On average, 7 out of 10 households in the country are covered with asphalt shingles (fiberglass mat layered between asphalt and mineral / ceramic / stone granules). Although the composition is based on a single technology, there are two main options for asphalt shingles:
1.Three tab shingles
2.Architectural shingles
While all options provide water-resistant coating, deflection of UV light and comply with building codes, there are some differences to be aware of when designing a roof. Among them, the most important for the customer are cost and warranty.
3-tab shingles material and installation costs
Materials: national average price of 3-tab shingles ranges from $25 - $30 per bundle, or $70 to $90 per square (100 square foots). In addition to shingles, you may have to pay for wood boards, plywood, nails, roofing felt, caulk, ice-and-water shield, ridge-vent, drip-edge, valley, gable, or chimney flashing. On average, this can increase the cost of roofing materials up to $1.3 - $1.5 per square foot.
Cost to install 3-tab shingles: considering most licensed pros use "40% material / 60% labor" cost-breakdown formula it may cost between $3.4 - $3.9 per sq.ft. to install such a type of shingles. Most of home roofs in the US measure from 1900 to 2100 square feet and may be quoted between $6,460 - $8,190 to be covered with 3-tab shingles.
Warranty: such a type of asphalt shingles comes with a manufacture's warranty which is typically of 25 years, but workmanship warranty is about 5 year.
Architectural shingles material and installation costs
Material: architectural shingles cost around $ 0.9 to $ 1.2 per square (100 square feet) or $ 30 to $ 35 per bundle. The cost of additional materials (roofing paper, nails, ice shield) for architectural shingles is usually the same as for 3 tab shingles. When it comes cost in the terms of total roof area, roof materials including trim and supplies may cost around $2,850 to $3,780 to replace 1900-2100 sq.ft roof.
Cost to install architectural shingles: with most roofing contractors total roof replacement cost is on average 150% more than the cost of materials and ranges from $3,7 to $4,5 per sq.ft. In the term of national typical roof size, customer can expected to pay from $ 7,100 to $ 9,500 to replace old 1900-2100 sq. ft. roof covering with architectural shingles
Warranty: manufacture's warranty of architectural shingles is typically at least 30 years and workmanship warranty ranges from 5 to 10 years.
3-Tab Shingles vs. Architectural Shingles
3-tab shingles product is the least expensive roofing material, and its cost around 20% more than architectural shingles. The low price is the only pros compared to architectural shingles cost. When it comes to aesthetics, durability, manufacturer's warranties, weight and wind resistance the architectural type asphalt roof is more often product which is most roof contractors recommend to install. An asphalt shingle of the architectural type is designed of two thin strips laminated together. Color variations of the bottom and top layers add an opportunity to use the roof covering not only as protection from the weather, but also as an element of external design of homeowner property. The aesthetics of architectural shingles is often a major factor when a customer chooses a roofing material.
Also, two-layer is quite convincing when talking about the durability of an architectural shingle. It has weight and toughness which is better suited to hold up storms in and hurricanes. Typically architectural asphalt shingles are rated for 100+ MPH as opposed to up to 60 MPH 3-tab asphalt type rated for.
