Manufacturers

Roofing Materials & Installation Costs: Shingles, Metal, Flat Roofs

Are you exploring the most suitable roofing options for your home? If so, roofing material types and their costs must be top of mind.

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This guide will help you explore the most popular residential roofing materials, including pricing and installation costs.

Roofing Materials Costs

Asphalt Shingles:

Dimensional shingles roof on a house

Asphalt shingles are generally less expensive than other roofing materials like metal and are relatively easy to install (unlike metal roofing), resulting in a lower overall cost for a new asphalt roof. However, premium (designer) asphalt shingles, such as those from GAF, CertainTeed, and Malarkey, can be as expensive as high-end roofing materials like metal. Here’s a breakdown of different types of asphalt shingles:

3-tab shingles (strip shingles):

  • Materials Cost: $90 to $120 per square (100 sq. ft.), excluding trim.
  • Characteristics: Least costly, thin, not designed for longevity, flat appearance without much dimensionality.
  • Top Products: GAF Royal Sovereign, CertainTeed XT 25, Owens Corning Supreme.
  • Wind Rating: Up to 60 MPH.
  • Installation Note: Care needed for alignment to avoid vertical lines running off.
  • Disadvantage: No manufacturer’s warranty for hail damage.
  • Expected Lifespan: 10 years to 20 years, depending on local climate and roof maintenance.

Architectural (dimensional) shingles:

  • Materials Cost: $100 to $150 per square (100 sq. ft.), excluding trim.
  • Characteristics: Midrange, multiple layers, dimensional appearance, thicker, and sturdier.
  • Wind Rating: At least 110 MPH, up to 130 MPH with the 6-nails per shingle installation.
  • Top Products: Owens Corning Duration, GAF Timberline HDZ, CertainTeed Landmark
  • Specialty: CoolRoof rated shingles eligible for rebates in California.
  • Disadvantage: No manufacturer’s warranty for hail damage.
  • Expected Lifespan: 15 years to 25 years, depending on local climate and roof maintenance.

Premium (designer) shingles:

  • Materials Cost: $200 to $400 per square (100 sq. ft.).
  • Characteristics: Custom-looking, multiple layers, distinctive appearance, performance on par with high-end architectural shingles.
  • Top Products: CertainTeed Grand Manor, Owens Corning Berkshire, GAF Camelot, Malarkey Windsor.
  • Disadvantage: No manufacturer’s warranty for hail damage.
  • Expected Lifespan: 20 years to 35 years, depending on local climate and roof maintenance.

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Malarkey vs. CertainTeed Shingles: Costs, Comparison – Definitive Guide

You’re here to get the insight on which brand has the upper hand in the Malarkey vs. CertainTeed shingles battle.

Both companies are very well-established premium brands that are near the top of the industry in consumer satisfaction and shingle durability ratings.

CertainTeed gives you a wider range of quality options, but Malarkey offers enough selection to make their products worth your consideration. Both brands can deliver premium beauty to any home.

Overview: Company and Product Comparison

In this section we will compare both brands and answer the following questions:

  • Who are these companies and what are their best-selling shingle products?
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of each brand?

CertainTeed

CertainTeed Landmark Pro shingles roof

This is the brand of asphalt shingles that all others are measured against. CertainTeed is one of the most prominent manufacturers of exterior building materials of all types, not just roofing.

The best-selling lines are Landmark series shingles, and they’re offered in Landmark, Landmark Pro, Landmark Premium, and the new Landmark ClimateFlex.

CertainTeed makes about a dozen shingle lines in three categories: 3-tab or strip shingles, Designer/Architectural and Premium.

All major asphalt roofing shingle manufacturers have a similar three-tier lineups.

Malarkey makes half as many shingle product lines as CertainTeed.

Specialty shingles from CertainTeed include solar reflective and UV-reflective CoolRoof rated shingles, class 4 hail impact resistant shingles, algae-resistant shingles, and polymer-modified shingles suitable for installation even in cold weather.

Malarkey

Malarkey Legacy shingles roof

This brand keeps its focus on roofing materials – mostly asphalt shingles for residential applications, but also offers a few commercial roofing products.

Best-selling Malarkey shingles are the manufacturer’s Architectural lines called Vista, Highlander and Legacy. — They all feature NEX flexibility for cold-weather application, plus strength and flexibility in high winds, explained below.

Malarkey used to make 3-tab shingles, which were more affordable than its current architectural shingle lines, and Designer shingles, the Windsor line (the most expensive).

Specialty shingle choices are no surprise – they include algae-resistant, impact-resistant, and Cool Roof options.

Clearing the confusion: Malarkey calls its premium shingles “Designer.” — That’s the term CertainTeed uses for its midgrade shingles, the best-selling Landmark architectural shingles.

The brands mean different things by the label. Keep this in mind for the sake of the CertainTeed Landmark vs Malarkey Legacy comparison – both products fit into the mid-tier Architectural Shingle class.

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