Roofer pricing in Chicago
What roofers charge in Chicago (typically $60-$150/hr), the local factors that move the rate, and a sample quote you can use as a starting point.
No credit card required
Chicago roofer pricing
What roofers should charge in Chicago
Chicago roofers work in a market dominated by flat-roof (EPDM, TPO, modified bitumen) on greystones and two-flats, composition asphalt shingle on bungalows and tract homes, and lakefront parapet/coping work. Roofers Local 11 (United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers) covers union work. City of Chicago Roofing License required. Pre-1940 housing has slate or terra-cotta tile roofs needing specialist restoration. Polar-vortex ice dams drive winter callouts.
Hourly rate
$60-$150
per hour, weekday daytime
Call-out fee
$42-$90
within standard radius
After-hours
1.5-2x
evening, weekend, holiday
Job pricing
What to charge for common roofer jobs in Chicago
Real-world price ranges for the jobs local tradies quote every week. Use the table as a starting point for your own quotes and adjust for parts, access, and your overheads. All figures in USD.
Site inspection and quote
What's included
Most established roofers inspect free for jobs over $2,000. Detailed condition reports may be charged.
Single tile replacement
What's included
Includes tile, mortar, and 30-60 min labour. Access difficulty adds cost on steep roofs.
Ridge cap repair (per linear metre)
What's included
Includes mortar bedding, pointing, and labour. Full ridge replacement runs $60-180/m.
Gutter replacement (per linear metre)
What's included
Includes Colorbond or PVC gutter, brackets, and labour. Hi-flow profiles and concealed gutters cost more.
Roof leak repair (single point)
What's included
Includes locating, flashing or sealant repair, and 1-3 hours labour. Hidden leaks needing trace work cost more.
Partial re-tile (per square metre)
What's included
Includes new tiles, batten check, underlay if needed. Match-to-existing-colour can add lead time.
Full reroof, concrete tile (per sqm)
What's included
Includes strip, batten check, sarking, new tiles, ridge bedding, and labour. Steep pitches and complex valleys cost more.
Full reroof, Colorbond sheet (per sqm)
What's included
Includes strip, batten, sarking, new sheets, fixings, and labour. Custom profiles or colours cost more.
Daily access labour (2-person team)
What's included
Includes scaffold or harness setup. Full-day labour for repairs across multiple points.
Chicago quote factors
What to factor into your Chicago roofer quote
Local context that should shape what you quote as a roofer in Chicago. Humid continental. Cold snowy winters (December-March, polar-vortex events to -20°F+), hot humid summers (July-August often above 90°F), heavy snow (35-45"/year). Lake-effect snow common on lakeshore. Freeze-thaw cycles (60-80/year) drive concrete, masonry, and roofing deterioration. Polar-vortex frozen pipes and ice dams drive winter emergency demand.
Roofers Local 11 union market
Roofers Local 11 (United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers) covers Chicago metro. Many commercial, government, and large-residential jobs require union shop. State union vs non-union shop status on every commercial quote. Union rate ~$55-$90/hour base + benefits; non-union $40-$75/hour.
City of Chicago Roofing License
City of Chicago Roofing License required for permitted work. Print license number on every quote and invoice. Chicago DOB won't issue permits to unlicensed contractors. Annual renewal and continuing-ed required. Cook County suburbs (Evanston, Skokie, Oak Park) have separate licensing.
Flat-roof vs pitched-roof market
Most Chicago residential is flat-roof (asphalt built-up, EPDM, TPO, modified bitumen) on greystones, brownstones, and two-flats. Quote per-sqft installed: EPDM $7-$13/sqft; TPO $9-$16/sqft; modified bitumen $9-$18/sqft; built-up asphalt $6-$12/sqft. Pitched-roof (bungalows, tract homes, North Shore estates) $9-$22/sqft composition asphalt shingle, $14-$30/sqft for slate or terra-cotta.
Pre-1940 slate and terra-cotta restoration
Pre-1940 Chicago greystone, brownstone, and North Shore estate homes have original slate or terra-cotta tile roofs needing specialist restoration. Quote slate or terra-cotta restoration at premium ($25-$60/sqft) with sourced-to-match tiles. Specialist; build portfolio. Many North Shore (Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka, Lake Forest) estates have 100-year-old slate roofs.
Polar-vortex ice dam emergency
Chicago heavy snow + freeze-thaw cycles drive ice dam formation on poorly-insulated attics. Quote emergency ice dam removal ($1,500-$5,000 per visit) and ice dam prevention (attic insulation upgrade $3,500-$15,000, heated cable systems $1,500-$5,000) as winter revenue. Build relationships with insurance assessors for water-damage emergency response.
Parapet and coping pre-1940 greystone
Pre-1940 Chicago greystone and brownstone buildings have parapet walls and limestone coping needing periodic tuckpointing and waterproofing. Quote parapet repair ($5,000-$50,000+ depending on linear feet), tuckpointing ($25-$65/sqft of wall face), and coping replacement ($150-$450/LF) as separate scope. Recurring revenue every 15-25 years per building.
Sample quote
A real Chicago roofer quote you can copy
Full reroof, concrete tile to Colorbond sheet, 145sqm single-storey. Replace the line items and rates with your own; the structure stays.
