In-laws need a new roof. What is the best shingle to use these days and how long should they last? With insurance going higher what is the best shingle for hail damage if that happens? Metal is out of the question due to cost. Needing the input from our roofing experts. Thanks

First, most any main brand of shingle is "good".

But, IKO Dynasty and Certainteed Landmark are what I install these days.

If you want slightly fancier, go with Certainteed Landmark Pro.

If you want Class IV IR go Certainteed Landmark ClimateFlex or IKO Nordic. These are both going to cost a more and personally I don't see the benefit in Houston over the life of the shingle. You can expect a shingle in Houston to last 10-15 years give or take.

Owens Corning is good too but you'll pay a premium for not any benefit so I don't t sell them unless someone requests them.

The other important factor is the installer his/her relationship with manufacturer reps. We hold the TOP certifications for Owens Corning, Certainteed, GAF, AND IKO and are now ranked number 6 in the nation. So my reps matter to me a great deal and they can make or break a customer's project if a warranty issue pops up. GAF started leaning on "installation error" for almost every warranty claim and it's a huge fight, so I simply stopped hassling with them. I expect more.

My Certainteed and IKO reps answer the phone every time. IKO and CT had samples sitting at my gate the next day for a customer that wanted to see them and warranty claims are handled quickly.

That's not to say GAF is a bad shingle but when I've sent issues in, they fight hard on not backing their product. Customers spend their hard earned money to put the best product they can on their home and deserve not only the best products, but also proper installation and solid manufacturer support if needed.

Thanks, that's the info I needed. Hopefully, they can make an informed decision, and I will push them to give you a call for a quality job. You've always been a stand-up guy on these matters. I have had others that I know use you and your company with nothing but praise on how smooth the job went.

man this is a very timely post as I've been researching this myself this past week so thank you!

Jason, if you don't mind a couple of other questions. I was looking at the Class IV Certainteed Landmark Climateflex just because I'm 20 mins from Galveston and we get all kinds of weather down here. It's no unusual to get a little summer bumper storm with 40+ kt wind gusts out of no where.

do you think the regular Certainteed Landmark Pro would handle the weather just as well? I think they are all rated for 100mph+ right?

Also, any thoughts or opinions on the Certainteed Landmark Solaris? I'm pretty skeptical on this, but wanted to get your thoughts as an informed pro on these things.

TLDR:

Landmark Pro is 10lbs heavier, longer algae warranty, and has MaxDef color pallets. Standard Landmark still carries 160mph rating as of this year if installed with correct accessories and per requirements. If you want the Pro, check out IKO Nordic and get a Class IV for similar costs.

Solaris is stupid expensive and special order in Texas and I don't think the benefit is there. Pick a white-ish color and save your money.




OK, sorry for the delay, I wasn't back from the field until late.

Solaris...I simply don't install them frequently enough here in Texas to be able to give you a real world practical idea of how well they work. Even company wide, I don't think we have installed them recently and that is over tens of thousands of roofs annually. Supposedly they reflect 40% of the sun's rays. How that translates to anything meaningful, I don't know. However, my sales rep at the supplier DID have an opinion. First, they are about 3x more expensive than the basic shingle. Second, they are special order in Texas and you have two colors options...black and weathered wood.

As for the Landmark Pro and Landmark...

Landmark and Landmark Pro are similar as I noted in the first response in the thread with the big difference being physical weight and access to the MaxDef color pallets. The Pro are about 10lbs heavier per square and I believe they have a slightly longer algae warranty. Both will handle the wind effectively and can be built for the 160mph wind warranty. In order to make that happen you must:

For reference, here are the Certainteed Offerings and corresponding wind ratings as of 2026.



And here is what you need to get the highest wind rating for these products.



For me, I use starter strips for the matching manufacturer no matter what, eaves and rakes. Hip and ridge is generally one of the products above unless there is a cost concern I have to contend with. You can use cut three tab on hips and ridges but you won't can't get the highest wind rating now if you do that. For all intents and purposes, those will work just fine. If you take a 100mph wind to the house, there are other issues that will be of concern. But, per the current warranty, if you want 160mph rating, then you have to do that.

Over the past decade, there has been a lot of changes to technology, technique, warranty requirements and the like, so my installations change with them. For the coast, I would personally probably lean toward a Landmark Pro or a Belmont Pro if you want a luxury shingle, and I would probably lean toward a Cedar Crest hip ridge. This would be a pretty expensive, but very nice looking, quality wind resistant install and probably my minimum suggestion if you aren't doing metal. That said, if cost is a concern, the standard Landmark will also provide the same performance provided it's installed with the same supporting requirements.

OPINION:

1.) In Galveston, if you want to get some energy benefits, I would select a 'light gray' or 'white'. But, they will show dirt.

2.) If you are even considering the Certainteed PRO, then I would steer you towards the IKO Nordic. It's roughly the same price for me, and its a full Class 4 shingle.