Metal roof cost in Yakima, WA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (2,000 sq ft of roof)
- $10,800 – $34,400
- Per sq ft of roof
- $5.35 – $17
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +6%
- US $21,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #68
- 1 = most expensive
If you want to install a metal roof in Yakima, plan on $10,800 to $34,400 for 2,000 sq ft of roof, all in. Per sq ft of roof, that is $5.35 to $17 for materials and labor, with the permit on top. The local midpoint runs 6% higher than the national one. Roofers earn a median of $27.24 an hour in the Yakima area, 2% above the US median of $26.65.
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Estimated cost for 2,000 sq ft of roof in Yakima, WA, standard level
$17,900 to $27,300
About $8.85 to $13.50 per sq ft of roof before permits. Labor is about 57% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $6,500 | $12,400 |
| Labor | $11,100 | $14,600 |
| Permits and fees | $240 | $380 |
| Total | $17,900 | $27,300 |
Cost breakdown for 2,000 sq ft of roof in Yakima, WA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,100 | $9,450 | $16,800 | 42% |
| Labor | $8,550 | $12,900 | $17,100 | 57% |
| Permits and fees | $140 | $310 | $480 | 1% |
| Total | $10,800 | $22,600 | $34,400 | 100% |
What is behind the Yakima number
The wage side of the estimate leans on roofers, who do 70% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $27.24 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Yakima is 1.07 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 57% of the total.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Yakima metro is 105.0 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 2,000 sq ft of roof comes to $9,450, compared with $9,000 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (95.5) and land at $140 to $480.
Climate in Yakima: timing your metal roof job
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Yakima Air Terminal (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
February through June and August through November are the stretches where exterior installation runs into the fewest weather problems in Yakima (9 of 12 months). January and December have an average daytime high under 45°F; July has an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
In January 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.
Yakima gets about 8 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 20 inches of snow. The wettest months are January, November and December (1.4 inches in December). Inside the workable window, August and September are the driest, at 0.2 and 0.2 inches. The station averages about 40 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 | 40 | 24 | 1.2 | Cold |
| Feb | 47 | 26 | 0.8 | Workable |
| Mar | 57 | 30 | 0.6 | Workable |
| Apr | 65 | 35 | 0.6 | Workable |
| May | 74 | 44 | 0.7 | Workable |
| Jun | 81 | 50 | 0.5 | Workable |
| Jul | 90 | 55 | 0.2 | Hot |
| Aug | 89 | 53 | 0.2 | Workable |
| Sep | 79 | 45 | 0.2 | Workable |
| Oct | 64 | 35 | 0.6 | Workable |
| Nov | 49 | 27 | 0.9 | Workable |
| Dec | 38 | 23 | 1.4 | Cold |
Specs and site conditions that change a Yakima bid
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.
Labor
Metal roof labor is $4-$8 per sq ft, or $400-$800 per roofing square, and standing seam needs specialist crews.
Cost by quality level and size in Yakima
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Yakima 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
$10,800 to $20,300
Corrugated or exposed-fastener steel panels
Standard
$17,900 to $27,300
Standing seam steel
Premium
$25,000 to $34,400
Aluminum or premium finish, complex roof
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small (1,200 sq ft of roof) | $6,550 – $12,300 | $10,800 – $16,600 | $15,100 – $20,800 |
| average (2,000 sq ft of roof) | $10,800 – $20,300 | $17,900 – $27,300 | $25,000 – $34,400 |
| large (2,800 sq ft of roof) | $15,100 – $28,200 | $25,000 – $38,100 | $34,800 – $48,000 |
Is Yakima cheap or dear? The local comparison
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 $22,600 to $25,200 across Yakima and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima, WAthis page | $10,800 – $34,400 | $22,600 | |
| Kennewick, WA70 miles | $11,700 – $36,200 | $24,000 | +6% |
| Seattle, WA90 miles | $12,600 – $37,900 | $25,200 | +11% |
| Portland, OR100 miles | $11,400 – $35,700 | $23,600 | +4% |
| Olympia, WA105 miles | $11,600 – $36,000 | $23,800 | +5% |
| Bremerton, WA120 miles | $11,500 – $35,800 | $23,600 | +5% |
| Washington (statewide) | $11,900 – $36,500 | $24,200 | +7% |
| United States | $10,200 – $32,500 | $21,300 | −6% |
Across 300 US metros, Yakima comes in at #68 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, Yakima is 7% below the Washington figure.
