Roof replacement cost in Memphis, TN
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (2,000 sq ft of roof)
- $5,400 – $11,300
- Per sq ft of roof
- $2.65 – $5.40
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −10%
- US $9,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #220
- 1 = most expensive
If you want to replace a roof in Memphis, plan on $5,400 to $11,300 for 2,000 sq ft of roof, all in. Per sq ft of roof, that is $2.65 to $5.40 for materials and labor, with the permit on top. The local midpoint runs 10% lower than the national one. Roofers earn a median of $22.34 an hour in the Memphis area, 16% below the US median of $26.65.
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Estimated cost for 2,000 sq ft of roof in Memphis, TN, standard level
$7,150 to $9,500
About $3.50 to $4.55 per sq ft of roof before permits. Labor is about 59% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,500 | $3,850 |
| Labor | $4,450 | $5,300 |
| Permits and fees | $200 | $350 |
| Total | $7,150 | $9,500 |
Cost breakdown for 2,000 sq ft of roof in Memphis, TN
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,550 | $3,200 | $4,800 | 38% |
| Labor | $3,750 | $4,850 | $6,000 | 59% |
| Permits and fees | $90 | $280 | $460 | 3% |
| Total | $5,400 | $8,350 | $11,300 | 100% |
What is behind the Memphis number
The wage side of the estimate leans on roofers, who do 85% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $22.34 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Memphis is 0.86 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 59% of the total.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Memphis metro is 96.2 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 2,000 sq ft of roof comes to $3,200, compared with $3,300 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (92.2) and land at $90 to $460.
Pick a size, pick a tier: roof replacement pricing in Memphis
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Memphis 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 4 common sizes.
Basic
$5,400 to $7,750
3-tab shingles, single layer, simple roof
Standard
$7,150 to $9,500
Architectural shingles, standard pitch and tear-off
Premium
$8,900 to $11,300
Heavy architectural, steep or cut-up roof, decking repairs
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small (1,200 sq ft of roof) | $3,250 – $4,750 | $4,350 – $5,850 | $5,450 – $6,950 |
| average (2,000 sq ft of roof) | $5,400 – $7,750 | $7,150 – $9,500 | $8,900 – $11,300 |
| large (2,800 sq ft of roof) | $7,500 – $10,700 | $9,950 – $13,200 | $12,400 – $15,600 |
| very large (3,600 sq ft of roof) | $9,650 – $13,700 | $12,700 – $16,800 | $15,800 – $19,900 |
Related projects, priced for Memphis
Because every project leans on different trades, Memphis's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, attic insulation runs −4% and metal roof −9%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal roof | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $9,100 – $29,900 | −9% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,200 – $4,000 | −5% |
| Vinyl siding | 2,100 sq ft of wall | $7,750 – $23,300 | −8% |
| Attic insulation | 1,000 sq ft | $960 – $3,850 | −4% |
Specs and site conditions that change a Memphis bid
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.
Memphis against nearby metros and the rest of Tennessee
Same job, same size (2,000 sq ft of roof), priced for the nearest metros. Memphis is the priciest of the group. Decatur is the cheapest at $8,150.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis, TNthis page | $5,400 – $11,300 | $8,350 | |
| Jonesboro, AR65 miles | $5,300 – $11,000 | $8,200 | −2% |
| Jackson, TN75 miles | $5,350 – $11,100 | $8,250 | −1% |
| Little Rock, AR145 miles | $5,300 – $11,000 | $8,200 | −2% |
| Decatur, AL160 miles | $5,300 – $11,100 | $8,150 | −2% |
| Clarksville, TN170 miles | $5,300 – $11,100 | $8,200 | −1% |
| Tennessee (statewide) | $5,350 – $11,200 | $8,250 | −1% |
| United States | $6,100 – $12,500 | $9,300 | +12% |
Across 300 US metros, Memphis comes in at #220 from the top. The priciest is Worcester, MA at $13,800; the cheapest is El Paso, TX at $7,200 (midpoints, 2,000 sq ft of roof). Statewide, Memphis is 1% above the Tennessee figure.
