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California · roofers rank 7 of 50 · labor +14.7%
Roof replacement cost in California
A 2,000 sq ft roof in architectural asphalt shingles comes to about $8,450 to $12,900 in California when the national installed price keeps its materials and its labor part is scaled to what roofers earn statewide. Permit fees are set by each city or town, not the state.
Wages and housing figures checked October 21, 2026 · sources
- 1Architectural, 2,000 sq ft $8,450–$12,900
- 2CA labor index +14.7% vs US
- 3Median home value $734,700
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What roofers earn in California
California's roofers earn a median $30.58 an hour, above the US median of $26.65. That ranks 7 of 50 states, among the ten best-paid states for the trade. Applied to the labor share of a 2,000 sq ft roof, that adds about $660 to the national midpoint.
The index is statewide. Wages inside California differ by metro area, and a contractor's price also depends on overhead, insurance, travel and how busy the season is, none of which a wage median captures.
Roof replacement prices in California by material
Each row starts from the installed price per square foot of roof that a national cost guide publishes and moves only the labor part by the California index. For 2,000 sq ft:
| Material | National | California | Midpoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt 3-tab shingles | $6,000–$10,000 | $6,450–$10,900 | $8,650 |
| Architectural asphalt shingles | $8,000–$12,000 | $8,450–$12,900 | $10,650 |
| Metal roofing | $10,000–$32,000 | $10,450–$32,900 | $21,650 |
By size
| Roof area (sq ft) | National | California |
|---|---|---|
| 1,200 sq ft | $4,800–$7,200 | $5,050–$7,750 |
| 1,500 sq ft | $6,000–$9,000 | $6,350–$9,650 |
| 2,000 sq ft | $8,000–$12,000 | $8,450–$12,900 |
| 2,500 sq ft | $10,000–$15,000 | $10,550–$16,100 |
| 3,000 sq ft | $12,000–$18,000 | $12,650–$19,350 |
Architectural asphalt shingles. The labor part of this job is $3,000–$6,000 at national rates and $3,450–$6,900 at California rates. Tear off the old roof adds $2,300–$11,450 at the state index (all labor).
California homes and incomes
The median owner-occupied home in California is valued at $734,700 (US: $332,700), one of the ten highest state medians. The midpoint estimate here is 1.5% of that value, a small share. Against the state's median household income of $99,122, the same midpoint equals 1.3 months of income. 55.9% of California's occupied homes are owner-occupied (US 65.2%), so more of this work is ordered by landlords than in most states.
Permits in California
Building-permit fees are set locally. No California town schedule has been collected for this site yet, so this page shows no permit amount. The national cost guide puts roof permits at $100–$500; the local building department can give the real figure and say whether one is needed.
Other projects in California
| Project | Trade index | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Siding replacement, 1,500 sq ft | Carpenters +25.3% | $6,750–$20,300 |
| Deck building, 320 sq ft | Carpenters +25.3% | $8,900–$17,800 |
| Heat pump installation, 2,000 sq ft home | HVAC mechanics and installers +18.9% | $10,950–$21,900 |
States ranked next to California
Massachusetts ($8,950–$13,900) · Alaska ($8,600–$13,200) · New York ($8,550–$13,150) · Connecticut ($8,350–$12,700) · Rhode Island ($8,350–$12,650) · Washington ($8,300–$12,550)
More: all states · how contractors price a roof · comparing three quotes
Sources
- Installed price: HomeGuide: Roof replacement cost (Nov 7, 2025) — “architectural $4 – $6 (cost to reshingle, per sq ft)”.
- Labor portion: HomeGuide: Roof replacement cost (Nov 7, 2025) — “Roofing labor costs $1.50 to $3.00 per square foot or $150 to $300 per square on average”.
- Statewide wage: O*NET OnLine, Roofers (47-2181), California local wages (BLS 2025 wage data).
- Housing and income: Census QuickFacts, California (ACS 2020-2024); US: QuickFacts, United States.
Checked October 21, 2026. Estimates are ranges built from published averages, not quotes. Cost by Town does not perform or arrange work.