Metal roof cost in Honolulu, HI
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (2,000 sq ft of roof)
- $12,100 – $37,900
- Per sq ft of roof
- $6 – $18.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +17%
- US $21,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #19
- 1 = most expensive
A metal roof in Honolulu, HI usually costs $12,100 to $37,900 for 2,000 sq ft of roof. That works out to about $6 to $18.50 per sq ft of roof before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $3,650 more. Roofers earn a median of $28.47 an hour in the Honolulu area, 7% above the US median of $26.65.
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Estimated cost for 2,000 sq ft of roof in Honolulu, HI, standard level
$19,800 to $30,100
About $9.80 to $15 per sq ft of roof before permits. Labor is about 58% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $6,900 | $13,200 |
| Labor | $12,600 | $16,500 |
| Permits and fees | $280 | $440 |
| Total | $19,800 | $30,100 |
Cost breakdown for 2,000 sq ft of roof in Honolulu, HI
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,250 | $10,000 | $17,800 | 40% |
| Labor | $9,700 | $14,600 | $19,400 | 58% |
| Permits and fees | $170 | $360 | $550 | 1% |
| Total | $12,100 | $25,000 | $37,900 | 100% |
What is behind the Honolulu number
The wage side of the estimate leans on roofers, who do 70% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $28.47 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Honolulu is 1.22 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 58% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Honolulu is at 111.6 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $9,000 nationally becomes $10,000 here (midpoint, 2,000 sq ft of roof). Permits follow the all-items index of 111.0: $170 to $550.
What local crews earn in Honolulu
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 Honolulu the blend is 1.22.
Roofers (47-2181), 70% of the weighting: a median of $28.47 an hour, 7% above the US median of $26.65. The middle half of them earn between $22.71 and $35.39 an hour. About 860 work in the metro. That is 19.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 8.7 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
Sheet metal workers (47-2211), 20% of the weighting: a median of $44.89 an hour, 51% above the US median of $29.71. The middle half of them earn between $37.40 and $50.70 an hour. About 440 work in the metro. That is 9.9 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 7.7 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 10%) the local median is $37.48 an hour, which is 65% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $24.21 and $41.41 an hour. BLS counts 3,040 of them working in the area, 68.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is about average.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (roofers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $2,200 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $1,800. That is a swing of roughly 7.3% to 8.7% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Urban Honolulu has 446,380 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 56th 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% | $22.71 | $28.47 | $35.39 | $26.65 | 1.07 | metro |
| Sheet metal workers (47-2211) | 20% | $37.40 | $44.89 | $50.70 | $29.71 | 1.51 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 10% | $24.21 | $37.48 | $41.41 | $22.66 | 1.65 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.22 | |||||
How Honolulu compares
Contractors rarely work more than an hour or two from home, so the neighboring metros set a rough ceiling and floor for your quotes. Midpoints for 2,000 sq ft of roof range from $23,600 to $27,200 across Honolulu and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HIthis page | $12,100 – $37,900 | $25,000 | |
| Kahului, HI110 miles | $12,400 – $38,500 | $25,500 | +2% |
| Santa Rosa, CA2395 miles | $11,700 – $36,200 | $23,900 | −4% |
| Santa Cruz, CA2415 miles | $11,500 – $35,800 | $23,600 | −5% |
| San Francisco, CA2415 miles | $13,700 – $40,700 | $27,200 | +9% |
| Napa, CA2425 miles | $11,700 – $36,200 | $24,000 | −4% |
| Hawaii (statewide) | $12,200 – $38,000 | $25,100 | +1% |
| United States | $10,200 – $32,500 | $21,300 | −15% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Honolulu ranks #19 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Honolulu is 1% below the Hawaii figure.
Elsewhere in Hawaii
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului, HI | 73,750 jobs | $12,400 – $38,500 | $25,500 | +2% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Honolulu against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany, NY | 449,410 jobs | $11,200 – $34,600 | $22,900 | −8% |
| New Orleans, LA | 445,550 jobs | $8,850 – $29,100 | $19,000 | −24% |
| Tulsa, OK | 458,730 jobs | $9,200 – $29,800 | $19,500 | −22% |
| Greenville, SC | 434,900 jobs | $8,700 – $29,200 | $18,900 | −24% |
Planning more than one job in Honolulu?
