Roof replacement cost in Amherst, MA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (2,000 sq ft of roof)
- $7,400 – $14,500
- Per sq ft of roof
- $3.65 – $7
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +17%
- US $9,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #17
- 1 = most expensive
A new roof in Amherst, MA usually costs $7,400 to $14,500 for 2,000 sq ft of roof. That works out to about $3.65 to $7 per sq ft of roof before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $1,600 more. Roofers earn a median of $34.98 an hour in the Amherst area, 31% above the US median of $26.65.
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Estimated cost for 2,000 sq ft of roof in Amherst, MA, standard level
$9,500 to $12,300
About $4.65 to $6 per sq ft of roof before permits. Labor is about 68% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,550 | $3,850 |
| Labor | $6,750 | $8,100 |
| Permits and fees | $220 | $380 |
| Total | $9,500 | $12,300 |
Cost breakdown for 2,000 sq ft of roof in Amherst, MA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,550 | $3,200 | $4,850 | 29% |
| Labor | $5,700 | $7,400 | $9,100 | 68% |
| Permits and fees | $100 | $300 | $500 | 3% |
| Total | $7,400 | $10,900 | $14,500 | 100% |
Why Amherst prices look the way they do
The wage side of the estimate leans on roofers, who do 85% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $34.98 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Amherst is 1.30 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 68% of the total. BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Massachusetts statewide median.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Amherst is at 97.0 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $3,300 nationally becomes $3,200 here (midpoint, 2,000 sq ft of roof). Permits follow the all-items index of 100.2: $100 to $500.
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 Amherst. The wage table below marks each row.
Cost by quality level and size in Amherst
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Amherst. 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
$7,400 to $10,200
3-tab shingles, single layer, simple roof
Standard
$9,500 to $12,300
Architectural shingles, standard pitch and tear-off
Premium
$11,600 to $14,500
Heavy architectural, steep or cut-up roof, decking repairs
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small (1,200 sq ft of roof) | $4,450 – $6,250 | $5,800 – $7,550 | $7,100 – $8,850 |
| average (2,000 sq ft of roof) | $7,400 – $10,200 | $9,500 – $12,300 | $11,600 – $14,500 |
| large (2,800 sq ft of roof) | $10,300 – $14,200 | $13,200 – $17,100 | $16,100 – $20,000 |
| very large (3,600 sq ft of roof) | $13,200 – $18,200 | $16,900 – $21,900 | $20,700 – $25,600 |
Is Amherst cheap or dear? The local comparison
Same job, same size (2,000 sq ft of roof), priced for the nearest metros. Worcester is the priciest of the group at $13,800. Pittsfield is the cheapest at $9,350.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst, MAthis page | $7,400 – $14,500 | $10,900 | |
| Springfield, MA15 miles | $7,650 – $14,900 | $11,300 | +3% |
| Pittsfield, MA30 miles | $6,150 – $12,500 | $9,350 | −14% |
| Worcester, MA35 miles | $9,600 – $18,000 | $13,800 | +27% |
| Hartford, CT45 miles | $6,900 – $13,700 | $10,300 | −6% |
| Waterbury, CT60 miles | $6,650 – $13,300 | $9,950 | −9% |
| Massachusetts (statewide) | $7,500 – $14,700 | $11,100 | +2% |
| United States | $6,100 – $12,500 | $9,300 | −15% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Amherst ranks #17 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Amherst is 2% below the Massachusetts figure.
Elsewhere in Massachusetts
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston, MA | 2,703,890 jobs | $7,050 – $14,100 | $10,600 | −3% |
| Worcester, MA | 349,880 jobs | $9,600 – $18,000 | $13,800 | +27% |
| Springfield, MA | 201,240 jobs | $7,650 – $14,900 | $11,300 | +3% |
| Barnstable, MA | 94,110 jobs | $7,400 – $14,500 | $10,900 | level |
| Pittsfield, MA | 56,810 jobs | $6,150 – $12,500 | $9,350 | −14% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Amherst against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flagstaff, AZ | 66,610 jobs | $5,500 – $11,400 | $8,450 | −23% |
| Harrisonburg, VA | 65,460 jobs | $5,350 – $11,200 | $8,300 | −24% |
| Logan, UT | 66,800 jobs | $5,400 – $11,300 | $8,350 | −24% |
| El Centro, CA | 65,430 jobs | $6,800 – $13,800 | $10,300 | −6% |
Specs and site conditions that change a Amherst bid
Permit
Roof replacement permits run $100-$500 depending on the location.
