The Ultimate Buyers Guide to the Best Roofing Material

Adding a new roof can be an intimidating upgrade for most homeowners. Finding a roofing supplier with all the available materials on display is challenging. But with some good research, and the right contractor, picking a new roof doesn’t have to feel overwhelming.

Topping your house with new roofing is an opportunity to add value while enhancing its look and feel. Remember: A roof is usually the biggest swath of color visible from the street. Beyond looks, a roof is just about the hardest working element of the home. Think about what we ask a roof to do: Take a pounding from the sun, the rain, maybe even snow and hail, not to mention wind and maybe some wildfires. And we’d like it never to leak and always look good with almost zero maintenance.

“When evaluating a new roofing material, it really comes down to balancing the weather resistance, fire resistance and aesthetics,” says Mark Graham, vice president, technical services for the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA). “And when you’re evaluating contractors, it’s usually a good idea to go with one who has submitted a detailed estimate on the work, which reduces the chances of surprises. I get a lot of calls from homeowners where the quote simply said ‘take off old roof, add new roof,’” he says, which is something you want to avoid.

When Choosing Roofing, Consider the Following:

• If you’re changing roofing material, you’ll want to know if your house’s framing can support added weight.
• Is the material available in colors and styles that complement your home?
• If you’re picking a new material, are the contractors in your area able to install it?
• Does the material meet the fire codes in your local area?
• Are there special installation and maintenance issues to consider?
• How does this material stand up to extreme weather conditions that are common in your area?
• What is the cost and life span of the roofing material?
• What is the roof’s warranty, and is it transferable if you sell your house?

The answers to those questions will help you determine the best choice for your home. While every roofing manufacturer lists the length and conditions of its product’s warranty, pricing for materials is often hard to come by since the cost of the roofing is baked into the contractor’s bid, which includes labor. When shopping it’s helpful to know that a lot of roofing is sold by the roofing square, which is equal to 100 square feet. (We list pricing below in roofing square but you might see it online in square feet, too.) As a general rule of thumb, the materials for a roofing project are typically around 55% of the project’s cost, followed by labor at roughly 35%. The price of a project can jump by about 25% if a crew has to remove an existing layer of roofing, because of the extra time and labor.

Building codes typically allow for two layers of asphalt shingles on a house, which can save you time and money. Driving nails through existing shingles into the sheathing below is faster to install for the contractor, which should bring the price down. The downside of all that savings? You miss the opportunity to take a good look at the sheathing and replace any rotting sections that have been damaged by water. Asphalt is typically the only roofing material in which you might be able add new roofing over the the existing roofing. It may also be possible with metal roofs.

How Do You Know if You Need a New Roof?

If a roof leaks from a few locations, consistently, have it evaluated by a contractor to see if the material is at the end of its life or if a repair can postpone replacement. If the roof has been damaged by a downed tree during a storm, it would be time to consider repairing the entire roof. Having an inspector evaluate the roof annually can help get ahead of small problems, like a missing shingle here and there, before they become larger leaks. A DIY inspection, from the ground or a ladder if you’re comfortable, is a good idea twice a year and following a major storm. Another reason to consider replacing a roof is to upgrade the overall aesthetics of the house.

How to Choose the Best Roofing

While there are more than a dozen different roofing materials you can choose from, the field narrows when you understand your budget and what is typically installed in your area. Budgets can often eliminate more expensive materials like slate and concrete tile. However, it’s important to take a look around your neighborhood and look for common roofing materials. If you love the look of a clay tile roof but don’t live near contractors who install that material, you might be out of luck. Choosing the best roofing material for you also means understanding how the project changes the overall value of the home and if resale value is important to you. You might want an architectural single roof but realize a standing seam metal version will likely fetch a higher resale value when you plan to move out in a few years.

