What a Roof Replacement Costs in Madison (2026)
Everyone wants one number. There isn't one, but there is a narrow enough range that you can tell a fair quote from a bad one before the roofer leaves the driveway. Here is what roof replacement Madison WI homeowners are paying in 2026, and why.
The per-square number
Roofers price by the square: 100 square feet of roof surface. In Madison and the Dane County suburbs, architectural shingle replacement with a full tear-off runs $450–$800 per square installed. That includes tear-off and disposal, synthetic underlayment, ice-and-water shield at the eaves, valleys and penetrations, new drip edge, flashing and pipe boots, a ridge vent, the permit, and cleanup.
The low end is a simple gable roof at a walkable pitch with one layer to remove and clean decking. The high end is a steep, cut-up roof with dormers, two layers, and a couple of sheets of rotten plywood.
By house size
A house's roof is bigger than its footprint because of pitch and overhangs. Rough numbers for common Madison house types:
| House | Roof size | 2026 shingle replacement |
|---|---|---|
| 1,100 sq ft ranch, Westmorland or Eastmorland, simple gable | 14 – 17 squares | $9,000 – $12,000 |
| 1,400 sq ft 1920s isthmus two-story, steep, one dormer | 17 – 22 squares | $10,000 – $16,500 |
| 1,800 sq ft 1990s two-story, Hill Farms area or Blackhawk | 22 – 28 squares | $11,000 – $20,000 |
| 2,400 sq ft 2000s two-story, Sun Prairie or Verona, hip roof with valleys | 28 – 34 squares | $14,000 – $24,000 |
| 3,500 sq ft custom, Middleton or Bishops Bay | 40 – 50 squares | $20,000 – $36,000 |
So the honest answer to "what does a new roof cost in Madison" is $9,000–$22,000 for most houses, with the big suburban customs above that.
Metal
Standing-seam metal roofing Madison homeowners are choosing more often runs $1,200–$2,000 per square, so two to three times the shingle price: $28,000–$48,000 on that 1,800 sq ft two-story. Exposed-fastener panels are $800–$1,300 per square and are fine on a garage or a cabin but not what we'd put on a house. Metal earns its price in this climate by shedding snow, ignoring hail that would bruise shingles, and lasting 40–60 years. It doesn't make sense if you're moving in five.
What moves the price
Pitch. Most of the isthmus and the older near-west neighborhoods are 8/12 or steeper. Steep roofs need staging, roof jacks and slower work. Add 10–20%.
Layers. A second layer adds $1,000–$2,500 for the extra labor and dumpster weight. Three layers, which still turn up on 1920s houses in the Marquette and Tenney-Lapham neighborhoods, more.
Decking. Plywood sheets are $90–$150 each to replace. The bigger cost is old plank decking: 1x6 or 1x8 boards with gaps too wide for shingle nails. Overlaying the whole roof with new plywood adds $2,000–$4,000. Any quote on a pre-1940 house should say what happens if the planks are bad.
Ice-and-water shield coverage. Wisconsin code requires it from the eave to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall, which on a typical overhang means about six feet up the roof. Running it further on a low-slope roof or a house with an ice dam history is a few hundred dollars more. It's the best few hundred dollars on the job.
Complexity. Every valley, dormer, skylight and chimney is flashing work. A hip roof has less flashing than a gable with three dormers but more shingle waste.
Shingle line. Moving from a standard architectural shingle to a Class 4 impact-rated one adds $30–$80 per square. Given the hail Dane County gets, ask your insurer whether they discount for it; several do.
Access. A narrow isthmus lot with the back slope over a neighbor's fence, or a Middleton Hills house with no driveway access to the rear, adds time.
What doesn't move the price much
The color. The brand, within the big three. The month, in terms of price — though the schedule tightens badly for three to six weeks after a hailstorm. And the size of the company: a two-truck outfit and a twenty-truck outfit buy shingles at similar prices; the difference is overhead.
Reading a quote against these numbers
A quote that's $3,000 under the range for your house size is usually leaving something out: it's a roof-over rather than a tear-off, it's felt instead of synthetic, the ice-and-water shield is one course at the eave, or the decking is "as needed" with no per-sheet price. Ask. A quote that's well above the range should be explained by something you can see: three layers, plank decking, a 12/12 pitch.
Every quote should also name the permit. The City of Madison and every suburb we work in require one for a tear-off, and only a business with a Wisconsin Dwelling Contractor certification can pull it.
Paying for it
Insurance pays for hail and wind damage, not age. Roof financing Madison contractors offer is usually a manufacturer-backed loan at 12–60 months; a home equity line is often cheaper for a $15,000 roof, and Focus on Energy rebates can cover part of any attic insulation done at the same time. Our pricing page keeps these numbers current, and the roof replacement page lists everything a replacement built for Wisconsin should include. If you're not sure you need one yet, start with the post on repair versus replacement.
Need roof work in Madison?
Call for a free estimate. Mon–Sat 7am–7pm.