Roof replacement cost in Iowa City, IA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (2,000 sq ft of roof)
- $5,550 – $11,400
- Per sq ft of roof
- $2.75 – $5.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −9%
- US $9,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #177
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a new roof in the Iowa City area: $5,550 to $11,400 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 9% lower than the US figure. Roofers earn a median of $23.39 an hour in the Iowa City area, 12% below the US median of $26.65.
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Estimated cost for 2,000 sq ft of roof in Iowa City, IA, standard level
$7,300 to $9,650
About $3.55 to $4.65 per sq ft of roof before permits. Labor is about 60% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,450 | $3,750 |
| Labor | $4,650 | $5,600 |
| Permits and fees | $200 | $350 |
| Total | $7,300 | $9,650 |
Cost breakdown for 2,000 sq ft of roof in Iowa City, IA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,500 | $3,100 | $4,700 | 36% |
| Labor | $3,950 | $5,100 | $6,300 | 60% |
| Permits and fees | $90 | $270 | $460 | 3% |
| Total | $5,550 | $8,500 | $11,400 | 100% |
What is behind the Iowa City number
Labor is 60% of the midpoint bill here, against 61% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is roofers (85%), construction laborers (15%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In Iowa City the blended ratio comes out at 0.90. BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Iowa statewide median.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Iowa City is at 93.7 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $3,300 nationally becomes $3,100 here (midpoint, 2,000 sq ft of roof). Permits follow the all-items index of 91.5: $90 to $460.
Data note: 85% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in Iowa City. The wage table below marks each row.
Specs and site conditions that change a Iowa City bid
Roof area, not floor area
Pitch and complexity mean roof surface is larger than the house's footprint. A 1,500 sq ft ranch can have 1,800-2,200 sq ft of roof.
Tear-off and layers
Removing a second layer or rotted decking adds cost, and the contractor can only see decking damage after tear-off.
Tear-off
Removing the old roof is $1-$5 per sq ft depending on the material and number of layers (HomeGuide). Check that your quote includes it.
Who does the work: Iowa City trade wages
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 2 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 Iowa City the blend is 0.90.
Roofers (47-2181) carry 85% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Iowa City metro, so we used the Iowa statewide median: $23.39 an hour against $26.65 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $22.31 and $29.50 an hour.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 15%) the local median is $23.05 an hour, which is in line with the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.87 and $28.74 an hour. BLS counts 800 of them working in the area, 85.3 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 $1,100 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $200. That is a swing of roughly 2.3% to 13.1% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Iowa City has 93,760 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 214th by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofers (47-2181) | 85% | $22.31 | $23.39 | $29.50 | $26.65 | 0.88 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 15% | $21.87 | $23.05 | $28.74 | $22.66 | 1.02 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.90 | |||||
Iowa City: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Iowa City. 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 very large (3,600 sq ft of roof).
Basic
$5,550 to $7,900
3-tab shingles, single layer, simple roof
Standard
$7,300 to $9,650
Architectural shingles, standard pitch and tear-off
Premium
$9,100 to $11,400
Heavy architectural, steep or cut-up roof, decking repairs
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small (1,200 sq ft of roof) | $3,350 – $4,850 | $4,450 – $5,950 | $5,550 – $7,050 |
| average (2,000 sq ft of roof) | $5,550 – $7,900 | $7,300 – $9,650 | $9,100 – $11,400 |
| large (2,800 sq ft of roof) | $7,750 – $11,000 | $10,200 – $13,400 | $12,600 – $15,800 |
| very large (3,600 sq ft of roof) | $9,900 – $14,000 | $13,000 – $17,100 | $16,100 – $20,200 |
The best months for roof in Iowa City
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Iowa City Muni Ap (5 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
For exterior installation, the comfortable months in Iowa City are March through November: 9 of 12. Outside them, 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.
Iowa City gets about 36 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are May, June and August (5.3 inches in June). Inside the workable window, March and November are the driest, at 2.2 and 2.2 inches. The station averages about 19 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 | 31 | 15 | 1.0 | Cold |
| Feb | 36 | 19 | 1.2 | Cold |
| Mar | 50 | 30 | 2.2 | Workable |
| Apr | 63 | 40 | 3.8 | Workable |
| May | 73 | 52 | 4.5 | Workable |
| Jun | 83 | 62 | 5.3 | Workable |
| Jul | 86 | 66 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Aug | 84 | 63 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Sep | 78 | 54 | 3.2 | Workable |
| Oct | 64 | 42 | 3.0 | Workable |
| Nov | 49 | 30 | 2.2 | Workable |
| Dec | 36 | 20 | 1.4 | Cold |
Planning more than one job in Iowa City?