Strip existing concrete tiles, debris removal to landfill
Batten replacement (rotten or out-of-spec sections, 25% of total area)
Sarking underlay (145sqm, premium foil-faced thermal)
Colorbond Trimdek sheet (145sqm, customer-choice colour, 0.42 BMT)
New gutters, downpipes, valley flashings
Roofing labour (5 days, 3-person team, scaffold included)
Final clean, gutter test with water, warranty handover
FAQ
Chicago roofer pricing questions, answered
Common questions about roofer pricing in Chicago, with answers framed for tradies pricing their own work.
Per-sqft installed: EPDM $7-$13; TPO $9-$16; modified bitumen $9-$18; built-up asphalt $6-$12; composition asphalt shingle $9-$22; slate or terra-cotta $14-$30, specialist restoration $25-$60. Lakeshore and North Shore premium of 20-35% above standard. Always quote scaffold separately.
Yes for commercial and large-residential work. Roofers Local 11 (United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers) covers metro. Many commercial, government, and large-residential jobs require union shop. State union vs non-union shop status on every commercial quote. Union rate ~$55-$90/hour base + benefits; non-union $40-$75/hour.
Yes, for permitted work. Print license number on every quote and invoice. Chicago DOB won't issue permits to unlicensed contractors. Annual renewal and continuing-ed required. Cook County suburbs have separate licensing.
$7-$18/sqft fully installed depending on membrane type, plus tear-off ($2-$5/sqft), insulation ($2-$5/sqft), parapet repair ($5,000-$50,000+ if needed), and flashing ($15-$35/LF). A typical 2,000sqft flat roof runs $25,000-$65,000. Quote union vs non-union shop on commercial.
Yes, niche premium revenue. Pre-1940 Chicago greystone, brownstone, and North Shore estate homes have original slate or terra-cotta tile roofs needing specialist restoration. Quote slate or terra-cotta restoration at premium ($25-$60/sqft) with sourced-to-match tiles. Many North Shore (Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka, Lake Forest) estates have 100-year-old slate roofs.
Hourly rates are $60 to $130 in the US, £35-85 in the UK, A$70-150 in Australia, R280-750 in South Africa, and C$60-140 in Canada. Most roofers prefer fixed-price by square metre for installs and reserve hourly for repairs and inspections.
A typical 3-bed single-storey home takes 4-7 working days for a strip-and-replace, including new sarking and ridge bedding. Larger or steeper roofs run 7-14 days. Weather delays add 1-3 days in winter or wet season.
Yes, 2-3 quotes for any reroof over $5,000. Compare materials (tile brand, sheet thickness), sarking inclusion, gutter scope, and warranty length. The cheapest quote often skips sarking or uses budget-grade fixings.
A proper inspection walks the roof, photographs every section, checks battens, flashings, valleys, gutters, and the ceiling cavity for water staining. Reports run 4-8 pages with photo evidence. Drone-only inspections miss too much; insist on a roof-walk.
Most regions: like-for-like reroofs do not need permits, but switching material (tile to sheet) sometimes does. Heritage-listed properties always need approval. The roofer should know and include permits as a line item.
Keep going
More roofer resources
The full international pricing guide, ready-to-send templates, and the main roofers page.
Full roofer pricing guide
International rates across 8 countries, plus all common jobs and a 10-question FAQ.
QuoteGenio for Roofers
Send branded quotes and invoices from your phone in 2 minutes. Built for roofers.
Roofer Quote Template
Itemised roofer quote with tile spec, scaffold, flashings, and rot provisional.
Testimonials
Trusted by tradespeople in Chicago
Real roofers and other tradies in Chicago use QuoteGenio to quote and invoice from their phone.
“Converting a quote to an invoice in one click saves me so much time. Payment tracking is brilliant. I can see immediately who still owes me.”
Thabo Nkomo
HVAC Technician · Midrand
“Switched from a clunky desktop app. QuoteGenio is faster, simpler, and my crews actually use it. Payments tracking is a huge plus.”
Michael O'Brien
General Contractor · Denver, CO
“Saves me about 3 hours every week. I would still be sending WhatsApp images of handwritten quotes if I had not found QuoteGenio.”
James van der Merwe
Plumber · Johannesburg
Read more
Guides on pricing and quoting
Long-form posts from the QuoteGenio blog that go deeper on quote writing, pricing strategy, and getting paid.
What a Free Quoting Tool for Tradespeople Should Do
Not every free quoting tool for tradespeople earns its keep. A plain checklist of what to look for, what to avoid, and what tradies actually use.
Convert a Quote to an Invoice in One Tap, No Retyping
The one-tap convert flow eliminates the retyping, the duplicate invoice numbers, and the mismatched line items that cost tradies hours each week.
Voice to Quote: Dictate a Job, Get Priced Line Items
Hold the mic, describe the job in your own words, release. The AI drafts a priced quote. What Voice to Quote is, when to use it, and when not to.
Free forever plan
Start quoting faster. Win more jobs.
Create professional quotes in minutes, send instantly, and stay on top of your work without the admin slowing you down.
Free to start. No credit card required.