Roof material guide

Roofing materials compared: price, lifespan and trade-offs

Asphalt shingles at $3.50–$8.00 per sq ft or slate roofing at $15.00–$40.00? The five materials on almost every American roof, side by side: what they cost installed, how long they last, and what that works out to per year.

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Material	Cost / sqft	Lifespan	Weight	Fire
Asphalt shingles	$3.50–$8.00	15–30 years	Lightweight	Class A	Details
Metal roofing	$8.00–$18.00	40–70 years	Lightweight	Class A	Details
Tile roofing	$10.00–$25.00	50–100 years	Heavy	Class A	Details
Slate roofing	$15.00–$40.00	75–200 years	Heavy	Class A	Details
Cedar shake	$6.00–$14.00	25–50 years	Medium	Class C	Details

Roofing material prices on the same house

An 1,800 sq ft house at 6/12 pitch has 2,016 sq ft of roof. The range is the installed price per sq ft above on that surface, before tear-off, decking and permits; the last column is our quote engine's estimate for the same roof with one layer torn off, at US-average labor, for the materials it prices.

Material	Installed range	Per year of life*	Our estimate, with tear-off
Asphalt shingles	$7,056–$16,128	≈ $515	$12,089
Cedar shake	$12,096–$28,224	≈ $538	Not priced
Metal roofing	$16,128–$36,288	≈ $477	$28,043
Tile roofing	$20,160–$50,400	≈ $470	$34,303
Slate roofing	$30,240–$80,640	≈ $403	Not priced

*Middle of the cost range ÷ middle of the lifespan range. Ignores financing, insurance and resale. At resale, the Cost vs Value 2025 averages show an asphalt roof recouping 67.5% of its cost and a metal roof 50.1%.

Read the per-year column twice: asphalt shingles is the cheapest roof to buy, but the long-lived materials can be the cheapest per year of roof. Which matters more depends mostly on how long you'll own the house. For the two most common choices head to head, see asphalt shingles vs metal roof.

Pick the right material for your situation

Asphalt shingles

$3.50–$8.00/sqft installed

Asphalt shingles cover roughly 75% of US residential roofs — and for good reason. They're the cheapest reliable option, every contractor knows how to install them, and modern architectural (laminated) shingles can last 25–30 years and look excellent. The trade-off is lifespan and aesthetic versus premium materials. For most homeowners, especially in mild climates, architectural asphalt is the value pick — pay the small premium over 3-tab and you get a much better-looking roof that lasts noticeably longer.

Best for most us single-family homes

Metal roofing

$8.00–$18.00/sqft installed

Metal roofing has shed its "industrial barn" reputation. Modern standing-seam and stamped metal-shingle systems look architecturally clean, last 50+ years, and are now standard spec in wildfire-prone California, snow-belt Colorado, and coastal Florida. The upfront premium is real (often 2–3x asphalt), but the lifecycle math is hard to argue with — most homeowners installing metal will never re-roof again. If you plan to stay in your home 15+ years, metal's amortised cost is competitive.

Best for wildfire-prone regions (ca, or, co, mt)

Tile roofing

$10.00–$25.00/sqft installed

Tile roofing — clay or concrete — is the longest-lasting mainstream roof option. A properly installed tile roof in a hot, dry climate can outlast multiple generations of owners. The catch: tile is heavy, brittle, and expensive. It's rarely the right choice for retrofitting an asphalt-built home unless you're willing to invest in structural reinforcement. But for homes built for tile (Spanish, Mediterranean architecture in the Southwest), it's often the only material that does the architecture justice.

Best for mediterranean / spanish architectural homes

Slate roofing

$15.00–$40.00/sqft installed

Slate is the longest-lasting roof material money can buy. A well-installed slate roof from 1900 is often still in service today. It's also among the most beautiful and the most expensive. Slate is rarely a value play — it's an architectural and generational decision. If you're restoring a Victorian, Federal, or Tudor home where slate was the original material, modern synthetic alternatives are a fraction of the cost but tend to look obvious within five years. Natural slate ages into the architecture instead of contrasting with it.

Best for historic homes (victorian, tudor, federal)

Cedar shake

$6.00–$14.00/sqft installed

Cedar shake is the curb-appeal play. Few materials weather as beautifully — new cedar starts warm-toned and naturally silvers into a coastal-classic gray over 3–5 years. It's the right roof for Cape Cods, Craftsman bungalows, and traditional New England saltboxes where asphalt feels like a downgrade. The trade-offs are real, though: cedar requires periodic maintenance, has a Class C fire rating without pressure-treatment, and underperforms in humid climates without aggressive ventilation. Done right, it lasts 30+ years and adds documented value to architecturally appropriate homes.

Best for cape cod, craftsman, ranch-style homes

Roofing material questions

What is the cheapest roofing material?

Asphalt shingles, at $3.50–$8.00 per square foot installed. Per year of expected life, slate roofing comes out cheapest on our example house.

What is the most durable roofing material?

Slate roofing (75–200 years), then Tile roofing (50–100 years), then Metal roofing (40–70 years).

Which roofing material is best for resale?

At sale, asphalt returns more of its cost: in the Cost vs Value 2025 national averages an asphalt roof replacement recouped 67.5% of its cost and a metal roof 50.1%. Long-lived materials pay off by not being replaced, not at sale.

How do I compare roofing quotes for different materials?

Put them on the same footing: cost per square (100 sq ft) and cost per year of expected life, and check that every quote includes tear-off, underlayment and an allowance for decking repairs.

Not sure which material is right?

Price your own roof in each material with the cost calculator: it measures the footprint from your address and uses your state's labor rates.

Compare materials on my roof