Other Washington metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | 2,086,210 jobs | $12,600 – $37,900 | $25,200 | +11% |
| Spokane, WA | 255,820 jobs | $11,000 – $34,800 | $22,900 | +1% |
| Olympia, WA | 130,300 jobs | $11,600 – $36,000 | $23,800 | +5% |
| Kennewick, WA | 129,490 jobs | $11,700 – $36,200 | $24,000 | +6% |
| Bremerton, WA | 93,740 jobs | $11,500 – $35,800 | $23,600 | +5% |
| Bellingham, WA | 91,390 jobs | $11,600 – $36,100 | $23,900 | +5% |
Cities with a workforce like Yakima's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Yakima against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Binghamton, NY | 97,030 jobs | $10,700 – $33,500 | $22,100 | −2% |
| Athens, GA | 95,800 jobs | $8,700 – $29,100 | $18,900 | −16% |
| Lynchburg, VA | 97,190 jobs | $8,600 – $29,000 | $18,800 | −17% |
| Fort Smith, AR | 95,560 jobs | $8,300 – $28,000 | $18,100 | −20% |
Related projects, priced for Yakima
Because every project leans on different trades, Yakima's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, attic insulation runs +14% and roof replacement +3%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $6,300 – $12,900 | +3% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,400 – $4,500 | +7% |
| Attic insulation | 1,000 sq ft | $1,200 – $4,550 | +14% |
| Vinyl siding | 2,100 sq ft of wall | $8,900 – $26,600 | +6% |
Yakima labor market for metal roof
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 Yakima is 1.07 times the national level.
For roofers (47-2181, weighted 70%) the local median is $27.24 an hour, which is in line with the national $26.65. The middle half of them earn between $26.89 and $36.14 an hour. BLS counts 160 of them working in the area, 16.5 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 8.7), so the local bench is deeper than average.
For sheet metal workers (47-2211, weighted 20%) the local median is $37.43 an hour, which is 26% above the national $29.71. The middle half of them earn between $28.33 and $47.76 an hour. BLS counts 90 of them working in the area, 9.3 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 7.7), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 10% of the weighting: a median of $23.47 an hour, 4% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.25 and $29.70 an hour. About 590 work in the metro. That is 60.8 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the roofers on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($36.14 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $2,800. At the 25th percentile ($26.89) it shrinks by about $110. The total moves by 12.4% or 0.5%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 97,010 jobs in the Yakima area. That makes it the 208th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.06% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofers (47-2181) | 70% | $26.89 | $27.24 | $36.14 | $26.65 | 1.02 | metro |
| Sheet metal workers (47-2211) | 20% | $28.33 | $37.43 | $47.76 | $29.71 | 1.26 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 10% | $21.25 | $23.47 | $29.70 | $22.66 | 1.04 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.07 | |||||
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Metal roof in Yakima: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a metal roof in Yakima?
For 2,000 sq ft of roof, expect $10,800 to $34,400 in the Yakima area. A standard-spec job lands at $17,900 to $27,300. 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 Yakima?
About $5.35 to $17 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 Yakima or Kennewick?
Kennewick is 70 miles away. The midpoint for 2,000 sq ft of roof there is $24,000, which is 6% more than Yakima ($22,600). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Yakima?
About 57% at the midpoint, or $12,900 out of $22,600. Materials are 42% and permits 1%. Nationally, labor is 56%.
+What would average (2,000 sq ft of roof) cost in Yakima?
$10,800 to $34,400. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does metal roof need a permit in Yakima?
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 Yakima area (our national range of $150 to $500 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Yakima expensive for metal roof compared with the rest of Washington?
Yakima is 7% below the Washington statewide estimate ($24,200 at the midpoint). We cover 7 metros in Washington; see the state page to compare them.
+What do roofers earn in Yakima?
The BLS median is $27.24 an hour in the Yakima area, compared with $26.65 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $26.89 to $36.14.
+What do basic and premium metal roof work cost in Yakima?
For 2,000 sq ft of roof, basic work runs $10,800 to $20,300 and premium work $25,000 to $34,400. 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 Yakima?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are February through June and August through November. August and September 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 Yakima
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.