Roof Product Comparison
If you are considering a cool roof, this table can help you compare different roofing materials and select the right cool roof option for your building. Because there are frequent developments in building materials science and the availability of products, the best source of information for the Solar Reflectance and Thermal Emittance performance of materials that are rated to meet the requirements of various codes, standards, and financial incentive programs in California is the CRRC Rated Roof Products Directory.
| Roof Type | Conventional Roofs | Cool Roofs | Life Expectancy (years) | Roof Slope | |||
| Roof Option | Solar Reflectance | Roof Option | Solar Reflectance | Material Cost* | |||
| Asphalt Shingle | black or dark brown with conventional pigments | 0.05 - 0.15 | “white” (actually light gray) | 0.20 - 0.30 | $ | 15 - 30 | Steep slope |
| medium gray or brown with cool pigments | 0.20 - 0.30 | ||||||
| Built-Up Roof | with dark gravel | 0.10 - 0.15 | with white gravel | 0.30 - 0.50 | $ - $$ | 10 - 30 | Low slope |
| with aluminum coating | 0.25 - 0.60 | smooth surface with white roof coating | 0.75 - 0.85 | ||||
| Clay Tile | dark color with conventional pigments | 0.20 | terracotta (unglazed red tile) | 0.40 - 0.50 | $$ - $$$ | 50+ | Steep slope |
| color with cool pigments | 0.40 - 0.60 | ||||||
| white | 0.70 | ||||||
| Concrete Tile | dark color with conventional pigments | 0.05 - 0.35 | color with cool pigments | 0.40 - 0.60 | $ - $$$ | 50+ | Steep slope |
| white | 0.70 | ||||||
| Liquid Applied Coating | smooth black | 0.05 | smooth white | 0.60 - 0.90 | $ | 10 | Low or steep slope |
| Metal Roof | unpainted, corrugated | 0.30 - 0.50 | white painted | 0.60 - 0.70 | $$ | 20 - 50+ | Low or steep slope |
| dark-painted, corrugated | 0.05 - 0.10 | color with cool pigments | 0.40 - 0.70 | ||||
| Modified Bitumen | with mineral surface capsheet (SBS, APP) | 0.10 - 0.20 | white coating over a mineral surface (SBS, APP) | 0.60 - 0.75 | $ | 10 - 30 | Low slope |
| Single-Ply Membrane | black (PVC) | 0.05 | white (PVC or TPO) | 0.70 - 0.85 | $ | 10 - 20 | Low slope |
| color with cool pigments | 0.40 - 0.60 | ||||||
| Wood Shake | painted dark color with conventional pigments | 0.05 - 0.35 | bare | 0.40 - 0.55 | $ | 15 - 30 | Steep slope |
*Cool Roof Material Cost
$: $0 - $2 per ft2
$$: $2 - $4 per ft2
$$$: $4 - $6 per ft2