Metal roof cost in St. Cloud, MN
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (2,000 sq ft of roof)
- $12,900 – $37,500
- Per sq ft of roof
- $6.40 – $18.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +18%
- US $21,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #17
- 1 = most expensive
St. Cloud homeowners pay roughly $12,900 to $37,500 to install a metal roof at 2,000 sq ft of roof, or $6.40 to $18.50 per sq ft of roof (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, St. Cloud is 18% higher. Roofers earn a median of $38.10 an hour in the St. Cloud area, 43% 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 St. Cloud, MN, standard level
$20,300 to $30,100
About $10 to $15 per sq ft of roof before permits. Labor is about 65% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $5,900 | $11,300 |
| Labor | $14,100 | $18,500 |
| Permits and fees | $220 | $350 |
| Total | $20,300 | $30,100 |
Cost breakdown for 2,000 sq ft of roof in St. Cloud, MN
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,900 | $8,600 | $15,300 | 34% |
| Labor | $10,900 | $16,300 | $21,800 | 65% |
| Permits and fees | $130 | $280 | $440 | 1% |
| Total | $12,900 | $25,200 | $37,500 | 100% |
What is behind the St. Cloud number
Labor is 65% of the midpoint bill here, against 56% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is roofers (70%), sheet metal workers (20%), construction laborers (10%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In St. Cloud the blended ratio comes out at 1.36.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the St. Cloud metro is 95.4 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 2,000 sq ft of roof comes to $8,600, compared with $9,000 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (87.6) and land at $130 to $440.
Data note: 20% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in St. Cloud. The wage table below marks each row.
Local wages behind the labor line
Wages are the part of this estimate that changes most from town to town. 3 trades carry the job here, and each is compared with its US median. The weighted result for St. Cloud is 1.36 times the national level.
For roofers (47-2181, weighted 70%) the local median is $38.10 an hour, which is 43% above the national $26.65. The middle half of them earn between $27.86 and $44.05 an hour. BLS counts 130 of them working in the area, 12.5 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 8.7), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Sheet metal workers (47-2211) carry 20% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the St. Cloud metro, so we used the Minnesota statewide median: $35.08 an hour against $29.71 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $24.79 and $51.38 an hour.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 10% of the weighting: a median of $27.80 an hour, 23% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $23.11 and $36.92 an hour. About 1,470 work in the metro. That is 141.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the roofers on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($44.05 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $1,900. At the 25th percentile ($27.86) it shrinks by about $3,250. The total moves by 7.4% or 12.8%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 103,920 jobs in the St. Cloud area. That makes it the 197th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.07% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofers (47-2181) | 70% | $27.86 | $38.10 | $44.05 | $26.65 | 1.43 | metro |
| Sheet metal workers (47-2211) | 20% | $24.79 | $35.08 | $51.38 | $29.71 | 1.18 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 10% | $23.11 | $27.80 | $36.92 | $22.66 | 1.23 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.36 | |||||
When to schedule metal roof in St. Cloud
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for St Cloud Rgnl Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
April through October is the stretch where exterior installation runs into the fewest weather problems in St. Cloud (7 of 12 months). January, February, March, November and December have an average daytime high under 45°F.
In January, February, March, November and December the average high stays below 45°F. Sealants, adhesives and some materials, such as vinyl, are harder to install well in the cold, and short daylight cuts the working day.
St. Cloud gets about 28 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 48 inches of snow. The wettest months are May, June and August (4.0 inches in August). Inside the workable window, April and October are the driest, at 2.6 and 2.6 inches. The station averages about 9 days a year at 90°F or above.
Does the season change the price? Probably, but we do not have a sourced seasonal price curve, so the estimator shows a year-round figure and does not adjust by month. When you collect quotes, ask whether scheduling in a slower month gets a better rate.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21 | 3 | 0.7 | Cold |
| Feb | 26 | 7 | 0.8 | Cold |
| Mar | 39 | 20 | 1.6 | Cold |
| Apr | 54 | 32 | 2.6 | Workable |
| May | 68 | 45 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Jun | 77 | 55 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Jul | 82 | 59 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Aug | 79 | 56 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Sep | 71 | 48 | 3.0 | Workable |
| Oct | 56 | 36 | 2.6 | Workable |
| Nov | 39 | 23 | 1.4 | Cold |
| Dec | 26 | 10 | 0.9 | Cold |
How St. Cloud compares
Same job, same size (2,000 sq ft of roof), priced for the nearest metros. Minneapolis is the priciest of the group at $25,500. Eau Claire is the cheapest at $21,000.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Cloud, MNthis page | $12,900 – $37,500 | $25,200 | |
| Minneapolis, MN70 miles | $12,800 – $38,100 | $25,500 | +1% |
| Fargo, ND150 miles | $11,200 – $34,000 | $22,600 | −10% |
| Rochester, MN155 miles | $11,200 – $34,100 | $22,600 | −10% |
| Duluth, MN155 miles | $12,700 – $37,000 | $24,800 | −1% |
| Eau Claire, WI160 miles | $10,200 – $31,800 | $21,000 | −17% |
| Minnesota (statewide) | $12,600 – $37,400 | $25,000 | −1% |
| United States | $10,200 – $32,500 | $21,300 | −15% |
Across 300 US metros, St. Cloud comes in at #17 from the top. The priciest is Worcester, MA at $29,600; the cheapest is Lubbock, TX at $17,000 (midpoints, 2,000 sq ft of roof). Statewide, St. Cloud is 1% above the Minnesota figure.
