Roof replacement cost in La Crosse, WI
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (2,000 sq ft of roof)
- $6,400 – $12,800
- Per sq ft of roof
- $3.15 – $6.20
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +4%
- US $9,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #87
- 1 = most expensive
La Crosse homeowners pay roughly $6,400 to $12,800 to replace a roof at 2,000 sq ft of roof, or $3.15 to $6.20 per sq ft of roof (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, La Crosse is 4% higher. Roofers earn a median of $28.54 an hour in the La Crosse area, 7% above the US median of $26.65.
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Estimated cost for 2,000 sq ft of roof in La Crosse, WI, standard level
$8,350 to $10,900
About $4.05 to $5.30 per sq ft of roof before permits. Labor is about 65% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,450 | $3,750 |
| Labor | $5,700 | $6,850 |
| Permits and fees | $200 | $350 |
| Total | $8,350 | $10,900 |
Cost breakdown for 2,000 sq ft of roof in La Crosse, WI
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,500 | $3,100 | $4,700 | 32% |
| Labor | $4,850 | $6,250 | $7,700 | 65% |
| Permits and fees | $90 | $280 | $460 | 3% |
| Total | $6,400 | $9,650 | $12,800 | 100% |
What is behind the La Crosse number
Labor is 65% 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 La Crosse the blended ratio comes out at 1.10. BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Wisconsin statewide median.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the La Crosse metro is 93.8 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 2,000 sq ft of roof comes to $3,100, compared with $3,300 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (91.8) and land at $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 La Crosse. The wage table below marks each row.
La Crosse: what basic, standard and premium work costs
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for La Crosse 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
$6,400 to $9,000
3-tab shingles, single layer, simple roof
Standard
$8,350 to $10,900
Architectural shingles, standard pitch and tear-off
Premium
$10,300 to $12,800
Heavy architectural, steep or cut-up roof, decking repairs
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small (1,200 sq ft of roof) | $3,900 – $5,500 | $5,100 – $6,700 | $6,300 – $7,900 |
| average (2,000 sq ft of roof) | $6,400 – $9,000 | $8,350 – $10,900 | $10,300 – $12,800 |
| large (2,800 sq ft of roof) | $8,950 – $12,500 | $11,600 – $15,100 | $14,300 – $17,800 |
| very large (3,600 sq ft of roof) | $11,500 – $16,000 | $14,900 – $19,400 | $18,200 – $22,700 |
Planning more than one job in La Crosse?
Because every project leans on different trades, La Crosse's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, metal roof runs +4% and attic insulation −2%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal roof | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $11,000 – $33,400 | +4% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,350 – $4,300 | +3% |
| Vinyl siding | 2,100 sq ft of wall | $8,500 – $25,400 | +1% |
| Attic insulation | 1,000 sq ft | $1,000 – $3,900 | −2% |
When to schedule roof in La Crosse
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for La Crosse Wfo (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
April through October is the stretch where exterior installation runs into the fewest weather problems in La Crosse (7 of 12 months). January, February, March, November and December have an average daytime high under 45°F.
In January, February, March, November 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.
La Crosse gets about 37 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 54 inches of snow. The wettest months are May, June and August (5.3 inches in June). Inside the workable window, September and October are the driest, at 4.0 and 2.9 inches. The station averages about 3 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 | 24 | 8 | 1.1 | Cold |
| Feb | 29 | 13 | 1.1 | Cold |
| Mar | 41 | 24 | 1.9 | Cold |
| Apr | 55 | 36 | 4.0 | Workable |
| May | 67 | 48 | 4.9 | Workable |
| Jun | 76 | 58 | 5.3 | Workable |
| Jul | 80 | 62 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Aug | 78 | 60 | 4.5 | Workable |
| Sep | 71 | 52 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Oct | 58 | 40 | 2.9 | Workable |
| Nov | 42 | 28 | 1.9 | Cold |
| Dec | 29 | 15 | 1.5 | Cold |
How La Crosse compares
Same job, same size (2,000 sq ft of roof), priced for the nearest metros. Rochester is the priciest of the group at $9,900. Dubuque is the cheapest at $8,500.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Crosse, WIthis page | $6,400 – $12,800 | $9,650 | |
| Rochester, MN65 miles | $6,650 – $13,200 | $9,900 | +3% |
| Dubuque, IA85 miles | $5,550 – $11,400 | $8,500 | −12% |
| Eau Claire, WI85 miles | $5,900 – $12,000 | $8,900 | −7% |
| Madison, WI85 miles | $6,500 – $13,000 | $9,750 | +1% |
| Waterloo, IA105 miles | $5,550 – $11,500 | $8,500 | −12% |
| Wisconsin (statewide) | $6,400 – $12,800 | $9,600 | level |
| United States | $6,100 – $12,500 | $9,300 | −3% |
Across 300 US metros, La Crosse comes in at #87 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, La Crosse is 0% above the Wisconsin figure.
