What Are the Pros and Cons of Asphalt Shingle Roofing?

Asphalt shingles are the most common residential roof covering, on roughly 73% of US homes per 2024 roofing-market data. Architectural shingles last 30 years at a wind rating up to 130 mph with the manufacturer 6-nail pattern, per the InterNACHI life-expectancy chart and ARMA.

Architectural shingles bond multiple layers of asphalt-saturated fiberglass mat into a dimensional profile, carrying the 30-year life and the 130-mph rating that the single-layer 3-tab profile does not reach, per the InterNACHI life-expectancy chart and ARMA and manufacturer guidance. That combination gives asphalt the lowest installed cost per year of service among common coverings, and a new asphalt roof recoups roughly 60 to 68% of project cost at resale, per a Zillow resale analysis.

The widest availability keeps asphalt practical across Essex County, because GAF, CertainTeed, and Owens Corning shingle systems, matching shingles, and crews experienced with them are readily sourced. A complete re-roof of the covering on a detached one- and two-family home also counts as ordinary maintenance under N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7, requiring no construction permit, per the NJ Uniform Construction Code, while a structural change to rafters or trusses still triggers one.

Asphalt's short lifespan is its central drawback, since 3-tab shingles last 20 years and architectural shingles 30 years against slate at 60 to 150, metal at 40 to 80, and clay tile past 100, per the InterNACHI life-expectancy chart. Actual asphalt life varies up to 40% with climate, install, and ventilation, per the NRCA.

3-tab shingles rate near 60 mph, below the architectural 130-mph rating and close to the 58-mph wind-gust threshold NOAA sets for a severe thunderstorm, so a 3-tab roof is more exposed to nor'easter and storm uplift, per ARMA and NOAA. Granule loss is the primary surface failure: loss exceeding 30% of the surface is the common rule for beyond repair, and 50% loss cuts remaining life by up to 70%, per GAF.

Flashing details drive most asphalt-roof leaks, with the roofing industry estimating that roughly 90 to 95% of leaks originate at flashing rather than the open shingle field, an estimate attributed to the NRCA. Trapped moisture from undersized attic ventilation compounds the wear, curling and cupping shingles from the underside, which is why a balanced 1-square-foot-per-150 vent ratio extends roof service life by up to 25%, per the NRCA and ARMA.

Asphalt shingle roofing fits a standard pitched Essex County roof when cost, fast availability, and a 20-to-30-year service life match the plan, and it carries no construction permit on a detached one- and two-family home under N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7, per the NJ Uniform Construction Code.

Architectural shingles suit an owner who wants the 30-year life and the 130-mph 6-nail rating over the 20-year 3-tab option, per the InterNACHI life-expectancy chart and ARMA, while long-term ownership seeking a far longer covering favors metal at 40 to 80 years or slate at 60 to 150 years.

A registered New Jersey Home Improvement Contractor installs the system to manufacturer specification to keep the manufacturer material warranty intact, so before signing, an Essex County homeowner verifies the contractor's NJ HIC registration and insurance and requests a free written estimate that itemizes the shingle line, ice barrier, flashing, and ventilation.