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The state's My Safe Florida Home program estimates a shingle re-roof on a typical 2,600 sq ft Florida home (about 30 squares of roof) at roughly $18,000 to $28,000, depending on region: $18,630–$26,940 in Jacksonville, $18,210–$26,250 in Melbourne and $19,410–$28,110 in Tampa. Metal and tile run higher; the table below breaks out every system we install in Florida.
Those are the state's estimates, and the guide itself warns not to rely on its prices alone; they are not our quote. Your number depends on five things we can only confirm on the roof — covered further down. But you deserve a real starting figure before you call anyone, so here it is.
Florida roof replacement cost by material
Installed cost, meaning materials and labour together, for a typical home with about 30 squares of roof. Before you sign, our roof buyer's checklist lists five questions to ask any roofer.
| Roof system | Typical total | Average useful life (HUD) |
|---|---|---|
| Asphalt shingle (3-tab or architectural) | $18,090 – $28,110 (typical 30-square home, statewide state estimate) | About 20 years |
| Metal (standing seam, stone-coated or pressed steel, metal shingle, corrugated) | Not in the state estimates; see the Cost vs. Value figures below | About 50 years |
| Concrete or clay tile | $56,460 – $83,550 (typical 30-square home, statewide state estimate) | About 60 years on the tile |
| Flat / low-slope (TPO, modified bitumen) | $25,080 – $37,920 (typical 30-square home, statewide state estimate) | About 15 years (TPO, EPDM); 20 (built-up with gravel) |
Two Florida-specific notes on that table. Tile lifespan is misleading — the tile itself lasts 50 years and more, but the underlayment beneath it does not, and re-underlayment on a tile roof is a major job in its own right. And flat-roof pricing varies because low-slope work is priced by system and detail count, not by area alone. See what standing water does to a flat roof if that is what you are dealing with.
Metal is not in the state's estimates. For metal, the Cost vs. Value report (Zonda and the Journal of Light Construction), the industry's annual job-cost study, prices a 30-square re-roof in four Florida metros; its metal job is 3,000 sq ft of standing seam. It uses its own specifications, so compare its metal figure with its own asphalt figure, not with the state ranges above.
| Metro (edition) | Asphalt shingle | Standing-seam metal |
|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville (2025) | $33,356 | $50,900 |
| Sarasota (2025) | $34,028 | $53,458 |
| Tampa (2024) | $31,406 | $50,246 |
| Orlando (2024) | $33,727 | $54,075 |
Cost by roof size
Your roof is bigger than your house. Pitch multiplies the footprint, and more so if the roof is steep or cut up with dormers and valleys.
Based on the state's My Safe Florida Home 2025–26 estimates, a typical 30-square re-roof runs $18,090–$28,110 for shingle, $56,460–$83,550 for tile and $25,080–$37,920 for flat statewide. That works out to about $603–$937 per square for shingle, $1,882–$2,785 for tile and $836–$1,264 for flat. A square is 100 sq ft of roof. Scaled to other roof sizes and rounded to the nearest $100:
| Roof size | Shingle | Tile | Flat / low-slope |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 squares (2,000 sq ft of roof) | $12,100 – $18,700 | $37,600 – $55,700 | $16,700 – $25,300 |
| 25 squares (2,500 sq ft of roof) | $15,100 – $23,400 | $47,100 – $69,600 | $20,900 – $31,600 |
| 30 squares (3,000 sq ft of roof) | $18,100 – $28,100 | $56,500 – $83,600 | $25,100 – $37,900 |
| 35 squares (3,500 sq ft of roof) | $21,100 – $32,800 | $65,900 – $97,500 | $29,300 – $44,200 |
| 40 squares (4,000 sq ft of roof) | $24,100 – $37,500 | $75,300 – $111,400 | $33,400 – $50,600 |
The cost that actually matters: price per year of service
Metal costs more up front, but it lasts longer. Using the Cost vs. Value figures above and HUD's planning lives (about 20 years for asphalt shingle, about 50 for metal), the cost per year of service works out like this:
- Asphalt shingle: $31,406 to $34,028, or about $1,570 to $1,700 a year
- Standing-seam metal: $50,246 to $54,075, or about $1,000 to $1,080 a year
The shingle roof is the cheaper choice if you are selling in five years. If you are staying, the per-year figures favor metal — and that is before the cooling-cost difference, which is real in Central Florida but varies too much by attic and colour for us to put a number on honestly.
