Metal roof cost in El Centro, CA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (2,000 sq ft of roof)
- $11,600 – $35,900
- Per sq ft of roof
- $5.70 – $17.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +11%
- US $21,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #36
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a metal roof in the El Centro area: $11,600 to $35,900 for 2,000 sq ft of roof. The low end is a basic job on easy ground; the high end is a premium spec with harder access. The midpoint runs 11% higher than the US figure. Roofers earn a median of $30.58 an hour in the El Centro area, 15% above the US median of $26.65.
Estimate your metal roof cost
Pick a size, a quality level and where you live. Prices update as you type.
Estimated cost for 2,000 sq ft of roof in El Centro, CA, standard level
$18,900 to $28,600
About $9.30 to $14 per sq ft of roof before permits. Labor is about 59% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $6,500 | $12,400 |
| Labor | $12,100 | $15,800 |
| Permits and fees | $240 | $380 |
| Total | $18,900 | $28,600 |
Cost breakdown for 2,000 sq ft of roof in El Centro, CA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,100 | $9,450 | $16,800 | 40% |
| Labor | $9,300 | $14,000 | $18,600 | 59% |
| Permits and fees | $140 | $310 | $480 | 1% |
| Total | $11,600 | $23,800 | $35,900 | 100% |
Where the El Centro price comes from
The wage side of the estimate leans on roofers, who do 70% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $30.58 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for El Centro is 1.16 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 59% of the total. BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the California statewide median.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. El Centro is at 105.2 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $9,000 nationally becomes $9,450 here (midpoint, 2,000 sq ft of roof). Permits follow the all-items index of 95.2: $140 to $480.
Data note: 90% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in El Centro. The wage table below marks each row.
Who does the work: El Centro trade wages
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 3 trades. We compare each trade's local median with the US median, weight the ratios by how much of the job each trade does, and apply the blend to the national labor cost. For El Centro the blend is 1.16.
Roofers (47-2181) carry 70% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the El Centro metro, so we used the California statewide median: $30.58 an hour against $26.65 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $28.57 and $36.27 an hour.
Sheet metal workers (47-2211) carry 20% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the El Centro metro, so we used the California statewide median: $36.82 an hour against $29.71 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $28.47 and $51.62 an hour.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 10%) the local median is $25.75 an hour, which is 14% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.21 and $32.82 an hour. BLS counts 270 of them working in the area, 41.3 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner than average.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (roofers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $1,800 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $630. That is a swing of roughly 2.7% to 7.6% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
El Centro has 65,430 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 275th by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofers (47-2181) | 70% | $28.57 | $30.58 | $36.27 | $26.65 | 1.15 | state |
| Sheet metal workers (47-2211) | 20% | $28.47 | $36.82 | $51.62 | $29.71 | 1.24 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 10% | $21.21 | $25.75 | $32.82 | $22.66 | 1.14 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.16 | |||||
Related projects, priced for El Centro
Jobs that often go together with metal roof are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same El Centro wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, vinyl siding comes out highest (+13%) and attic insulation lowest (+4%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $6,800 – $13,800 | +11% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,450 – $4,600 | +10% |
| Attic insulation | 1,000 sq ft | $1,050 – $4,150 | +4% |
| Vinyl siding | 2,100 sq ft of wall | $9,450 – $28,400 | +13% |
El Centro against nearby metros and the rest of California
Of the five closest metros, 3 are cheaper than El Centro. Yuma is the lowest at about $19,200 (midpoint, 2,000 sq ft of roof), 85 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Centro, CAthis page | $11,600 – $35,900 | $23,800 | |
| San Diego, CA80 miles | $11,700 – $36,500 | $24,100 | +1% |
| Yuma, AZ85 miles | $8,900 – $29,500 | $19,200 | −19% |
| Riverside, CA115 miles | $11,200 – $34,900 | $23,100 | −3% |
| Los Angeles, CA180 miles | $11,600 – $36,200 | $23,900 | +1% |
| Phoenix, AZ190 miles | $9,000 – $29,600 | $19,300 | −19% |
| California (statewide) | $11,700 – $36,400 | $24,100 | +1% |
| United States | $10,200 – $32,500 | $21,300 | −10% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, El Centro ranks #36 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, El Centro is 1% below the California figure.
Elsewhere in California
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | 6,271,560 jobs | $11,600 – $36,200 | $23,900 | +1% |
| San Francisco, CA | 2,373,920 jobs | $13,700 – $40,700 | $27,200 | +15% |
| Riverside, CA | 1,716,760 jobs | $11,200 – $34,900 | $23,100 | −3% |
| San Diego, CA | 1,538,060 jobs | $11,700 – $36,500 | $24,100 | +1% |
| San Jose, CA | 1,134,970 jobs | $14,000 – $40,800 | $27,400 | +15% |
| Sacramento, CA | 1,080,590 jobs | $11,600 – $36,100 | $23,900 | level |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is El Centro against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisonburg, VA | 65,460 jobs | $8,800 – $29,400 | $19,100 | −19% |
| Dalton, GA | 65,300 jobs | $8,850 – $29,500 | $19,200 | −19% |
| Amherst, MA | 65,670 jobs | $12,400 – $36,600 | $24,500 | +3% |
| Terre Haute, IN | 65,120 jobs | $9,750 – $31,000 | $20,400 | −14% |
The best months for metal roof in El Centro
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, El Centro 2 Ssw (in the city). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
For exterior installation, the comfortable months in El Centro are November through April: 6 of 12. Outside them, May, June, July, August, September and October have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
El Centro gets about 3 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are January, February and December (0.4 inches in February). Inside the workable window, April and November are the driest, at 0.1 and 0.2 inches. The station averages about 180 days a year at 90°F or above.
