Roof replacement cost in Louisiana
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (2,000 sq ft of roof)
- $5,400 – $11,200
- Per sq ft of roof
- $2.65 – $5.40
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −11%
- US $9,300
- Metros covered
- 9
Across Louisiana, a new roof costs about $5,400 to $11,200 for 2,000 sq ft of roof. Statewide, that midpoint is 11% below the US figure of $9,300. Roofers earn a median $23.44 an hour in Louisiana (US: $26.65).
Inside Louisiana, the metros we cover range from $8,250 (Monroe) to $8,450 (Lake Charles) at the midpoint. Pick your closest city in the table for a tighter number.
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Estimated cost for 2,000 sq ft of roof in Louisiana (statewide), standard level
$7,150 to $9,450
About $3.50 to $4.55 per sq ft of roof before permits. Labor is about 60% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,450 | $3,750 |
| Labor | $4,500 | $5,400 |
| Permits and fees | $190 | $340 |
| Total | $7,150 | $9,450 |
Cost breakdown for 2,000 sq ft of roof in Louisiana
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,500 | $3,100 | $4,700 | 37% |
| Labor | $3,800 | $4,950 | $6,100 | 60% |
| Permits and fees | $90 | $260 | $440 | 3% |
| Total | $5,400 | $8,300 | $11,200 | 100% |
Basic, standard or premium: Louisiana prices
Bands overlap on purpose, since a good standard job can cost as much as a light premium one. Below are the three bands for the default size, then a grid from small (1,200 sq ft of roof) to very large (3,600 sq ft of roof).
Basic
$5,400 to $7,750
3-tab shingles, single layer, simple roof
Standard
$7,150 to $9,450
Architectural shingles, standard pitch and tear-off
Premium
$8,900 to $11,200
Heavy architectural, steep or cut-up roof, decking repairs
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small (1,200 sq ft of roof) | $3,300 – $4,750 | $4,350 – $5,800 | $5,450 – $6,900 |
| average (2,000 sq ft of roof) | $5,400 – $7,750 | $7,150 – $9,450 | $8,900 – $11,200 |
| large (2,800 sq ft of roof) | $7,550 – $10,700 | $9,950 – $13,100 | $12,300 – $15,500 |
| very large (3,600 sq ft of roof) | $9,650 – $13,700 | $12,700 – $16,800 | $15,800 – $19,800 |
Which Louisiana city is cheapest for roof?
2 of the 9 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $8,300, and the top-to-bottom gap is 2%. Each row prices the default size with that metro's own BLS wages and BEA price levels, so the gap between rows is real local variation rather than a flat markup.
| Metro | Range (2,000 sq ft of roof) | Midpoint | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles, LA | $5,500 – $11,400 | $8,450 | +1% |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $5,450 – $11,300 | $8,350 | +1% |
| New Orleans, LA | $5,450 – $11,300 | $8,350 | level |
| Slidell, LA | $5,400 – $11,200 | $8,350 | level |
| Shreveport, LA | $5,400 – $11,200 | $8,300 | level |
| Alexandria, LA | $5,400 – $11,200 | $8,300 | level |
| Houma, LA | $5,400 – $11,200 | $8,300 | level |
| Lafayette, LA | $5,350 – $11,100 | $8,250 | −1% |
| Monroe, LA | $5,350 – $11,100 | $8,250 | −1% |
Why two Louisiana quotes can differ
Shingle type
3-tab asphalt is $3-$5 per sq ft installed; architectural is $4-$6 (HomeGuide). Metal, tile and slate are separate projects with much higher ranges.
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.
Permit
Roof replacement permits run $100-$500 depending on the location.
Louisiana versus the states around it
Louisiana ranks 41 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for roof, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is New Jersey at $11,700 and the cheapest Oklahoma at $7,900, both for 2,000 sq ft of roof at the midpoint. Louisiana sits at $8,300. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 130 miles away | $5,200 – $10,900 | $8,050 | −3% |
| Alabama | 310 miles away | $5,250 – $11,000 | $8,100 | −2% |
| Texas | 360 miles away | $5,350 – $11,200 | $8,300 | level |
| Arkansas | 360 miles away | $5,300 – $11,000 | $8,200 | −2% |
| Tennessee | 460 miles away | $5,350 – $11,200 | $8,250 | −1% |
When Louisiana weather lets you replace
Weather decides when exterior installation can happen, and Louisiana is not uniform. The table uses NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals from the weather station nearest each metro we cover, and counts the months that are neither cold nor hot enough to complicate the job.
