Roof replacement · DC · South Atlantic
Roof replacement cost in District of Columbia
No jurisdiction pays its roofers further above its regional average than the District of Columbia.
Wages: BLS, May 2025 (released ) · figures checked · Built by Radif Partners · How prices are built
- Typical roof job, all house sizes
- $12,510
- Middle half of jobs
- $7,700 to $19,230
- Roofer mean wage
- $33.05/h
- Versus U.S. roofers
- +18%
Roof replacement in District of Columbia, hired out
$14,420
Most jobs between $10,010 and $20,020 (middle half of reported prices)
| House size group | 1,500 to 1,999 sq ft |
| National median (homeowners’ reports) | $13,192 |
| Regional level (Census division) | +0.0% |
| State labor adjustment | +9.3% |
| Typical price in District of Columbia | $14,420 |
Roofers in District of Columbia: $33.05 an hour on average, 18% above the national mean. Range from homeowners who hired a professional (2021 to 2023, American Housing Survey 2023), in August 2026 dollars; permits, tear-off of unusual materials, structural repairs and local surcharges vary job to job. How this is calculated.
Replacing a roof in the District of Columbia costs about $12,510 with a professional crew in 2026, and half of jobs land between $7,700 and $19,230, above the national median of $11,450. The District shares the South Atlantic division with states from Delaware to Florida, whose owners reported paying about the national level in the 2023 American Housing Survey. The difference is labor. BLS measured a mean of $33.05 an hour for DC roofers in May 2025, 18% above the national $27.95 and 37% above the division's weighted mean, the widest gap between any jurisdiction and its division. That premium adds roughly $1,060 to a typical job. A home of 1,000 to 1,499 sq ft is estimated at $10,760, against $17,520 for 3,000 to 3,999 sq ft. FEMA rates every hazard to DC buildings low, so wages, not weather, explain the price.
Why Washington labor lifts the DC estimate
The District employs only about 100 roofers, the smallest roofing workforce of the 51 jurisdictions, and pays them $33.05 an hour on average. Maryland's mean is $29.63 and Virginia's $24.77, so crews crossing into the city leave a lower-wage market for a higher one. This site applies that gap only to the labor share of the job, which keeps the effect to a few hundred dollars instead of the full 37% wage difference.
Roof replacement: change the labor rate
Same job at that labor rate
$12,520
| Labor part of your quote | $3,914 |
| Materials, equipment, overhead | $8,606 |
| Labor share used | 31.3% |
Labor share from the 2022 Economic Census for this contractor type, moved by the state wage index.
Low loss estimates across every hazard
In the FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), the District's largest expected annual loss to buildings comes from hurricanes, about $28 million, rated Relatively Low. Hail is rated Very Low, tornadoes Relatively Low, and wildfire Very Low. A DC roof is far more likely to be replaced for age or leaks around parapets and chimneys than after a single storm. That changes how to shop: there is rarely a reason to sign in a hurry, and a slow month can bring sharper bids from crews looking to fill their calendar. Ask each bidder to inspect the attic or the underside of the roof deck, since soft or stained boards are the most common reason a final invoice ends up above the first quote.
Codes, flat roofs and party walls
The Department of Buildings lists the 2017 DC Construction Codes, based on the 2015 ICC model codes including the residential code and amended by Title 12 of the DC Municipal Regulations, as in effect since May 29, 2020. If your house has a low-slope roof behind a parapet, as many row houses do, it is priced differently from a pitched shingle roof; ask the contractor to quote the membrane, the flashing at shared walls and the drains as separate lines. For a larger detached house of 3,000 to 3,999 sq ft, the estimate is $17,520, and half of comparable jobs fall between $12,510 and $24,030.
District of Columbia roof prices by house size
| House size | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1,000 sq ft | $4,050 | $8,760 | $15,010 |
| 1,000 to 1,499 sq ft | $6,760 | $10,760 | $15,010 |
| 1,500 to 1,999 sq ft | $10,010 | $14,420 | $20,020 |
| 2,000 to 2,499 sq ft | $10,010 | $13,760 | $20,020 |
| 2,500 to 2,999 sq ft | $10,010 | $15,010 | $24,030 |
| 3,000 to 3,999 sq ft | $12,510 | $17,520 | $24,030 |
| 4,000 sq ft or more | $10,810 | $18,770 | $30,040 |
Other jobs in District of Columbia
| Job | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water heater replacement | $1,130 | $1,760 | $2,570 |
| Central air conditioning | $5,330 | $8,890 | $12,700 |
| Furnace or other built-in heating | $3,970 | $6,610 | $9,920 |
| Fence | $2,290 | $4,580 | $7,980 |
| Deck, porch or patio | $3,320 | $7,270 | $15,030 |
| Driveway or walkway | $2,120 | $4,280 | $8,430 |
Trade wages in District of Columbia
| Occupation | DC mean hourly wage | U.S. mean | DC jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roofers | $33.05 | $27.95 | 100 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters | $43.85 | $34.70 | 1,010 |
| Heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers | $40.83 | $31.14 | 400 |
| Electricians | $42.72 | $34.37 | 2,440 |
| Carpenters | $31.73 | $31.55 | 1,540 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance | $29.92 | $26.64 | 500 |