Your roof
All three shingle grades priced at once, tear-off included. For metal, tile, and other materials, use the full roof calculator.
Three grades, your roof
Installed totals with single-layer tear-off, underlayment, and ridge vent.
Asphalt shingle prices in 2026
Asphalt shingles remain America’s roof — about 3 in 4 homes — because of the price: $4.00 to $10.00 per square foot installed across the three grades in mid-2026. Basic 3-tab runs $4.00–$5.50, the dominant architectural (dimensional) grade $4.50–$8.00, and designer shingles that mimic slate or cedar shake $7.00–$10.00. On a typical 1,700 sq ft roof, the practical spread is $7,500 (3-tab) to $16,000 (designer) — with architectural sitting in the sweet spot that wins most bids.
Shingle grades compared
| 3-tab | Architectural | Designer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installed $/sq ft | $4.00 – $5.50 | $4.50 – $8.00 | $7.00 – $10.00 |
| Lifespan | 15–20 yrs | 25–30 yrs | 30–40 yrs |
| Wind rating | 60–70 mph | 110–130 mph | 130 mph+ |
| Warranty | 20–25 yr | 30 yr–lifetime | Lifetime |
| Cost per year of life* | ~$0.27/sq ft | ~$0.23/sq ft | ~$0.24/sq ft |
*Mid-range price ÷ mid lifespan. Architectural wins the per-year math — the reason it’s the default recommendation.
Why 3-tab is usually a false economy
The $1,500–$3,000 a 3-tab roof saves upfront buys you a roof that dies 8–10 years sooner, blows off at wind speeds architectural shrugs at, and — increasingly relevant — is being discontinued by major manufacturers, making future repairs a matching nightmare. The cases where 3-tab still makes sense: a home you’re selling within 2–3 years, a rental you price purely on cash flow, or a shed/outbuilding. For a home you’ll keep, architectural’s extra ~$0.75/sq ft is the best-value upgrade in roofing. Some insurers also discount premiums for higher wind-class shingles — worth one phone call before you choose.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to shingle a 1,500 sq ft house?
How many bundles of shingles per square?
What color shingle is best?
Are 50-year shingles worth it?
Your metal roof
Your estimate
Metal lasts 40–70 years vs asphalt’s 20–25 — you’re pricing one roof against two or three.
How much does a metal roof cost in 2026?
A metal roof costs $7 to $16 per square foot installed in mid-2026 depending on system. Exposed-fastener ribbed panels — the budget entry — run $7–$10; metal shingles $8–$13; stone-coated steel $9–$14; and standing seam, the hidden-fastener premium standard, $10–$16. On a typical 1,700 sq ft roof that’s $12,000 (ribbed) to $27,000 (standing seam) — roughly 1.7–2.2× an asphalt roof. The counterweight: metal’s 40–70 year lifespan means the asphalt homeowner buys two or three roofs in the time you buy one.
Metal roofing systems compared
| System | $/sq ft installed | Lifespan | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ribbed / exposed fastener | $7 – $10 | 30–45 yrs | Screws need re-tightening ~15 yrs; barn-to-modern looks |
| Metal shingles | $8 – $13 | 40–60 yrs | Reads as traditional roof from the street |
| Stone-coated steel | $9 – $14 | 40–60 yrs | Mimics tile/shake at half tile’s weight |
| Standing seam | $10 – $16 | 50–70 yrs | Hidden fasteners, cleanest lines, solar-mount friendly |
The lifetime math vs asphalt
Take a 1,700 sq ft roof over 50 years: asphalt at ~$11,000 per replacement means two-to-three roofs plus repairs — roughly $26,000–$34,000 in today’s dollars. Standing seam at $20,000 once, with minimal upkeep, wins the half-century by $6,000–$14,000, and starts winning around year 25–30 when asphalt roof #2 gets billed. Metal also earns along the way: insurance discounts of 5–35% in hail and wildfire states, ~10–25% summer cooling savings from reflective coatings, and the best solar-panel mounting surface there is (clamps, no roof penetrations). The honest caveats: hail can cosmetically dent it (check your policy’s cosmetic-damage exclusion), and a good metal crew is harder to find than a shingle crew — bid quality varies wildly.