Architectural shingles cost

Architectural shingles cost $185 to $300 per square for the material, typically about $230, with underlayment, drip edge and fasteners included. A square is 100 square feet of roof, and the shingles are only part of what a square costs once labor and tear-off go on top.

The number that moves the total most is not the shingle at all. It is how cut up the roof is: valleys, hips, dormers and pitch change both the labor and the waste, and they do it far more than the choice between one product line and another.

What it costs

Add the material, labor and tear-off lines to get an installed price per square. The re-roof permit, at $250 to $900 for the job, and any decking replaced once the old roof is off sit outside those lines.

What makes a shingle architectural

A three-tab shingle is one layer of asphalt-coated mat, cut along its lower edge into three equal tabs. Laid in courses, it gives a regular, even grid of rectangles.

An architectural shingle, also sold as laminate or dimensional, is two layers bonded together. The lower layer is continuous; the upper layer has irregular cutouts that let the lower one show through. The result is a thicker shingle with a random, shadowed look that reads as depth from the street.

The lamination has practical consequences that matter more than the look.

There is a double-thickness nailing zone. Most architectural shingles are meant to be nailed through the band where the two layers overlap, so each nail holds both. Nails above or below that band are a common installation fault, and they cost wind resistance the shingle was rated for.

The random pattern forgives layout. On three-tab, every cutout has to line up in straight vertical rows, and a wavy deck or an off-square roof shows. Architectural shingles hide small variations in the deck and the courses.

Heavier shingles mean fewer per bundle. Most architectural products still cover a square in three bundles, but some heavier lines take four. Ask the roofer, since the bundle count changes how the material line is figured.

Material against labor, and what shifts the split

On a plain gable roof at a walkable pitch, labor and tear-off together are more than the shingles. That surprises people who price bundles at a home center and assume the rest is markup.

The split shifts with the roof, not the shingle.

Pitch. Above roughly a 7/12 pitch a crew cannot walk the roof freely. It needs roof jacks, toe boards or harnesses, and it lays fewer squares a day. The labor line moves to the top of its range while the material line stays put.

Valleys, hips and dormers. Every one means cutting, and cutting means waste. A simple gable roof might need around 10% extra material; a cut-up roof with several valleys and hips can need noticeably more. Hip and ridge cap is also a separate product, sold by the linear foot of ridge, and it costs more per foot covered than the field shingles.

Starter strip and accessories. Starter strip along the eaves and rakes, ridge vent and pipe boots are separate items. A quote should list them rather than fold them into the shingle price.

That is why two roofs with the same square footage and the same shingle can come in far apart. The roof replacement guide covers the other lines that sit on top, from decking to chimney flashing.

Wind ratings and lifespan

Shingle wind ratings come from two standard tests, and the label tells you which.

ASTM D3161 blows air across the shingle at a set speed. Class F, the highest class, is a 110 mph test, and it is the label you will see on most architectural packaging.

ASTM D7158 measures uplift on a sealed shingle. Class D is rated for 90 mph, Class G for 120 mph and Class H for 150 mph. Many architectural shingles carry Class H.

Two conditions apply to every rating. The shingle has to be nailed to the manufacturer's high-wind pattern where one is required, usually six nails instead of four, and it has to have sealed down. The sealant strip on each shingle needs warm weather to bond, so a roof laid in cold months can be vulnerable until the first warm spell, unless the crew hand-seals it.

For lifespan, architectural shingles are typically rated for 25 to 30 years against 15 to 20 for three-tab, and the roof lifespan guide explains why ventilation decides how much of that a roof actually gets. The warranty term printed on the bundle is a different thing again, and covers less than it sounds.

Why three-tab is disappearing

Three-tab is still made, but manufacturers have cut back on it, and in many markets the color selection is thin and some distributors no longer stock it. Several things drove that.

The labor is the same. A crew charges much the same per square to lay three-tab as architectural, and tear-off is identical. The savings are only in the material line, which is the smaller part of the job.

It does not last as long. A shorter life for a modest saving rarely makes sense on a roof the owner intends to keep.

It rates lower for wind. Three-tab carries lower wind ratings than most architectural lines, which matters in coastal and storm-prone areas and to some insurers.

It is hard to match. As fewer colors are made, repairing a section of an existing three-tab roof gets harder, and a visible patch is often the result.

Three-tab still makes sense on a detached garage or shed, a rental with a short horizon, or a house about to be sold. For a primary roof, nearly every quote will now assume architectural.

A worked example: a 25 square roof

A two-story house with a 25 square gable roof at a walkable pitch, one layer of old shingles to strip, and two valleys. The roofer orders 28 squares of architectural shingle to cover cutting waste.

• Shingles and accessories: 28 squares × $185 to $300 per square = $5,180 to $8,400
• Labor: 25 squares × $116 to $249 per square = $2,900 to $6,225
• Tear-off: 25 squares × $85 to $200 per square = $2,125 to $5,000
• Permit: $250 to $900
• Total: $10,455 to $20,525

The shingles are the largest single line, $5,180 to $8,400, and they are still less than half the total. Switching to three-tab would change only that one line, at $95 to $155 a square instead, while labor, tear-off and the permit stayed exactly as they are. Decking replaced after the strip is not in this total and should be priced per sheet in the contract.

Frequently asked questions

How much do architectural shingles cost per square installed?

Add the material at $230 a square, labor at $174 and tear-off at $130 for a typical figure. Steep pitch and a cut-up roof push labor and waste up; a simple roof at a walkable pitch keeps them down.

Are architectural shingles worth the extra cost over three-tab?

On a roof you plan to keep, almost always. The difference is only in the material line, and it buys a longer life, a higher wind rating and a roof that is easier to repair and match later.

How many bundles of architectural shingles are in a square?

Usually three, though some heavier product lines take four. Check the coverage printed on the bundle wrapper.

What wind speed are architectural shingles rated for?

Most carry a 110 mph Class F rating under ASTM D3161, and many carry Class H under ASTM D7158, which is rated for 150 mph. Both depend on correct nailing and the shingles sealing down.

Related guides

• Asphalt shingle roof cost — the installed price per square, all in
• Roof replacement cost — every material and the lines on top
• How long does a roof last — why ventilation decides the real lifespan
• Roof warranty explained — what the bundle warranty covers and what voids it