Types of Roofing Materials: Asphalt, Metal, Tile, Slate, Wood and Flat

Most American homes are roofed with one of six material families: asphalt shingles, metal, clay or concrete tile, slate, wood shakes and shingles, or, on flat and low-slope roofs, a membrane. Asphalt shingles hold what the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) calls an overwhelming share of the U.S. steep-slope market ¹. They are also the least expensive to install in the cost surveys, while metal, tile and slate cost more up front and are rated to last longer ²³⁷.

The right material for a house depends on four things more than on fashion: the roof's slope, the weight the framing can carry, the local climate and fire rules, and the budget. This guide compares each material on those points, with every cost and lifespan figure taken from a named source. None of the figures is a quote for your roof.

The materials side by side

The cost columns come from two surveys and measure different things: Fixr gives a whole-roof range for an example roof of about 2,000 square feet ³, and This Old House gives an average installed cost per square foot ⁷. The lifespan column is InterNACHI's estimated life expectancy chart, which the home inspectors' association says is a guideline only ².

Material life is not roof life. Flashing, underlayment and installation quality often decide when a roof needs work, a point covered in how long does a roof last. Whole-project costs are in the roof replacement cost guide.

Asphalt shingles

Modern asphalt shingles are built on a fiberglass mat coated with asphalt and surfaced with mineral granules, according to NRCA ¹. NRCA says most fiberglass shingles carry a Class A fire rating, the highest, and recommends shingles that meet the ASTM D3462 standard ¹.

Fixr groups them in three broad grades, 3-tab, architectural (also called dimensional or laminated) and luxury or designer, and reports installed costs of $3 to $5 per square foot for 3-tab, $4 to $8 for architectural and $6.50 to $16 for luxury, and typical lifespans of 15 to 20 years, 25 to 30 years and 30 years or more (updated January 21, 2026) ⁴. InterNACHI's chart gives 20 years for 3-tab and 30 years for architectural ². The architectural vs 3-tab shingles article compares the two in detail, and asphalt shingle roof cost breaks down the price.

Shingles need enough slope to shed water. Under the 2018 International Residential Code as adopted by the Town of Firestone, Colorado, asphalt shingles may be used only on slopes of 2 in 12 or steeper, and slopes from 2 in 12 up to 4 in 12 need a double layer of underlayment ¹⁰. Your own building department's adopted code is the one that applies.

Fits: most steep-slope homes and budgets. Watch: shorter life than the heavier materials, and granule loss and curling as the shingles age.

Metal roofing

NRCA divides metal roofing into two types: panels, which come in many shapes, and metal shingles, which typically imitate wood shakes, shingles or tile ¹. NRCA describes metal shingles as relatively lightweight and notes that some metal products carry a Class A fire rating ¹.

Fixr reports $7 to $30 per square foot for standing-seam panels, where the fasteners are hidden under raised seams, $6 to $22 for metal shingles and $3.50 to $26 for corrugated panels with exposed fasteners (updated January 23, 2026) ⁵. Fixr gives an average life of 50 to 70 years for metal roofs ⁵, and InterNACHI's chart gives 40 to 80 years ². See metal roof cost and metal roof vs shingles.

Fits: owners planning to stay a long time, low-to-moderate slopes where panels suit the design. Watch: a much higher starting cost than asphalt, and a wide price range between panel types.

Clay and concrete tile

NRCA describes clay and concrete tile as a durable roofing material, with round-topped Mission and Spanish styles widely used in the Southwest and Florida and flat styles for French or English looks ¹. InterNACHI's chart puts clay and concrete roofs at 100 years or more ².

The main caution is weight. NRCA says tile is heavy, and that a home switching to tile from another covering should be checked to confirm it can carry the added load ¹. A Journal of Light Construction article reports standard concrete tile at 9.5 to 12 pounds per square foot, against 2.5 to 4 pounds for asphalt shingles, with lightweight concrete tiles at 5.5 to 7 pounds; it advises having an engineer check the framing before switching from shingles ⁸. On cost, Fixr reports $14,000 to $28,000 for clay and $14,000 to $24,000 for concrete on its example roof ³. See tile roof cost.

Fits: hot, sunny regions and Mediterranean or Spanish-style homes. Watch: structural load, and the cost of tearing off heavy tile later, which Fixr says can reach $150 per square ³.

Slate

Slate is quarried stone. NRCA says roofing slate is quarried in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont, is considered virtually indestructible, and still covers many older homes, especially in the Northeast ¹. It is also the most expensive common material: NRCA notes it costs more than other coverings and takes special skill to install ¹, and Fixr reports $20,000 to $60,000 for its example roof ³. InterNACHI's chart gives 60 to 150 years ². NRCA adds that synthetic products that imitate slate or wood do not necessarily have the same properties as the real material ¹; InterNACHI lists simulated slate at 10 to 35 years ².

Fits: historic and high-end homes with framing built for the weight. Watch: cost, and finding a roofer experienced with slate.

