You’re ready to repair or replace your roof. Now it's time to find a qualified Des Moines contractor and understand local considerations that could impact your project. Explore expert roof replacement advice and read contractor reviews from real homeowners.
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Not sure if you want to repair or replace your roof?
For a full roof replacement, the most common options are asphalt shingle replacement, metal roof installation, and flat or low-slope roof replacement. Slate, tile, and wood are less common, but the contractors listed below may offer them. Many homeowners bundle roof replacement and gutter replacement.
Roof repairs are a good option for isolated problems on a roof that still has enough remaining life that replacement isn't justified. Roof inspections are a separate service that can make sense when you're buying a home, after a major storm, or when you're getting conflicting opinions from contractors about whether you need a repair or replacement.
Wondering about return on investment? Explore the home improvement ROI guide.
Ice dams are the most common winter roofing failure across this region. Ice-and-water shield on the first several feet of roof deck plus proper attic insulation prevents most of the damage. Heat cables are a secondary fix, not a primary one.
Roof Replacement in Des Moines usually runs $7,000–$14,000 for a standard project on an average home. That is lower than the average national rate, because labor costs are lower in Des Moines. The table below compares national averages with typical Des Moines pricing.
| Project type | National range | Des Moines estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Asphalt Shingle Replacement | $9,300–$27,900 | $9,164–$27,493 |
| Metal Roof Installation | $15,900–$54,200 | $15,668–$53,409 |
| Roof Repair | $400–$4,000 | $394–$3,942 |
| Flat / Low-Slope Roof | $8,000–$20,000 | $7,883–$19,708 |
| Gutter + Roof Bundle | $11,000–$24,000 | $10,839–$23,650 |
| Roof Inspection | $150–$400 | $148–$394 |
*All cost estimates on this page are planning estimates, not quotes. Actual costs vary by location, project scope, materials, site conditions, and contractor. See methodology and sources.
Installed cost in Des Moines runs within about a percentage point of the national average for this trade. Here's how we got to that number.
Project costs include three main components: labor, materials, and overhead. Material ships at national prices no matter where you live, and overhead is fairly consistent as well. So the main pricing difference between metro areas is labor costs. This is why a quote from a high-wage metro is rarely as far above the national average as people expect.
To get Des Moines labor costs, we compared the average hourly wage in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area to the national average hourly wage for this trade. (source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025)
We found that the local trade wages sit about 7% below the national figure. Labor costs typically make up about 22% of a roof replacement project cost, so the weighted difference between Des Moines and national averages is under 1%. See methodology and sources.
It depends on the scope of your project, so you should talk to the permitting authority to find out what your project needs. In general, Des Moines permitting is simple compared to other metros we cover.
Permitting for structural, roofing work in this area goes through Polk County and City of Des Moines.
You should ask each contractor if they pull the permits for you and if the fee for pulling permits is included in their quote. Also, tell them you need to see the written, approved permit before work starts.
Iowa requires roof replacement contractors to register with the state, which is not the same as holding a license. (source, verified as of 2026-08-12) What that means and how to verify a contractor in Iowa →
Here are the roof replacement companies IA homeowners in and around Des Moines turn to, ranked by real customer rating and review volume, no filler. See our Editorial Standards.
Erie Home’s install crews draw the same specific praise at branch after branch: cleanup. Reviewers describe a full tear-off (sometimes stripping two layers of old shingles) finished in well under a day, with every nail and scrap of packaging cleared and the dumpster hauled away before the crew leaves. Their core product is stone-coated steel roofing, a heavier-duty alternative to asphalt backed by a fifty-year transferable warranty covering manufacturing and installation defects, including wind and hail. Erie Home’s two divisions are Roofing Systems and Basement Solutions, and it shares ownership with LeafFilter under Leaf Home. Metal costs more up front than asphalt; the trade-off is longevity and storm resistance. If you are quoted asphalt instead, ask how the warranty changes after year ten, since labor is covered differently from that point on.
Hansons covers windows, roofing, siding, gutters and baths across the Great Lakes, and reviewers consistently name the consultant who walked them through options, explained financing, and answered questions without rushing: a different name at nearly every branch, which is its own kind of evidence. Install day draws the same praise. Crews finish a house of windows or a full bath in a day, and homeowners describe careful cleanup and real admiration for the finished work, down to the caulk lines. The Smart Choice warranty runs in tiers: the Lifetime Guarantee applies to the Premium and Smart Choice product solutions for roofing, siding, windows and gutters, so ask which tier your quote is written against. Baths carry a separate No-Leak Guarantee. Warranty service scheduling is the one thing worth asking about up front, since that is where a few homeowners describe the longest wait for a callback.
We match contractors serving Des Moines and surrounding communities, including:
Contractor service areas vary rather than following ZIP-code lines, so your community may still be covered even if it is not listed above. Start your match to see the options for your project and location.
We match homeowners in Des Moines across every major exterior and interior trade. You get the same simple, free, no-obligation service for every project. If you're planning more than one project, it's worth requesting a combined quote if the contractor offers both types of work. This can sometimes make a project more affordable.
Yes. In general, contractors cover a defined service area, not a ZIP code. A company working one side of the metro will usually quote the other, so go ahead and find your match even if your area isn't listed.
Choosing a roof replacement contractor in Des Moines comes down to a few important questions: what it costs, who does it well, how to pay for it, and what to ask before you sign. The resources below cover those and the rest of the decision.
