Metal roof cost in Kingsport, TN
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (2,000 sq ft of roof)
- $8,350 – $28,500
- Per sq ft of roof
- $4.10 – $14
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −14%
- US $21,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #288
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a metal roof in the Kingsport area: $8,350 to $28,500 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 14% lower than the US figure. Roofers earn a median of $19.10 an hour in the Kingsport area, 28% below the US median of $26.65.
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Estimated cost for 2,000 sq ft of roof in Kingsport, TN, standard level
$14,400 to $22,400
About $7.10 to $11 per sq ft of roof before permits. Labor is about 51% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $5,950 | $11,400 |
| Labor | $8,200 | $10,700 |
| Permits and fees | $220 | $340 |
| Total | $14,400 | $22,400 |
Cost breakdown for 2,000 sq ft of roof in Kingsport, TN
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,900 | $8,650 | $15,400 | 47% |
| Labor | $6,300 | $9,450 | $12,600 | 51% |
| Permits and fees | $130 | $280 | $430 | 2% |
| Total | $8,350 | $18,400 | $28,500 | 100% |
Why Kingsport prices look the way they do
The wage side of the estimate leans on roofers, who do 70% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $19.10 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Kingsport is 0.79 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 51% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Kingsport is at 96.2 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $9,000 nationally becomes $8,650 here (midpoint, 2,000 sq ft of roof). Permits follow the all-items index of 86.4: $130 to $430.
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 Kingsport. The wage table below marks each row.
Why two Kingsport quotes can differ
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).
Kingsport against nearby metros and the rest of Tennessee
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 $18,400 to $19,800 across Kingsport and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsport, TNthis page | $8,350 – $28,500 | $18,400 | |
| Johnson City, TN25 miles | $8,900 – $29,500 | $19,200 | +4% |
| Asheville, NC70 miles | $9,250 – $30,300 | $19,800 | +7% |
| Hickory, NC75 miles | $8,750 – $29,300 | $19,000 | +3% |
| Knoxville, TN100 miles | $9,000 – $29,700 | $19,300 | +5% |
| Blacksburg, VA110 miles | $8,650 – $29,100 | $18,900 | +3% |
| Tennessee (statewide) | $9,000 – $29,700 | $19,300 | +5% |
| United States | $10,200 – $32,500 | $21,300 | +16% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Kingsport ranks #288 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Kingsport is 5% below the Tennessee figure.
Elsewhere in Tennessee
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville, TN | 1,099,300 jobs | $9,350 – $30,400 | $19,900 | +8% |
| Memphis, TN | 611,670 jobs | $9,100 – $29,900 | $19,500 | +6% |
| Knoxville, TN | 424,600 jobs | $9,000 – $29,700 | $19,300 | +5% |
| Chattanooga, TN | 268,750 jobs | $8,900 – $29,500 | $19,200 | +4% |
| Clarksville, TN | 103,220 jobs | $8,550 – $28,800 | $18,700 | +1% |
| Jackson, TN | 84,530 jobs | $9,050 – $29,900 | $19,500 | +6% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Kingsport against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington, VT | 120,150 jobs | $10,500 – $32,800 | $21,700 | +18% |
| Greeley, CO | 119,540 jobs | $9,200 – $30,100 | $19,700 | +7% |
| Erie, PA | 120,480 jobs | $9,750 – $31,700 | $20,700 | +13% |
| Utica, NY | 118,390 jobs | $10,600 – $33,400 | $22,000 | +19% |
The best months for metal roof in Kingsport
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Kingsport (in the city). 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 Kingsport: 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.
