What are architectural shingles, and do I have them?
How to tell what you have
- Look at the pattern. 3-tab shingles show evenly spaced slots and a flat, uniform grid. Architectural shingles have random tab widths and dark shadow lines with no repeating slots.
- Look at an edge. At a rake edge, or on a spare bundle in the garage, an architectural shingle is visibly two layers thick at the bottom.
- Check paperwork. Closing documents, an old roof invoice or a leftover bundle wrapper names the product line.
- Consider the age. Georgia roofs installed in the last couple of decades are very likely architectural; many older roofs are 3-tab.
Why they became the standard
The second layer adds weight and stiffness, so architectural shingles resist wind better and carry stronger warranties, often a lifetime limited warranty from the manufacturer. In Georgia they usually give about 20 to 30 years of real service, depending on attic ventilation and sun exposure. Fewer 3-tab lines are made today, which matters when a storm damages part of an older 3-tab roof and matching shingles are hard to find.
What they cost
The price of a roof depends more on size, pitch and complexity than on the shingle line. Typical North Georgia full replacements with architectural shingles run roughly $8,000 to $16,000, with small roofs around $7,000 to $11,000 and large roofs $15,000 to $25,000. See roof replacement cost in Georgia and architectural vs 3-tab shingles.