When doing a home exterior, the roof is the crucial point, not only for appeal and style but also for protection. Today, when so many options are available, if you are not the expert, you can get easily confused with diversity in offers, and the process can get overwhelming, but you don’t need to worry.
There are things that you should keep in mind if you want to achieve balance, style, durability, and functionality with your new roofing, and if you know what you’re looking for, it gets so much easier to make a decision.
If you are wondering how to choose the best roofing material, here is a comprehensive guide that is going to be very helpful, for sure.
1. The Role of Roofing in Home Design
Yes, roofing's main purpose is protection, but this is also a defining design element for your home exterior. If you manage to choose the roof that matches your home it can elevate your architectural style. It is going to be that element that stands out in the neighborhood.
Now, you need to decide whether are you going to aim for a modern minimalist look, or maybe a rustic charm. Depending on the style that you choose, some options are going to fit best.
Visual Impact: You need to be aware that the roof is not only the “hat” on your house, it is a large portion of your home’s visible exterior. Its color, shape, and texture should match your home’s overall design.
Street Appeal: If you are planning to sell your house in the future, you need a stylish roof that is going to increase your property’s value.
2. Matching Roofing Materials to Your Home’s Architectural Style
There are roofing materials that naturally blend with each architectural style. Here are some suggestions on what materials should be used for a certain architectural design:
Traditional Homes: Slate or clay tiles are perfect for a timeless, elegant appeal.
Modern Homes: Metal or flat roofing panels are ideal for a clean, minimalist design.
Cottage-Style Homes: You need to aim for a rustic, cozy feel here. You can achieve it with, for example, wooden shakes or composite shingles.
Mediterranean-Style Homes: This should be an earth-toned exterior, and terracotta or clay tiles are complementary for this look.
If you do this right and match your roofing well with your home’s architectural style you will achieve a polished appearance that enhances its beauty.
3. Consider Climate and Weather Resistance
There are many high-quality materials for roofing but not all of them are good for specific weather conditions. That is why you need to make sure to choose a roofing material that fits your climate conditions the best:
Rainy Areas: For moisture damage, the best materials are metal, composite, or asphalt shingles.
Hot Climates: Clay or terracotta tiles are not only great for sunlight, they will also keep your interior cooler.
Snowy Regions: You need a material that will withstand heavy snow loads, so you should consider slate, metal, or composite shingles.
Windy or Storm-Prone Areas: For superior wind resistance you should choose metal roofs.
4. Compare Cost vs. Longevity
No one wants to pay a fortune for roofing material, but you should keep in mind that the cheapest option isn’t always the best. You should also look at this investment from the aspect of long-term costs, which include maintenance and potential repairs:
Asphalt Shingles: This is one of the budget-friendly materials, but its downside is that it requires frequent replacement (lifespan: 20-30 years).
Metal Roofs: This is a more expensive material but it lasts 50+ years.
Slate and Tile Roofs: Well, this is a big investment but can last a century or more.
Wood Shingles/Shakes: This is a mid-range solution, but requires regular treatment.
5. Professional Installation and Local Availability
Roofing requires proper installation for long-lasting performance, and also for safety because it is a skilled trade. You should consider finding an experienced contractor in your area for this type of project.
But before you start considering whether to get a professional to do your roofing or not, also consider that each U.S. state can have different rules and regulations when it comes to roofing.
So you may not be (legally) allowed to DIY it, or hire anyone to do your roofing. Because, if any problem occurs you’ll be held accountable if there’s no paper trail that connects your roof and a professionally licensed business.
Here are a few cities across the U.S. so that you get an idea of what you can expect. Roofing contractors in Dayton, Ohio won’t need to have a state-level license, but they will need to submit a bond to work within the city. In Albany, New York, again, a state-level license is not required. However, specific local requirements must be confirmed within Albany’s municipal authorities.
Salt Lake City, Utah, will require all roofing businesses to obtain a valid license from the state. On top of that, local regulations in cities across the state of Utah may impose additional requirements. Salt Lake City’s building department luckily doesn’t.
In Austin, Texas, no state-level license is required, a local one is. But additionally, homeowners need to verify the work with the local regulatory bodies.
So, you have to know all of this before you even start narrowing down who you’d like to hire.
Conclusion
You should take many things into consideration in order to choose the right roofing for your house. From the home’s architectural design to climate, durability, and budget, when you look at all the aspects you will make the best decision for your home.
Don’t forget that you need to achieve a balance of style, durability, and functionality, and to do that, you shouldn’t skip any of the main points when considering the roofing materials for your home.
If you do everything right, your home’s appeal is going to leave a perfect impression and transform your home’s exterior.
Jenny Kakoudakis likes to blog about interiors. She launched award-winning Seasons in Colour in 2014 and the luxury interior design blog All The Pretty Homes in 2024. When she is not chasing criminals out of the financial system (her day job), she gets creative by redecorating her own home.