Types of Roof Shingles Sold in Louisiana and How They Differ
Walk into any supply house on the West Bank and the shingle wall looks like a colour chart. The real differences sit on the wrapper, in the test classifications printed there.
Those classifications cover wind, fire and impact, and they’re the part that decides how a roof holds up in a Gulf storm. The team at TurnKey Roofers reads them before anything else, and this guide walks through what each one means.
If you want a recommendation for your specific roof, the contact page will reach us, or call (504) 732-0336 and talk it through.
Key takeaways
- Asphalt shingles come in three broad grades: 3-tab, architectural or laminated, and premium or luxury.
- Impact-rated shingles are a separate axis. They can be 3-tab or architectural, and manufacturers build them with a backing scrim or a polymer-modified asphalt.
- Residential code accepts ASTM D3161 Class F or ASTM D7158 Class H shingles for all wind speeds, which matters across south Louisiana.
- Fire classification runs Class A, B or C, tested to UL 790 or ASTM E108.
- UL 2218 impact classes are set by steel ball diameter: 1.25 inches for Class 1 up to 2.00 inches for Class 4.
- HomeGuide puts 3-tab asphalt at $3 to $5 per square foot installed and architectural at $4 to $6.
What all asphalt shingles have in common
Every asphalt shingle sold for a sloped roof is built on a mat, coated in asphalt and surfaced with mineral granules. The granules carry the colour and shield the asphalt from ultraviolet light.
LSU AgCenter’s guide to code-compliant roofing installations notes that shingles must be self-sealing or interlocking and must meet ASTM D225 or ASTM D3462. The self-seal strip is a band of adhesive that softens in the sun and bonds each course to the one below it.
That bond is what keeps the roof on. Nails hold the shingle to the deck, but the seal strip is what stops wind from getting under the tab and peeling it back.
The three grades you’ll actually be quoted
3-tab shingles
A 3-tab is a single flat layer cut with two slots so it reads as three separate tabs. It’s the lightest and cheapest asphalt option, and it gives a roof a flat, uniform look.
HomeGuide puts a 3-tab roof at $3 to $5 per square foot installed, or $5,700 to $12,000 on average. The trade-off is durability, and LSU AgCenter states plainly that laminated or architectural shingles provide more wind resistance than tabbed shingles.
Architectural or laminated shingles
An architectural shingle bonds two layers together, which is why they’re also called laminated or dimensional. The extra layer adds weight, thickness and a shadow line that reads as depth from the street.
HomeGuide puts these at $4 to $6 per square foot installed, or $7,500 to $16,000 on average. They’re the default on most New Orleans re-roofs now, and they carry higher wind classifications than the 3-tab product from the same manufacturer.
Premium and luxury shingles
Premium architectural products are thicker and heavier again, often shaped to imitate slate or wood shake. IBHS tested premium architectural shingles from three manufacturers alongside basic products in its UL 2218 work, which tells you the category is distinct enough to be worth testing separately.
They cost more and weigh more. On a complicated roof with a lot of hips and valleys, the visual difference is real, and so is the labour to cut them in.
Impact-rated shingles are a different question
An impact-rated shingle is built to resist hail without cracking through. IBHS explains that manufacturers typically use a mesh or scrim on the back of the shingle, or polymer modifiers in the asphalt, which look identical to a standard shingle from the front.
The UL 2218 test drops a steel ball twice on the same spot and checks the back of the shingle for any opening. Crushed granules, dents or marks visible only on the top surface don’t count as a failure.
| UL 2218 class | Steel ball diameter | What it represents |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | 1.25 inches | Lowest impact classification |
| Class 2 | 1.50 inches | Moderate impact classification |
| Class 3 | 1.75 inches | Higher impact classification |
| Class 4 | 2.00 inches | Highest UL 2218 classification |
IBHS notes that the balls are dropped from the height needed to match the kinetic energy a hailstone of the same size would carry in a thunderstorm. The lab result is a relative comparison between products, not a promise about any particular storm.
