Roofing Materials, All of Them, Compared
This is the whole list, with the numbers that actually decide it. Price is per square installed in this market, where a square is one hundred square feet. Life is what the material really gives in an Iowa climate, not what the wrapper claims. Weight is here because it is the reason half of these are impossible on a given house.
| Material | Per square | Years | Fire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural Asphalt Shingles | $420 to $650 | 22 to 30 | Class A over a tested underlayment |
| Three Tab Asphalt Shingles | $300 to $450 | 14 to 20 | Class A over a tested underlayment |
| Designer Asphalt Shingles | $650 to $1000 | 28 to 40 | Class A over a tested underlayment |
| Standing Seam Metal | $900 to $1600 | 40 to 70 | Class A, and it sheds embers rather than catching them |
| Corrugated Metal Roofing | $450 to $800 | 25 to 45 | Class A |
| Metal Shingles and Shakes | $700 to $1200 | 35 to 50 | Class A |
| Stone Coated Steel | $800 to $1300 | 40 to 50 | Class A |
| Copper Roofing | $1800 to $3500 | 70 to 100 | Class A |
| Aluminum Roofing | $900 to $1500 | 40 to 60 | Class A |
| Cedar Shakes | $750 to $1300 | 25 to 40 | Class C untreated, Class A with a treated assembly |
| Cedar Shingles | $650 to $1100 | 20 to 35 | Class C untreated, Class A with a treated assembly |
| Natural Slate | $1600 to $3000 | 75 to 150 | Class A, and it does not burn at all |
| Clay Tile | $900 to $1800 | 50 to 100 | Class A, and it does not burn |
| Concrete Tile | $700 to $1400 | 40 to 60 | Class A |
| Synthetic Slate | $800 to $1400 | 40 to 50 | Class A on most products |
| Composite and Polymer Shingles | $750 to $1300 | 40 to 50 | Class A on most products |
| TPO Membrane | $450 to $900 | 20 to 30 | Class A as a full assembly |
| EPDM Rubber Membrane | $400 to $800 | 20 to 30 | Class A as a full assembly |
| PVC Membrane | $550 to $1000 | 20 to 30 | Class A as a full assembly |
| Modified Bitumen | $400 to $750 | 15 to 25 | Class A as a full assembly |
| Built Up Roofing | $450 to $850 | 20 to 30 | Class A as a full assembly |
| Spray Polyurethane Foam | $400 to $800 | 20 to 30 | Class A with the correct coating |
| Rolled Asphalt Roofing | $150 to $300 | 5 to 10 | Class C typically |
| Solar Shingles | $2000 to $4000 | 25 to 30 | Class A on current products |
| Green and Living Roofs | $1500 to $3500 | 40 to 50 | Varies by assembly |
Asphalt Shingles
Four out of five roofs around here. Cheap to buy, quick to install, and every crew in the valley knows them.
Architectural shingle
22 to 30 years · $420 to $650 a square
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Three tab shingle
14 to 20 years · $300 to $450 a square
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Designer shingle
28 to 40 years · $650 to $1000 a square
Read moreMetal Roofing
Lasts two to three times as long as asphalt and costs about that much more. Sheds snow, shrugs off hail, and goes on over a long horizon.
Standing seam
40 to 70 years · $900 to $1600 a square
Read moreCorrugated metal
25 to 45 years · $450 to $800 a square
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Metal shingle
35 to 50 years · $700 to $1200 a square
Read moreStone coated steel
40 to 50 years · $800 to $1300 a square
Read moreCopper
70 to 100 years · $1800 to $3500 a square
Read moreAluminum
40 to 60 years · $900 to $1500 a square
Read moreWood Shakes and Shingles
Beautiful, historic and demanding. Common on older Davenport homes and restricted by fire rules in some places.
Cedar shake
25 to 40 years · $750 to $1300 a square
Read moreCedar shingle
20 to 35 years · $650 to $1100 a square
Read moreSlate, Tile and Stone
The roofs that outlive the people who buy them. Heavy enough that the structure has to be checked first.
Natural slate
75 to 150 years · $1600 to $3000 a square
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Clay tile
50 to 100 years · $900 to $1800 a square
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Concrete tile
40 to 60 years · $700 to $1400 a square
Read moreComposite and Synthetic
Modern materials copying older ones at a fraction of the weight. The fastest moving corner of the trade.
Synthetic slate
40 to 50 years · $800 to $1400 a square
Read moreComposite shingle
40 to 50 years · $750 to $1300 a square
Read moreFlat and Low Slope Systems
For porches, additions, garages and commercial buildings. Sealed skins rather than overlapping pieces.
TPO
20 to 30 years · $450 to $900 a square
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EPDM
20 to 30 years · $400 to $800 a square
Read morePVC
20 to 30 years · $550 to $1000 a square
Read moreModified bitumen
15 to 25 years · $400 to $750 a square
Read moreBuilt up roof
20 to 30 years · $450 to $850 a square
Read moreSpray foam
20 to 30 years · $400 to $800 a square
Read moreRoll roofing
5 to 10 years · $150 to $300 a square
Read moreSpecialty Roofs
Roofs that do a second job as well as keeping water out.
Solar shingle
25 to 30 years · $2000 to $4000 a square
Read moreGreen roof
40 to 50 years · $1500 to $3500 a square
Read moreIf you would rather see it than read about it, the roof visualizer will put any of these colors and textures on a house.
Not Sure Which Is Right for Your House
No sales call. A roofer looks at the roof and tells you what it needs.