Other Wisconsin metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee, WI | 820,780 jobs | $6,450 – $12,900 | $9,700 | +1% |
| Madison, WI | 408,070 jobs | $6,500 – $13,000 | $9,750 | +1% |
| Green Bay, WI | 174,550 jobs | $6,350 – $12,700 | $9,550 | −1% |
| Appleton, WI | 124,230 jobs | $6,600 – $13,100 | $9,850 | +2% |
| Oshkosh, WI | 93,750 jobs | $6,300 – $12,600 | $9,450 | −2% |
| Eau Claire, WI | 86,060 jobs | $5,900 – $12,000 | $8,900 | −7% |
Cities with a workforce like La Crosse's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is La Crosse against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson, TN | 84,530 jobs | $5,350 – $11,100 | $8,250 | −14% |
| Waterloo, IA | 84,260 jobs | $5,550 – $11,500 | $8,500 | −12% |
| Eau Claire, WI | 86,060 jobs | $5,900 – $12,000 | $8,900 | −7% |
| Houma, LA | 83,440 jobs | $5,400 – $11,200 | $8,300 | −14% |
Local wages behind the labor line
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 La Crosse is 1.10 times the national level.
Roofers (47-2181) carry 85% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the La Crosse metro, so we used the Wisconsin statewide median: $28.54 an hour against $26.65 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $23.01 and $31.41 an hour.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 15% of the weighting: a median of $28.32 an hour, 25% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.49 and $35.41 an hour. About 610 work in the metro. That is 72.3 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 ($31.41 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $520. At the 25th percentile ($23.01) it shrinks by about $1,000. The total moves by 5.4% or 10.4%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 84,380 jobs in the La Crosse-Onalaska area. That makes it the 228th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.05% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofers (47-2181) | 85% | $23.01 | $28.54 | $31.41 | $26.65 | 1.07 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 15% | $22.49 | $28.32 | $35.41 | $22.66 | 1.25 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.10 | |||||
Roof replacement: what moves the price in La Crosse
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.
Get 3 local quotes
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Roof replacement in La Crosse: your questions
+How much does it cost to replace a roof in La Crosse?
For 2,000 sq ft of roof, expect $6,400 to $12,800 in the La Crosse area. A standard-spec job lands at $8,350 to $10,900. 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 La Crosse?
About $3.15 to $6.20 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 La Crosse or Rochester?
Rochester is 65 miles away. The midpoint for 2,000 sq ft of roof there is $9,900, which is 3% more than La Crosse ($9,650). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in La Crosse?
About 65% at the midpoint, or $6,250 out of $9,650. Materials are 32% and permits 3%. Nationally, labor is 61%.
+What would large (2,800 sq ft of roof) cost in La Crosse?
$8,950 to $17,800. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does roof need a permit in La Crosse?
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 La Crosse area (our national range of $100 to $500 scaled by the local price level).
+Is La Crosse expensive for roof compared with the rest of Wisconsin?
La Crosse is 0% above the Wisconsin statewide estimate ($9,600 at the midpoint). We cover 12 metros in Wisconsin; see the state page to compare them.
+What do roofers earn in La Crosse?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $28.54 an hour, compared with $26.65 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $23.01 to $31.41.
+What do basic and premium roof work cost in La Crosse?
For 2,000 sq ft of roof, basic work runs $6,400 to $9,000 and premium work $10,300 to $12,800. 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 La Crosse?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through October. 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 La Crosse
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.