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How long does a roof last?
The short answer
Material sets the range and the installation and the ventilation decide where you land in it. Asphalt shingle ranges widely, metal and tile last considerably longer, and any of them fails early on a roof that is badly ventilated, poorly flashed or walked on regularly.
What actually shortens a roof
- Poor attic ventilation. Heat and moisture build under the deck, cook the shingles from below and rot the sheathing. It is the most common reason a roof fails years before its material should.
- Sun exposure and orientation. The slope facing the strongest sun ages visibly faster, which is why one side of a roof often looks a decade older than the other.
- Hail and wind history, which damages cumulatively and not always visibly.
- Overhanging trees: shade holds moisture and grows moss, and limbs abrade the surface.
- Foot traffic. Every service visit to a satellite dish, an HVAC unit or a chimney costs the surface something.
- Layering over an old roof, which traps heat and hides the deck.
The warranty number is not the lifespan
A long manufacturer warranty covers the shingle as a product against manufacturing defect, usually prorated after an initial period, usually excluding labor, and explicitly excluding installation error, inadequate ventilation and storm damage — which is what actually ends most roofs. It is a statement about the product, not a prediction about your building.
Also asked
- Does a metal roof last longer than shingles?
- Generally yes, by a wide margin, and it costs more up front and needs a crew that installs metal routinely. The failure modes differ too: fastener and sealant maintenance matters on some metal systems in a way it does not on asphalt.
General information about roofs and about hiring, not advice about your building. Roofing contractor licensing, permits, insurance practice and deductible rules are set state by state and province by province across the United States and Canada, so your own authority is the current answer.