Kingsport gets about 45 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 5 inches of snow. The wettest months are February, March and July (5.0 inches in July). The station averages about 28 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 | 46 | 27 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Feb | 51 | 30 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Mar | 60 | 36 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Apr | 71 | 45 | 4.0 | Workable |
| May | 78 | 54 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Jun | 84 | 62 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Jul | 87 | 66 | 5.0 | Workable |
| Aug | 86 | 65 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Sep | 81 | 58 | 3.0 | Workable |
| Oct | 71 | 46 | 2.4 | Workable |
| Nov | 59 | 36 | 3.2 | Workable |
| Dec | 50 | 30 | 4.0 | Workable |
Kingsport: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Kingsport. 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
$8,350 to $16,400
Corrugated or exposed-fastener steel panels
Standard
$14,400 to $22,400
Standing seam steel
Premium
$20,400 to $28,500
Aluminum or premium finish, complex roof
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small (1,200 sq ft of roof) | $5,050 – $9,950 | $8,750 – $13,600 | $12,400 – $17,200 |
| average (2,000 sq ft of roof) | $8,350 – $16,400 | $14,400 – $22,400 | $20,400 – $28,500 |
| large (2,800 sq ft of roof) | $11,700 – $22,900 | $20,100 – $31,300 | $28,500 – $39,700 |
Who does the work: Kingsport 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 Kingsport the blend is 0.79.
Roofers (47-2181), 70% of the weighting: a median of $19.10 an hour, 28% below the US median of $26.65. The middle half of them earn between $17.18 and $23.55 an hour. About 90 work in the metro. That is 7.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 8.7 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
Sheet metal workers (47-2211) carry 20% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Kingsport metro, so we used the Tennessee statewide median: $28.45 an hour against $29.71 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $21.74 and $35.40 an hour.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 10%) the local median is $21.81 an hour, which is 4% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.40 and $23.70 an hour. BLS counts 1,430 of them working in the area, 119.6 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is deeper than average.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (roofers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $1,400 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $610. That is a swing of roughly 3.3% to 7.6% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Kingsport-Bristol has 119,560 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 183rd 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% | $17.18 | $19.10 | $23.55 | $26.65 | 0.72 | metro |
| Sheet metal workers (47-2211) | 20% | $21.74 | $28.45 | $35.40 | $29.71 | 0.96 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 10% | $17.40 | $21.81 | $23.70 | $22.66 | 0.96 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.79 | |||||
What nearby projects cost in Kingsport
Jobs that often go together with metal roof are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Kingsport wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, attic insulation comes out highest (−3%) and roof replacement lowest (−17%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $4,950 – $10,500 | −17% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,200 – $3,900 | −7% |
| Attic insulation | 1,000 sq ft | $970 – $3,850 | −3% |
| Vinyl siding | 2,100 sq ft of wall | $7,650 – $23,000 | −9% |
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 $14,400 to $22,400 for Kingsport, TN is attached.
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Metal roof in Kingsport: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a metal roof in Kingsport?
For 2,000 sq ft of roof, expect $8,350 to $28,500 in the Kingsport area. A standard-spec job lands at $14,400 to $22,400. 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 Kingsport?
About $4.10 to $14 per sq ft of roof for materials and labor, plus $130 to $430 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $5 to $16.
+Is metal roof cheaper in Kingsport or Johnson City?
Johnson City is 25 miles away. The midpoint for 2,000 sq ft of roof there is $19,200, which is 4% more than Kingsport ($18,400). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Kingsport?
About 51% at the midpoint, or $9,450 out of $18,400. Materials are 47% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 56%.
+What would average (2,000 sq ft of roof) cost in Kingsport?
$8,350 to $28,500. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does metal roof need a permit in Kingsport?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $130 to $430 for fees in the Kingsport area (our national range of $150 to $500 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Kingsport expensive for metal roof compared with the rest of Tennessee?
Kingsport is 5% below the Tennessee statewide estimate ($19,300 at the midpoint). We cover 8 metros in Tennessee; see the state page to compare them.
+What do roofers earn in Kingsport?
The BLS median is $19.10 an hour in the Kingsport area, compared with $26.65 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $17.18 to $23.55.
+What do basic and premium metal roof work cost in Kingsport?
For 2,000 sq ft of roof, basic work runs $8,350 to $16,400 and premium work $20,400 to $28,500. 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 Kingsport?
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 Kingsport
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.