Source: This Old House (RSMeans data from Gordian), updated August 25, 2026.
The average roof replacement cost for a 1,700-square-foot house is about $9,306, according to This Old House, with most jobs between $7,153 and $23,688 depending on the roofing material, the number of stories and the area. A one-story home of that size averages about $12,264 because it carries nearly twice the roof of a two-story home. In Orlando and Central Florida, the permit, the deck, the covering you choose and the wind code shape where your own roof lands in that range.
This guide walks through the numbers: what a typical Central Florida house pays by size and material, why the story count matters so much, the Florida rules that change the scope of a re-roof, and what a written scope from us includes. If your roof is already showing its age, our residential roof replacement page explains how the decision gets made and what replacement day looks like.
Roof replacement cost by house size
The floor area on your listing is not the number a roofer prices. Roofers price the roof surface, in squares of 100 square feet, and the roof of a one-story house is much larger than its floor plan once the pitch and the overhangs are counted. This Old House shows the effect on a 1,700-square-foot house, assuming a 6/12 pitch and one-foot eaves:
| 1,700 sq ft house | Roof area | Average cost | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| One story | About 2,112 sq ft | $12,264 | $9,427–$31,219 |
| Two story | About 1,093 sq ft | $6,347 | $4,878–$16,157 |
Source: This Old House, updated August 25, 2026.
Many Central Florida homes are single-story, which is why a modest-looking house in Kissimmee or Altamonte Springs can carry a larger roof than a two-story home with more living space. To estimate your own roof cost, start from the roof area, not the square footage on the tax record.
Shingle, metal or tile: the price gap
The covering is the other big lever. On the same 1,700-square-foot house, This Old House gives these average totals by material:
| Covering | Average total, 1,700 sq ft house |
|---|---|
| Asphalt shingle | $7,153 |
| Metal | $14,039 |
| Clay tile | $23,570 |
Source: This Old House, updated August 25, 2026. Concrete tile is not priced separately in that guide.
Architectural shingle is the default on most Central Florida homes: the fastest to install, the widest color range and straightforward to repair. Standing seam or panel metal costs more up front, sheds heat and wind better and suits owners who plan to stay. Concrete and clay tile is heavier, needs a structure rated for it, and is required by some HOAs.
Is it cheaper to replace a roof with shingles or metal? Up front, shingles by roughly half on these figures. Over a long ownership, metal narrows the gap because it is replaced less often.
What moves a Central Florida quote
The deck under the old roof
Nobody can price the deck until the old roof is off. Soft, delaminated or rotted plywood has to be cut out and replaced, and on many older homes the deck nailing has to be brought up to current code. A scope that sets out how deck repair is priced, per sheet, before tear-off is the one that does not surprise you halfway through.
How many layers are up there
Some older homes carry a second layer of shingles laid over the first. Two layers means more tear-off labor and more weight to haul away, and it hides the deck until both are gone.
Pitch, height and shape
A steep, cut-up roof with valleys, dormers and skylights takes longer to tear off and dry in than a simple hip roof. Every chimney, wall and skylight needs new flashing, and every vent pipe a new boot.
Underlayment and the secondary water barrier
The layers under the covering are where a Florida roof earns its keep. We put underlayment and a secondary water barrier over the whole deck so the house is watertight before the covering goes on. A low bid that skips this is not the same roof.
HOA approval and access
Many subdivisions require approval of the material and color before work starts. Tight lots, pool enclosures and landscaping close to the house add staging and protection time.
Florida rules that change the scope
The permit and its inspections
A residential re-roof in Florida is permitted work, and we pull the permit under our license (CCC1330329). Two inspections usually follow: one after tear-off and dry-in, when the inspector checks the deck attachment, underlayment and fastening against wind uplift, and a final that closes the permit. The closed permit is part of what you are paying for. A buyer's attorney, an underwriter or a wind mitigation inspector will ask for it.
The 25% rule
Under the older Florida rule, replacing a quarter or more of a roof meant bringing the whole roof up to current code. Section 553.844(5), Florida Statutes, changed that for roofs built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later: when 25% or more of such a roof is repaired or replaced, only that portion has to meet the current code. On a newer roof with storm damage on one slope, that can be the difference between a section and a whole roof. Older roofs do not get the exception.
Roof age and your insurance
Roof age matters at renewal here. Under section 627.7011(5), Florida Statutes, an insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowner's policy solely because a roof is less than 15 years old. For an older roof, the insurer may not refuse solely on age if an authorized inspection shows at least 5 years of useful life left. A roof near the end of that window is often what starts the replacement conversation, so time the decision with your renewal in mind.
The cheapest way to replace a roof
The lowest number is not always the cheapest roof. A few ways to keep the cost down without buying a worse one:
- Ask whether the roof needs replacing at all. A single leak on a sound roof is usually a repair.
- Compare quotes line by line: the same covering, underlayment, deck allowance, flashing and permit.
- Choose architectural shingle if you plan to sell within a few years; the up-front saving is real.
- Plan ahead of a renewal deadline or hurricane season, so you are not scheduling an emergency.
- Ask about financing for qualifying residential projects if spreading the cost helps.
One saving we will not offer is laying a new roof over the old one to skip the tear-off. We do not lay new roofing over old: it hides the deck and adds weight the next roofer has to remove.
What goes into a scope from us
We do not publish prices, because the same covering on two houses can price very differently. Here is what a roof replacement scope from Total Roof Services includes:
- A walk on the roof and a look in the attic, photographed, before anything is priced
- A written scope with real line items, and each covering that makes sense for your roof as its own path
- Full tear-off to bare deck, with deck repair and nailing set out before work starts
- Underlayment and a secondary water barrier, new drip edge, pipe boots and flashing
- Dry-in the same day, so the house never sits open overnight
- The permit pulled under our license, and the closed permit, warranty paperwork and photo record at the end
If what we find is a roof with years left in it, the scope says repair instead. We work across Orlando, Winter Park, Kissimmee, Altamonte Springs and the surrounding communities. To get a real number for your own roof, schedule an inspection.