Picking a Roof Color

A new roof plays an important role in communicating your home’s style. In an ideal situation, your roofing contractor would help you understand how sunlight changes the way the roof looks. “An extremely important thing that most people don’t do, and that many roofers refuse to do is to have a large sample of the material you’re thinking about using hoisted up on the roof,” says Debra Kling, a color consultant. “This is important with any roof material, but with asphalt roofing, in particular, where the granules have a range of colors that, when you stand away from the house and see all the colors, you’ll see a blend.” Drive around your neighborhood and look at the different roof colors on homes similar to yours, both architecturally and in body color.

Kling’s advice is to keep the new roof color’s temperature in line with the home’s body color. A warm body house, like a creamy off-white, beige, brown, yellow or red should have a similar color roof. Homeowners with a cooler body color, like green, blue or gray should keep that idea in mind with a roof color. Typically a roof color is a shade darker than the house. “You do want to see some contrast, generally, between the body of the house and the roof,” she says. “If people say they want that wow factor, they’re usually talking about contrast, meaning a light-colored house with a dark roof or vice versa, but still keeping warm on warm and cool on cool.”

How to Find a Good Roofer

Contractor referral websites can be a good place to start when looking for a roofer but also ask friends and family who’ve recently had the work done for recommendations. This is especially important if you’re switching roofing materials. For example, if you’re replacing asphalt with composite or metal and know someone in the neighborhood who had a similar project done, ask for a referral and if they were happy with their contractor. Most roofing contractors are clear about the roofing materials they install, and you should always ask for references of recently completed jobs in your neighborhood.

Then the basics of hiring any contractors: Work with those who are licensed and insured and check that both are valid. A roofing bid is typically one number that includes the cost of materials and labor, but ask your contractor what percentage of the number represents each and how many roofing squares you have. This can help you research the price of materials online to get an understanding of what you’re being charged for labor. Some roofing manufacturers, like those who make asphalt shingles, allow their better contractors to extend a longer warranty to homeowners. This extended warranty means if the roof system fails — you get a leak a year after the new roof is on — you’re usually covered for labor and materials. Know the length of the warranty issued by the manufacturer and what is and is not covered, and pay attention to the prorated amounts of repairs and if the roof’s warranty is transferable.

Types of Roofing

Asphalt Shingles

The most common residential roofing material used in the United States, asphalt shingles are popular because they are economical and used coast to coast so finding a qualified contractor is easy. These shingles can be reinforced with fiberglass or organic materials (cellulose) without changing the appearance of the shingle.

Pros: Asphalt comes in a variety of colors and shapes from the familiar three-tab to thicker laminated architectural shingles available in shapes like scallops and diamonds. These are widely available and one of the few options you can see in person at a home center. Asphalt shingles remain one of the least expensive roofing materials.

Cons: Entry-level asphalt tends to lay very flat and lacks the shadow lines and dimension more expensive materials, like cedar, offer. If you want something outside the family of earth tones like brown, grays and blacks, the granules added to the shingles themselves tend to offer a limited amount of variegation.

House Styles: Asphalt shingles work with many architectural styles, especially traditional suburban styles.

Cost and Life Span: The prices range from $400 to $1,500 per roofing square (100 square feet). Warranties for basic, three-tab asphalt range from 20 to 30 years. More expensive laminated shingles can have a warranty that lasts as long as you own the home or with a maximum of 40 to 50 years.

Clay Tiles

A popular choice for homes with a Mediterranean and Spanish influence, clay tiles add texture, elegance and that classic terra cotta color. Genuine flat, ribbed or scalloped clay tiles are extremely durable but are also very heavy, meaning a home that wasn’t designed to have them likely needs extensive structural work on the roof first.

Pros: Clay tiles are tough, shrugging off fire, wind, sun and damage from hail. While there are several shapes available, the barrel roof style is the most classic option. When installed properly, a clay tile roof could last a century.

Cons: Along with the expense, clay tiles are heavy and somewhat regional, meaning it can be difficult to find qualified installers coast to coast, and if you do, your roof might need structural reinforcement to carry the load. The tiles are also brittle and can break during installation.

House Styles: Clay tiles work well with Mediterranean, Mission, Southwest and Spanish-style homes.

