Choosing a shingle color is one of the biggest design decisions homeowners make during a roof replacement. The right roof color can improve curb appeal, complement your home’s architecture, and even influence how the home looks and feels from the street.
With so many different shingle colors, types and patterns available, it can be difficult to know where to start. Here are a few practical ways to narrow down the right choice for your home.
Coordinate Your Shingles with Siding and Shutters
One of the simplest ways to choose a roof color is to compare shingle samples against your home’s siding, trim, brick, and shutters. Looking at real samples next to your home can help you see which colors create contrast, balance, or a more unified look.
Pickard Roofing installed this home's asphalt shingles to complement the dark shutters and white siding of the home.
It also helps to view those samples at different times of day, since lighting can change how a color appears.
Consider Your Home's Architectural Style
Your home’s style can play a major role in what shingle colors look best.
For example:
- Homes with natural wood siding often pair well with earthy tones such as brown or deep green
- Traditional homes often look best with classic neutral roof colors
- Light, coastal-style homes may pair better with lighter roofing tones
- Brick or stucco homes may work well with warmer blends depending on the exterior palette
The goal is to choose a roof color that supports the overall character of the home rather than competing with it.
Consider Color-Blended Shingles
Color-blended asphalt shingles offer homeowners a way to add intrigue to their roof. Common color-blend combinations include warm browns and reds, cool blues and greys, and even blends of green. CertainTeed Landmark and Owens Corning Duration Designer are two types of shingles that have a variety of color-blend options to choose from. It’s best to remember that the plainer your home’s siding is, the more varied your color-blending can be. If you home’s siding includes a variety of materials and colors, color-blend shingles may clash.
Color-blend shingles add a visual aesthetic to this home's brick exterior structure
These options often work especially well when the home’s exterior is more simple or neutral. If the siding, trim, or masonry already includes a lot of color variation, a more subtle shingle may be the better choice.
Think About Climate and Sun Exposure
Roof color can also affect heat absorption. Darker shingles typically absorb more heat, while lighter-colored shingles reflect more sunlight.
In warmer climates, lighter roof colors may help reduce heat buildup in the attic. In cooler climates, darker shingles may offer a modest benefit by absorbing more warmth. While color alone does not determine energy efficiency, it is still one factor worth considering during the selection process.
However, a dark shingle roof in a colder climate may be slightly more energy efficient. Dark shingles help heat the attic and reducing the burden on the home's furnace at cold times of the year.
Create Visual Balance
Your home’s size, height, and proportions can also influence which shingle color looks best.
For example:
- Darker roofs can help ground taller or multi-story homes
- Medium tones often work well on single-story homes
- Very dark or very light roofs can sometimes make a home feel visually top-heavy or washed out depending on the exterior colors
Pickard Roofing installed a dark asphalt shingle on this home's roof to draw the eye upward on this multi-level home
The right choice should create balance and complement the shape of the house.
Use Visualization Tools When Possible
Many roofing manufacturers offer digital tools that allow homeowners to preview roof colors on a home photo or a similar home style. These tools can be helpful when narrowing down options before viewing samples in person.
For example, CertainTeed Colorview enables homeowners to upload a picture of their house, and then swap out different roofing colors by CertainTeed.
Certainteed Colorview also allows homeowners to manipulate the siding colors and roof type on a sample picture of a home. This can help users imagine how different siding, trim, and roofing syles and colors look in proximity to one another.
A Few Extra Tips Before You Decide
- Neutral shingle colors are often the easiest to match with future exterior updates
- Bold colors can work well, but usually require a more specific siding and trim palette
- Sample boards and in-person comparisons are often more reliable than looking at colors on a screen alone
- A trusted roofing professional can help you choose a color that fits both your home and your long-term goals
Need help choosing the right roof color?
If you are planning a roof replacement and are unsure which shingle color is right for your home, Pickard Roofing can help. Our team works with homeowners across Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and the Triangle to select roofing systems that combine performance, style, and long-term value.
Contact Pickard Roofing to schedule a roofing evaluation and get expert guidance on choosing the right shingles for your home.
At Pickard Roofing, we think Design. Craft. Renew. We are experienced in all types of roofing systems- and provide the right roofing design and selective craftsmanship for renewing our customer’s assets. We invite sustainable building customers to give us a call for your free evaluation. For over 90 years Pickard Roofing Company has installed countless metal, tile, slate, TPO, EPDM, and all types of shingle roofing in the Triangle. Our services include residential, commercial, custom architectural metal fabrication, and historical renovation.
