After 33-plus years putting roofs on Front Range homes, we get one question more than almost any other right now: do I need a Class 4 shingle, and is it actually required?
Short answer: it's not required by state law. But in Colorado, it's the smartest shingle decision most homeowners will ever make. Let me explain why.
What is a Class 4 impact-resistant shingle?
A Class 4 shingle is the highest impact rating a shingle can earn under the UL 2218 standard. To pass, the shingle has to take a 2-inch steel ball dropped from 20 feet without cracking.
That test simulates the kind of hail we see come through the Front Range every spring and summer. Class 1 through Class 3 shingles fail it. Class 4 passes.
Are Class 4 shingles required in Colorado?
In most of Colorado, no. There is no statewide mandate that says you must install a Class 4 roof.
But this is where it gets interesting. A handful of jurisdictions, like Larimer County, have moved toward requiring or strongly favoring Class 4 in their building codes. And more cities are looking at it every year. So while your address today may not require one, the trend in this state is moving in one direction, and that direction is toward Class 4.
The insurance discount most carriers offer
Here is what is much more important for most homeowners. Your insurance carrier may not require a Class 4, but they will reward you for installing one.
Most major carriers writing policies in the Denver metro and Colorado Springs offer a premium discount somewhere between 10 and 30 percent for a verified Class 4 roof. On a typical Colorado homeowners policy, that can mean four to seven hundred dollars back in your pocket every year, for the life of the roof.
Most homeowners pay back the upgrade cost in three to seven years. After that, it is pure savings.
The Class 4 products we install
We install Class 4 products from Owens Corning, GAF, and CertainTeed. As an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, we see the Duration Storm line perform exceptionally well on homes from Old Broadmoor up through Banning Lewis Ranch and across the Denver metro. These shingles use a polymer-modified asphalt that flexes under impact instead of cracking.
No roof is truly hail-proof
I want to be straight with you. There is no such thing as a hail-proof roof. A monster storm with three-inch hail, like what hit the Front Range in May 2017, will damage anything we put up there.
What a Class 4 does is shrug off the everyday hail that destroys standard shingles. Fewer claims. Fewer deductibles. A roof that lasts longer at our elevation, where UV and wind are punishing year-round.
Bottom line
So is it required? Usually no. Is it worth it in Colorado? In my professional opinion, almost always yes.
When you're ready to have your roof inspected, give us a call or use our online scheduler to pick the day and time that works for you.