Other Tennessee metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville, TN | 1,099,300 jobs | $5,550 – $11,500 | $8,500 | +2% |
| Knoxville, TN | 424,600 jobs | $5,300 – $11,100 | $8,250 | −1% |
| Chattanooga, TN | 268,750 jobs | $5,300 – $11,100 | $8,200 | −1% |
| Kingsport, TN | 119,560 jobs | $4,950 – $10,500 | $7,750 | −7% |
| Clarksville, TN | 103,220 jobs | $5,300 – $11,100 | $8,200 | −1% |
| Jackson, TN | 84,530 jobs | $5,350 – $11,100 | $8,250 | −1% |
Cities with a workforce like Memphis's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Memphis against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, VA | 660,350 jobs | $5,500 – $11,400 | $8,450 | +2% |
| Hartford, CT | 599,770 jobs | $6,900 – $13,700 | $10,300 | +24% |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 677,680 jobs | $5,100 – $10,700 | $7,900 | −5% |
| Grand Rapids, MI | 598,260 jobs | $5,600 – $11,600 | $8,600 | +3% |
Climate in Memphis: timing your roof job
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Memphis Intl Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
September through June is the stretch where exterior installation runs into the fewest weather problems in Memphis (10 of 12 months). July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Memphis gets about 55 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 3 inches of snow. The wettest months are March, April and December (5.9 inches in April). Inside the workable window, September and October are the driest, at 3.0 and 4.0 inches. The station averages about 72 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 | 51 | 33 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Feb | 56 | 37 | 4.5 | Workable |
| Mar | 64 | 44 | 5.7 | Workable |
| Apr | 73 | 53 | 5.9 | Workable |
| May | 82 | 62 | 5.3 | Workable |
| Jun | 89 | 70 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Jul | 92 | 74 | 4.8 | Hot |
| Aug | 92 | 73 | 3.4 | Hot |
| Sep | 86 | 66 | 3.0 | Workable |
| Oct | 75 | 54 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Nov | 63 | 43 | 4.7 | Workable |
| Dec | 53 | 36 | 5.5 | Workable |
Memphis labor market for roof
Wages are the part of this estimate that changes most from town to town. 2 trades carry the job here, and each is compared with its US median. The weighted result for Memphis is 0.86 times the national level.
For roofers (47-2181, weighted 85%) the local median is $22.34 an hour, which is 16% below the national $26.65. The middle half of them earn between $19.79 and $24.07 an hour. BLS counts 360 of them working in the area, 5.9 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 8.7), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 15% of the weighting: a median of $21.54 an hour, 5% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $18.31 and $24.40 an hour. About 3,940 work in the metro. That is 64.4 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 ($24.07 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $310. At the 25th percentile ($19.79) it shrinks by about $460. The total moves by 3.8% or 5.6%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 611,670 jobs in the Memphis area. That makes it the 46th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.39% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofers (47-2181) | 85% | $19.79 | $22.34 | $24.07 | $26.65 | 0.84 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 15% | $18.31 | $21.54 | $24.40 | $22.66 | 0.95 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.86 | |||||
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Roof replacement in Memphis: your questions
+How much does it cost to replace a roof in Memphis?
For 2,000 sq ft of roof, expect $5,400 to $11,300 in the Memphis area. A standard-spec job lands at $7,150 to $9,500. 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 Memphis?
About $2.65 to $5.40 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 Memphis or Jonesboro?
Jonesboro is 65 miles away. The midpoint for 2,000 sq ft of roof there is $8,200, which is 2% less than Memphis ($8,350). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Memphis?
About 59% at the midpoint, or $4,850 out of $8,350. Materials are 38% and permits 3%. Nationally, labor is 61%.
+What would large (2,800 sq ft of roof) cost in Memphis?
$7,500 to $15,600. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does roof need a permit in Memphis?
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 Memphis area (our national range of $100 to $500 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Memphis expensive for roof compared with the rest of Tennessee?
Memphis is 1% above the Tennessee statewide estimate ($8,250 at the midpoint). We cover 8 metros in Tennessee; see the state page to compare them.
+What do roofers earn in Memphis?
The BLS median is $22.34 an hour in the Memphis area, compared with $26.65 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $19.79 to $24.07.
+What do basic and premium roof work cost in Memphis?
For 2,000 sq ft of roof, basic work runs $5,400 to $7,750 and premium work $8,900 to $11,300. 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 Memphis?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through June. September and October 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 Memphis
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.