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The Roofing Material Comparison tool puts asphalt shingles, standing-seam metal, concrete tile, clay tile, slate, and TPO membrane side-by-side on cost per square, lifespan, weight, fire rating, and warranty length. Use it to make an apples-to-apples decision before getting estimates from local contractors. Asphalt is cheapest upfront ($350-$500/sq) but only lasts 20-25 years; metal costs 2-3x but lasts 50+. Tile and slate are heaviest and longest-lasting but require engineered framing.
Choosing a roof covering is a trade between what it costs to put on, how long it lasts, what it weighs and what the climate does to it. Here is how the common materials compare on each.
| Material | Typical life | Weight per square | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three-tab asphalt | 15 – 20 yrs | ~200 lb | Budget work, simple roofs, rentals |
| Architectural asphalt | 25 – 30 yrs | ~250 lb | The residential default almost everywhere |
| Impact-resistant (Class 4) asphalt | 25 – 30 yrs | ~280 lb | Hail belt, where it can cut insurance premiums |
| Standing-seam metal | 40 – 70 yrs | ~150 lb | Long-term ownership, snow shedding, wildfire areas |
| Exposed-fastener metal | 25 – 40 yrs | ~120 lb | Outbuildings, barns, agricultural roofs |
| Concrete or clay tile | 50+ yrs | 600 – 1,000 lb | Hot dry climates, on structures rated for the weight |
| Wood shake | 25 – 30 yrs | ~350 lb | Character work, where fire code permits it |
| Slate | 75 – 100+ yrs | 800 – 1,500 lb | Historic buildings with the structure to carry it |
Weights matter more than people expect. Tile and slate need a structure designed or upgraded for them; you cannot simply lay tile over a frame built for asphalt.
Per-square installed costs vary far more by region than by brand, which is why the state and city cost pages are worth checking before you assume a material is out of reach. Labour is the largest single line on almost every roof, and it is the line that differs most between a rural county and a large metro.
Short answer: On this site’s 2026 cost bands, a 2,000 sq ft roof costs about $9,000–$13,000 in architectural asphalt (25–30 years), $8,000–$16,000 in composite synthetic slate (30–50 years) and $40,000–$60,000 in natural hard slate (75–150 years), before tear-off. Divided by service life, that is roughly $400, $300 and $444 for each year of roof.
Installed price alone flatters short-lived roofs. Dividing the installed cost by the service life puts every material on the same footing — the cost of one year of roof over your head.
| Material | Installed per sq ft | 2,000 sq ft roof | Service life | Cost per year of roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-tab asphalt | $3.90 – $4.80 | $7,800 – $9,600 | 15 – 20 yrs | $497 |
| Architectural asphalt | $4.50 – $6.50 | $9,000 – $13,000 | 25 – 30 yrs | $400 |
| Cedar shake (hand-split) | $5.50 – $11.50 | $11,000 – $23,000 | 25 – 35 yrs | $567 |
| Synthetic slate (composite) | $4 – $8 | $8,000 – $16,000 | 30 – 50 yrs | $300 |
| Natural slate (hard) | $20 – $30 | $40,000 – $60,000 | 75 – 150 yrs | $444 |
Tear-off is extra: $100–$175 per square for asphalt, so $2,000–$3,500 on a 2,000 sq ft roof. Your own quote always beats a national band — the cost calculators below take your price per square foot.
Source: Smart Roofing Calculator 2026 cost-per-square guide (asphalt), This Old House 2026 slate and cedar shake cost guides, and this site’s roof lifespan table.
Related: Asphalt shingle roof cost · Slate roof cost · Cedar shake roof cost · How long a roof lasts
A short-lived roof is bought more than once. Over 50 years of ownership, at today’s midpoint prices and before tear-off or inflation:
| Material | Midpoint life | Roofs in 50 years | 50-year covering cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-tab asphalt | 17.5 yrs | 3 | $26,100 |
| Architectural asphalt | 27.5 yrs | 2 | $22,000 |
| Cedar shake (hand-split) | 30 yrs | 2 | $34,000 |
| Synthetic slate (composite) | 40 yrs | 2 | $24,000 |
| Natural slate (hard) | 112.5 yrs | 1 | $50,000 |
Architectural asphalt is the most cost-effective long-term option in this set on a 50-year horizon, with composite slate close behind. Hard slate only pays back for an owner who keeps the house for most of its century-plus life — and it needs framing checked for the weight.
| Shingle | Bundle weight | Bundles per square | Weight per square |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-tab asphalt | 65 lb | 3 | 195 lb |
| Architectural (laminated) | 75 lb | 3 | 225 lb |
| Designer / luxury laminated | 85 lb | 4 | 340 lb |
Concrete or clay tile (600–1,000 lb per square) and natural slate (800–1,500 lb) weigh three to six times as much as architectural asphalt, which is why the frame has to be checked before switching.
Related: Shingle weight calculator
Divide the installed cost by the years it lasts. On 2,000 sq ft, 3-tab asphalt ($7,800–$9,600, 15–20 years) costs about $497 per year of roof against $400 for architectural asphalt, and over 50 years you buy three 3-tab roofs but two architectural ones.
On this site’s cost bands, architectural asphalt and composite synthetic slate cost the least per year of roof — about $400 and $300 on a 2,000 sq ft roof. Natural slate lasts longest but only pays back if you keep the house for decades.
About 195 lb per square for 3-tab asphalt, 225 lb for architectural and 340 lb for designer shingles, against 600–1,000 lb for concrete or clay tile and 800–1,500 lb for natural slate.
Slate, at 75 to 100 years or more, followed by tile at 50-plus and standing-seam metal at 40 to 70. All three need a structure that can carry the weight, which for slate and tile is a real constraint.
It runs roughly double asphalt and lasts two to three times as long, so it wins on lifetime cost if you will own the house long enough to see it. It also sheds snow well and can lower insurance in wildfire and hail areas.
No. Concrete and clay tile weigh 600 to 1,000 pounds per square against roughly 200 to 250 for asphalt shingles. The structure has to be designed or upgraded for it, which is a structural engineer question, not a roofing one.
Three-tab asphalt shingles, at the cost of a shorter life — 15 to 20 years against 25 to 30 for architectural. On a house you intend to keep, the architectural upgrade is usually the better value.
Going with exposed-fastener metal? The metal roof screw calculator gives the screw pattern and count.
Price one material for your own roof: the asphalt shingle roof cost calculator compares 3-tab and architectural per year of life.
Considering stone? The slate roof cost calculator prices natural and synthetic slate against asphalt.
For wood, the cedar shake roof cost calculator adds materials and labour for hand-split and taper-sawn shakes.
New to the terms? Roof types explained covers ten shapes, from gable and hip to mansard.
The two most common choices side by side: roof shingles vs metal roofing.
Comparing premium roofs? The standing seam metal roof cost calculator prices steel, aluminum, zinc and copper per year of service.
Tile on the shortlist? The clay tile roof cost calculator prices clay, terracotta and concrete tile installed.
Ready to price one of these materials on your house? The free roofing calculator gives asphalt, slate and cedar costs for the same roof.