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Roofing and Siding Materials Guide

What each roofing, siding and gutter system costs relative to the others, how long it lasts here, and how it copes with ice, freeze-thaw cycles, hail and wind.

How to use this roofing and siding materials guide

There is no single best roofing material for Chicago homes. The right choice depends on the roof’s pitch, how long you plan to stay, how often hail reaches your street and what the budget allows. This roofing and siding materials guide puts each option side by side so you can narrow the list before anyone quotes it, then open the brands we install to see specific product lines.

Brochures compare materials in perfect conditions. Northern Illinois is not perfect conditions: a roof here sits under snow for weeks, thaws and refreezes dozens of times a winter, and then takes hail and seventy-mile-an-hour gusts in June. These guides rate every system on those specific stresses, using a five-point scale we explain on each page.

Price tiers run from one to four dollar signs and describe the installed cost relative to the other options in the same category, not an absolute number. For dollar figures, use the roof cost calculator or the comparison chart, which pulls every material onto one table.

Siding and gutters get the same treatment. Vinyl, fiber cement and engineered wood each react differently to cold snaps, hail and moisture trapped behind the boards, and a five-inch gutter that worked for a 1970s ranch may overflow under the bigger roof planes of a newer two-story. Each guide is written so you can talk through options with any contractor, not just us.

Material choice is only half the outcome. The other half is the layer you never see: ice barrier, underlayment, flashing, ventilation and fastening. Each guide ends with the installation details that decide whether a product reaches its expected lifespan on a Chicago-area home.

Steep-slope roofing

  • Architectural Asphalt Shingles

    The dimensional, wind-rated shingle on most Chicago-area homes, balancing a moderate price, curb appeal and dependable performance.

    20–30 years in Chicago-area conditions with balanced attic ventilation

  • Designer and Luxury Asphalt Shingles

    Extra-thick asphalt shingles cut to imitate slate or hand-split shake, for homes where the roof is a big part of the facade.

    25–40 years in Chicago-area conditions, depending on the product line, roof pitch and attic ventilation

  • Impact-Resistant (Class 4) Shingles

    Asphalt shingles built to pass the UL 2218 steel-ball test, worth a close look on streets that keep filing hail claims.

    25–30 years in Chicago-area conditions with balanced attic ventilation; avoiding hail damage is usually what decides whether a roof reaches the top of that range

  • Metal Roofing

    Steel and aluminum panels or shingles that shed snow and outlast asphalt by decades, with a plan needed for sliding snow and dents.

    40–60+ years for steel standing seam with a quality finish; exposed-fastener roofs need fastener work well before the panels wear out

  • Synthetic Slate and Composite Shake

    Molded polymer roofing tiles that copy slate or cedar shake at a fraction of the weight, with impact and fire ratings to confirm per product.

    40–50 years projected for quality polymer products; the category is younger than that, so long-term field history is still building

Flat and low-slope roofing

  • Flat and Low-Slope Roof Membranes

    Single-ply and modified-bitumen membranes for porches, additions, garages and commercial roofs where shingles cannot shed water.

    15–30 years depending on membrane type, thickness and drainage; coatings renew a sound existing roof for roughly 10–15 years per application

Siding

  • Engineered Wood Siding

    Resin-bonded, treated wood strands formed into lap siding and trim: lighter than fiber cement, hard to crack, and dependent on a sound paint film.

    30+ years in Chicago-area conditions when edges stay sealed and the paint film is maintained

  • Fiber Cement Siding

    Cement, sand and cellulose boards that resist fire, rot and hail, provided the edges, clearances and paint film are handled correctly.

    30–50 years for the boards; field-painted siding typically needs repainting every 10–15 years, factory finishes usually last longer before the first repaint

  • Vinyl Siding

    The lowest-maintenance budget siding, with real limits in cold-weather impact and summer heat that careful installation can manage.

    25–40 years in Chicago-area conditions; fading, cracked panels and discontinued colors usually end its life before the material wears out

Gutters

  • Seamless Gutters and Gutter Guards

    Gutters roll-formed at the house in continuous runs and sized to the roof, plus the guard types that keep them clear and how each handles a Chicago winter.

    20–30 years for seamless aluminum gutters; copper lasts considerably longer, and guard life varies by type

Open the comparison chart Brands we install

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Before you hire any roofer

These checks take a few minutes and work on any contractor, us included.

  1. Look up the roofing license

    Illinois licenses roofing contractors through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Its free online lookup shows a license’s holder, type, status and expiration. Source: IDFPR license lookup

  2. Get a written contract

    The Illinois Home Repair and Remodeling Act requires a written contract for repair or remodeling work costing more than $1,000. Source: Illinois Attorney General

  3. Walk away from deductible offers

    Illinois law bars a contractor from advertising or promising to pay or rebate any part of your insurance deductible to win the job. Source: 815 ILCS 513/18

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