A shingle roof costs less than slate. Everyone knows that. What nobody puts on the quote is what the shingle roof costs the second time. And the third.
The hundred-year math
A quality architectural shingle roof lasts 20 to 25 years. Call it 22. Over a century, that's four to five roofs. Each one means a tear-off, dumpster fees, new underlayment, new shingles, and labor — all over again.
A natural slate roof lasts 100 years or more. We regularly work on slate roofs installed before World War II that are still sound. The slate doesn't wear out. The fasteners and flashing might need attention at year 60 or 70, but the stone itself? It's stone.
What the second roof really costs
Here's what the shingle quote doesn't include:
Tear-off and disposal. Ripping off 3,000 square feet of shingles fills multiple dumpsters. Landfill fees go up every year. You're paying to throw away your old roof before you pay for the new one.
Decking repairs. Every tear-off exposes decking that's been baking under shingles for two decades. There's always rot. Always.
Your time. Finding a roofer, getting quotes, living through a week of construction — three or four times in your life, instead of once.
The honest comparison
Slate costs roughly three times what shingles cost upfront. Over a century, shingles cost you three to four full installations. Do the arithmetic.
But it's not just money. Every shingle roof you tear off goes to a landfill. A slate roof goes on once. Your grandchildren will still be looking at it.
We don't do asphalt. This is why.
— Gary Shank