Roof replacement cost in Charleston: the four published packages, what moves the number, and how to compare quotes without getting played

Every price on this page is for a typical 1,800 square foot home, the basis Oyster publishes on its Home page. Every price is the same whether you pay cash or finance. Your roof is measured and priced for its own size, pitch, and shape.

Lowcountry Classic, $12,950. A TAMKO Heritage architectural shingle roof with synthetic underlayment, drip edge, sealed valleys, and a clean tear-off. A sound, code-compliant roof at the lowest published price, and the right buy for a rental or a house that will be sold in a few years.

Peace Of Mind, $15,350. Everything in Lowcountry Classic plus a full ice and water barrier at the eaves and valleys, an upgraded ridge ventilation system, an annual roof tune-up, and a 20-year workmanship warranty. The package for a homeowner who plans to stay.

High Wind, $18,100. Everything in Peace Of Mind plus six-nail high-wind installation on a TAMKO HailGuard shingle built for hail and wind, with a 30-year workmanship warranty. On the islands, the harbor, and the peninsula it is the shingle package we recommend.

The Pearl Metal, $52,650. Hidden-fastener standing seam aluminum panels, a salt-air-rated finish with marine-grade trim, a top coastal wind rating, and a 50-year workmanship warranty. It costs close to three times what High Wind costs and is built to outlast the shingle cycle by decades. The standing seam guide covers when the math works.

Size. Roof area, not living area, is what you pay for, measured in squares of 100 square feet. A single-story home has more roof than its floor plan suggests once overhangs are counted; a two-story of the same size has less. The package price scales with the measured area.

Pitch. Steeper roofs have more surface per square foot of footprint and take longer to walk and stage. A low-pitch ranch in Summerville prices near the published figure for its size; a steep-gabled house on the peninsula prices above it.

Stories. A two-story house takes longer to load, longer to tear off, and more care to protect below. Elevated island houses on pilings count as two stories for access.

Complexity. Every hip, valley, dormer, chimney, skylight, and porch roof adds cutting, flashing, and time. A simple gable and a house with three dormers and two chimneys can have the same square footage and very different prices. On metal, complexity is the biggest driver, because every transition is hand-formed.

Decking. Rotted or split decking has to be replaced before a new roof goes on. It cannot be seen from above, so it is priced as a stated per-sheet or per-board figure in the written quote, and we photograph every piece we replace.

Layers. A second layer of old shingle adds tear-off labor and disposal weight. We ask how many layers you have and price the second before you accept.

Access. A narrow lot with no room for a dumpster, a gated drive, or a roof reachable from one side adds modest labor, priced up front.

Island logistics. A roof on Kiawah, Seabrook, Sullivan's Island, Isle of Palms, or Folly Beach carries costs a roof in Ladson does not: gate and community access rules, longer hauls, tide and bridge timing, and stricter debris handling.

Homeowners moving to the coast are often surprised that a roof here costs more than the same size roof did in their old town. There are four reasons.

Fasteners and attachment. Coastal wind zones require more nails per shingle, a tighter fastening schedule at edges and corners, sealed starter courses, and, on metal, closer clip spacing. That is more material and labor per square, and the permit office checks it.

Finishes and materials. Salt air is hard on metal. Standing seam here is aluminum with a salt-air-rated finish and marine-grade trim, which is what The Pearl Metal includes, and the exposed metal on a shingle roof, from drip edge to flashing, has to be chosen for salt air too. Each costs more than the inland equivalent.

Wind pattern and the sealed deck. On the coast we recommend, and often the code requires, a secondary water barrier and high-wind ridge and hip attachment, extra layers and fastening an inland roof may skip.

Disposal and logistics. Dumpster hauls from the islands are longer, some communities restrict when and where containers can sit, and beach and marsh-side lots need more care with debris.

The same package is priced from the same ladder everywhere, but a given house on Sullivan's Island measures and prices higher than the same floor plan in Goose Creek.

Financing at 7.99% to 15.99% APR on approved credit. Same price whether you pay cash or finance. You apply after you choose a package, and your lender sets your rate within that range based on your credit.

Next to each published price we show an approximate monthly range, from the payment at the lowest APR to the payment at the highest, with the full financing terms printed beside it. Your actual payment depends on the APR your lender approves you for. When you compare quotes, compare the full price first. If a roofer leads with a strikingly low monthly figure, ask for the full price, the APR and the term; a very small payment usually means a very long term.

On the coast, financing mostly closes the gap between the package you can pay for today and the package the house should have. The step from Lowcountry Classic up to High Wind matters most: on an island or harbor address it buys the six-nail pattern, a TAMKO HailGuard shingle built for hail and wind, and sealed eaves and valleys.

A roofing quote that reads architectural shingle roof and a single total is a number without a scope. To compare two quotes you need the same information from both. If one roofer will not give it, that is your answer.

Product. The exact shingle or panel manufacturer and product line, since two shingles that look the same from the ground can differ in wind rating and warranty.

Attachment. Nails per shingle, and whether the quote states it. Four is the standard; six is the high-wind pattern the coast calls for.

Underlayment and barrier. Synthetic or felt; ice and water barrier and where it goes; whether the deck seams are sealed.

Edges and ventilation. Manufactured starter strip at eaves and rakes, new drip edge, and what ridge vent is installed. A roof that reuses the old drip edge or vents is cheaper for a reason.

Decking and layers. The per-sheet price for replacement decking, and whether the quote assumes one layer or two. A quote with no decking line will produce a change order.

Warranty holder. Who stands behind the workmanship warranty, for how many years, and whether the manufacturer's warranty is registered in your name.

Permit. Who pulls the permit and whose license it is under. A roofer who asks you to pull it as an owner-builder often means a roofer who is not licensed to pull it, and the inspection record will be in your name.

Price change conditions. What can change the number after signing, and at what unit price. A fixed price with stated conditions is a fixed price; one with no stated conditions is a starting point.

If your roof was damaged in a storm and you are filing a claim, the package prices on this page still apply; the claim is the source of payment for some or all of them. The adjuster sets the scope and the carrier pays the covered amount less your deductible. If that is less than the fixed price of the roof you choose, you know the difference before you sign, and financing applies to the gap. Same price whether insurance pays or you do.

Paying your deductible is your obligation under your policy. We never waive it or cover it. A contractor who offers to waive it, absorb it, or hide it in a padded invoice is asking your carrier to pay for something it did not agree to, which is insurance fraud in South Carolina, with the claim in your name. What we offer instead is a fixed written price, a free photo-documented damage report, and a written repair estimate for you and your insurer. The claim is yours. We explain how the process works, step by step. If your insurer denies the claim, you can cancel our contract within 5 business days.

The fastest way to know what your roof costs is to price it. The online quote starts with your address, finds the roof on aerial imagery, and shows all four packages with full prices side by side, in about three minutes. Pick a package, book a free inspection, and your written estimate follows within 24 hours of it.

If you would rather have someone on the roof first, book an appointment. The person who comes brings the same package ladder and the same fixed number. No in-person discount, no online markup.