Every box says “lifetime.” The difference is what it’s made of, and a great shingle installed badly is still a bad roof.
Understand your roof
Shingle grades: good, better, best
Ask your roofer
- Which shingle line is this, and what’s different about the next one up?
- Is it rated Class 4 for impact?
- Will you use matching hip and ridge cap shingles at the peak?
- How many nails per shingle, and where do they go?
Ask them to put the answer in writing.
Why it matters
Every box says “lifetime,” but shingles come in grades, like work boots. A cheaper grade is thinner and gives up sooner to wind and hail, and a great shingle installed badly is still a bad roof.
How it should be built
- Good: a standard shingle. Fine for many homes, and the thinnest of the three.
- Better: a thicker, heavier shingle that holds up longer to wind and sun.
- Best: a rubberized (SBS) shingle rated Class 4 for hail. Some insurers give a discount for it.
- Matching hip and ridge cap shingles close the peak, not cut-up regular shingles.
- Nailed in the nail line with the number of nails the manufacturer calls for.