Metlok — what the top of the range buys
Above every system in that table sits the one we build ourselves. Metlok is a pressed-steel roofing system Universal engineered, tested and manufactures in-house, then installs with our own factory-trained crews. It is not a catalogue product we resell — we are the maker, which is why you can only get it from us.
What that buys, specifically:
- A 50-year limited lifetime warranty covering the product and the workmanship, from one company rather than two.
- A 180+ mph wind rating — the number that matters most on a peninsula.
- AZ50 Galvalume steel, a more corrosion-resistant coating than the G90 galvanized steel common in metal roofing.
- A patent-pending four-way interlock — every panel locks mechanically to its neighbours on all four sides, making one continuous shell instead of overlapping pieces waiting for wind to find an edge.
- The look of slate or tile at about 108 pounds per square, a fraction of the weight of concrete tile.
Metlok prices in the premium metal band. We quote it on the roof rather than publishing a figure, because the interlock detailing means the panel count and the edge work — not just the area — drive the number. See whether your home qualifies.
When the calendar matters
Booking a planned replacement outside the post-storm rush gets you scheduling flexibility, full crews, and weather that does not interrupt the job. Right after a storm, roofers are busy with emergency work and material orders queue.
The other calendar effect is the one that costs real money: waiting for a tired roof to fail in a season that will not wait with you. If the roof is at the age where next season is a gamble, replacing before June beats replacing after the storm in every column that matters. Timing interacts with the code clock too — if your roof predates the 2007 Florida Building Code, the 25% rule can turn storm damage into a mandatory full replacement on the state's schedule rather than yours.
The five things that move your number off the average
1. Size and pitch
Roofing is priced by the square (100 square feet), and pitch multiplies your footprint. Steep roofs also slow crews down and add safety requirements. A cut-up roof with dormers, valleys and multiple planes costs meaningfully more than a simple gable of the same square footage — roof geometry matters here for more than just price.
2. Tear-off
How many layers are coming off, and what they weigh. A single-layer tear-off is routine; two or three layers means more labour and materially more disposal. Ask for the tear-off and haul-away cost in writing.
3. Decking condition
This is the one nobody can price in advance, and the one that most often changes a quote. Until the old roof is off, no one knows how much deck is sound. Reputable contractors give you a per-sheet rate for replacement decking up front, in writing, and document what they find. The ones who do not are either pricing that risk into the base number or preparing to surprise you.
4. Material system
The tables above. Worth knowing that the jump from 3-tab to architectural shingle is small in cost and large in wind performance, which is why we rarely install 3-tab in Florida at all.
5. Flashing and ventilation
The least visible line items and the ones that decide whether the roof reaches its rated life. New flashing at every penetration and transition, and ventilation matched to the attic, are not upsells; they decide whether the roof reaches its expected life.
How to compare two quotes properly
Two "roof replacement" quotes can differ by thousands and both be honest, if one includes new flashing, proper ventilation and a decking allowance and the other does not. Before you compare prices, compare these:
- Is the underlayment specified by name, not just "underlayment"?
- Is flashing new, or being reused?
- What is the per-sheet decking rate if replacement is needed?
- What ventilation is included, and does it match the attic's requirement?
- What warranty applies — and does it cover workmanship as well as material?
- Is the contractor licensed and insured, and will they show you the numbers? Ours are on every document we hand you.
A cheaper quote missing three of those is not cheaper. It is a different, smaller job.
Paying for it
Roofs rarely fail on a convenient schedule. Financing is available for qualified homeowners, and every estimate is free and itemised, so you can see exactly which line items you are deciding on rather than one number at the bottom of a page.
