What Is Asphalt Shingles?
Asphalt shingles are layered roof coverings built from a fiberglass mat saturated in asphalt and surfaced with mineral granules. They are the most common residential roofing material installed across the United States.
What Is Metal Roofing?
Metal roofing is a roof covering formed from steel, aluminum, copper, or zinc, installed as standing-seam panels or interlocking shingles. It sheds water as a continuous, non-porous surface.
Asphalt Shingles Or Metal Roofing — Which Roof Fits an Essex County Home?
Asphalt shingles are the fiberglass-mat, granule-surfaced roof covering most Essex County homes wear, and metal roofing is the steel or aluminum panel system that lasts longer for a higher install price.
Asphalt shingles divide into 3-tab and architectural (laminated) grades, lasting 20 and 30 years respectively, per the InterNACHI life-expectancy chart; granule loss, tab curling, and thermal-shock cracking define their failure modes. Metal roofing splits into concealed-fastener standing seam and exposed-fastener metal shingle, lasting 40–80 years general (copper 70+) per InterNACHI, with fastener loosening and cut-edge corrosion as the contrasting failure modes.
Asphalt Shingles vs Metal Roofing
| Feature | Asphalt Shingles | Metal Roofing |
|---|---|---|
| NJ Installed Cost (per sq ft) | $5.50–$11.00 | $9.00–$16.00+ |
| NJ Full-Roof Replacement | Within $10,000–$25,000 | Upper half of $10,000–$25,000+ |
| Lifespan (InterNACHI) | 20–30 years | 40–80 years |
| Failure Mode | Granule loss, tab curling, cracking | Fastener loosening, cut-edge corrosion |
| NJ Repair Cost | $150–$500 shingle; $400–$1,000 valley | $150–$1,000 fastener; up to $3,000 corrosion leak |
| Snow Behavior | Holds snow until melt | Sheds snow (snow guards needed) |
| Summer Surface Heat | Standard; reflective granule options | Reflective metal cuts peak cooling demand |
| Install Time | Shorter (fewer days) | Longer (panel and trim fabrication) |
| NJ UCC Compliance | Ordinary-maintenance re-roof on 1-2 family | Ordinary-maintenance re-roof on 1-2 family |
| Resale Recoup (Zonda 2023) | ~61% of job cost | ~49% of job cost |
Detailed Analysis
Which Costs Less Per Year Of Service?
Asphalt shingles cost less upfront and metal roofing costs less per year of service — asphalt installs at $5.50–$11.00 per NJ square foot lasting 20–30 years, metal at $9.00–$16.00 lasting 40–80, per Josten Roofing and the InterNACHI chart.
Asphalt shingles carry the lower entry cost: 3-tab installs at $5.50–$9.50 and architectural at $6.50–$11.00 per NJ square foot, per Josten Roofing, with labor at roughly 60% of an asphalt project, per HomeGuide.
Metal roofing carries the higher entry cost at $9.00–$16.00 per NJ square foot, yet its 40–80-year service life (copper 70+) avoids one full re-roof cycle that asphalt's 20–30-year life forces, per the InterNACHI life-expectancy chart.
Which Roof Withstands NJ Weather Better?
Metal roofing sheds Newark's snow and rain better and asphalt shingles hold snow — Newark averages 31.5 inches of annual snowfall (~78% falling December–February) per NOAA 1991–2020 normals, with roughly 35–45 freeze-thaw cycles stressing both systems each north-NJ winter.
Metal roofing sheds snow off interlocking panels and resists the ~110–115 mph design wind speed mapped for northern NJ under ASCE 7-16, though shed snow requires snow guards over entryways, per ASCE wind maps and NRCA guidance.
Asphalt shingles hold snow until melt and depend on an ice-and-water barrier at the eaves to block ice-dam backup, but lose protective granules under hail and degrade faster under UV exposure than metal, per NRCA and ARMA guidance.
Which Roof Recoups More At Resale?
Asphalt shingles recoup more of their cost at resale than metal roofing — an asphalt roof replacement recoups ~61% of job cost and metal ~49%, per the Remodeling/Zonda 2023 Cost vs Value report.
