Choosing a new roof is one of the biggest investments you'll make in your home — and one of the most consequential. The material you select affects your home's curb appeal, energy efficiency, resale value, and how well it holds up against Virginia's coastal storms, humidity, and temperature swings. Just as important as the material is who installs it. The best shingle in the world will underperform with a poor installation, and a mid-tier material installed with true craftsmanship can outlast expectations for decades.
That's the philosophy behind everything we do at The Roofing Company, Inc. Our slogan, "Better Roofing by Better Roofers," isn't a marketing line — it's a description of our process. We've built our reputation in Virginia Beach on rigorous in-house training, hands-on skill development, peer mentorship, and a company-wide commitment to continuous learning as materials and technology evolve. That investment in our people is why we're a GAF Master Elite Roofing Contractor, a designation held by fewer than 2% of roofing contractors nationwide, and why we've been recognized with GAF's President's Club Award for sustained, top-tier excellence.
Roofing Products for New Roof Installations
Below, we break down the roofing materials we install — Asphalt Shingles, Slate, Clay Tile, Concrete Tile, Steel, Aluminum, Galvalume, and integrated Solar Shingles — so you can compare your options and find the best fit for your home, your budget, and your goals.
Asphalt Shingles
Asphalt shingles remain the most popular roofing material in America, and for good reason. They offer an outstanding balance of affordability, style versatility, and performance.
Value & Benefits:
- Cost-effective: Lower material and labor costs than most alternatives, making a high-quality roof accessible to more homeowners.
- Style variety: Available in dozens of colors and profiles, including architectural (dimensional) shingles that mimic the look of slate or wood shake.
- Fast, efficient installation: Well-suited to timelines when homeowners need a roof replaced quickly, such as after storm damage.
- Proven performance: Modern architectural shingles are engineered for high wind resistance and algae resistance — both valuable in Virginia Beach's humid, coastal climate.
Where our expertise matters:
Asphalt shingle failures are almost always installation failures — improper nailing patterns, poor flashing, or inadequate ventilation — not material failures. As a GAF Master Elite Contractor, our crews are trained to GAF's exacting specifications, which is also why we can offer enhanced GAF warranties unavailable through non-certified installers.
Slate Roofing
Natural slate is the aristocrat of roofing materials — a quarried stone product with a lifespan measured in generations, not years.
Value & Benefits:
- Unmatched longevity: Properly installed slate roofs regularly last 75–150+ years.
- Fire and weather resistance: Slate is naturally non-combustible and highly resistant to hail, wind, and moisture.
- Timeless, high-end aesthetic: Slate adds distinctive texture and dimension that significantly elevates architectural character and home value.
- Low maintenance over its lifespan: Beyond occasional inspection, a well-installed slate roof requires minimal upkeep.
Where our expertise matters:
Slate is unforgiving of installation mistakes. Its weight requires proper structural evaluation, and each tile must be individually fastened with the correct technique to prevent cracking or slippage over time. This is a material where hands-on skill, not just experience, separates a roof that lasts a century from one that fails prematurely. Our peer-training model ensures this specialized knowledge is passed down and continuously refined among our crews.
Tile Roofing
Clay Tile
Clay tile roofing brings a distinctive Mediterranean or Spanish-influenced aesthetic, along with performance advantages that make it a smart long-term investment.
Value & Benefits:
- Exceptional durability: Clay tiles can last 50–100 years and resist fire, rot, and insect damage.
- Superior thermal performance: Clay's natural properties help regulate attic temperatures, which can meaningfully reduce cooling costs — a real advantage in Virginia's hot, humid summers.
- Design distinction: Few materials offer the same warm, sculptural curb appeal.
- Excellent resistance to coastal conditions: Clay tile holds up well against salt air and humidity common near Virginia Beach's coastline.
Where our expertise matters:
Clay tile installation requires precise underlayment work, correct batten spacing, and careful handling to avoid breakage — tiles are brittle before they're properly secured. Our installers are trained specifically in the nuances of tile roofing so that the finished product performs as beautifully as it looks.
Concrete Tile
Concrete tile offers many of the aesthetic benefits of clay or slate at a different price and weight profile, with its own distinct strengths.
Value & Benefits:
- Long lifespan: Concrete tile commonly lasts 50 years or more with proper installation and care.
- Versatile style options: Available in profiles that mimic clay tile, slate, or even wood shake, offering design flexibility.
- Strong impact and wind resistance: A durable choice for homes facing severe weather.
- Energy efficiency: Like clay, concrete tile provides natural insulating benefits that can help moderate indoor temperatures.
Where our expertise matters:
Because concrete tile is heavier than most materials, correct structural assessment and proper fastening systems are essential. Our trained crews evaluate these factors up front, ensuring your roof deck and structure are properly prepared before a single tile goes down.
Metal Roofing
Steel
Steel roofing is a leading choice among metal roofing systems for homeowners who want maximum durability with a modern or classic profile.
