Replacing the roof on a mobile or manufactured home costs much less than on a site-built house, mostly because the roof is smaller. Most jobs land somewhere between 1,500 and 7,000 dollars, with an average around 5,000. But mobile homes have their own roofing options and quirks, and the right choice depends on your home's roof and your climate. Here is the breakdown.
What it costs
As a rough guide, mobile home roofing runs about 3 to 8 dollars per square foot, and the total depends heavily on size:
- Single-wide: often about 1,500 to 5,500 dollars.
- Double-wide: often about 4,000 to 7,000 dollars, and up toward 16,000 for a large or premium job.
Your options
Mobile homes can be re-roofed a few different ways:
- Shingle-over: asphalt shingles over the existing roof, but only on a home with enough pitch. About 4 to 6 dollars per square foot.
- Metal roof-over: metal panels installed over the old roof. The most popular choice, at roughly 7 to 15 dollars per square foot, and it lasts 30 to 50 years.
- Membrane roof-over: a TPO or rubber membrane over a flat or low-slope roof, around 4.50 to 10 dollars per square foot.
- Full tear-off and replacement: the most expensive, needed when the decking or structure underneath is damaged.
The roof-over: the mobile home special
The most common upgrade for an older mobile home is a roof-over. Instead of tearing off the old roof, a crew installs a new one, usually metal panels or a membrane, right over the existing flat metal roof. It stops the leaks, adds a layer of insulation that lowers cooling bills, and skips the mess and cost of a tear-off, often saving 1,500 to 3,000 dollars. It is the go-to fix for the classic flat metal roof on an aging single-wide, and a close cousin of the roof-over decision on a regular house, which we cover in roof-over versus tear-off.
Flat versus pitched
Which options you have depends on your roof. Older mobile homes usually have flat or very low-slope metal roofs, which are prone to ponding and seam leaks and are best handled with a metal or membrane roof-over. Newer manufactured homes increasingly come with pitched, shingled roofs, which can take a shingle-over or a standard shingle replacement.
In Texas and Florida, mind the wind rules
Manufactured homes have to meet wind and tie-down standards, and in Florida that means specific HUD wind zones. A roof-over adds weight and wind surface, so make sure the attachment meets your local wind and tie-down code and that the work is permitted. A reflective metal or white roof also fights the heat, which is a real bonus in both states.
For why metal handles heat and storms so well, see the best roofing material for hot climates.
“A metal roof-over is the mobile home classic: no tear-off, a layer of insulation, and 30 to 50 years of life, often for a few thousand dollars.”
Getting a quote
Because size and the existing roof drive the cost so much, an in-person look is the way to a real number. To see how much bigger the bill gets on a site-built home, see how much a new roof costs, and for the metal option specifically, how much a metal roof costs.
With Hommy you can post your job once and get quotes from vetted local roofers who work on manufactured homes, each with real ratings from other homeowners.