Asphalt shingles add roughly $15,247 to resale value on a typical home and let sellers ask 1%–3% more, per Opendoor and Zillow 2025 analysis, because a new asphalt roof removes a buyer objection at a moderate install cost.
Metal roofing recoups a smaller cost share (~49%, Zonda 2023) because its higher job cost outpaces the resale premium, though its 40–80-year life shifts the return toward long-hold ownership rather than near-term resale, per the InterNACHI chart.
Which Roof Stays Cooler In Summer?
Metal roofing with a reflective finish stays cooler than standard asphalt shingles — a reflective roof stays over 50°F cooler than a conventional roof on a sunny afternoon, per the U.S. Department of Energy.
Metal roofing reflectance lowers the roof surface temperature, a property rated by solar reflectance and thermal emittance (not R-value) per the Cool Roof Rating Council, and cuts peak cooling demand 11–27% in air-conditioned homes, per the EPA, with the caveat that Newark's heating-dominated Climate Zone 4A–5 carries a winter heating offset, per the DOE.
Asphalt shingles reach the cool-roof conversation through reflective-granule lines that raise surface reflectance, a lower-cost path to the same reflectance-and-emittance levers, per the EPA and CRRC.
What Does NJ Code Require For Each Roof?
The NJ Uniform Construction Code treats a full re-roof of asphalt shingles or metal roofing as ordinary maintenance on a detached 1- or 2-family dwelling — no permit, inspection, or notice, per N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7 and the NJ DCA's 2018 alert.
The NJ Uniform Construction Code requires a permit once roof work turns structural — replacing rafters, trusses, or ridge beams, or exceeding 25% of roof area within 12 months on commercial, condo, or attached buildings, per N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7(b) and 5:23-2.7(c).
Metal roofing snow shedding adds snow guards over Newark entryways given the 31.5-inch average snowfall, while asphalt shingles rely on an ice-and-water barrier at the eaves against ice-dam backup, per NOAA normals and NRCA guidance.
Which Roof Suits an Essex County House?
Asphalt shingles suit color-and-budget-driven Essex County homes and metal roofing suits long-hold owners — architectural asphalt offers the widest color and profile range, while metal trades a higher install for a 40–80-year life, per the InterNACHI chart.
Asphalt shingles carry manufacturer limited warranties from named makers such as GAF, terms set and registered by the manufacturer (GAF's Golden Pledge system warranty runs 50-year material / 25-year workmanship but requires a credentialed installer and qualifying accessories), not by Newark Quality Roofing, per GAF's published warranty.
Metal roofing carries manufacturer panel and finish warranties from named makers such as Englert, ATAS, and McElroy Metal, terms set by those manufacturers and registered at install, per the manufacturers' published warranties.
Which Roof Fits a Commercial Building?
Metal roofing fits sloped commercial structures and asphalt shingles fit lower-cost steep-slope sections — metal's 40–80-year life eliminates one replacement cycle on a long-hold property, per the InterNACHI life-expectancy chart, where adequate pitch exists.
Metal roofing on a commercial building triggers a NJ UCC permit once roof work exceeds 25% of roof area in 12 months, since the ordinary-maintenance exemption covers only detached 1- and 2-family dwellings, per N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7(c).
Asphalt shingles install faster on commercial steep-slope sections, shortening tenant disruption, while metal's longer panel-and-trim fabrication extends the install window in exchange for decades of lower-maintenance service, per NRCA installation guidance.
Our Verdict
Metal roofing wins on lifespan; asphalt shingles win on upfront NJ cost.
Metal roofing over asphalt shingles when the roof stays 40+ years — metal's 40–80-year life (InterNACHI) spreads its higher $9.00–$16.00 NJ per-square-foot cost across 2–4 asphalt lifecycles, lowering cost per year of service.
Asphalt shingles win when upfront budget or resale timing leads — asphalt installs at $5.50–$11.00 per NJ square foot (Josten Roofing) and recoups ~61% of job cost at resale versus metal's ~49%, per the Remodeling/Zonda 2023 Cost vs Value report.
Not sure which is right for you? Call for a free consultation.