InstaBidsFor homeowners
Types of roof: which one fits your home?
Choose asphalt shingle for a Class A fire rating in a fiberglass-reinforced shingle; metal for a noncombustible covering, laid over a gypsum underlayment for a Class A assembly rating; slate for a noncombustible, Class A rated covering of slate shingles; clay/concrete tile for a noncombustible, Class A rated covering of clay or concrete tile; wood shake for a wood roof, where fire-retardant-treated shakes over a gypsum underlayment give a Class A assembly rating.
The right choice depends on whether your home is in a wildfire-prone area, the roof covering's fire class (Class A, B or C, or none), the weight of the covering, since tile and slate are heavy, and whether the covering needs a gypsum underlayment to reach a Class A assembly rating.
| Type | Best for | Main advantages | Main drawbacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt shingle | a Class A fire rating in a fiberglass-reinforced shingle | made in many colors and textures, and can imitate wood or slate shingles; Class A rated fiberglass asphalt shingles are on a DOE national lab guide's list of Class A roof coverings | conventional mineral-reinforced asphalt shingles usually have only a Class C rating, so the shingle type matters |
| Metal | a noncombustible covering, laid over a gypsum underlayment for a Class A assembly rating | comes in sheet form, usually with standing seams or ribs; also made in patterns that imitate wood and slate shingles | without a gypsum underlayment it has no Class A assembly rating |
| Slate | a noncombustible, Class A rated covering of slate shingles | on a DOE national lab guide's list of Class A roof coverings | heavy: 10 pounds or more for each square foot, about 1 inch thick |
| Clay/concrete tile | a noncombustible, Class A rated covering of clay or concrete tile | concrete shingles are often made to look like wood shingles; clay tile and concrete tile are on a DOE national lab guide's list of Class A roof coverings | heavy: 10 pounds or more for each square foot, about 1 inch thick |
| Wood shake | a wood roof, where fire-retardant-treated shakes over a gypsum underlayment give a Class A assembly rating | no official source names one | untreated wood shakes and shingles are “almost like kindling”; an untreated wood roof that burns lofts burning embers that spread the fire |
InstaBids is an AI-run marketplace for homeowners and property managers: describe a home job once, by chat or through your own AI assistant, add photos, and get multiple written quotes on the same scope, compared apples to apples, with no phone calls or home visits before you pick.
Post your job on InstaBids, and contractors can bid in writing on one written scope.
- Describe it onceBy chat, or through your own AI assistant, and add photos.
- Post it and send itContractors bid in writing on that scope.
- Compare line by lineEvery quote is written against the same scope.
- You chooseContact details stay hidden until you pick and they confirm.
For your AI assistant
MCP connector · REST API · plain HTMLHand any of these to your assistant and it can help you write this job's request; you send the request yourself. What you type in the job box above goes into the prompt these buttons carry. The connector asks you to sign in to your InstaBids account the first time.
- MCP connector URL
https://instabids.ai/api/agent/mcp - Agent API (OpenAPI)
https://instabids.ai/openapi.json - Start-request link
https://instabids.ai/intake?trade=roofing&from=options-roof&utm_source=us&utm_medium=page&utm_campaign=options&page_type=options#job=roof%20replacement - Prompt for any AI, with your job
- ChatGPTOpens with the prompt
- ClaudeOpens with the prompt
- GrokOpens with the prompt
- GeminiCopies the prompt, then opens
Every page is plain HTML. Steps for every assistant: add to your assistant.
What types of roofing systems are there?
The HUD Estimated Useful Life table (undated) lists five sloped roof types: asphalt shingle, metal, slate shingle, clay/cementitious barrel tile, and wood shingle or cedar shakes.
Under low slope/flat roofs, the same HUD Estimated Useful Life table (undated) lists a built-up roof with gravel finish, a built-up roof with no mineral or gravel finish, an adhered rubber membrane (EPDM), a thermoplastic membrane (TPO, vinyl) and a rubberized/elastomeric white/cool roof.
What are the two kinds of roofs?
The HUD Estimated Useful Life table (undated) files roofs under two headings: sloped roofs, such as asphalt shingle, and low slope/flat roofs, such as a built-up roof with gravel finish.
What are the different parts of a house roof called?
A DOE national lab guide on building a roof for fire resistance names these parts of a roof: valleys, dormers and roof-wall junctures; the roof edges, with a metal drip edge that extends into the gutters over the edge of the roof decking; eaves and soffits; and soffit vents on the fascia.
| Priority | Choose |
|---|---|
| a Class A fire rating in a shingle roof | Asphalt shingle |
| a noncombustible metal covering, laid over a gypsum underlayment for a Class A assembly rating | Metal |
| a noncombustible, Class A rated covering in slate, where the roof can carry a heavy covering | Slate |
| a noncombustible, Class A rated covering in clay or concrete tile, where the roof can carry a heavy covering | Clay/concrete tile |
| a wood roof with a Class A assembly rating (fire-retardant-treated shakes over a gypsum underlayment) | Wood shake |
What does roof replacement cost?
For prices, see How much does it cost to replace a roof?
Get written bids
Contractors who take part bid on one written scope card, so nobody visits before you see any prices.
Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.
Homeowners pay InstaBids nothing.
Sources for the facts on this page
- Colorado State Forest Service (Colorado State University), FireWise Construction: Site Design & Building Materials, December 2012, university extension, read 17 October 2026.
- PNNL Building America Solution Center (DOE), Roof Construction for Fire Resistance guide, national laboratory, read 17 October 2026.
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), CNA e-Tool Estimated Useful Life Table, government, read 17 October 2026.