New Orleans has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in Louisiana at 10 months (September through June); Shreveport has the shortest at 8 (October through May). Rainfall runs from 51 inches a year in Shreveport to 66 inches in Slidell.
We do not adjust prices by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. Timing is still worth raising when you collect bids.
| Metro | Jan avg low °F | Jul avg high °F | Precip (in/yr) | Comfortable months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | 47 | 91 | 60 | 10: September through June |
| Baton Rouge | 42 | 92 | 62 | 9: September through May |
| Lafayette | 44 | 92 | 63 | 9: September through May |
| Shreveport | 37 | 94 | 51 | 8: October through May |
| Lake Charles | 43 | 92 | 60 | 9: September through May |
| Slidell | 42 | 90 | 66 | 10: September through June |
| Monroe | 37 | 93 | 55 | 9: September through May |
| Houma | 44 | 91 | 65 | 9: September through May |
| Alexandria | 39 | 92 | 61 | 10: September through June |
Louisiana labor market for roof
Louisiana's labor line is priced from 2 trades, each compared with its US median wage. After weighting by each trade's share of the work, the state comes out at 0.87 times the national level.
Roofers (47-2181), 85% of the weighting: a median of $23.44 an hour, 12% below the US median of $26.65. The middle half of them earn between $18.74 and $27.02 an hour. About 760 work in the state. That is 3.9 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 8.7 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 15%) the local median is $18.38 an hour, which is 19% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $16.59 and $22.74 an hour. BLS counts 22,100 of them working in the state, 114.2 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is deeper than average.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for roofers ($27.02 an hour) would add about $650 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($18.74) would take off about $850. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 1,934,900 jobs across Louisiana (May 2025), which is 1.2% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofers (47-2181) | 85% | $18.74 | $23.44 | $27.02 | $26.65 | 0.88 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 15% | $16.59 | $18.38 | $22.74 | $22.66 | 0.81 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.87 | |||||
If you are planning more than one job in Louisiana
Each project weights the trades differently, so Louisiana's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, attic insulation is −6% and vinyl siding −12%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal roof | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $8,900 – $29,200 | −11% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,150 – $3,750 | −10% |
| Vinyl siding | 2,100 sq ft of wall | $7,400 – $22,100 | −12% |
| Attic insulation | 1,000 sq ft | $940 – $3,750 | −6% |
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Roof replacement in Louisiana: your questions
+How much does it cost to replace a roof in Louisiana?
$5,400 to $11,200 for 2,000 sq ft of roof, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Louisiana can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Louisiana is cheapest for roof?
Monroe at about $8,250 (midpoint, 2,000 sq ft of roof). The priciest is Lake Charles at $8,450.
+Is roof cheaper in Louisiana than the US average?
It is 11% cheaper: $8,300 against $9,300 for 2,000 sq ft of roof at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Louisiana?
About 60% ($4,950). Materials are 37%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 0.87x the national wage level.
+What do roofers earn in Louisiana?
The BLS statewide median is $23.44 an hour, against $26.65 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $18.74 to $27.02.
+Where does Louisiana rank for roof costs?
41st most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $8,300 for 2,000 sq ft of roof. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium roof work cost in Louisiana?
For 2,000 sq ft of roof, basic work runs $5,400 to $7,750 and premium work $8,900 to $11,200. Basic means: 3-tab shingles, single layer, simple roof. Premium means: heavy architectural, steep or cut-up roof, decking repairs.
+Does the season matter for roof in Louisiana?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Louisiana metros we cover, New Orleans has the most comfortable months (10 of 12) based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals. Our prices do not change by month, so ask contractors whether they charge more or less in busy and slow seasons.
Roof replacement by city in Louisiana
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.