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.
What nearby projects cost in Amherst
Jobs that often go together with roof are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Amherst wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, metal roof comes out highest (+15%) and attic insulation lowest (level); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal roof | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $12,400 – $36,600 | +15% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,400 – $4,500 | +8% |
| Vinyl siding | 2,100 sq ft of wall | $8,900 – $26,800 | +6% |
| Attic insulation | 1,000 sq ft | $1,000 – $4,000 | level |
Amherst weather and the roof replacement calendar
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Westfield Barnes Muni Ap (15 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 Amherst 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.
Amherst gets about 45 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, September and October (4.7 inches in October). Inside the workable window, March and November are the driest, at 3.4 and 3.5 inches. The station averages about 18 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 | 35 | 16 | 2.8 | Cold |
| Feb | 38 | 17 | 2.6 | Cold |
| Mar | 47 | 26 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Apr | 60 | 35 | 4.1 | Workable |
| May | 72 | 46 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Jun | 80 | 55 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Jul | 85 | 61 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Aug | 83 | 59 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Sep | 75 | 51 | 4.6 | Workable |
| Oct | 63 | 39 | 4.7 | Workable |
| Nov | 51 | 30 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Dec | 40 | 22 | 3.6 | Cold |
What local crews earn in Amherst
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 Amherst the blend is 1.30.
Roofers (47-2181) carry 85% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Amherst metro, so we used the Massachusetts statewide median: $34.98 an hour against $26.65 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $28.78 and $39.95 an hour.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 15%) the local median is $27.96 an hour, which is 23% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.14 and $36.52 an hour. BLS counts 280 of them working in the area, 42.6 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner than average.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (roofers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $900 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $1,150. That is a swing of roughly 10.3% to 8.3% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Amherst Town-Northampton has 65,670 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 273rd 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% | $28.78 | $34.98 | $39.95 | $26.65 | 1.31 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 15% | $22.14 | $27.96 | $36.52 | $22.66 | 1.23 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.30 | |||||
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Roof replacement in Amherst: your questions
+How much does it cost to replace a roof in Amherst?
For 2,000 sq ft of roof, expect $7,400 to $14,500 in the Amherst area. A standard-spec job lands at $9,500 to $12,300. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft of roof and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft of roof for roof in Amherst?
About $3.65 to $7 per sq ft of roof for materials and labor, plus $100 to $500 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $3 to $6.
+Is roof cheaper in Amherst or Springfield?
Springfield is 15 miles away. The midpoint for 2,000 sq ft of roof there is $11,300, which is 3% more than Amherst ($10,900). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Amherst?
About 68% at the midpoint, or $7,400 out of $10,900. Materials are 29% and permits 3%. Nationally, labor is 61%.
+What would large (2,800 sq ft of roof) cost in Amherst?
$10,300 to $20,000. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does roof need a permit in Amherst?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $100 to $500 for fees in the Amherst area (our national range of $100 to $500 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Amherst expensive for roof compared with the rest of Massachusetts?
Amherst is 2% below the Massachusetts statewide estimate ($11,100 at the midpoint). We cover 6 metros in Massachusetts; see the state page to compare them.
+What do roofers earn in Amherst?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $34.98 an hour, compared with $26.65 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $28.78 to $39.95.
+What do basic and premium roof work cost in Amherst?
For 2,000 sq ft of roof, basic work runs $7,400 to $10,200 and premium work $11,600 to $14,500. 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 Amherst?
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 Amherst
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.