Asphalt Shingle Roofing in Sebastian, FL

How long do asphalt shingles last?

Typically 15–25 years, depending on shingle grade, ventilation, and maintenance — architectural shingles last longer than basic 3-tab.

Which shingle do you recommend?

We recommend architectural (dimensional) shingles for most Florida homes — they're more durable, better-looking, and handle wind better.

Do shingles survive hurricane winds?

High-wind-rated architectural shingles, installed to Florida code, perform well — proper fastening and underlayment are what matter most.

Repair or replace a shingle roof?

If damage is localized and the roof has life left, repair. If it's widespread or aging, replacement is the smarter long-term call. An inspection tells you for sure.

Expect 20 to 25 years, not 30 or 50

Shingle warranty periods come from accelerated testing under conditions that look nothing like coastal Florida. Our UV load degrades the asphalt binder faster, daily heat cycling works the material, and attic temperatures above 140°F on a poorly ventilated home cook the shingle from underneath. A quality architectural shingle installed properly gives 20 to 25 years here — still the best protection per dollar per year for most homes.

Architectural, not three-tab

Three-tab is thinner, flatter, carries lower wind ratings and is effectively obsolete for new work in this market. Architectural (dimensional) shingle is heavier, layered, and carries the high-wind ratings our code requires. If a bid does not say which, ask before comparing prices.

The wind rating has to match your address

Indian River and St. Lucie run 160 mph ultimate design wind speed east of I-95 and 150 west. Martin County is roughly 165–175. Brevard 150–160. The shingle needs valid Florida Product Approval for use at your speed, and the fastening schedule in that approval — usually a six-nail pattern for high-wind ratings — has to be followed. Four nails may install the product but it does not deliver the rating.

Shingle roofs rarely fail because of the shingle

They fail at the pipe boots, the valley metal, the drip edge and the flashing. Reusing 15-year-old rubber boots under a brand-new roof means calling a roofer in three years about a roof that is otherwise perfect. Every accessory goes on new on our jobs.

Ventilation is part of the roof, not an extra

Intake at the soffit balanced against exhaust at the ridge. Ridge vent with blocked or absent soffit intake does very little except let conditioned air out. Most quotes address the exhaust half only; we check both.

Algae resistance is worth specifying

Under oak canopy inland, algae streaking is near-universal on standard shingle. It is largely cosmetic but it holds moisture. If you are replacing anyway, an algae-resistant product costs little extra.

How long do asphalt shingles last in Florida?

Expect 20 to 25 years from a quality architectural shingle installed properly, rather than the 30 or more printed on the wrapper. Our UV load, daily heat cycling and attic temperatures degrade asphalt faster than the test conditions those figures come from. Poor attic ventilation shortens it further.

Architectural or three-tab shingle?

Architectural, for any new work in this market. Three-tab is thinner, flatter, carries lower wind ratings and is effectively obsolete here. It is a meaningful difference in both price and performance, so confirm which a bid is quoting.

What does a shingle roof cost?

Roughly $5.25 to $9.75 per square foot installed across our service area, putting most single-family reroofs between $11,000 and $28,000. Palm Bay and Port St. Lucie price at the lower end; Martin County and barrier island addresses at the upper.

Why is one shingle bid thousands cheaper?

Usually five omissions, all invisible once the roof is on: reused pipe boots and vent hoods, reused valley metal, undersized or reused drip edge, four nails per shingle instead of six, and no deck re-nailing. Ask each bidder to confirm all five in writing and the gap normally explains itself.

Does the number of nails really matter?

Yes. The high-wind rating in a shingle’s Florida Product Approval generally depends on a six-nail pattern. Installing with four may put the product on the roof but it does not deliver the rating the approval is based on - and at our design wind speeds that rating is the point.

Do I need a secondary water barrier?

It is mandatory on a site-built single-family reroof in Florida, and the product approval documentation has to be on site and attached to the permit. It is the layer that keeps water out of the house when wind lifts shingles in a storm.

Can I go over my existing shingles?

We do not do layovers. A second layer hides the decking you most need to inspect, adds dead load, traps heat that shortens the new covering’s life and forfeits the deck re-nailing that earns your wind mitigation credit.

What about the black streaks on my roof?

Usually algae. Largely cosmetic on shingle though it holds moisture, and near-universal under oak canopy inland. Algae-resistant shingles cost little extra and are worth specifying on shaded slopes if you are replacing anyway.

Will a new shingle roof lower my insurance?

Frequently, but only once a wind mitigation inspection documents it on form OIR-B1-1802. A reroof with deck re-nailing improves four of the seven rated features and credits are capped by statute at 88% of the windstorm portion of your premium.

Should I choose shingle or metal?

Inland, shingle is usually the better value per year of protection. Within roughly 600 feet of open water, standing seam metal is the stronger case because the exposed fasteners and metal accessories around shingle corrode in salt air. See metal roofing.