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- Know Before You Hire - Roof Shingle Selection
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Did you know NEW “budget” roofs cost more, last less, and the warranty is mostly marketing?
How do you pick which asphalt shingle to use on your home?
Today we’ll begin to deep-dive into selecting shingles, and how to navigate the complexity.
Luxury Home Features
Check out my curated list of luxury home features here: https://adampaulrich.com/
Asphalt Shingles
Which Ones and Why
The Know Before You Hire Series
When your re-roofing bids show different shingle types and manufacturers, how do you decide what is best? Selecting shingles is tricky, in the same way that buying insurance comes with a lot of variables.
The first place to start is to consider what manufacturer options there are out there. Luckily this is not a long list, but still requires consideration.
In today’s newsletter we’ll explore who the shingle manufacturers are.
In the next newsletter, we’ll explore differences in warranty offerings.
Finally, we’ll explore how to select from the various products being offered, including budget/premium and different styles of shingle.
Who are the shingle manufacturers that sell products in the US?
The Big Three — Together they control over 70% of US shingle output
GAF (Privately owned by Standard Industries, a Family Company) — The undisputed market leader, holding an estimated 30–40% of the North American roofing market. Headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, with manufacturing plants across the US.
Owens Corning (Publicly traded in the US, Toledo, OH based.) - Second in market share at roughly 20%.
CertainTeed (owned by Saint-Gobain, in France) — Third-largest, approximately 15% market share.
The Smaller Volume Companies — Significant manufacturers with national or near-national reach
Atlas Roofing Corporation (Atlanta-based, Privately owned by Hood Companies, a Family Corporation) - Strong regional presence and growing national footprint.
TAMKO Building Products (Family-owned, headquartered in Joplin, MO) - One of the largest privately held roofing manufacturers in the US. Strong distribution in the central and southeast US.
IKO Industries (Privately owned and based in Canadian) - Significant US manufacturing and distribution, Strong in northern US markets. A genuinely global manufacturer with plants in North America, Europe, and the Middle East.
Malarkey Roofing Products (Publicly traded in US as part of Amrize, Portland, OR based) - The most differentiated manufacturer in this group. Known for polymer-modified rubberized shingles (NEX polymer technology) that are more flexible and impact-resistant than standard asphalt. A favorite among contractors in hail-prone markets.
A few takeaways from the manufacturer list above:
There really are only about 7 shingle providers in the US.
Two of these companies are publicly owned, the other 5 are private companies.
When a contractor quotes you a GAF or Owens Corning roof versus a TAMKO or Atlas roof, the price difference can look significant — maybe $500 to $1,500 on a full job. The natural assumption is that you're getting a meaningfully inferior shingle if you go with the cheaper brand. But the physical shingle — the actual product nailed to your roof — isn't dramatically worse. Atlas and TAMKO make solid, code-compliant architectural shingles. You're not buying junk. The quality gap between tier one and tier two is real but modest. If a contractor quotes you an Atlas or TAMKO roof and the price difference is meaningful to you, don't panic — you're not getting a bad roof.
Next week we’ll explore differences in warranty offerings, including:
Which company has the best warranty, and does the size and history of these manufacturers matter?
How long are the warranties really good for.
What are the requirements to maintain warranty coverage.
How much should you rely on a warranty. Does it even matter.
Want to go even deeper? Check out this past newsletter on how to hire a roofer.
The KnowYourHome author, Adam Rich, is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) and Real Estate Salesperson in Ohio, with a background in engineering, construction management, property management, and real estate investing.
These 5 Defense Stocks Could Define the Next Decade
Every major shift in defense procurement creates a new set of market winners. The current shift toward AI-enabled systems, satellite infrastructure, and advanced aerospace is moving faster than most investors realize, and the companies leading it are still early enough to offer real upside. We put together a research report that names five of them, breaks down their technology and contract position, and explains the investment timing. Whether you're actively building a defense allocation or just want to understand where the sector is heading, it's worth 10 minutes.
May Maintenance Reminders
See the links for ideas and instructions!
Clear remaining leaves and sticks from the yard.
Perform a full house walkaround inspection including crawl spaces, basements and attics, or hire a home inspector to conduct a complete inspection.
Treat for pests.
We’d love to hear from you!
Your business has grown. Is your accounting?
If your accounting hasn't kept pace with your business, it's quietly costing you. Outdated financials, no clear view of profitability, and hours lost every week — these are growth bottlenecks, not just bookkeeping headaches. BELAY's Financial Experts handle it all.
This Week’s Product Pick
Do you know your homes radon level? For less than the cost of a professsional test, you can constantly monitor levels using the Air Things Corentium Home Digital Radon Detector
It is recommend to mitigate radon when levels above 4 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) are found in a home. Below is a map showing the areas of the US with higher radon levels.
Radon Levels In The US
I have been using the AirThings Radon Monitor for years to keep an eye on radon levels in my home.
A KnowYourHome Community Poll
Which home project are you planning to tackle in the next 12 months? |
Are you Using AI Yet?
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I recommend giving their Pro plan a try using the KnowYourHome Guest Pass HERE.
Adam Rich a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) and Real Estate Salesperson in the state of Ohio. Adam helps discerning homeowners like you take control of the complexity behind your home. Could you use un-biased advise about:
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The content of this newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Some of the links included in this newsletter are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links. Always perform your own due diligence before making any financial decisions.