What a roof actually costs here in 2026
Roofing prices are quoted in squares — one square is 100 square feet of roof surface. Floor area is not roof area: a 2,400 square foot house in Alden Bridge often carries 28 to 34 squares once you account for pitch, eaves and overhangs. That is why two homeowners with the same square footage get very different numbers, and why a price quoted over the phone before anyone has measured is a guess dressed up as a quote.
These are the bands Tex-Mex Roofing works in across The Woodlands, Cypress, Spring, Tomball and Magnolia for a complete tear-off and replacement in architectural asphalt shingle:
| Home size | Typical roof area | 2026 price band |
|---|---|---|
| 1,200 – 1,600 sq ft, single storey | 16 – 22 squares | $9,500 – $13,000 |
| 1,800 – 2,400 sq ft | 24 – 32 squares | $12,000 – $17,000 |
| 2,600 – 3,400 sq ft, two storey | 30 – 40 squares | $16,000 – $22,000 |
| 3,500 sq ft and up, or steep / complex | 40+ squares | $22,000 and up |
These are our numbers in this market, not a national average. Treat any figure you read from a nationwide site with suspicion — labour, disposal fees and permit practice in Montgomery County are not the same as in Ohio.
The five things that actually move your price
1. Pitch
A walkable 4/12 or 6/12 roof is straightforward. Once you pass 8/12 the crew has to work roped and staged, everything takes longer, and the labour line climbs 15 to 30 percent. A lot of the custom construction in 77382 and Carlton Woods falls into that category.
2. How many layers come off
Texas code permits two layers of shingle. Plenty of homes built in the eighties and nineties around Spring and Klein carry a second layer laid over the original in the 2000s. Tearing off two layers instead of one adds real labour and doubles the dumpster. It also, in our experience, tends to reveal worse decking underneath, because the first roof was often covered rather than replaced for a reason.
3. Decking
This is the single biggest source of ugly surprises in this industry, and the one we insist on putting in writing before we start. Nobody — not us, not anyone — can see the condition of the plywood under an intact roof. Gulf humidity and slow leaks around penetrations rot decking quietly for years.
An honest quote states a per-sheet decking price up front, so if we pull the old roof and find eight bad sheets, you already know what eight sheets costs. A quote that stays silent on decking is not cheaper. It is just quiet about the part that will change.
4. Penetrations and detail work
Every chimney, skylight, valley, dormer and dead valley is a place water is actively trying to get in, and each one takes flashing work that a plain field of shingle does not. A simple gable roof and a cut-up hip roof of identical area are not the same job.
5. Shingle line
Moving from a basic three-tab to a mid-grade architectural shingle typically adds $1,000 to $2,500 on an average home. Moving from mid-grade architectural to an impact-resistant Class 4 product adds more again — but many Texas carriers discount premiums for Class 4, so ask your agent what the discount is before you dismiss it. On a roof you will own for twenty years, that discount sometimes pays the upgrade back.
What belongs in a complete quote
A real replacement quote should name all of these. If a line is missing, ask why before you compare it to anything else:
- Complete tear-off to the decking, and disposal
- Decking inspection with a stated per-sheet replacement price
- Synthetic underlayment (not felt) across the field
- Ice-and-water or peel-and-stick membrane in valleys and around penetrations
- New drip edge on eaves and rakes
- New pipe boots — the old ones are almost always the failure point
- New flashing at chimneys, walls and skylights, not re-used flashing
- Ridge ventilation or replacement static vents, sized to the attic
- Starter strip and ridge cap
- Full cleanup and a magnet sweep of the yard and driveway
- The manufacturer warranty and the workmanship warranty, in writing, separately
Why the cheapest bid usually is not
When one bid comes in thousands under the others, the money came out of something. In this market it is almost always one of five places: felt instead of synthetic underlayment, re-used flashing and old pipe boots, no decking allowance, a crew that is not covered by the company's liability insurance, or a workmanship warranty that exists verbally and nowhere else.
Ask each bidder for their certificate of insurance directly from their carrier. Ask what happens if a sheet of decking is bad. Ask who is on your roof — with us the answer is Martha, who owns the company, has been in roofing more than 20 years and does the work herself alongside her family. That is not a marketing line; it is the reason our estimate and our installation agree with each other.
Repair, ventilate, or replace?
Not every aging roof needs replacing this year. A roof in the 12-to-18-year range with sound decking and localised damage is often better served by a targeted repair. And a roof that is cooking itself from underneath because the attic cannot breathe may need attic ventilation more than it needs new shingles — that is a four-figure fix that can add years to a roof you already own. We will tell you which of the three you are looking at, including when the answer earns us less.
Get the real number for your roof
We measure the roof, photograph what we find, and give you a written estimate with the decking allowance stated. It is free, and you keep the photo report whether you hire us or not. Request an inspection or call (832) 708-4611. We serve The Woodlands, Cypress, Spring, Tomball, Magnolia, Conroe, Klein, Champions, Jersey Village and Shenandoah.