Budget vs Premium Shingles Guide: Are You Wasting Money on Premium Shingle Upgrades?

Premium Roof Shingles vs Standard: Which Is Worth It?

Homestead Roofing owner Tracy Bookman does the math on whether upgrading to a premium shingle actually pays off, and explains why the smarter upgrade is usually an impact-resistant shingle rather than a heavier standard architectural shingle.

Tracy Bookman opens with a real example. A homeowner with a 5,000-square-foot roof was quoted 29,300 dollars for a standard architectural shingle installation. A salesman pitched him on upgrading to a premium shingle, which would bring the total to 36,800 dollars. The difference: 7,500 dollars, or about 26 percent more. The question is whether that 7,500 dollars buys anything the homeowner will ever get back.

Tracy Bookman's answer, in most cases, is no. And coming from a roofing contractor who makes more money when homeowners choose more expensive products, that answer is worth understanding in detail.

What Standard and Premium Actually Mean

A standard shingle, in Tracy Bookman's definition, is not a three-tab shingle. Virtually nobody uses those anymore. It is also not a cheap dimensional shingle like Owens Corning Oakridge or Tamko Heritage, which he classifies as builder-grade products. A standard shingle is what a reputable roofer would normally install on a re-roof project: Owens Corning Duration, CertainTeed Landmark, or equivalent. A premium shingle is the step up: GAF Timberline HD to Timberline Ultra HD, CertainTeed Landmark to Landmark Pro. The primary difference is weight. Premium shingles are thicker, with more asphalt in the mat.

Why Roofers Push Premium Shingles

Tracy Bookman is unusually direct about the incentives. The obvious reason is revenue: a higher project cost means more money for the roofing company. If the person you are dealing with is a commissioned salesperson, a higher sale price means a higher commission. The less obvious reason is manufacturer incentives. Every shingle manufacturer offers what Tracy Bookman calls contractor sales incentives, the industry term for payments to roofing contractors who sell higher volumes of higher-tier products. Selling you a premium shingle may help the roofer more than it helps you.

The ROI Math on Premium Shingles

Tracy Bookman runs the numbers. The premium shingle costs 26 percent more than the standard. If the standard shingle is expected to last 30 years, the premium shingle would need to last roughly 38 years, eight extra years, just for the homeowner to break even on the investment. Can you see yourself living in the same house for 38 years? For most homeowners, the answer is no. The average American moves every five to seven years. Even a homeowner who plans to stay put may not be in the same house nearly four decades from now. And if you do move, the resale market does not price premium shingles at anything close to a 26 percent premium over standard shingles.

There is another scenario where premium standard shingles do not pay off: hail-prone regions. If you live in Colorado, Texas, or Oklahoma and a severe hailstorm totals the roof, insurance does not reimburse you more because you chose the premium standard shingle.

The Smarter Upgrade: Impact-Resistant Shingles

Tracy Bookman draws a sharp distinction between two kinds of upgrades. Upgrading from a standard architectural shingle to a premium architectural shingle is, in his view, rarely worth the money. It is more asphalt in a product that still behaves the same way when hail hits it.

Upgrading to an impact-resistant shingle is a completely different calculation. An impact-resistant shingle, particularly an SBS modified rubberized product, can survive hail that would total a standard roof. If that impact-resistant roof prevents you from filing even one insurance claim, you have saved your deductible, which for most homeowners is now 2,000 to 4,000 dollars or more. Additionally, many insurance companies offer premium discounts of 24 to 40 percent for homes with impact-resistant roofing. Unlike a premium standard shingle that never pays you back, an impact-resistant shingle generates annual savings and can pay for itself by avoiding a single hail claim.

Tracy Bookman's Bottom Line

Should you upgrade to a premium shingle? In most cases, no. The money comes out of your pocket and never comes back. If you do want to spend extra on the roof, redirect that money toward an impact-resistant shingle rather than a premium standard one. The impact-resistant shingle earns its premium back over time. The premium standard shingle just costs more.

For more on impact-resistant shingles, the impact resistant shingles guide covers the benefits and insurance discounts in detail. For brand comparisons, the best asphalt shingles guide walks through which products hold up. Homeowners in the Colorado Springs area can reach Homestead Roofing at homesteadroofingcolorado.com or 719-433-6991.  In all other areas click here for Roofing Repairs and Replacement or Call: (702) 620-6514

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