How long does a roof last in Houston?

An asphalt shingle sold with a thirty-year warranty does not last thirty years in Houston. In practice a three-tab shingle roof here is doing well to reach fifteen, and an architectural shingle roof lands somewhere between fifteen and twenty-five depending on the shade, the attic ventilation and how many hailstorms it has been through. The reason is heat: a Houston roof deck spends months above temperatures the shingle was never designed to sit at, and the oils in the asphalt cook out.

Metal lasts far longer, forty years or more for the panels, but the fasteners and sealants need attention every ten to fifteen. Tile and slate outlast the house but are rare here. Flat membranes on additions and commercial buildings are the shortest-lived, often needing work within fifteen years.

Two things extend a roof's life more than anything else: attic ventilation, which keeps the deck cooler and drier, and keeping the valleys and gutters clear of pine needles so water does not sit. Neither is expensive, and both are worth asking about when a contractor is on the roof.