Cost and Life Span: The prices range from $200 to $2,000 per roofing square. If properly installed and maintained, tiles will last about 100 years.

Concrete Tiles

This alternative to clay is typically less expensive while having a lot of the same durability and aesthetic benefits. It’s becoming a popular option in areas that see routine storm damage, like coastal communities or in parts of the West where wildfires threaten suburban developments.

Pros: Like clay, concrete tiles are available in many forms, from the half-tube shape of a barrel roof to the French version with ridges that encourage rain to shed off and help lock neighboring tiles together. Square-edged flat versions work well with the clean lines of modernist architecture.

Cons: While concrete costs less than clay, the material is still considerably more expensive than asphalt shingles after you factor in labor. Adding concrete to a roof that does not already have concrete or clay tiles likely means the existing structure will need to be reinforced.

House Styles: Similar to clay, a concrete tile roof can work with Mediterranean, Mission, Southwestern and Spanish-style homes, but because they’re available in classic square-edged versions, they can work with many typical post-war suburban and modern homes, too.

Cost and Life Span: The prices range from $200 to $400 per roofing square. If properly installed and maintained, concrete tiles will last 50 to 100 years.

Metal Roofing (Standing Seam)

With their iconic raised ridge — or standing seam — where one panel locks into its neighbor, metal roofing is resistant to extreme weather conditions and comes in a wide range of colors. While copper is available, it’s extremely expensive and usually reserved for decorative elements, like above a bay window or a cupola. Most of the standing seam metal roofing available today is galvanized steel, aluminum-zinc alloy called Galvalume, aluminum or sometimes zinc.

Pros: Metal is very durable and when installed correctly is virtually leakproof. Aside from zinc, which isn’t usually painted, metal roofing comes in a massive range of solid colors making it easy to match existing siding options. Metal roofing can often be installed over a single layer of asphalt shingles, saving time and money.

Cons: Metal costs more than asphalt and aluminum, which is softer than steel, can dent. The biggest drawback is the availability of qualified contractors to install it. While metal roofing is gaining in popularity in parts of the county where asphalt is most common, it can be tricky to find an experienced metal installer.

House Styles: The crisp lines of a standing seam metal roof complement a wide range of house styles from a French château to traditional Colonials all the way to modern beach houses.

Cost and Life Span: The prices range from $1,000 to $3,500 per roofing square. If properly installed and maintained, a standing seam metal roof can last 40 to 80 years.

Metal Roofing (Shingles)

While standing seam is a more popular form of metal roofing, you can also find the material pressed into a wide range of shingles. The uniform, smaller shape of the shingle allows the metal to mimic other already popular forms of roofing, like asphalt, slate, tiles and wood shake, but usually last much longer.

Pros: Metal shingles have the durability of a metal roof but in a format that might blend in with a greater range of house styles because the shingles can replicate the look of traditional asphalt, slate and wood shakes. And because the shingles are cut into a similar shape to existing roofing material, finding an installer familiar with metal shingles might be easier than one experienced with standing seam roofing. Also, the material won’t weigh as much as clay, concrete or slate, so it won’t likely require any additional reinforcement of the existing structure.

Cons: Like standing seam, metal can be prone to denting and it costs more than asphalt roofing.

House Styles: The familiar shapes that metal shingles come in means they can fit just about any house style, from older homes that initially had a slate roof to modern farmhouses.

Cost and Life Span: The prices range from $300 to $1,600 per roofing square. If properly installed and maintained, a metal shingle roof can last 40 to 80 years.

Slate

Offering lots of beauty and a distinctive elegant appearance, slate colors include shades of black, green, gray, red and purple. On a roof with a steep pitch, slate is often accompanied by snow guards, which might only be a decorative show stopper.

Pros: Slate is very durable, fire-resistant and a sustainable roof that can be recycled. Slate is also resistant to mold, which reduces the need for routine maintenance. If a roof already has slate, chances are it won’t need any structural upgrades for a new layer of the same material.

