How Long a Roof Lasts, Material by Material
Shingle, tile and slate, and what wears a roof out early
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Free, no-obligation estimates. We answer or call back the same working day.
Lifespan by Roofing Material
Asphalt shingles typically last 20 to 30 years, clay and concrete tile 75 years or more, and slate 75 to 100 years or more.
Those are the years the roofing itself can give. What a roof actually gets depends on what is under it and how it went on, and on tile and slate the layer underneath runs out long before the surface does.
Here is how the three main roofing materials compare:
| Material | Typical life | What decides it |
|---|---|---|
| Asphalt shingle | 20 to 30 years | How well the attic is vented, and whether the shingles went on the way the manufacturer says. |
| Clay and concrete tile | 75 years or more | The "underlayment" under the tile, which may fail after 20 to 40 years. |
| Slate | 75 to 100 years or more | The underlayment as well. The slate can outlast it, so its real life depends on what is beneath it. |
The Underlayment Wears Out First
Under tile and slate, the underlayment often gives out after 20 to 40 years, long before the tile or slate on top of it does.
The underlayment is the felt or roofing paper laid on the roof deck, and it is the layer that actually keeps the water out. The tile and slate above it hold up for decades; the paper under them ages on its own clock.
On top
The tile or slate
75 years or more
- Clay and concrete tile, 75 years or more
- Slate, 75 to 100 years or more
- Often still sound when the paper is done
Underneath
The underlayment
20 to 40 years
- On tile, the leak is usually here, not in the tile
- A mid-slope leak often means the whole slope is done
- A "lift-and-relay" puts new paper under the sound tile
What Shortens a Roof's Life
Poor attic ventilation, installation that ignores the manufacturer's standards and heat on the sun-facing slopes all take years off a roof.
A roof rarely wears evenly. It goes first where one of these is working on it, and that is the part we look at hardest when you call about an older roof.
These are the four things that shorten a roof's life:
- Poor attic ventilation. Proper attic ventilation extends the life of an asphalt shingle roof, so an attic that holds its heat cooks the shingles from underneath.
- Installation that ignores the manufacturer. Ignoring the manufacturer's material and installation recommendations leads to early roof failure, however good the shingle was.
- Heat and sun on exposed slopes. The slopes that take the sun all afternoon wear first. "Granule loss", grit in the gutters and bald spots on the shingles, means a shingle is losing its UV protection.
- Worn ridge caps left in place. The "ridge cap" along the peak wears out before the rest of the roof and needs replacing sooner. Left alone, it opens the roof at its highest line.
Warranty Years and Real Life
Asphalt shingle manufacturer warranties typically run 20 to 40 years and do not cover all acts of God, and that number on the bundle is the warranty's term, not a promise of how long your roof will last.
Storm damage is a separate question from the warranty. Meanwhile the shingles typically last 20 to 30 years, and installation that ignores the manufacturer's recommendations cuts that short.
Two numbers that get mixed up
- Shingle warranty term
- 20 to 40 years
- Typical asphalt shingle life
- 20 to 30 years
The roof's real life comes from how it was put on and what the attic does to it.
Caring for an Aging Roof
An aging roof should be inspected at least once a year, and again after any severe weather.
The yearly look catches the slow wear: the curling tabs, the granule loss, the worn ridge cap. The look after a storm catches what the wind and rain did in one night, before the next storm finds it.
- At least once a year
- After severe weather
Free and no-obligation. We answer or call back the same working day.
A straight answer on your roof
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Free, no-obligation estimates.
We tell you what we find on the roof and what it would take, and the decision stays with you.
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The whole job quoted before we start.
Whether it is a ridge cap or a whole slope, the price covers all of it, with no surprise charges after.
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A call back the same working day.
We answer the phone or call back the same working day. Calls outside our hours go to voicemail, and we return them the next working morning.
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On time, and the yard left clean.
We show up when we say we will, and we clean up when the work is done.
Call about an aging roof
Tell us what the roof is made of and about how old it is. We get on it, tell you what we find, and quote any work in writing before it starts.
Open Monday to Sunday, morning to evening. Calls outside our hours go to voicemail and we return them the next working morning.
Free, no-obligation estimates. The whole job is quoted before we start, and we clean up when it is done.