About RoofCostLab

We build roofing calculators that show their working. Every number has a source you can check.

Why this exists

Search "roof replacement cost" and you get a dozen pages quoting a range with no explanation of where it came from. That is not much use when you are holding three contractor bids that differ by $6,000 and trying to work out which one is reasonable.

We took a different approach. Build the estimate the way a contractor builds it, with a material take-off of real quantities plus crew hours at a defensible labor rate, then show the whole thing. Our methodology page documents every input, including the parts we are uncertain about.

Where the data comes from

• Labor: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, May 2025, occupation 47-2181, adjusted for roofing's burden rates and typical contractor overhead.
• Materials: published 2026 retail pricing, with verified in-stock prices used wherever we have them.
• Geometry: standard roofing math, implemented once and unit-tested, shared by every calculator on the site.

How we make money

Display advertising, and affiliate commissions when you buy materials through a link on a project page. Affiliate links are marked. Neither ever changes the figures our calculators produce. The pricing dataset is independent of any commercial relationship, and we do not sell your details to contractors.

What we are not

We are not roofing contractors and we do not provide quotes. Our estimates are planning figures for comparison and budgeting. Anything structural, and any final number, needs a licensed roofer on site.

Questions or corrections: hello@roofcostlab.com