Cons: Slate is just about the most expensive roofing material available. For homes that did not already have a slate roof, the material is so heavy that it would likely require extra roof support. Finding skilled installers familiar with slate can be difficult. The quality can vary with imported slate.

House Styles: Slate works well with Colonial and European-style homes.

Cost and Life Span: The prices range from $2,350 to $3,200 per roofing square. If properly installed and maintained, slate can last between 50 and 100 years.

Wood Shingles and Shakes

The most classic American roofing materials, cedar or redwood were the go-to roofing choice for hundreds of years, dating back to Colonial times. Many homeowners love the look of wood shingles and shakes and how they weather to an attractive shade of gray. Wood shakes are handmade and rougher-looking than wood shingles, which are usually cut by machine.

If you live in a fire-prone area, look for Class A fire-rated wood roofing products that include shingles treated with a fire-resistant coating.

Pros: Wood shingles offer a rustic look and are a natural product usually made from cedar, redwood and sometimes Southern yellow pine, the least durable option. Unlike siding, which can be made of the same material, a cedar roof isn’t usually painted and homeowners interested in one should welcome the way it patinas over time to a silvery gray.

Cons: Fire codes in some areas prohibit use. Wood shingles can be a concern in wet climates and can mold, split or rot.

House Styles: Shake's rustic aesthetic pairs well with bungalow, Cape Cod, cottage, Craftsman and Tudor-style homes.

Cost and Life Span: The prices range from $600 to $915 per roofing square. If properly installed and maintained, a wood roof will last around 40 to 50 years.

Synthetic Wood and Slate

There are now synthetic roofing products, including rubber, plastic and polymer roofing, developed to give you the color, look and texture of natural materials like slate and wood. These products are designed to be strong and easy to maintain. Some of these materials are fire-resistant.

Pros: Synthetic roofing is often not as fragile, heavy or expensive as natural products so it can, for example, deliver the look of a slate roof without adding structural support.

Cons: Some of these products can absorb water and the quality varies. Newer products aren't as time-tested as traditional materials.

House Styles: Synthetic roofing products work with different architectural styles.

Cost and Life Span: The prices range from $500 to $1,000 per roofing square. If properly installed and maintained, a synthetic roof will last for 30 to 50 years.

Solar Shingles

While you’ve likely seen solar panels topping the homes in your neighborhood, you might not have heard about solar shingles, which have been around for over 10 years. Shingles are similar to solar panels in they generate power for the home, but they are far less noticeable.

Pros: They can produce anywhere from 13 to 80 watts of energy and usually don’t require any added structure to the roof. While expensive, some state and federal rebates can help lower the cost.

Cons: While less aesthetically obtrusive, solar shingles don’t generate as much energy as solar panels. Shingles are expensive and finding qualified installers might be a challenge.

House Styles: Because they mimic asphalt shingles, they look appropriate on any house style.

Cost and Life Span: The prices range from $2,100 to $2,600 per roofing square. If properly installed and maintained, solar roofing shingles will last for 25 to 30 years.

Green Roof

While a green roof is most typically associated with large, flat commercial buildings, it is an option for the residential market that adds an interesting visual effect while reducing heat in the air and the temperature inside the home. A green roof is, essentially, a tray system planted with, typically, succulents that can withstand hard conditions.

Pros: The temperature of a green roof can be up to 40 degrees cooler than a conventional, dark-colored material, which keeps the building cooler and lowers the need for air conditioning. The plants also remove heat from the air through evapotranspiration and act as an insulation layer to keep more of the heated air inside during winter.

Cons: Besides the look, which might not be for every homeowner, finding an installer for a green roof can be a challenge. Like a lawn, there is maintenance associated with a green roof, including fertilizing, irrigation (in some situations) and weed control.

House Styles: Suitable for flat roofing not particularly noticeable from the street, or informal, cottage-style homes.

Cost and Life Span: The prices range from $10 to $30 per roofing square. If properly installed and maintained, a green roof will last for about 50 years.