Jobs that often go together with roof are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Iowa City wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, attic insulation comes out highest (level) and vinyl siding lowest (−8%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal roof | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $9,450 – $30,400 | −7% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,250 – $4,000 | −4% |
| Vinyl siding | 2,100 sq ft of wall | $7,750 – $23,200 | −8% |
| Attic insulation | 1,000 sq ft | $1,000 – $4,000 | level |
How Iowa City 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 $8,400 to $8,600 across Iowa City and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa City, IAthis page | $5,550 – $11,400 | $8,500 | |
| Cedar Rapids, IA40 miles | $5,500 – $11,400 | $8,400 | −1% |
| Davenport, IA60 miles | $5,600 – $11,500 | $8,600 | +1% |
| Dubuque, IA75 miles | $5,550 – $11,400 | $8,500 | level |
| Waterloo, IA80 miles | $5,550 – $11,500 | $8,500 | level |
| Des Moines, IA110 miles | $5,650 – $11,600 | $8,600 | +1% |
| Iowa (statewide) | $5,550 – $11,400 | $8,500 | level |
| United States | $6,100 – $12,500 | $9,300 | +10% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Iowa City ranks #177 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Iowa City is 0% above the Iowa figure.
Elsewhere in Iowa
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines, IA | 404,130 jobs | $5,650 – $11,600 | $8,600 | +1% |
| Davenport, IA | 180,450 jobs | $5,600 – $11,500 | $8,600 | +1% |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 139,260 jobs | $5,500 – $11,400 | $8,400 | −1% |
| Waterloo, IA | 84,260 jobs | $5,550 – $11,500 | $8,500 | level |
| Sioux City, IA | 75,010 jobs | $5,450 – $11,300 | $8,350 | −2% |
| Dubuque, IA | 58,470 jobs | $5,550 – $11,400 | $8,500 | level |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Iowa City against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billings, MT | 93,800 jobs | $5,850 – $11,900 | $8,900 | +5% |
| Oshkosh, WI | 93,750 jobs | $6,300 – $12,600 | $9,450 | +11% |
| Barnstable, MA | 94,110 jobs | $7,400 – $14,500 | $10,900 | +29% |
| Bremerton, WA | 93,740 jobs | $6,550 – $13,400 | $9,950 | +17% |
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Roof replacement in Iowa City: your questions
+How much does it cost to replace a roof in Iowa City?
For 2,000 sq ft of roof, expect $5,550 to $11,400 in the Iowa City area. A standard-spec job lands at $7,300 to $9,650. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft of roof and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft of roof for roof in Iowa City?
About $2.75 to $5.50 per sq ft of roof for materials and labor, plus $90 to $460 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $3 to $6.
+Is roof cheaper in Iowa City or Cedar Rapids?
Cedar Rapids is 40 miles away. The midpoint for 2,000 sq ft of roof there is $8,400, which is 1% less than Iowa City ($8,500). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Iowa City?
About 60% at the midpoint, or $5,100 out of $8,500. Materials are 36% and permits 3%. Nationally, labor is 61%.
+What would large (2,800 sq ft of roof) cost in Iowa City?
$7,750 to $15,800. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does roof need a permit in Iowa City?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $90 to $460 for fees in the Iowa City area (our national range of $100 to $500 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Iowa City expensive for roof compared with the rest of Iowa?
Iowa City is 0% above the Iowa statewide estimate ($8,500 at the midpoint). We cover 7 metros in Iowa; see the state page to compare them.
+What do roofers earn in Iowa City?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $23.39 an hour, compared with $26.65 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.31 to $29.50.
+What do basic and premium roof work cost in Iowa City?
For 2,000 sq ft of roof, basic work runs $5,550 to $7,900 and premium work $9,100 to $11,400. Basic means: 3-tab shingles, single layer, simple roof. Premium means: heavy architectural, steep or cut-up roof, decking repairs.
+When is the best time to replace a roof in Iowa City?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are March through November. March and November are typically the driest of those months. Local contractors' schedules matter as much as the weather, so book early for the busy months.
Roof replacement near Iowa City
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 Roof Replacement Cost? (2026) (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 = HomeGuide's asphalt shingle price of $80-$250 per roofing square (100 sq ft), i.e. $0.80-$2.50 per sq ft. The rest of the installed price covers roofer labor ($1.50-$3.00/sq ft), tear-off, disposal, underlayment and contractor overhead.