Wood shakes and shingles

Wood shingles are machine-sawn, while shakes are made by hand and have rougher surfaces, usually from cedar, redwood or Southern pine, according to NRCA ¹. NRCA notes that many wood products carry a Class C fire rating or none at all, that some factory-treated products reach Class A, and that some local building codes limit wood roofing because of fire concerns ¹. Fixr reports $10,000 to $30,000 for cedar shake on its example roof ³, This Old House reports $13.15 per square foot ⁷, and InterNACHI's chart gives 25 years ².

Fits: homes where the look matters and local fire rules allow it. Watch: fire rating, local code limits and upkeep.

Flat and low-slope roofs

Roofs with little or no slope use continuous membranes instead of overlapping shingles. The common types are TPO and PVC (single-ply plastic sheets), EPDM (rubber), modified bitumen and built-up roofing (layers of asphalt and felt). Fixr reports installed costs of $4 to $14 per square foot for TPO, $4 to $13 for EPDM, $5 to $16 for PVC, $4 to $8 for modified bitumen and $4 to $10 for built-up roofing (updated January 27, 2026) ⁶.

The two lifespan columns disagree for TPO, which shows how much these estimates vary by source and by installation.

Climate, heat and cool roofs

Heat is a material choice too. The Department of Energy says a white or "cool color" roof can reflect up to 90% of the sunlight that hits it, which keeps the roof cooler and reduces the heat passed into the home ⁹. DOE says cool versions exist for most traditional materials: cool asphalt shingles, clay tile, concrete tile and metal for steep roofs, and cool membranes, coatings and metal for low-slope roofs of 2 in 12 or less ⁹. It notes that cool asphalt shingles cost about the same as conventional ones, that savings are greatest in hot climates, and that a cool roof can raise heating needs in winter ⁹. DOE also says it is rarely economical to replace a sound roof just to make it more reflective ⁹.

In cold climates the concerns are ice and moisture rather than heat. Underlayment, ice barriers at the eaves and attic ventilation do much of that work; see roof underlayment explained, roof ventilation explained and roof flashing explained.

How to choose

1. Start with the slope. Shingles, tile and slate need a pitched roof; flat and very low-slope sections need a membrane or suitable metal.
2. Check the structure before moving to a heavier material such as tile or slate ¹⁸.
3. Check local rules, including fire ratings in wildfire areas and any limits on wood ¹.
4. Compare like with like. Ask each roofing company to quote the same material grade, underlayment and flashing, as covered in how to choose a roofing contractor.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most common roofing material?

Asphalt shingles. NRCA says they hold an overwhelming share of the U.S. steep-slope roofing market ¹.

Which roofing material lasts the longest?

In InterNACHI's chart, slate (60 to 150 years) and clay or concrete tile (100 years or more) have the longest estimated lives, followed by metal at 40 to 80 years ². Those are guidelines; installation and upkeep change the outcome.

Is a metal roof better than shingles?

It depends on budget and plans. Metal costs more to install, $19.30 per square foot against $5.16 for asphalt in This Old House's figures ⁷, and is rated to last longer ²⁵. See metal roof vs shingles.

Can I put a tile roof on a house that had shingles?

Only if the structure can carry the weight. NRCA says to verify that the home can support tile before switching ¹, and standard concrete tile weighs several times as much as asphalt shingles per square foot ⁸.

About these figures

• ¹ Reported: NRCA descriptions of asphalt, metal, tile, slate, wood and synthetic roofing, fire ratings, the ASTM D3462 recommendation and tile weight cautions, checked November 11, 2026.
• ² Reported: InterNACHI estimated life expectancy by roofing material (guideline only, undated chart), checked November 11, 2026.
• ³ Reported: Fixr whole-roof cost ranges by material for an example roof of about 2,000 square feet and tile tear-off cost, page updated February 4, 2026, checked November 11, 2026.
• ⁴ Reported: Fixr per-square-foot costs and lifespans for 3-tab, architectural and luxury shingles, page updated January 21, 2026, checked November 11, 2026.
• ⁵ Reported: Fixr per-square-foot costs for standing-seam, metal shingle and corrugated roofs and average metal roof life, page updated January 23, 2026, checked November 11, 2026.
• ⁶ Reported: Fixr per-square-foot costs and lifespans for TPO, EPDM, PVC, modified bitumen and built-up roofs, page updated January 27, 2026, checked November 11, 2026.
• ⁷ Reported: This Old House average installed cost per square foot for asphalt, wood shake, metal and clay tile, page updated October 7, 2026, checked November 11, 2026.
• ⁸ Reported: Journal of Light Construction weights for concrete tile and asphalt shingles per square foot (article dated May 1, 2001), checked November 11, 2026.
• ⁹ Official record: DOE Consumer Guide to Cool Roofs on reflectance (up to 90%), cool options by roof type and slope (2 in 12 or less for low-slope), cost and climate notes, checked November 11, 2026.
• ¹⁰ Official record: Town of Firestone, Colorado reroofing requirements under the 2018 IRC (asphalt shingles on slopes of 2 in 12 or more; double underlayment from 2 in 12 to 4 in 12), checked November 11, 2026.