Roofing labour calculator
Asphalt tear-off and replace, priced by the square of roof surface.
Roofing
Asphalt tear-off and replace, priced by the square of roof surface.
Default 0.67 squares an hour, about an hour and a half each. Crews often quote $95 a square. Price excludes sales tax.
$4,058
$169.08 / squarePrice excludes sales tax.
How this calculator prices a job
Priced by the square of roof surface, not the footprint. Tear-off, disposal and steepness are what move the hours.
The formula
hours = quantity ÷ production rate base = hours × labour rate (or quantity × per-unit rate) burden = base × burden % cost = base + burden price = cost ÷ (1 − margin)
Assumptions and defaults
| Production | 0.67 squares/hr — about 1.5 hr each |
| Per-unit rate | $95 per square |
| Labour rate | $65/hr default |
| Payroll burden | 22% of base labour |
| Crew | 3 people, eight-hour days |
| Target margin | 30% |
Pro tips
Above 7/12 the crew needs staging and everything slows. Drop production by a third and say why in the quote.
Deck repair is the most common change order in roofing. Agree a per-sheet rate before you start and the argument never happens.
Burden is not optional. Payroll taxes, workers' comp, liability and paid time run 20 to 35 per cent on top of the wage you quote — a crew at $65 an hour costs you nearer $80 before a single overhead dollar.
Margin divides, it does not multiply. A 30 per cent margin on $1,000 of cost is $1,429, not $1,300 — the second number is a 30 per cent markup and only a 23 per cent margin.
Common questions
What is a typical roofing labour rate?
Around $95 a square for tear-off and replace labour. By the hour that is roughly an hour and a half per square at crew rates.
How long does it take to roof a house?
About an hour and a half per square. A 24-square roof is roughly 36 crew hours — two to three days for a three-person crew.
How do I price labour to hit a target margin?
Divide, never multiply: price = cost ÷ (1 − margin). An all-in labour cost of $2,000 at a 30 per cent margin is $2,857. Multiplying by 1.30 gives $2,600, which is only a 23 per cent margin.
What is payroll burden?
Everything you pay on top of the wage: payroll taxes, workers' comp, liability insurance, holiday and any benefits. Twenty-two per cent is a reasonable starting point for a small crew — check yours against last year's numbers and change the field.
Does this include materials?
No. This tool prices labour only, so the number stays honest when material prices move. Work the quantities out in the material calculator and add them as their own line.