What we commit to: a free inspection first, an itemised written estimate, and the price you approve being the price we build. Change orders happen only when opened decking reveals something nobody could have seen — and you approve those too.
And once the number is real, the next question is how to carry it — the five real ways Florida homeowners pay for a replacement, including the state matching-grant program.
Replacement cost estimates for shingle, tile and flat roofs are from the Florida Department of Financial Services' My Safe Florida Home Homeowner's Guide (2025–26), and they are planning numbers, not a quote. Your estimate comes from the roof.
Universal Roof & Contracting
Florida roofing contractors since 1993
Three generations, family-owned, working Florida roofs from offices in Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville. Everything here comes from what our crews actually find on roofs in this state — not from national roofing advice that assumes a milder climate.
Questions people ask
How much does a new roof cost in Florida?
The state's My Safe Florida Home program estimates a shingle re-roof on a typical 2,600 sq ft Florida home (about 30 squares of roof) at roughly $18,000 to $28,000, depending on region, and a tile re-roof at about $56,000 to $84,000. Metal is not in the state estimates; the Cost vs. Value report puts a 30-square standing-seam metal re-roof at $50,246 to $54,075 in four Florida metros (2024 and 2025 editions), against $31,406 to $34,028 for asphalt shingle in the same report.
How much does a metal roof cost in Florida?
The state's My Safe Florida Home estimates do not cover metal. The Cost vs. Value report, the industry's annual job-cost study, puts a 30-square standing-seam metal re-roof at $50,900 in Jacksonville and $53,458 in Sarasota (2025), and $50,246 in Tampa and $54,075 in Orlando (2024), against $31,406 to $34,028 for asphalt shingle in the same report. HUD's planning tables give metal about 50 years of useful life against about 20 for asphalt shingle.
How much does a tile roof cost in Florida?
The state's My Safe Florida Home program estimates a tile re-roof on a typical 2,600 sq ft Florida home (about 30 squares of roof) at about $56,000 to $84,000. The tile itself lasts 50 years and more, but the underlayment beneath it does not — budget for re-underlayment rather than assuming the whole system lasts as long as the tile.
Why do roofing quotes vary so much for the same house?
Because they are often describing different jobs. New flashing versus reused flashing, named underlayment versus unspecified, a stated per-sheet decking rate versus none, and ventilation matched to the attic versus ignored will separate two honest quotes by thousands. Compare scope before price.
What does tear-off add to the cost?
Ask for the tear-off and haul-away cost in writing; a straightforward single layer is the routine case. Two or three layers costs materially more in both labour and disposal, which is why the number of existing layers is one of the first things an inspection establishes.
Is a metal roof worth the extra cost in Florida?
If you are staying in the house, usually yes. Metal costs more up front, but using the Cost vs. Value report's Florida figures and HUD's planning lives (about 20 years for asphalt shingle, about 50 for metal), asphalt shingle works out to about $1,570 to $1,700 per year of service and standing-seam metal to about $1,000 to $1,080. If you are selling within five years, shingle is the cheaper decision.
How much does it cost to roof a 1,500 sq ft house in Florida?
It depends on the roof area rather than the floor area. Based on the state's My Safe Florida Home 2025–26 statewide estimates, shingle runs about $603 to $937 per square (100 sq ft of roof), so a 20-square roof is about $12,100 to $18,700. Material is the biggest swing from there, with shingle at the lower end and metal and tile above it, and pitch, tear-off layers and decking condition move any specific house.
What is the 25% roof rule in Florida?
Under Fla. Stat. § 553.844(5), if a roof was built, repaired, or replaced in compliance with the 2007 Florida Building Code or a later edition, and 25 percent or more of it is being repaired, replaced, or recovered, only that portion must be brought to current code. Roofs that predate the 2007 code do not get that protection — extensive damage can require bringing the whole roof to current code. Your roof's permit date decides which side of the line you are on, and it is worth knowing before storm season rather than after.