Other Minnesota metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis, MN | 1,951,650 jobs | $12,800 – $38,100 | $25,500 | +1% |
| Duluth, MN | 124,710 jobs | $12,700 – $37,000 | $24,800 | −1% |
| Rochester, MN | 122,980 jobs | $11,200 – $34,100 | $22,600 | −10% |
Cities with a workforce like St. Cloud's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is St. Cloud against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champaign, IL | 105,500 jobs | $11,500 – $34,400 | $23,000 | −9% |
| Gainesville, GA | 103,870 jobs | $8,700 – $29,200 | $18,900 | −25% |
| Hagerstown, MD | 107,170 jobs | $10,500 – $32,700 | $21,600 | −14% |
| Charleston, WV | 103,450 jobs | $9,800 – $31,300 | $20,600 | −18% |
Related projects, priced for St. Cloud
Because every project leans on different trades, St. Cloud's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, roof replacement runs +22% and attic insulation +2%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $7,750 – $15,000 | +22% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,400 – $4,450 | +7% |
| Attic insulation | 1,000 sq ft | $1,050 – $4,050 | +2% |
| Vinyl siding | 2,100 sq ft of wall | $8,550 – $25,700 | +2% |
Cost by quality level and size in St. Cloud
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for St. Cloud wages and prices. They overlap on purpose: a good standard job and a modest premium job can cost the same. The grid below prices the same bands at 3 common sizes.
Basic
$12,900 to $22,700
Corrugated or exposed-fastener steel panels
Standard
$20,300 to $30,100
Standing seam steel
Premium
$27,600 to $37,500
Aluminum or premium finish, complex roof
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small (1,200 sq ft of roof) | $7,800 – $13,700 | $12,300 – $18,200 | $16,700 – $22,700 |
| average (2,000 sq ft of roof) | $12,900 – $22,700 | $20,300 – $30,100 | $27,600 – $37,500 |
| large (2,800 sq ft of roof) | $18,000 – $31,700 | $28,300 – $42,000 | $38,600 – $52,300 |
Metal roof: what moves the price in St. Cloud
Metal and gauge
Galvalume and galvanized steel are budget-friendly; copper and zinc are the top of the range.
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).
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 $20,300 to $30,100 for St. Cloud, MN is attached.
Detailed metal roof report for St. Cloud, MN, $9
Multi-page report for St. Cloud, MN: 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 St. Cloud: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a metal roof in St. Cloud?
For 2,000 sq ft of roof, expect $12,900 to $37,500 in the St. Cloud area. A standard-spec job lands at $20,300 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 St. Cloud?
About $6.40 to $18.50 per sq ft of roof for materials and labor, plus $130 to $440 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $5 to $16.
+Is metal roof cheaper in St. Cloud or Minneapolis?
Minneapolis is 70 miles away. The midpoint for 2,000 sq ft of roof there is $25,500, which is 1% more than St. Cloud ($25,200). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in St. Cloud?
About 65% at the midpoint, or $16,300 out of $25,200. Materials are 34% and permits 1%. Nationally, labor is 56%.
+What would average (2,000 sq ft of roof) cost in St. Cloud?
$12,900 to $37,500. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does metal roof need a permit in St. Cloud?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $130 to $440 for fees in the St. Cloud area (our national range of $150 to $500 scaled by the local price level).
+Is St. Cloud expensive for metal roof compared with the rest of Minnesota?
St. Cloud is 1% above the Minnesota statewide estimate ($25,000 at the midpoint). We cover 4 metros in Minnesota; see the state page to compare them.
+What do roofers earn in St. Cloud?
The BLS median is $38.10 an hour in the St. Cloud area, compared with $26.65 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $27.86 to $44.05.
+What do basic and premium metal roof work cost in St. Cloud?
For 2,000 sq ft of roof, basic work runs $12,900 to $22,700 and premium work $27,600 to $37,500. 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 St. Cloud?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through October. April and October 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 St. Cloud
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.