Jobs that often go together with metal roof are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Honolulu wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, vinyl siding comes out highest (+35%) and attic insulation lowest (+12%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $7,000 – $14,200 | +14% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,600 – $5,100 | +23% |
| Attic insulation | 1,000 sq ft | $1,100 – $4,500 | +12% |
| Vinyl siding | 2,100 sq ft of wall | $11,300 – $34,000 | +35% |
Cost by quality level and size in Honolulu
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Honolulu. 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
$12,100 to $22,400
Corrugated or exposed-fastener steel panels
Standard
$19,800 to $30,100
Standing seam steel
Premium
$27,600 to $37,900
Aluminum or premium finish, complex roof
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small (1,200 sq ft of roof) | $7,350 – $13,600 | $12,000 – $18,300 | $16,700 – $22,900 |
| average (2,000 sq ft of roof) | $12,100 – $22,400 | $19,800 – $30,100 | $27,600 – $37,900 |
| large (2,800 sq ft of roof) | $16,900 – $31,200 | $27,700 – $42,000 | $38,400 – $52,800 |
Honolulu weather and the metal roof calendar
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Honolulu Intl Ap (5 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
Weather is not a serious constraint for exterior installation in Honolulu: no month in the averages is cold enough (an average daytime high under 45°F) or hot enough (an average daytime high of 90°F or more) to rule it out, so the workable window is all year.
Honolulu gets about 16 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are March, November and December (2.4 inches in March). The station averages about 32 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 | 81 | 67 | 1.8 | Workable |
| Feb | 81 | 67 | 1.9 | Workable |
| Mar | 81 | 68 | 2.4 | Workable |
| Apr | 83 | 70 | 0.8 | Workable |
| May | 85 | 72 | 0.8 | Workable |
| Jun | 87 | 74 | 0.5 | Workable |
| Jul | 88 | 75 | 0.5 | Workable |
| Aug | 89 | 76 | 0.8 | Workable |
| Sep | 88 | 75 | 0.9 | Workable |
| Oct | 87 | 74 | 1.5 | Workable |
| Nov | 84 | 72 | 2.3 | Workable |
| Dec | 82 | 69 | 2.2 | Workable |
Specs and site conditions that change a Honolulu bid
Labor
Metal roof labor is $4-$8 per sq ft, or $400-$800 per roofing square, and standing seam needs specialist crews.
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).
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Metal roof in Honolulu: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a metal roof in Honolulu?
For 2,000 sq ft of roof, expect $12,100 to $37,900 in the Honolulu area. A standard-spec job lands at $19,800 to $30,100. 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 Honolulu?
About $6 to $18.50 per sq ft of roof for materials and labor, plus $170 to $550 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $5 to $16.
+Is metal roof cheaper in Honolulu or Kahului?
Kahului is 110 miles away. The midpoint for 2,000 sq ft of roof there is $25,500, which is 2% more than Honolulu ($25,000). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Honolulu?
About 58% at the midpoint, or $14,600 out of $25,000. Materials are 40% and permits 1%. Nationally, labor is 56%.
+What would average (2,000 sq ft of roof) cost in Honolulu?
$12,100 to $37,900. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does metal roof need a permit in Honolulu?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $170 to $550 for fees in the Honolulu area (our national range of $150 to $500 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Honolulu expensive for metal roof compared with the rest of Hawaii?
Honolulu is 1% below the Hawaii statewide estimate ($25,100 at the midpoint). We cover 2 metros in Hawaii; see the state page to compare them.
+What do roofers earn in Honolulu?
The BLS median is $28.47 an hour in the Honolulu area, compared with $26.65 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.71 to $35.39.
+What do basic and premium metal roof work cost in Honolulu?
For 2,000 sq ft of roof, basic work runs $12,100 to $22,400 and premium work $27,600 to $37,900. Basic means: corrugated or exposed-fastener steel panels. Premium means: aluminum or premium finish, complex roof.
+Is there a bad season to install a metal roof in Honolulu?
Not from a temperature point of view. NOAA's 1991-2020 normals show no month with a freezing-level overnight low or a 90°F-plus average high, so timing is mostly about contractor availability and rain.
Metal roof near Honolulu
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.