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Types of roofing materials, and how they compare

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Types of roofing materials, and how they compare

Asphalt shingles are the cheapest common roof, at $3 to $7 a square foot installed according to HomeAdvisor, and last 20 to 30 years according to InterNACHI, the home inspectors' association. Metal costs $7 to $13 and lasts 40 to 80 years. Tile and slate cost more again, weigh far more, and can last a century. Wood shakes and synthetic products sit in between, and flat-roof membranes are a separate family for roofs too shallow for any of them. The table below puts them side by side; each section after it links to our full guide.

Roofing materials compared

Material Installed cost per square foot Expected life Weight per square (100 sq ft) Where it fits
Asphalt, 3-tab from $1.50 20 years not in our sources slopes of 2 in 12 and up; lowest first cost
Asphalt, architectural $4 to $6 (from $3.50) 30 years 211 to 225 lb for one maker's line slopes of 2 in 12 and up; about 10 more years than 3-tab
Metal $7 to $13; standing seam $4 to $30 40 to 80 years about half of asphalt, per the metal trade group long ownership; light
Clay or concrete tile $10 to $20 more than 100 years concrete 900 to 2,000 lb slopes of 2 in 12 and up; frame must carry the weight
Slate $15 to $30 60 to 150 years about 700 to 1,870 lb, by thickness slopes of 4 in 12 and up; strong frame, specialist crew
Wood shakes $6 to $13 25 years not in our sources slopes of 4 in 12 and up; check fire rules and insurance
Synthetic (composite) $5 to $12 30 to 50 years for composite; 10 to 35 for simulated slate not in our sources the look of slate or shake for less money
Flat-roof membranes (EPDM, TPO, modified bitumen, built-up) $4 to $13 for rubber; $4 to $35 across flat roofs 7 to 30 years, by membrane not in our sources low-slope roofs where shingles cannot go

Where the numbers come from. Costs are HomeAdvisor's installed ranges, updated June 2026, except the 3-tab and architectural starting prices, which come from its asphalt shingle page, and the flat-roof range, from its flat roof page. Lifespans are from InterNACHI's life expectancy chart, except composite, which is HomeAdvisor's. Weights are from a shingle maker's data sheet, InterNACHI, a slate quarry and the Metal Roofing Alliance, as each section below explains. The slope minimums are from InterNACHI and the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA). Each cost is a national range; your roof's size, pitch and details set your own price.

How to narrow the choice. Four questions settle most decisions before price does:

  1. How steep is the roof? ARMA says asphalt shingles must never go on a slope below 2 in 12. InterNACHI gives 2 in 12 for tile, 3 in 12 for wood shingles and 4 in 12 for wood shakes and slate. A roof flatter than that needs a membrane.
  2. Can the frame carry it? Tile and slate weigh several times as much as asphalt. A frame built for shingles may need an engineer's review and strengthening, which HomeAdvisor and Fixr put at $1,000 to $10,000.
  3. How long will you stay? A roof that outlasts your ownership may not pay back its extra cost. HomeAdvisor says a new shingle roof may return as much as 60% of its cost at resale, and a metal roof close to 60%.
  4. What does your insurer and local code require? Fire ratings, wind and hail ratings, and local rules can rule some materials in or out. Check your state's and your city's rules, and ask your insurer before you choose.

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety's (IBHS) Wildfire Prepared Home standard lists asphalt fiberglass shingles, clay and concrete tile, metal and slate among Class A fire-rated coverings, and does not accept any wood roof.

Asphalt shingles: 3-tab and architectural

Asphalt is the least costly common roof. The two main types differ in build and life. A 3-tab shingle is one flat layer; an architectural shingle is two layers laminated together, thicker and longer-lived: InterNACHI puts 3-tab at about 20 years and architectural at about 30. HomeAdvisor's starting prices are $1.50 a square foot for 3-tab and $3.50 for architectural.

Metal

HomeAdvisor puts metal at $7 to $13 a square foot installed, and standing seam at $4 to $30. InterNACHI rates metal at 40 to 80 years; HomeAdvisor says 40 to 70. The Metal Roofing Alliance, the industry's trade group, says metal weighs about half as much as asphalt.

Clay and concrete tile

Tile costs $10 to $20 a square foot installed in HomeAdvisor's roofing overview, and $7 to $25 on its tile page, with concrete usually cheaper than clay. InterNACHI rates both at more than 100 years and Class A for fire, and says concrete tile weighs 900 to 2,000 pounds per square. The underlayment below wears out long before the tile and has to be replaced by lifting and relaying it.

Slate

Natural slate costs $20 to $30 a square foot installed according to HomeAdvisor, or $15 to $30 across slate and stone in its overview. Its life depends on its grade: InterNACHI says ASTM C406 grade S1 slate lasts more than 75 years, S2 40 to 75 and S3 20 to 40. One quarry lists 700 pounds per square for 3/16-inch slate and 1,870 for 1/2-inch. Slate needs a strong frame and a specialist slater.

Wood shakes and shingles

HomeAdvisor puts wood shakes at $6 to $13 a square foot installed in its overview. Shakes are split and thicker; wood shingles are sawn and thinner, and cost less. InterNACHI's chart gives wood roofs 25 years, and other sources give more with good care. Untreated wood has no fire rating, according to IBHS, which matters to insurers and to local codes in wildfire areas.

Synthetic and composite roofing

Synthetic shingles are made to look like slate or shakes. HomeAdvisor puts synthetic at $5 to $12 a square foot installed and composite at $4 to $8, and says composite roofs last 30 to 50 years. InterNACHI's chart is less generous to simulated slate, at 10 to 35 years, so ask for the product's own test ratings and warranty. The National Park Service's slate guidance adds a point about cost: labor, flashing and tear-off cost the same whatever the slate is made of, so a synthetic roof saves less in total than its material price suggests.

Flat-roof membranes

A roof below 2 in 12 needs a membrane, not shingles. HomeAdvisor's flat roof page gives $4 to $35 a square foot across flat roof types, and its roofing overview gives $4 to $13 for rubber. InterNACHI's chart puts EPDM rubber at 15 to 25 years, TPO at 7 to 20, modified bitumen at 20 and built-up roofing at 30.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest roofing material?

Asphalt shingles. HomeAdvisor gives 3-tab shingles from $1.50 a square foot and asphalt overall at $3 to $7 installed.

What roofing material lasts the longest?

Tile and slate. InterNACHI rates clay and concrete tile at more than 100 years and slate at 60 to 150 years, with the best grades of slate lasting longer.

Which roofing materials are the heaviest?

Slate and tile. Concrete tile weighs 900 to 2,000 pounds per square according to InterNACHI, and slate 700 pounds or more per square depending on thickness, against about 211 to 225 pounds for one maker's architectural asphalt shingle.

Can I switch from shingles to tile or slate?

Often, but have the roof frame checked first; a house framed for shingles may need strengthening. The roof must also be steep enough: 2 in 12 for tile and 4 in 12 for slate, according to InterNACHI.

Which roofing materials are Class A fire-rated?

IBHS's wildfire standard names asphalt fiberglass shingles, clay and concrete tile, metal and slate among Class A coverings. Wood reaches Class A only as part of a treated, tested assembly, and that standard does not accept wood at all.

How we got these numbers

HomeAnvil does not yet publish price data of its own. Every figure on this page comes from a published source, read on September 26, 2026:

We will update this page when these sources publish new figures, and the date above will say when.

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