Choosing roofing materials: asphalt vs metal vs tile

The customer almost always asks the same question: which roof is best? There is no best, there is only best for this house, this climate, and this budget. Your job is to know the tradeoffs cold so you can steer them without steering them wrong. Recommend the roof you would put on your own house in their situation and you will rarely go astray.

Asphalt shingles: the default for good reasons

Architectural asphalt shingles win most residential jobs, and that is fine. They are affordable, every crew you hire already knows how to lay them, replacement parts are everywhere, and a quality laminate carries a solid manufacturer warranty. For the average homeowner planning to stay ten to fifteen years, asphalt is the honest recommendation.

Where asphalt loses is lifespan and extreme conditions. In heavy sun, hail country, or on a low-slope section, they age faster and you will see the customer again sooner. Do not oversell three-tab economy shingles to save a few dollars. The upgrade to a laminate architectural product is small money for a much better roof, and it makes your workmanship look better too.

Metal: the long play

Standing-seam and metal shingle roofs cost more up front, sometimes a lot more, and they need a crew that actually knows metal (the flashing and panel work is unforgiving). But they last decades, shed snow and rain, resist fire, and appeal to the customer who plans to stay put. Metal is an easy sell on the right house: a modern build, a cabin, a barn, or a homeowner tired of reroofing.

Be straight about the downsides. Oil-canning on flat panels, the cost of tricky penetrations, and the need for correct fasteners and underlayment all matter. A bad metal install fails in ways a bad shingle install never does. If you do not have the crew for it, subcontract it or say so, do not learn on the customer’s dime.

Tile and the weight question

Concrete and clay tile last a very long time and look right on Mediterranean and Southwest homes, but they are heavy. Before you quote tile on a reroof, confirm the structure was built for it or budget for reinforcement. Tile also breaks under foot traffic, so factor careful handling and future service access into the price.

Match the material to the customer, not your preference

Run the same three checks on every job: the pitch (some materials cannot go on low slope), the climate (hail, sun, snow load, wind), and how long they plan to own the home. Then present two options, a solid standard and a premium, so they feel like they chose. That framing wins more jobs than a single take-it-or-leave-it number. For turning that recommendation into a price, see pricing a roof replacement, and check supplier options in our directory.