We do not adjust the estimate by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. It is still worth asking contractors whether an off-peak start date changes their bid.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 71 | 43 | 0.4 | Workable |
| Feb | 74 | 47 | 0.4 | Workable |
| Mar | 80 | 52 | 0.3 | Workable |
| Apr | 86 | 57 | 0.1 | Workable |
| May | 94 | 63 | 0.0 | Hot |
| Jun | 103 | 71 | 0.0 | Hot |
| Jul | 107 | 78 | 0.1 | Hot |
| Aug | 107 | 79 | 0.2 | Hot |
| Sep | 102 | 73 | 0.3 | Hot |
| Oct | 92 | 62 | 0.2 | Hot |
| Nov | 79 | 51 | 0.2 | Workable |
| Dec | 70 | 43 | 0.4 | Workable |
El Centro: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to El Centro. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from small (1,200 sq ft of roof) to large (2,800 sq ft of roof).
Basic
$11,600 to $21,300
Corrugated or exposed-fastener steel panels
Standard
$18,900 to $28,600
Standing seam steel
Premium
$26,200 to $35,900
Aluminum or premium finish, complex roof
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small (1,200 sq ft of roof) | $7,000 – $12,900 | $11,400 – $17,300 | $15,900 – $21,800 |
| average (2,000 sq ft of roof) | $11,600 – $21,300 | $18,900 – $28,600 | $26,200 – $35,900 |
| large (2,800 sq ft of roof) | $16,100 – $29,700 | $26,300 – $39,900 | $36,500 – $50,100 |
Why two El Centro quotes can differ
Other metals
Tin runs $600-$1,800 per roofing square (100 sq ft) installed and aluminum $700-$1,700 per square (HomeGuide).
Panel type
Corrugated sheet metal is $5-$12 per sq ft installed; standing seam is $9-$16 (HomeGuide).
Metal and gauge
Galvalume and galvanized steel are budget-friendly; copper and zinc are the top of the range.
Get 3 local quotes
Tell us about the job and we will try to connect you with up to three local contractors for written quotes. It is free and you are under no obligation to hire. Your estimate of $18,900 to $28,600 for El Centro, CA is attached.
A detailed PDF report of this estimate, $9
Multi-page report for El Centro, CA: low, typical and high cost, a line-item breakdown of materials and labor by trade, permit notes, the best months to schedule, a quote comparison sheet, red flags, questions for contractors, checklists and every source. Save your estimate above, preview page 1 free, and unlock the full report for $9 one-time, or get every report with CostLocal Pro.
Metal roof in El Centro: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a metal roof in El Centro?
For 2,000 sq ft of roof, expect $11,600 to $35,900 in the El Centro area. A standard-spec job lands at $18,900 to $28,600. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft of roof and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft of roof for metal roof in El Centro?
About $5.70 to $17.50 per sq ft of roof for materials and labor, plus $140 to $480 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $5 to $16.
+Is metal roof cheaper in El Centro or San Diego?
San Diego is 80 miles away. The midpoint for 2,000 sq ft of roof there is $24,100, which is 1% more than El Centro ($23,800). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in El Centro?
About 59% at the midpoint, or $14,000 out of $23,800. Materials are 40% and permits 1%. Nationally, labor is 56%.
+What would average (2,000 sq ft of roof) cost in El Centro?
$11,600 to $35,900. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does metal roof need a permit in El Centro?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $140 to $480 for fees in the El Centro area (our national range of $150 to $500 scaled by the local price level).
+Is El Centro expensive for metal roof compared with the rest of California?
El Centro is 1% below the California statewide estimate ($24,100 at the midpoint). We cover 23 metros in California; see the state page to compare them.
+What do roofers earn in El Centro?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $30.58 an hour, compared with $26.65 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $28.57 to $36.27.
+What do basic and premium metal roof work cost in El Centro?
For 2,000 sq ft of roof, basic work runs $11,600 to $21,300 and premium work $26,200 to $35,900. Basic means: corrugated or exposed-fastener steel panels. Premium means: aluminum or premium finish, complex roof.
+When is the best time to install a metal roof in El Centro?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are November through April. April and November are typically the driest of those months. Local contractors' schedules matter as much as the weather, so book early for the busy months.
Metal roof near El Centro
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.
- HomeGuide: How Much Does a Metal Roof Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- HomeGuide: 2026 Building Permit Costs | Fees & Cost Calculator (accessed November 4, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020
Note on derived figures: Materials = installed range minus HomeGuide's $4-$8/sq ft labor range for metal roofs.