Roof lifespan guide
Asphalt shingles give the shortest span and metal, tile and slate the longest, and attic heat, hail, wind and missed repairs take years off any of them. Here is how each one holds up and what keeps a roof going.
Monday to Saturday, from first thing in the morning until six in the evening. Calls outside those hours go to voicemail and we return them the next working morning.
Years Left on Your Roof?
One call sets a time to look at the roof, the attic under it and the layers you cannot see from the yard.
(208) 858-8078 Call for a Free EstimateThe short answer
How long a roof lasts comes down first to what it is made of: asphalt shingles have the shortest life, and metal, tile and slate the longest.
Asphalt is the cheapest roof to put on. Metal, tile and solar shingles cost more up front and last longer. The material you pick also turns on the climate, your budget, how long you want the roof to last, its looks, the upkeep it needs, noise, fire resistance and sustainability.
After the material, the years a roof actually gets depend on how it was put on and how it is looked after, which is what the rest of this page covers.
Material by material
Each of the five common roofing materials lasts a different span, and metal outlasts asphalt by decades.
This table lists each material with how long it typically lasts against the others:
| Material | How long it lasts | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Asphalt shingles | The shortest span of the five | The cheapest roof to put on. Heat from the attic and hail both age a shingle faster, so the attic and the storms decide how much of its span it gets. |
| Cedar shakes | Set largely by upkeep and climate | Shakes are split and wood shingles are sawn. Both are wood, so how well the roof is kept up goes a long way to how long it lasts. |
| MetalStaying for the long haul | Outlasts asphalt by decades | Costs more up front, which pays off for an owner who plans to stay. A "standing seam" roof joins its panels at raised seams with the fasteners hidden. |
| Tile | Among the longest | The tile itself outlasts the underlayment beneath it, which often needs replacing after about 20 to 30 years. |
| Slate | Among the longest | Natural slate costs about 5 to 8 times as much as standard asphalt shingles, and buys one of the longest-lasting roofs you can put on. |
Staying in the house for years and want a roof that outlasts the shingles you have now? Metal is worth a look.
metal roofingWhat wears a roof out
Heat trapped in a poorly vented attic, hail, wind and repairs put off too long are what take years off a roof, whatever it is made of.
Here is how each one does its damage:
Hail and wind are what researchers at IBHS (Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety) test roofs against, and we look for both after a storm, before the next one finds the damage.
Call for a Free EstimateGetting the full span
A roof should be inspected every year, repaired as soon as damage shows and installed to the manufacturer's guidelines if it is to reach the end of its span.
The National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) publishes the trade's guidance on how roofs are installed and how often they are inspected.
Free and no-obligation. We call back the same working day.
Under the roof
The underlayment and the flashing often wear out before the shingles or tile above them, so a roof that looks sound from the yard is sometimes near the end underneath.
Three parts under and around the roofing tend to go first:
Roof tiles outlast the underlayment beneath them, and that underlayment often needs replacing after about 20 to 30 years while the tile is still good.
The fix is a "lift-and-reset": the tile comes off, new underlayment goes down and the same tile goes back on.
tile roofersFrom a neighbor
Whatever your roof is made of and however old it is, these are the promises we keep on every job.
Michael did a great job for us. Met him randomly because he bought something from me on FB Marketplace, and then we got talking. Soon enough we were walking around on my roof and he gave me a very competitive quote. He was super professional and the roof is done right. I feel lucky to have found him!
Years left, or time for new
Call and we will look at the roof, the attic and the layers under the shingles, and tell you plainly what we see and how much life we think is left.
Monday to Saturday, from first thing in the morning until six in the evening. Calls outside those hours go to voicemail and we return them the next working morning.
We quote the whole job before we start, with no surprise charges after.
