How to Pick the Best Roofing Colors?

If we were to rank home improvements by concern on a scale of 1-10, a new roof would come in at around 20 in most homeowner's eyes. Having a new roof installed on your home is an expensive endeavor, and there is a load of information to take in if you're not familiar with the types of roofing available for residential homes today.

From the type of roofing and the budget to the contractors involved, there's a lot you'll need to deal with although roof colors won't be one of them. In our guide to the best roofing shingle colors, we are going to show you how to choose the best roof color for your home whether you live in a larger multi-level home or a simple ranch house. 

The Importance of Choosing Roof Color

One of the first things we want to discuss is just how important it is to choose the right roof color. While it may seem fairly obvious that a bad decision would be a very costly one if you want to switch colors down the line, that's far from the only thing to consider.

Do you have a large home in an exclusive neighborhood? Well, choosing a roof that doesn't blend in with the rest of the block could be an expensive mistake. It's also important to note that depending on the type of home you have, the roof can make up as much as 40% of the visible exterior. In other words, it has a major impact on the look of your home.

If you're planning to sell your home anytime in the future, you'll want to consider the color even more carefully. It can help raise the curb appeal of your home, but can also hurt sales if it's an unpopular choice. Ideally, you want your roof color to flow with the design of your home and its surroundings, which is why we're going to start with the most important area.

What Color is Your Home?

Our first piece of advice is to consider the color of your home. Whether it's made from brick or you have vinyl siding, you'll want to ensure there is a nice contrast between the exterior of your home and your new roof.

Contrast is key, and common sense when you consider how that a grey home with a grey shingled roof isn't going to provide much pop or curb appeal. With that in mind, there are some common color combinations that you can use for quick reference regardless of the color of your home.

White House

white house

If your home is white, there are a wealth of options at your disposal although you'll want to stay away from lighter colors and go with contrasting hues. Shades of brown, and gray are all excellent choices along with blue and red as you can see in the photo of the home below.

Grey House

grey house

Grey is a popular color whether your home has a stone exterior or traditional siding. It's also another easy color to work with if it's a light to a medium shade of gray. The best roofing color choices for homes this color include green, blue, black, and dark gray.

Browns &Red House

brown house

We're classifying these two colors together thanks to the popularity of reddish-brown brick houses throughout the United States. If your home is more red than brown, green and grey are ideal colors, but you can work with dark browns as well. Brick homes have plenty of options as well including black if you want a distinct style.

Wooden House

wooden house

If you have wooden siding on your home or love cabin life, you may want to stick with a rustic look for the roofing as well.  Browns and reds are excellent choices, but so are darker colors like hunter green. Take the tone of the wood into account, and consider weathering if it's a newer home with fresh siding.

Landscaping & Location

Does the design of your house allow the roof to be more visible from the backyard where you spend a lot of time? Have you ever considered how the sunlight hits your home in certain parts of the day? Those are important questions, especially if you plan on a dramatic color change from your existing roof.

Landscaping & Location

It's a good idea to get samples of the shingle or type of roofing you are interested in and look at it in "natural" light outdoors. Natural light for someone that lives in California will be different than a homeowner in Maine, so location plays a part with lighting as well. Natural lighting can affect how your roof looks, but so can the foliage around your home.

Landscaping is a critical part of curb appeal, but something many homeowners tend to overlook when considering a new roof. Think about the type of shrubbery, flowers, and trees you have around your home, along with the general vibe of the neighborhood. The photo below is a great example of how you can tie the landscaping, color of the home, and the roof together.

Color Tools

Whether you don't have the time to gaze at your house during different times of the day or simply have a leaky roof that needs to be fixed ASAP, there are quicker ways to narrow things down. They are referred to as color tools, and it's something most homeowners will be familiar with. These handy applications are commonly used for paint and siding but are ideal for roofs as well.

The types of tools available vary from one manufacturer to the next, but Owens Corning has one of the better sections if you’re looking for asphalt shingles. From the Design section of their site, you can access style boards or get advice from experts. There is a shingle and color comparing tool along with their unique Design EyeQ software.

Metal roofing company ABC also has color charts and a visualizer tool that lets you upload an image or have your home professionally mapped for a small fee. Regardless of whether you're looking for metal roofing, synthetic slate, or asphalt shingles, there is a company in that niche with a set of helpful color tools.

Brand

Type

Styles

Colors

North County Slate

Slate

N/A

12

GAF

Asphalt Shingles

10

10

American Building Components

Metal Roofing

7

30-40

Owens Corning

Asphalt Shingles

6

15-20

DaVinci Roofscapes

Synthetic Slate

5

8

Metal Sales

Corrugated Metal

1

5

Western States

Metal Roofing

6

100+

Colors by Roofing Material

While we've talked about the color of your home and some of the more important factors to keep in mind, the type of roofing material you choose can have a significant impact on the colors available. Thanks to advances in manufacturing, the options aren't as limited as they once were, but you could pay a premium for certain shades depending on the type of roofing.

The table above will give you a rough idea of what to expect in regards to a color range from some of the more popular manufacturers. In most cases, you can get the same set of colors across several styles of roofing from a company, although some reserve unique colors for their premium lines. Keep in mind, some colors may vary by your location as well.

Conclusion

Whether you are building your dream home from the ground up or replacing an old roof on your current abode, don't underestimate the color of your new roof. It's a decision most consumers will live with throughout the life of their home, so it pays to take your time and make the right choice. Just remember to keep homeowners associations in mind if you live in a community along with any updates you could make to the exterior of your home down the line.

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