The three ratings printed on the wrapper
- Wind. Shingles are classified under ASTM D3161 or ASTM D7158. Residential code accepts D3161 Class F or D7158 Class H for all wind speeds, and the wrapper has to be labelled with the classification.
- Fire. Roof coverings are tested to UL 790 or ASTM E108 and listed as Class A, B or C, with Class A the most resistant.
- Impact. UL 2218 Class 1 through Class 4, with Class 4 the highest.
The National Roofing Contractors Association adds an important caveat about wind numbers. ASTM D3161 itself states that its results do not directly correlate to wind speeds experienced in service, so the class is a comparison standard rather than a guarantee at that exact speed.
Under the current ASTM D7158-16, Class D covers an ultimate design wind speed up to 115 mph, Class G up to 150 mph and Class H up to 190 mph. LSU AgCenter’s hurricane guidance tells Louisiana homeowners to pick wind-rated shingles and says Class H is best.
Granule colour does more than you’d think
Granules carry the reflectivity of the roof as well as its colour. The EPA lists asphalt shingles with light-coloured or specially coated granules among its steep-slope cool roof products, alongside metal shingles with reflective coatings and naturally cool tile.
Solar reflectance is the share of sunlight the surface bounces back, and thermal emittance is how well it sheds the heat it does absorb. The EPA reports that in air-conditioned homes, reflectance from a cool roof can cut peak cooling demand by 11 to 27 percent.
In a climate like ours, that’s worth asking about before you pick a colour. Our post on the best roofing options for the New Orleans climate goes through the wider material choice.
Shingles that aren’t asphalt
The word shingle covers more than asphalt. Several of these show up on New Orleans houses, particularly on historic properties and on homes where the owner wants a longer service life.
- Metal shingles. Individual panels stamped to look like shake or tile. HomeGuide groups metal roofing at $5 to $16 per square foot installed depending on the metal and gauge.
- Stone-coated steel. A steel shingle with a mineral surface, which reads more like tile from the street.
- Natural slate. HomeGuide puts slate at $10 to $30 per square foot installed, and notes installation may need structural reinforcement for the weight.
- Synthetic slate. Composite plastic, rubber or polymer at $9 to $12 per square foot installed, lighter and more impact resistant than the real thing but shorter lived.
- Clay and concrete tile. HomeGuide reports tile at $7 to $25 per square foot installed, with slate and tile roofs lasting 100 to 200 or more years.
The EPA lists ceramic tile, metal shingles with reflective coatings and polymer or composite shingles among its steep-slope cool roof products. On a hot roof plane facing due west, that reflectivity earns its keep.
What goes underneath matters as much as the shingle
A shingle is the outermost layer of an assembly, and the layers below it decide how the roof behaves once a storm gets past the covering. LSU AgCenter describes underlayment as the primary rain shed, with the shingles protecting it from wind, debris and solar degradation.
Drip edge along the eaves anchors the first course of shingles, and along the rakes it anchors the underlayment itself. Starter strip carries adhesive placed specifically to bond to that drip edge, which is why cutting regular shingles in half is a false economy.
LSU AgCenter also recommends 4-inch bitumen tape over the seams in the roof deck with an eighth of an inch gap left between sheets for expansion. That detail keeps the joints from leaking if the underlayment blows away.
How installation changes the rating
- Confirm the shingle’s classification on the wrapper matches the wind speed where the house sits. Louisiana’s basic wind speed runs from 90 mph in the north of the state to 150 mph at the southeastern tip.
- Specify the manufacturer’s high-wind nailing pattern. LSU AgCenter notes that above 110 mph this generally means six nails per shingle rather than the usual four.
- Check that nails are driven straight and flush, penetrating at least 3/4 of an inch into the sheathing or all the way through thinner deck.
- Use a proper starter strip along eaves and rakes rather than cut shingles turned upside down.
- Specify synthetic underlayment, which LSU AgCenter says is more wind-resistant than traditional felt.
A Class H shingle installed with four nails and no starter strip performs like a cheaper shingle. The classification describes the product, not the roof it ends up on.
