EPDM roofing costs range from $13,000 to $25,000, with an average of $17,000. You’ll pay more if you have a sloping roof or a large surface area to cover.
EPDM is an acronym for Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer, which is a very scientific way of describing what is synthetic rubber. This material is excellent at providing long-lasting water protection for roofs with low-to-no angles. Homeowners can expect to pay an average of $17,000 for EPDM roofing for their homes, but costs vary significantly.
On the low end, EPDM roofing costs $4,000 if the house is small and there is no angle to the roof. Larger homes with angled roofs and underlayment that require replacing can cost up to $55,000. At the end of the day, what determines your EPDM roofing cost is size, layout, and labor required.
The angle of your roof, or slope, may not matter much for other roof types but for EPDM roofs, it’s pretty important. This is because the material is meant to drain water in certain directions and when installing, EPDM is sealed and strong angles can compromise the membrane. Gravity isn’t kind to EPDM roofing and over time the material can shift or wrinkle which requires repair or replacement. For this reason, EPDM roofing is most often installed on roofs with very low angles—less than 10 degrees.
Because materials are around half the cost of an EPDM roof installation, the size of the roof has a significant effect on the total cost. In addition to materials, every square foot of roof requires time to install, adding to the labor costs. The table below shows an average range for installing an EPDM roof but remember—these costs can be influenced by weather and the availability of roofing materials and skilled professionals.
| Roof Size in Square Feet | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| 700 | $5,200–$9,100 |
| 1,000 | $8,100–$13,300 |
| 1,250 | $10,000–$16,700 |
| 1,600 | $13,000–$21,000 |
| 2,000 | $16,200–$26,300 |
| 2,500 | $20,300–$33,400 |
| 3,250 | $26,500–$43,900 |
A roofing professional is the best option for your EPDM roofing installation. While a general contractor may have some experience in these installs, roofing pros do this type of work day in and day out and can often finish the work faster and to a higher standard. Expect to pay between $45 and $95 per hour per worker.
The cost of a general contractor isn’t a single number and is hard to generalize, but expect to pay in either one of two ways: hourly or as a percentage of the project cost. Hourly rates vary but often fall between $40 and $250 per hour per worker, while percentage-based fees are around 15% to 25% of the project cost.
Installing EPDM roofing costs vary by location due to geographic constraints like ease of access, harsh seasons like winter and summer, labor availability and skill level, and overall demand. For these reasons, markets like San Francisco, New York, and Seattle will always be more expensive than more low-key destinations in other parts of the country.
The prices below are approximate costs for a 1,600-square-foot roof and aren’t meant as guidelines, but they show a good representation of the price differences based on geography.
| Location | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $8,200–$22,500 |
| Austin, TX | $6,700–$18,900 |
| Birmingham, AL | $5,200–$14,000 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $7,500–$21,600 |
| Memphis, TN | $6,200–$14,900 |
| Raleigh, NC | $6,800–$18,700 |
| Seattle, WA | $7,200–$19,900 |
| Boston, MA | $7,700–$20,400 |
| Cleveland, OH | $5,400–$14,100 |
EPDM roofing isn’t super complicated to install, but there are other factors to consider other than simply attaching the roof to its underlayment.
Oftentimes, a roof isn’t in good condition and needs to be replaced (in this case by EPDM). Before installation, the roof base needs to be ready for the new material. This means hiring a demolition crew to remove the old roof and potentially its underlayment as well while properly disposing of all materials. Expect to pay $40 to $90 per worker per hour for this work. Disposal of demolition work is a separate charge—usually charged per pound or per dumpster.
If you’re wondering who pays for building permits the answer is easy—the homeowners. New roofs almost always require a permit, and homeowners can expect to pay between $400 and $1,700 for a permit for a new EPDM roof. If you use a roofing professional—which you should—they will often include the permit cost in the total project cost, so there should be a line item for it.
Underlayment is the base layer of the roof and is installed between the roof’s support and the outermost layer. Underlayment costs around $1.50 per square foot to install.
EPDM roofing is something you shouldn’t do yourself. Sure, you’ll save on labor costs, but you don’t want any exposure to water damage or worse if you install the roof incorrectly. We recommend contacting a local roofing professional to handle the entire process.
If you are interested in learning, talk to your pro. They may let you work alongside them provided it’s safe and any shoddy work wouldn’t have a large effect on the finished product.
The general rule when considering whether to replace or repair is if the repair costs more than 50% of a total replacement, you’re better off with a full replacement. The economics often work in your favor over time as instead of multiple repairs, you knock out the entire job at once. As the saying goes, “Buy once cry once,” and that is apt when considering a roof repair—especially with EPDM.
Most EPDM issues affect the entire roof. For example, UV damage, severe weather, salt spray, and other factors will affect the entire roof, making any repairs apply to nearly every section of the roof. This is why most EPDM repairs are often treated as full replacement jobs.
EPDM roof installation averages around 50/50 cost between labor and materials. Saving on materials is much easier, so consider trying some of the methods below before trying to negotiate a lower labor fee:
Expand your search radius for materials to a few hours. Even with gas, you can save a lot.
Buy materials at once and in bulk—negotiate a price if possible.
Use any and all coupons or discount codes.
Use recycled materials (as long as they are in perfect condition).
Some ways to save on labor costs are:
Work alongside your contractor if permitted.
Minimize any custom work done.
File your own permits if permitted by your contractor.
Get multiple contractor quotes.
Hire in the winter offseason, weather permitting.
Unlike other more fashionable roofing choices like copper or stainless steel, EPDM roofing isn’t a common add-on when homeowners are looking to bump their home’s value. That being said, a new roof of any kind can easily make the house more enticing to would-be buyers.
When considering the return on investment (ROI) for installing an EPDM roof, homeowners can expect to recoup a decent amount of their investment—somewhere in the range of 30% to 50% of the project cost. Homeowners should also see lower monthly energy bills, which can bring the ROI amounts even higher.
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We extensively research project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We rely on reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
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EPDM roofs last 30 years or more when installed correctly. This means that all sealants were applied properly and the roof was sealed without gaps or bubbles. EPDM roofs last a lot longer in more moderate climates and will deteriorate faster if they come into contact with excess rain, snow, or UV light.
EPDM roof installation isn’t too complicated, which means an inspection won’t be prohibitively expensive—around $500. These inspections should be carried out once a year in order to notice any deformities or other issues that would need immediate fixing. The saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” should be in your mind when considering regular inspections.
There is no material without a disadvantage, and EPDM is no exception. While extremely hardy, it tends to wrinkle and sag over the years. Unlike other roofing materials, EPDM is usually only available in black or white, and it lacks the curb appeal of other, more expensive options.
EPDM roofs are less expensivethan the cost of metal roofs, though more expensive than others. A better way to think about it, though, is that these roof types are seldom in competition—metal roofs, especially steel roofs, are an expensive addition to pitched roofs, while EPDM roofs are utilitarian and are installed on roofs with low to no angle.
