Fifty years, one hand.

Pros

Polymer-modified shingles keep the familiar look and installation pattern of asphalt roofing while offering a step up in material performance. They work well when the home calls for a traditional shingle roof but the owner wants more resilience than a basic architectural shingle.

Specific products are available with a UL 2218 Class 4 impact rating. That is the highest classification in that particular laboratory impact test, but it is not a promise that a roof cannot be damaged by hail. The proposal should identify the exact shingle, impact rating, hip-and-ridge product, starter, underlayment, and warranty being supplied.

Compared with slate, cedar, composite tile, or standing-seam metal, asphalt shingles are lighter, more familiar to repair, and generally easier to fit into a controlled replacement budget.

Cons

Polymer modification improves the shingle; it does not turn asphalt into a lifetime roof. Sun, heat, ventilation, roof geometry, foot traffic, and severe weather still affect how the system ages.

The field shingle is only one part of the roof. Valleys, wall flashing, pipe boots, starter, ice-and-water membrane, ventilation, decking, and fastening determine whether the finished assembly performs.

A Class 4 label should not be presented as “hail-proof,” and an insurance discount should never be promised. Coverage and discounts depend on the carrier, policy, location, and documentation.

Pros

The raised seams keep the panel joints above the primary drainage surface. Long panels also create clean lines and move rain, snow, leaves, and small debris off the roof efficiently when the slope and details are appropriate.

A properly engineered standing-seam system can accommodate expansion and contraction as the metal changes temperature. Concealed clips, panel length, fixed points, seam type, and perimeter details all have to be selected as one tested assembly.

Metal can be a strong long-term choice for simple roof planes, porches, additions, and homes where the roof is meant to be part of the architecture. Coating, substrate, gauge, panel profile, and warranty should be named rather than reduced to the word “metal.”

Cons

Standing seam costs more than most asphalt-shingle systems and is less forgiving of poor layout. Crooked seams, short transition pieces, weak penetrations, incompatible flashings, and exposed fasteners in the wrong places can undermine both the appearance and the roof.

Metal expands and contracts. A panel system that is pinned incorrectly or detailed without enough movement can oil-can, fatigue fasteners, stress seams, or distort trim. Some visible waviness, called oil canning, can also occur without being a structural failure.

Snow can release from smooth metal in large sheets. Entrances, walks, landscaping, lower roofs, gutters, and mechanical equipment may require a planned snow-retention system.

Pros

The material provides strong slate character at substantially less installed weight than natural slate. Brava’s current code report lists its slate at approximately 3.3 pounds per square foot, although the complete roof structure and assembly still need to be checked for the actual project.

Brava slate is available with tested impact and fire classifications. Those ratings apply to the exact product and approved assembly, so the proposal should state the underlayment, exposure, fasteners, accessories, and fire-rated construction being used.

Composite tile avoids the natural variation and breakage pattern of stone while allowing deliberate color blends and coursing. It can be a useful choice where the home needs a substantial slate look but natural slate is not the right structural or budget decision.

Cons

This is premium roofing. Material cost, waste, starter, hips, ridges, valleys, flashings, and the labor required to lay out the field all exceed a typical asphalt-shingle installation.

Synthetic slate is not natural slate. On a historic property, preservation requirements or the owner’s priorities may favor authentic stone and traditional repair methods.

The tiles still require controlled roof access, correct fastening, and manufacturer-approved details. A lighter composite roof is not permission to skip deck evaluation, ventilation, flashing, snow retention, or accessory planning.

Pros

The tile delivers a layered cedar-shake appearance without absorbing moisture like wood. It does not need the same moss control, debris management, preservative decisions, and natural-weathering expectations as real cedar.

Brava’s current code report lists the installed tile weight at approximately 2.9 pounds per square foot. The product is also available with tested impact and fire classifications, subject to the exact approved assembly and installation.

Color blends can be selected to suggest new cedar, weathered cedar, or a darker architectural roof. Because the color and texture are manufactured, the appearance can be planned more deliberately than a roof that changes as natural wood ages.

Cons

Synthetic cedar is a premium roof, not a budget substitute for asphalt. The field layout, color blending, valleys, rakes, hips, ridges, and metalwork all require more labor and planning.

It will not age exactly like real cedar, and it will not satisfy an owner or preservation requirement that specifically calls for natural wood. Samples should be reviewed on the house and in daylight before the color blend is approved.

The roof remains an assembly. Underlayment, ventilation, flashing, deck condition, fastening, snow movement, and safe maintenance access matter even when the tile itself does not rot.

Pros

The profile can give stucco, stone, Mediterranean, Spanish Revival, and other high-character homes the depth and shadow of clay tile without placing the same dead load on the roof structure. Brava’s current code report lists the installed weight at approximately 2.6 pounds per square foot.

The product is available in blended colors and with tested impact and fire classifications. As with any rated roof, the classification belongs to the exact approved assembly—not to the shape alone.

Composite barrel tile does not absorb water or break under normal handling in the same way as traditional clay. It is especially useful where the architectural profile matters but structural weight, freeze-thaw exposure, or replacement breakage makes clay difficult.