Frequently asked questions
What are the three types of roof shingles?
In asphalt, the three grades are 3-tab, architectural or laminated, and premium or luxury. A 3-tab is a single flat layer, an architectural shingle bonds two layers for thickness and shadow line, and premium products are heavier again and often shaped to imitate slate or shake. IBHS tested all three categories in its UL 2218 work, along with impact-resistant versions of the 3-tab and architectural products.
What are the best types of roof shingles?
For south Louisiana, the strongest combination is an architectural shingle carrying a high wind classification, installed with the manufacturer’s high-wind fastening. LSU AgCenter recommends wind-rated shingles and says Class H is best, paired with tear-resistant synthetic underlayment. Adding a UL 2218 Class 4 impact rating is worth considering if hail is a concern for your part of the parish.
What roof shingles to stay away from?
Avoid any shingle whose wrapper classification is below the basic wind speed for your location, since residential code accepts D3161 Class F or D7158 Class H for all wind speeds. Avoid a bargain 3-tab on an exposed coastal roof where the higher wind classification is available for a few hundred dollars more per square. Also be cautious about a quote that names a premium shingle but leaves out starter strip, drip edge and the high-wind nail pattern.
Do impact-rated shingles look different from standard ones?
Usually not. IBHS found that manufacturers achieve impact resistance either with a mesh or scrim bonded to the back of the shingle or with polymer modifiers blended into the asphalt, and the polymer-modified version has no visible difference from a traditional shingle. The rating is on the wrapper and in the product data sheet rather than in the appearance.
Talk it through before you pick a colour
Shingle choice is easier once someone has measured your roof, looked at its exposure and told you which classifications actually apply. We’ll walk you through the options on our shingle roofing page and across the rest of the roofing types we install.
Call (504) 732-0336 for a free estimate and a plain explanation of what goes on your roof.
Related reading
- How to Choose Roofing That Enhances Your Curb Appeal
- How Roofing Types Affect Noise Control Inside Your Home
Sources
- LSU AgCenter, Consumer’s Guide to Code-Compliant Roofing Installations
- LSU AgCenter, Roofing to Resist Wind and Rain Damage
- LSU AgCenter, Hurricane Preparedness Guidance
- UpCodes, Classification of Asphalt Shingles
- UpCodes, Roof Classification
- Professional Roofing (NRCA), The wind resistance of shingles
- IBHS, Relative Impact Resistance of Asphalt Shingles
- US EPA, Using Cool Roofs to Reduce Heat Islands
- HomeGuide, Roof Replacement Cost (2026)
Common questions about working with us
Yes we do, we offer 50 year non pro-rated warranty and 10 year workmanship warranty. We also offer 15 year unlimited wind warranty even from a named storm.
Turnkey roof repair is a comprehensive service where the entire roof repair process is managed from start to finish by a single provider. This includes assessment, planning, execution, and final inspection.
The TurnKey process includes a thorough roof inspection, detailed project planning, sourcing of materials, execution of repairs, and a final inspection to ensure quality and client satisfaction.
The duration varies based on the extent of damage and the size of the project. A professional assessment will provide a more accurate timeline.
Look out for signs such as leaks, missing or damaged shingles, sagging areas, or visible water damage in your ceiling. If you’re unsure, a professional assessment is recommended.
We work across New Orleans and 13 more communities: Metairie, Kenner, Harahan, River Ridge, St. Rose, Gretna, LaPlace, Covington, Mandeville, Madisonville, Slidell, Hammond and Baton Rouge. Call 504-732-0336 and we’ll confirm we cover your street.
Yes. Our 15-year unlimited wind warranty applies even when the damage comes from a named storm. It sits alongside our 50-year non-prorated warranty and 10-year workmanship warranty.
It depends on the size and pitch of the roof, the material you choose, and whether any decking or flashing needs replacing. After a free roof inspection, we give you a plan and a quote. For a breakdown by material and roof size, read our guide to roof replacement cost in New Orleans.