If you’re looking to replace your roof, one of the biggest questions you’ll have is what color it should be.
It’s not an easy question, particularly with all the options available today. You’ve already decided to go with architectural shingles. You know they last longer than standard 3-tab shingles and that they give you more options for creating just the right color and style.
But what are the best architectural shingle roof colors? In general, colors like dark gray, earthy brown, cool blue, soft green, and terracotta red are great color choices. However, there are some important factors to consider. We’ll go over the details in this article to help you choose the perfect color for your home.
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The Best Architectural Roof Shingle Colors in 2024
Just as certain colors go in and out of style in the fashion world, certain shingle colors also have fluctuating popularity.
In 2024, homeowners have many options. A lot depends on the color of your house, and we’ll give you some tips on that below. For now, however, let’s review some of the most talked-about colors of 2024.
1. Dark Gray
Architectural shingles give a textured look to your standard gray roof, with darker and lighter shades mixed in to give the feel of granite cliffs or river-washed rocks. Also called charcoal gray or deep gray, this shade helps modernize the look of your home and is a flexible choice for several house colors.
Pair it with gray or white siding and dusty rose brick, or add it to calming yellow or light blue tones to help create a pleasing contrast.
2. Earthy Brown
Earthy brown shingles are making a comeback as a popular color in 2024. They create a warm, rich look and provide a sense of harmony with the natural surroundings.
Use them with a wide variety of architectural styles, from traditional to contemporary. They look best with nature-inspired exteriors, such as those with dark brown weathered wood or siding and beige or tan colors.
Brown shingles also pair well with dark-colored and earth-toned bricks or fieldstones.
3. Cool Blue
If you live near the water, you may love the blue shades you can choose from in architectural shingles. These colors evoke calmness and serenity, plus provide an open, airy feel while connecting to the water and sky.
They also help update the curb appeal of an older home, making it look more modern. Pair them with a white, cream, or light gray house color.
4. Soft Green
Soft green, like cool blue, offers a refreshing touch to the exterior of your home, adding a sense of tranquility to the overall aesthetic. If you live in an area with a lot of vegetation nearby, green may be the perfect color for your roof.
A soft, muted green hue pairs well with nature-inspired and cottage-style homes and can create a welcoming and harmonious feel. There are a lot of shades of green, including darker shades like forest green and emerald, and they all continue to be popular colors.
This year, however, with the move toward more nature-inspired looks, the light, soft green is striding to the fore. Use it with white, beige, light black, and gray home colors, or consider matching your dark, forest green house with a softer green roof.
5. Terracotta Red
Red tends to add a mature and classy look to a home and fits especially well with more modern styles. Terracotta red fits in with this year’s nature trends, as it’s a warm, rich, earthy tone with touches of burnt orange and brown. Drawing inspiration from Mediterranean rooftops, it exudes character and can make a bold statement, depending on the particular shade you choose.
Mix a bold terracotta with other warm tones like orange and dark red, or with neutral shades like white, cream, and green. You can also use a more neutral or muted option with cool tones like blue or a darker shade like deep brown or black.
Erie Home offers a wide range of architectural roof shingles in various colors. Check out our before-and-after gallery for some ideas.
5 Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Architectural Roof Shingles Colors
No matter what is “in” right now when it comes to roof colors, what matters most is how well the color matches your home. When you’re looking through all the options, consider the following factors.
Architectural Style
An architectural style is a classification of a building based on a set of characteristics and features, including overall appearance, method of construction, building materials used, structural design, and regional character. A cottage home, for instance, is a different style than a contemporary one, which is different from a modern home.
Certain roof colors look best on specific styles of homes. Contemporary homes, for instance—those with tall windows and feature a mix of stone, brick, and wood materials—often look great with crisp color contrasts. Classic Colonial homes, on the other hand, with their dark shutters, often look best with classic shingle colors like black or brown.
Color Contrast
The general rule of styling a home says you should choose a darker shade for your roof than your siding. This helps to keep the home looking balanced.
However, this rule doesn’t always hold. If you have a dark-colored house, for example, a darker-colored roof could create a cramped feel. Think contrast, and choose a lighter-colored option instead.
Staying in the same color family is usually a safe choice, as long as the roof looks distinct from the rest of the exterior. Imagine how the colors in the roof will pick up or enhance the colors on the window shutters, doors, or other accent trim.
Pattern Contrast
You should consider more than just the color of the shingles. Architectural roof shingles come in various patterns, too, with slightly different hues of the same color distributed throughout.
The general rule is not to get “too busy” with the patterns throughout your home. If the pattern on your siding is distinctive, choose a simpler roof shingle, and vice versa.
House Size
The average roof takes up about 40 percent of a home’s exterior. However, roofs with steeper slopes will have more square footage.
This is important to keep in mind when choosing your architectural roof shingles, as lighter colors tend to be more dominant on a roof than darker colors. If you want to de-emphasize the size of a large roof, choose a darker color.
Environment
Where you live should also factor into your choice of roof shingles. For example, if you have a lot of green trees around you, your roof color will likely be different than if you live near a lake or the ocean.
If you’re in a desert area, your choices will be different. You can create contrast if you like—like choosing brown or black roofing shingles in a forest home—as long as you consider the overall look.
At Erie Home, we’re eager to help you make the best choice for your home. Find out more about the roof replacement process here, then contact us for a free consultation and estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most ideal roofing color?
There is no one ideal roofing color. What works great on one house may not work well with another.
If you’re struggling to find a color, think neutral tones: shades of cream, tan, brown, gray, or black are typically safe and will be in style for many years.
What are the best-selling roof shingle colors?
Certain colors remain popular year after year, no matter what the fashion is at the moment. These include black, brown, gray, and red.
Should the roof be darker or lighter than the house?
The general advice is to create a color contrast between the siding and the roof. Light-colored siding works best with dark-colored roofs, and vice versa.
What color shingles make a house look bigger?
If you want to create the impression that your home is larger than it is, go with light-colored architectural roof shingles.
Do dark shingles make a house hotter?
If you live in a warm climate, it may be best to choose lighter-colored shingles as they will absorb less heat. A black roof may require you to use your home’s cooling system more often.