squares. If two bidders measured differently, the prices aren’t comparable yet.
- Check that tear off and disposal are itemized rather than assumed.
- Look for new underlayment, new flashing and new drip edge as named items.
- Ask what the decking allowance is per sheet, and what happens if the crew finds more rot than expected.
- Confirm who pulls the permit and uploads the inspection photos.
- Get the manufacturer warranty and the workmanship warranty in writing, separately.
Commercial buildings follow the same logic on a different scale. Our commercial roof replacement page covers low slope systems and phased work on occupied buildings.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 1200 sq ft roof cost?
HomeGuide’s size table puts a 1,200 square foot house at roughly 1,340 square feet of roof area and $4,000 to $8,000 to reroof with asphalt shingles. That assumes a single story with a 6:12 pitch and no surprise decking work. A steeper or more complex roof on the same footprint costs more.
What is the 25 percent rule for roofing?
That rule comes from the Florida Building Code, not Louisiana. Florida’s residential code section R908.1.1 limits repair, replacement or recovering to 25 percent of a roof area in any 12 month period unless the whole roof section is brought up to current code. Louisiana has no equivalent percentage trigger, and reroofing here is governed by the 2021 International Residential Code as adopted by the state.
Is it cheaper to replace a roof with shingles or metal?
Shingles cost less up front in almost every case. HomeGuide puts asphalt at $3 to $6 per square foot installed against $5 to $16 for metal, so the cheapest metal roof still starts above the middle of the asphalt range. Metal earns its price back over a longer service life, with HomeGuide listing 30 to 80 plus years against 15 to 30 for asphalt.
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in New Orleans?
Yes, for single and two family homes where 50 percent or more of the roof is replaced. The base fee is $60, rising to $90 in a historic district, and the application goes through the city’s One Stop App with a geotagged photo and a signed contractor estimate. Work under 50 percent of the roof area is exempt unless other criteria apply.
Get a real number for your roof
National ranges are a sanity check, not a quote. The only way to price your roof is to measure it, look at the deck condition from the attic, and count the penetrations and flashing details that drive the labor.
We’ll do that at no charge and put it in writing. Call (504) 732-0336 or use the contact form and we’ll get out to you.
Related reading
- Roof Restoration vs. Roof Repair: What’s the Difference
- Best Roofing Options for New Orleans’ Climate
- 5 Questions Every Homeowner Should Ask Before Roof Work Begins
Sources
- HomeGuide, Roof Replacement Cost (2026)
- HomeGuide, Roof Repair Cost (2026)
- HomeGuide, Metal Roof Cost
- Louisiana Residential Code 2021, Chapter 9 Roof Assemblies
- 2023 Florida Residential Code, Chapter 9, Section R908.1.1
- City of New Orleans, Residential Re-Roofing Permit
- Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association, A Simple Guide to Understanding Your Asphalt Shingle Roofing System
Common questions about working with us
Yes we do, we offer 50 year non pro-rated warranty and 10 year workmanship warranty. We also offer 15 year unlimited wind warranty even from a named storm.
Turnkey roof repair is a comprehensive service where the entire roof repair process is managed from start to finish by a single provider. This includes assessment, planning, execution, and final inspection.
The TurnKey process includes a thorough roof inspection, detailed project planning, sourcing of materials, execution of repairs, and a final inspection to ensure quality and client satisfaction.
The duration varies based on the extent of damage and the size of the project. A professional assessment will provide a more accurate timeline.
Look out for signs such as leaks, missing or damaged shingles, sagging areas, or visible water damage in your ceiling. If you’re unsure, a professional assessment is recommended.
