What a Roof Replacement Costs in Des Moines (2026)
The number most people want is simple: a new architectural shingle roof on a typical Des Moines home costs $10,000 to $20,000 in 2026. What that covers, why one house lands at $11,000 and its neighbor at $18,000, and where steel fits are the useful parts. These are typical ranges, not a quote.
Price per square
Roofers price by the square — 100 square feet of roof surface. In the Des Moines metro, a full architectural shingle replacement runs $450–$750 per square installed. That includes:
- Tear-off of the old roof and disposal
- A walked inspection of the decking, with an allowance for replacing bad sheets
- Ice-and-water membrane along the eaves to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line, the usual code line in ice-dam country (check with your city's building department), plus every valley and penetration
- Synthetic underlayment over the rest of the deck
- Architectural shingles with a named wind rating, six nails each
- New drip edge, pipe boots, step and counter-flashing
- Ridge vent and cleared soffit vents
- Permit, cleanup and a magnet sweep for nails
A quote at $350 a square is leaving out at least two of those. Usually the membrane, the flashing, or the tear-off.
Totals by house size
Roof area is bigger than floor area — pitch and overhangs add 15–40% — and Des Moines houses vary a lot.
| Typical house | Squares | 2026 shingle cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft east-side or Highland Park ranch, gable | 14–17 | $9,000 – $12,000 |
| 1,400 sq ft Beaverdale bungalow, steep with a dormer | 18–22 | $10,000 – $16,000 |
| 1,800 sq ft Ankeny or Waukee two-story | 22–28 | $11,000 – $20,000 |
| 2,400 sq ft Johnston or Urbandale two-story, cut-up | 28–34 | $14,000 – $25,000 |
| 3,500 sq ft West Des Moines hip roof with dormers | 40–55 | $20,000 – $38,000 |
A Beaverdale bungalow can cost more than a bigger Ankeny two-story because of pitch: a 10/12 roof needs staging, roof jacks and a slower crew.
What moves the number
- Pitch. Over 8/12 adds 10–20%. Most pre-war city houses qualify.
- Layers. A second layer to tear off is $1,000–$2,500 more in labor and dump fees.
- Decking. $90–$150 per sheet of plywood. Old plank decking that needs sheeting over is $1,500–$3,000. A roof that leaked for years at a valley may need six sheets; a well-kept 2008 roof may need none.
- Complexity. Every valley, dormer, chimney and skylight is flashing work. A plain gable is the cheapest roof in the city to replace.
- Access. A Sherman Hill lot with no driveway and a back slope over a neighbor's fence takes longer than a Grimes cul-de-sac.
- Shingle grade. Standard architectural is the baseline. Class 4 impact-rated shingles add $30–$80 per square and often earn an insurance discount, which is worth asking about anywhere hail falls — meaning everywhere here.
- Timing. Prices don't change with the season, but after a big hail storm the schedule does. Expect four to eight weeks for a non-emergency replacement.
Steel instead of shingles
Metal roofing in Des Moines used to mean barns. Now it's a fair share of the acreages toward Norwalk, Cumming and Bondurant and a growing number of homes in town.
- Standing-seam steel: $1,100–$1,800 per square, so $27,000–$50,000 on an 1,800 sq ft two-story. Concealed fasteners, 40–60 year life, shrugs off the hail that bruises shingles.
- Exposed-fastener steel panels: $700–$1,200 per square. Screws through the face with gaskets that need attention around year 15. Fine on a simple gable or outbuilding.
Steel makes sense if you plan to stay 15 years or more. It doesn't if you're selling in five.
Insurance and the deductible
If the roof is coming off because of hail or wind, your policy pays the replacement cost minus your deductible, and on many newer Iowa policies the wind and hail deductible is 1–2% of the dwelling coverage. On a $300,000 house that's $3,000–$6,000. Some policies also pay only actual cash value on roofs past a certain age, which can leave you with half the bill. Read the declarations page before you assume.
Be wary of any roofer who offers to pay or rebate that deductible; Iowa has rules on this, so check with the Iowa Insurance Division. A roofer who offers is usually planning to inflate the invoice by the same amount, and your signature is on the claim.
What usually isn't in the price
Even a complete roof quote leaves some things out, and they're worth asking about before the crew arrives:
- Gutters. Re-hanging or replacing gutters is usually a separate line, and often a separate company.
- Fascia and soffit repair beyond the first course of decking.
- Skylight units. New flashing kits are normally included; a new skylight is not.
- Chimney masonry. Flashing is roofing work. Loose brick and a cracked crown are a mason's job.
- Attic insulation and air sealing. Often a separate trade, and sometimes eligible for utility rebates.
- Interior repairs to ceilings stained by the old roof.
Ask the contractor to say in writing which of these are in, which are out, and who handles the rest.
A worked example: one house, three roofs
An 1,800 sq ft Waukee two-story with a 24-square roof, one layer, and a few soft sheets of decking:
| Option | Rough math | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Standard architectural shingles | 24 squares at $450–$750 | $10,800 – $18,000 |
| Class 4 impact-rated shingles | add $30–$80 per square | $11,520 – $19,920 |
| Standing-seam steel | 24 squares at $1,100–$1,800 | $26,400 – $43,200 |
- Standard architectural shingles$10,800–$18,000
- Class 4 impact-rated shingles$11,520–$19,920
- Standing-seam steel$26,400–$43,200
Typical ranges, not a quote.
Add $90–$150 for each sheet of decking replaced. If there were a second layer, add $1,000–$2,500.
When to buy
If the roof is still holding, the best time to replace it is on your schedule, not the weather's. Get quotes in late winter or early spring, before hail season fills the calendar, and book the work for a dry stretch. After a big storm, crews and materials are stretched thin and even a dry, non-urgent job can wait weeks.
Financing
Manufacturer-backed financing at 12–60 months is available through most roofers. On a $15,000 roof, a home equity line is usually cheaper. Ask for both numbers and compare them yourself.
Getting a real number
Everything above is a range because every roof is different. A written quote after someone has walked the roof and looked at the decking from the attic is the only number that matters. Ask for it free and itemized; calls through this site go to an independent local contractor partner who works that way. See the roof replacement page for what's in the job, or the cost page for repair prices alongside these.
Common questions
Why is my quote higher than the ranges here?
The ranges are for typical houses. A steep pitch, a second layer, lots of valleys and dormers, a hard-to-reach lot, or premium shingles can each push a job above them. Ask the contractor to point to the line on the quote that drives the difference.
Does a new roof raise my home's value?
It usually helps a sale more than it raises the price. Buyers and their inspectors in the metro look hard at roof age, and a new roof with paperwork removes a common reason to ask for a credit at closing.
Is the permit included in these prices?
It should be. The ranges on this site assume the contractor pulls the permit. If a quote doesn't list it, ask. The guide to roofing permits in Des Moines explains who handles it and why.
Should I just take the cheapest of three quotes?
Only if the three quotes describe the same job. Line them up item by item: tear-off, membrane, underlayment, shingle line, nail count, flashing, ventilation, decking allowance and permit. If the cheapest one matches the others on every line, it may simply be the best price. If it's missing two of them, it's a cheaper roof.
How long is a replacement quote good for?
Thirty days is common, and a good quote states it. Material prices and the schedule can shift after a big storm, so if you are waiting on an insurance decision, ask the contractor whether the price will hold until the claim is settled.
Need roof work in Des Moines?
Call for a free estimate. Mon–Sat 7am–7pm.