How to Choose Your Roof Color: 6 Important Considerations

If you’re wondering about how to choose your roof color, we’re here to help. There are times when your roof is at a point where repairing it just won’t suffice, or the ongoing maintenance are starting to add up and it will end up being cheaper to replace your entire roof in the long run. On the bright side, getting a new roof is a chance to completely revitalize the look of your home. On the flip side, this can be an intimidating decision to make because you will have to live with your choice for a long time.

There are 6 important aspects you should take into consideration prior to making your final decisions.

Climate

The color of your shingles can affect the temperature of your attic by 20-40 degrees. This can make a big difference in both the heating and cooling costs of your home. Light colored shingles deflect the sunlight and keep the temperatures down in the hotter climates, while dark shingles absorb heat and help homes stay warm in colder climates. Dark shingles also help snow and ice on your roof melt faster.

Color Coordination

When selecting a shingle color, take into consideration the other colors on your home. These colors can be found in the brick, wood siding, stone, stucco or trim.
​Examples of good color pairings:

• Dark gray or black roof shingles will go with a gray or blue house
• Brown or tan roof shingles will go with a brown, tan or cream-colored house
• Dark gray or black with a white house to give it a more traditional look
• If your home is green, red or yellow, there is more flexibility in single color choices. Ideally, brown, gray or black will work.

Architectural Style

Keeping in mind the architectural style of your home is important because darker colors will make your home look smaller while lighter colors will make it look larger. Also, a Spanish style home might look good with a reddish clay-colored roofing shingle to mimic the traditional clay roofing tiles. However, a ranch house may look better with a combination of colors whereas a traditional colonial would not.
To get a better idea of what might look good on your home, try driving around neighborhoods with similar style homes as yours and see what color they are using.

Your Home’s statement

​A key thing to always remember is that curb appeal adds to the value of your home. Neutral colors are safe and will stay in style for many years and will assist in ensuring a good resale value. If you want to be trendier, consider using color combinations such as a palate of various tones of brown or a mixture of blues, blacks and grays. Make sure you consult with your roofing expert to get a professional looking roof. High-contract colors accentuate features of your home, while low-contrast colors hide defects.

Think About Your Neighbors

If you live in a neighborhood with a homeowner’s association, be sure to verify with the associations roofing rules and covenants before making your final selection. If you don’t live in a homeowner’s association, you may still want to consider how your house will look next to your neighbor’s home. Be sure not to duplicate their roof unless it’s normal for the neighborhood, but you also don’t want to make it clash.

View the Actual Color

Be sure to see what the color will actually look like in real life or virtually. We offer our Color Coach™ tool where you can upload an image of your home, or select a home that looks similar to yours, and “try on” a new roof to see how it will look.

Before choosing a new roof color, contact us with any questions you may have.