Value & Benefits:
- Outstanding durability: Steel roofs commonly last 40–70 years and stand up exceptionally well to high winds — an important consideration in coastal Virginia.
- Low maintenance: Resistant to cracking, rotting, and pest damage.
- Energy efficient: Reflective coatings help reduce heat absorption, lowering cooling costs.
- Sustainable: Steel roofing is typically made with recycled content and is fully recyclable at the end of its life.
Where our expertise matters:
Metal roofing systems rely on precise seam work, fastening, and flashing details to remain watertight and to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction. Improper installation is the leading cause of metal roof leaks — which is why our teams train specifically on metal roofing techniques as part of our continuous education program.
Aluminum
Aluminum roofing is prized in coastal regions for one standout reason: it doesn't rust.
Value & Benefits:
- Superior corrosion resistance: Aluminum's natural resistance to salt-air corrosion makes it an excellent choice for Virginia Beach's oceanfront and near-coastal properties.
- Lightweight: Reduces structural load compared to many other roofing materials.
- Long lifespan: With minimal corrosion risk, aluminum roofs commonly last 40–60+ years.
- Reflective efficiency: Helps reduce cooling costs in warm climates.
Where our expertise matters:
Aluminum's lightweight nature means fastening and seam techniques must be adapted specifically for the material to prevent movement, oil-canning, or wind uplift. Our installers are trained on the specific requirements of aluminum systems, not just generic metal roofing methods.
Galvalume
Galvalume — steel coated with a corrosion-resistant blend of aluminum, zinc, and silicon — is one of the most advanced protective metal roofing options available.
Value & Benefits:
- Exceptional corrosion resistance: Combines the strength of steel with a coating engineered for long-term protection against rust.
- Long service life: Often rated for 40+ years of performance with proper installation and care.
- Reflective, energy-conscious surface: Helps reduce attic heat gain.
- Strong value proposition: Offers many of the performance benefits of premium metal roofing at a competitive price point.
Where our expertise matters: Galvalume's coating and panel systems require careful handling to avoid scratching the protective layer during installation, along with correct fastener selection to prevent galvanic corrosion at connection points. This is exactly the kind of detail our hands-on training program is built around.
Integrated Solar Shingles
Solar shingles represent the cutting edge of residential roofing — combining weatherproof roofing material with integrated photovoltaic technology, without the bulky look of traditional rack-mounted panels.
Value & Benefits:
- Dual function: Serves as both your roofing surface and a source of renewable energy generation.
- Sleek, integrated appearance: Maintains a clean roofline without visible solar racking.
- Long-term energy savings: Can meaningfully offset electricity costs over the life of the roof.
- Increased home value: Energy-generating roofing is an increasingly desirable feature for homebuyers.
- Innovation-forward: Reflects a growing shift toward roofing that does more than protect — it performs.
Where our expertise matters:
Solar shingle installation demands the intersection of two disciplines: expert roofing technique and precise electrical integration. As part of our commitment to staying ahead of industry and technology changes, our team maintains ongoing training specifically on integrated solar roofing systems, ensuring correct installation, weatherproofing, and system performance from day one.
Comparing Your Options: Questions to Ask Yourself
With so many quality materials available, the right choice comes down to your priorities. As you compare options, consider:
- Budget: Asphalt shingles offer the most accessible entry point, while slate, clay, and solar shingles represent a higher upfront investment with long-term returns.
- Longevity: If multi-generational lifespan is your priority, slate and clay tile lead the pack.
- Climate resilience: For coastal properties, aluminum and Galvalume offer standout corrosion resistance, while steel and concrete/clay tile deliver strong wind performance.
- Energy efficiency: Metal roofing, tile, and solar shingles all offer meaningful advantages in reducing cooling costs.
- Aesthetic goals: From the classic charm of clay tile to the modern lines of standing-seam steel to the innovation of solar shingles, material choice shapes your home's entire character.
- Weight and structural considerations: Heavier materials like slate, clay, and concrete tile require structural evaluation — something our team handles as a standard part of the process.
Why Installation Expertise Is the Deciding Factor
No matter which material best fits your home, one thing holds true across every category above: the quality of installation determines the quality of the outcome. This is the principle behind our slogan, and it's why we've invested so heavily in an in-house training program that goes beyond industry norms — combining hands-on skill development, peer-to-peer training, and continuous education as materials and technology advance.
It's also why GAF has recognized us as a Master Elite Roofing Contractor and inducted us into the President's Club — distinctions awarded only to contractors who consistently demonstrate excellence, reliability, and professionalism over time.
If you're weighing your roofing material options for your Virginia Beach home, our team is happy to walk you through the tradeoffs in person, assess your home's specific needs, and help you choose a roof that's built to perform — installed by roofers trained to get every detail right.
Ready to compare your options? Contact The Roofing Company, Inc. today for a consultation.
