Methodology

1. National baseline

We anchor every estimate to a national installed baseline of $8.50/sq ft for standard architectural asphalt shingles — the most common residential assembly in the U.S. for 2025.

2. State multiplier

Each state has a multiplier derived from local labor cost indexes, code requirements (hurricane, hail, WUI), average material delivery distances, and permit fees. Ranges typically from 0.88 (Mississippi) to 1.42 (Hawaii).

3. City multiplier

Within each state, individual cities are scored against the state average using metropolitan wage data, cost of living, and observed contractor bid data. Downtown metros and high-COL suburbs score above 1.0; smaller markets score below.

4. Job-specific adjustments

Our calculator layers additional multipliers on top: material choice (0.7× 3-tab to 4.5× slate), pitch, home stories, and tear-off vs. overlay.

5. Range presentation

All final estimates are shown as a low–high range (roughly ±18% around the calculated midpoint) to reflect real-world bid spread.

What we don't do

• Sell leads to contractors
• Publish sponsored contractor rankings
• Collect personal information from calculator users