Metal roof cost in Providence, RI

Providence: what basic, standard and premium work costs

Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Providence 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.

How Providence compares

Of the five closest metros, none is cheaper than Providence. Norwich comes closest at about $22,900.

Across 300 US metros, Providence comes in at #73 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, Providence is 0% above the Rhode Island figure.

Providence is the only Rhode Island metro we cover, so the statewide page is the only in-state comparison. It uses statewide wages, which include rural areas.

Cities with a workforce like Providence's

Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Providence against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.

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 Providence is 1.11 times the national level.

For roofers (47-2181, weighted 70%) the local median is $29.60 an hour, which is 11% above the national $26.65. The middle half of them earn between $23.77 and $36.90 an hour. BLS counts 460 of them working in the area, 6.4 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 8.7), so the local bench is thinner than average.

For sheet metal workers (47-2211, weighted 20%) the local median is $31.30 an hour, which is 5% above the national $29.71. The middle half of them earn between $25.04 and $39.42 an hour. BLS counts 520 of them working in the area, 7.3 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 7.7), so the local bench is about average.

Construction laborers (47-2061), 10% of the weighting: a median of $28.50 an hour, 26% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $23.10 and $37.25 an hour. About 3,240 work in the metro. That is 45.4 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.

Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the roofers on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($36.90 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $2,300. At the 25th percentile ($23.77) it shrinks by about $1,850. The total moves by 10.3% or 8.2%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.

For context on the local economy, BLS counts 714,120 jobs in the Providence-Warwick area. That makes it the 42nd largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.46% of US employment.

When to schedule metal roof in Providence

We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Providence T F Green Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.

March through November is the stretch where exterior installation runs into the fewest weather problems in Providence (9 of 12 months). January, February and December have an average daytime high under 45°F.

In January, February 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.

Providence gets about 48 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 37 inches of snow. The wettest months are March, April and December (4.9 inches in March). Inside the workable window, May and July are the driest, at 3.4 and 2.9 inches. The station averages about 12 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.

Specs and site conditions that change a Providence bid

• 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.

Planning more than one job in Providence?

Because every project leans on different trades, Providence's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, roof replacement runs +7% and attic insulation level.