Cons

The profile has to belong on the house. Barrel tile can overpower a roof or look applied after the fact when the pitch, eaves, rakes, walls, and trim were not designed for it.

Installation is detail-heavy. Valleys, hips, ridges, rakes, penetrations, and small cut pieces determine whether the roof looks intentional and drains correctly.

The surface can shed snow quickly and may be slippery during access. Snow guards, safe service paths, solar attachments, and other roof accessories should be planned before installation rather than drilled through the finished roof later.

Pros

Copper is highly workable, allowing experienced sheet-metal installers to form difficult valleys, curves, transitions, and small architectural roof sections with durable folded and soldered details.

The material does not depend on a painted finish. It begins bright, weathers through brown tones, and may eventually develop a protective blue-green patina depending on exposure and environment.

On bays, porches, dormers, and other prominent roof areas, copper can become one of the defining materials on the house. It pairs especially well with masonry, slate, and traditional architecture when the adjacent materials are compatible.

Cons

Copper is expensive, and the labor is specialized. It should be priced as a complete sheet-metal system with pans, cleats, seams, soldered details, flashings, and transitions—not as a generic metal upgrade.

Copper moves as temperatures change. Pan length, cleats, locks, expansion provisions, and fixed points must allow that movement without fatiguing seams or fasteners.

Runoff can stain stone, masonry, light-colored roofing, and other surfaces. Copper can also react with incompatible metals. Water paths, fasteners, adjacent materials, sealants, and future attachments all need to be planned.

Pros

Properly selected and installed slate is one of the longest-lived roofing materials available. The National Park Service reports service lives of roughly 60 to 125 years or longer, depending on the slate, roof configuration, workmanship, and location.

Slate has very low water absorption and strong resistance to freeze-thaw damage. Its color, grain, thickness, and edge variation come from stone rather than a printed or molded surface.

A well-built slate roof can be repaired one piece at a time. That repairability is valuable on historic homes, but only when the installer understands slate selection, fastening, flashing, and how to work on the roof without breaking surrounding pieces.

Cons

Slate is heavy. The roof structure, deck, slope, and attachment method must be evaluated before installation, especially when replacing a lighter roof covering.

The material is durable but brittle under the wrong foot traffic. Future chimney, gutter, solar, mechanical, and masonry work needs controlled access by people who understand slate.

Material, copper or other long-lived flashing, skilled labor, and staging make natural slate expensive. Using short-lived metals or inexperienced installation beside long-lived stone is false economy.

Pros

Nothing reproduces natural cedar exactly. Grain, split texture, thickness, and weathering give a real shake roof depth that manufactured products can imitate but not duplicate.

Individual shakes can be replaced when damage is localized. Proper grades, exposures, fasteners, flashing, ventilation, and installation methods allow the roof to dry and age as intended.

Cedar is appropriate for historic work, traditional homes, and owners who value the natural material enough to accept its maintenance cycle.

Cons

Cedar needs to breathe. Needles, leaves, moss, shade, poor ventilation, and moisture held against the wood can shorten its service life. The Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau recommends professional inspection and removal of accumulated debris.

Fire classification, preservative treatment, grade, species, slope, underlayment, and local code requirements must be confirmed. “Cedar shake” by itself is not a complete specification.

Natural variation is part of the material. Splitting, weathering, limited curling, color change, and periodic repair should be expected rather than treated as proof that the roof will remain visually unchanged.

Pros

Membrane roofing is designed for flat and low-slope areas such as additions, porches, commercial-style wings, and roof sections that should not be covered with shingles.

The assembly can include tapered insulation and crickets to create slope toward drains, scuppers, or gutters. Insulation, cover board, membrane, attachment, and drainage can be designed together for the building rather than treated as separate line items.

When the exact membrane is known, compatible repair materials and manufacturer details are available for seams, penetrations, curbs, and perimeter conditions.

Cons

“Membrane” is a category, not a specification. TPO, EPDM, PVC, and modified bitumen do not use the same chemistry, seam method, attachment, or flashing accessories.

Ponding water, wet insulation, weak decking, poor drainage, and badly placed penetrations cannot be solved by changing only the top sheet. The condition below the membrane has to be investigated.

Low-slope roofs often carry service traffic and equipment. Cover-board selection, walk pads, snow and ice, grease or chemical exposure, solar attachments, and future mechanical work should be considered before the system is chosen.

Pros

A good assessment begins with evidence instead of a sales assumption. It can separate an isolated pipe-boot, flashing, or ventilation problem from widespread material failure and may prevent a repairable roof from being replaced too early.

Following the water path from the interior symptom toward the exterior entry point produces a more useful scope than treating the stain as the source. Photographs and written findings also give the homeowner a record for planning, maintenance, or comparison with another proposal.

The assessment can reveal related work that should be coordinated with roofing, including damaged decking, masonry, siding transitions, gutters, skylights, or attic ventilation. Identifying those interfaces before work begins reduces surprises after the roof is opened.

