Blog: Materials & Systems — Roofing

Asphalt shingles cost less upfront ($4.50–$7.50/sq ft installed) and remain the most common choice for Chicago-area homes.

Synthetic slate delivers roughly the look of natural slate at about half the cost and a fraction of the weight — RS Five's DaVinci synthetic tiles carry a 60-year lifespan, Class 4 impact resistance, and a Class A fire rating, without the structural reinforcement natural slate often requires.

Tile roofing — clay or concrete — is a long-lasting, distinctive material typically costing $15 to $25 per square foot installed for the Chicago area, with a lifespan often exceeding 50 years and sometimes reaching a century for quality clay tile.

Natural slate is the longest-lasting roofing material available — often 75 to 100-plus years — and it costs accordingly: typically $15 to $30 per square foot installed, well above every other common roofing material.

Cedar shake roofing typically costs $8 to $16 per square foot installed — a genuine premium over asphalt shingles ($4.50 to $7.50/sqft) but less than natural slate ($15 to $30/sqft).

Metal roofing costs significantly more upfront than asphalt shingles — typically $7 to $16 per square foot installed for standing-seam steel or aluminum — but it can last 40 to 70 years, roughly double to triple the lifespan of even a good architectural shingle roof.

Synthetic slate roofing gives Glenview homeowners the look of natural slate at roughly half the cost — and at a fraction of the weight.