Cons

An assessment is a snapshot of visible and reasonably accessible conditions. Concealed rot, intermittent leaks, trapped moisture, and defects below adhered materials may not be confirmed without selective removal, moisture testing, or other invasive investigation.

Water can travel along decking, framing, fasteners, or underlayment before appearing indoors. More than one test visit may be needed when the leak depends on wind direction, snow, ice, or a particular rainfall pattern.

A condition report is not a guarantee that an aging roof will remain leak-free. It should state its limits, the conditions observed, any areas that could not be accessed, and whether the next step is maintenance, repair, further investigation, or replacement.

Pros

When the surrounding roof still has useful life, a focused repair can stop water entry and preserve the existing system without the cost and disruption of a full replacement. The repair should be tied to a diagnosed failure rather than a broad application of sealant.

Opening the affected area allows the contractor to replace wet or deteriorated materials, integrate new flashing or underlayment into the existing drainage plane, and document what was concealed below the surface.

A written repair scope creates a practical checkpoint. The homeowner can understand what was corrected, what remains original, and which aging conditions should be monitored or budgeted for later.

Cons

A repair cannot renew the field around it. If the roof has widespread cracking, granule loss, brittle materials, repeated failures, poor installation, or exhausted flashings, isolated work may move the next leak rather than solve the larger problem.

Exact color, profile, thickness, and exposure matches may not be available on an older roof. Even a technically sound repair can remain visible, and disturbing brittle surrounding material can enlarge the area that must be replaced.

The repair warranty applies to the defined repair area and workmanship, not to every original component on the roof. Homeowners should be wary of any small repair presented as a guarantee for an old or systemically deficient roof.

Pros

Planning before framing is complete gives the project team the best opportunity to simplify valleys, crickets, dead areas, roof-to-wall connections, and low-slope transitions. Good geometry is more reliable and often less expensive than solving avoidable conflicts in the field.

The roof, attic, wall, gutter, and mechanical plans can be coordinated before penetrations are cut. Ventilation and insulation strategies can then work together instead of competing for the same limited eave or ridge space.

Materials, colors, metalwork, sample approvals, lead times, and manufacturer details can be settled early. This makes the finished roof more intentional and helps dry-in, masonry, siding, window, and gutter crews sequence their work correctly.

Cons

The roofer depends on accurate drawings, dimensions, structure, and field conditions supplied by the larger project. Late changes to roof pitch, wall location, equipment, chimneys, skylights, or finish materials can change both price and detailing.

Temporary dry-in and the finished roof are different scopes. If responsibility for underlayment, temporary protection, weather exposure, and repairs after other trades is unclear, damage can occur before the permanent assembly is complete.

Roofing coordination does not replace architectural design, structural engineering, mechanical design, or code review where those services are required. The proposal should identify assumptions, exclusions, delegated design, and responsibility for each interface.

Pros

Treating the secondary building as part of the property allows roof profile, color, overhangs, trim, gutters, and metalwork to support the architecture of the main house. Matching is useful when the structures are seen together, but deliberate coordination is more important than forcing identical materials everywhere.

A separate specification can account for how the building actually works. A conditioned workshop, an open pavilion, an unconditioned garage, and a pool house can have different needs for ventilation, insulation, condensation control, deck type, and interior exposure.

Roofing the accessory structure during a larger exterior project can simplify material ordering, mobilization, color control, and water-routing decisions across the site.

Cons

A small roof is not necessarily simple. Short planes, wall connections, cupolas, dormers, doors, low slopes, and limited gutter outlets can create more detail work per square foot than the main house.

Matching an older roof exactly may be impossible because its material has weathered or is no longer manufactured. Installing the main house material on a lower-slope structure may also be technically wrong if that product is not approved for the pitch.

Detached buildings can be overlooked in stormwater planning. Downspouts still need safe discharge locations, and runoff should not be directed toward doors, slabs, neighboring property, or the foundation of the main home.

Pros

Early review can expose conflicts between design intent and field conditions before materials are ordered. Roof slopes, valley widths, wall heights, insulation, ventilation, parapets, penetrations, drainage, and sheet-metal transitions can be clarified while changes are still manageable.

Submittals and samples give the owner and design team a defined basis for approval. Naming the exact roof product, color blend, exposure, underlayment, metal, fasteners, accessories, and manufacturer details reduces substitution and expectation problems.

A responsibility matrix and sequence make shared details more reliable. The team can establish who provides curbs, blocking, membranes, counter-flashing, temporary protection, penetrations, and repairs after other trades access the roof.

Cons

Coordination only works when decisions and current information move through the project in time. Unanswered requests, outdated drawings, unreported field changes, and late finish selections can delay ordering or force expensive rework.

The roofing contractor can advise on constructability and the roof assembly but does not automatically assume the architect’s, engineer’s, builder’s, or code official’s responsibilities. Those boundaries should be explicit in the contract and project documents.

Premium and custom systems often have long lead times and detail-specific fabrication. Changes after approval may affect price, warranty eligibility, schedule, and material availability even when the requested change appears minor.