November 1, 2026 · 8 min read · Materials
The short answer
Shingle costs the least up front, concrete tile and standing seam metal cost about the same, clay tile sits at the top, and metal lasts the longest. All three can be built to the Florida Building Code for the county's wind. The right one depends on how your house is framed, how close it is to salt water, what your HOA or design board allows and how long you plan to stay.
Molsbee Roofing installs all three from our shop in Lake Worth Beach, under Florida license CCC1327429, so we have no reason to push one over another. Here is how we help owners compare them.
Tile vs shingle vs metal at a glance
| Architectural shingle | Concrete tile | Clay tile | Standing seam metal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Lowest | Upper-middle | Highest | Upper-middle, about level with concrete tile |
| Lifespan here | 13 to 18 years | 15 to 20 years | 15 to 20 years | 20 to 25 years |
| Weight | Light | Heavy | Heavy | Light |
| Look | Traditional, many colors | Mediterranean, Spanish | Historic, Spanish | Clean and modern, or shingle and tile profiles |
| Wind detail that matters most | Nailing pattern and edges | Tile attachment and underlayment | Tile attachment and underlayment | Clips, seams and trim |
| Salt air | Edge metal needs coastal specs | Flashing needs coastal specs | Flashing needs coastal specs | Panel metal, coating and fasteners chosen for the distance from salt water |
| Later work | Replace the covering | New underlayment; tile may be reused | New underlayment; sound clay often reset | Check sealants, trim and penetrations |
On any of these roofs, the size, the pitch and how much wood needs replacing move the number. Every Molsbee quote includes the permit and full tear-off, with the price in writing before work starts.
Shingle: the lowest up-front cost
Architectural shingles are the quickest to install and the lowest up-front cost of the three. They suit many homes, and in some neighborhoods they are the original material: some of Delray Beach's historic 1920s to 1940s cottages carry shingle roofs. The trade-off is a shorter life in the county's sun and more exposure at the edges in a storm. Installation decides a lot: the manufacturer's high-wind nailing pattern, sealed starter strips and ridges, balanced attic ventilation and a secondary water barrier underneath. More on shingle roofing.
Shingle makes sense when: you may sell in a few years, you want the lowest up-front cost for a sound code-built roof, or your HOA favors it.
Tile: the county's signature roof
Concrete and clay tile define much of the county's architecture, from the island's Mediterranean Revival homes to the concrete tile neighborhoods west of State Road 7. The tile itself rarely fails. The underlayment under it is the real waterproofing, and that layer is what you replace. On sound clay barrel tile we can detach and reset: lift the tile, replace the underlayment and reset the same tile. Tile is heavy, so the framing matters; most tile neighborhoods were built for it, but homes framed for lighter roofs need a check first. More on tile roofing and 2027 tile roofs: concrete vs clay vs barrel.
Tile makes sense when: the house was built for it, the street and any design board expect it, and you want that look.
Metal: light, strong and long-lasting
Standing seam hides its attachment inside the seams, so there are no exposed screws in the field for wind to work loose, and it adds little weight. That makes it a good fit for homes not framed for tile. Metal shingle and metal tile profiles give a traditional look on a light roof. Near the Atlantic, the Intracoastal or the Lake Worth Lagoon, the metal, coating and fasteners have to be specified for salt, and incompatible metals are kept apart at every joint. More on metal roofing.
Metal makes sense when: you plan to stay a long time, you want fewer replacements, you want a reflective roof for attic heat, or the house isn't framed for tile.
Metal vs tile: the head-to-head
This is the choice most owners narrow down to once they move on from shingle.
| Question | Standing seam metal | Concrete or clay tile |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | About level with concrete tile | Concrete about level with metal; clay higher |
| Weight on the structure | Light | Heavy; framing is checked |
| How it is attached | Concealed clips in the seams | Adhesive or fasteners per tile |
| Where water is stopped | Panels plus underlayment | Underlayment beneath the tile |
| Repairs after a storm | Panel or trim replacement | Individual tile replacement |
| Design review | Often counts as a change of appearance | Usually in keeping |
Which holds up better in wind? Both, when installed to code for your wind band, which runs from 150 mph inland to 170 mph on the barrier islands. Standing seam has no exposed screws to back out. Tile relies on each piece being set and secured, and in a hard storm individual tiles can crack or come loose, but a well-built tile roof keeps water out because the underlayment underneath stays intact.
What does salt do to each? Tile does not corrode, but its flashing and edge metal do, so those are specified for salt. On a metal roof the whole surface is metal, so the choice of aluminum or coated steel and the fasteners matters more. Neither is wrong near the water; each just has to be specified for it.
Who else has a say?
Often, someone besides you:
- Associations. In communities like Abacoa in Jupiter, roofs are matched to the neighborhood so the street reads as one.
- Historic boards. Boca Raton's Old Floresta guideline prefers straight barrel mission tile. In Lake Worth Beach's historic districts, the replacement has to look like the original, and a Certificate of Appropriateness may be needed before the permit.
- The island. In the Town of Palm Beach, a re-roof that changes the material or appearance goes before the Architectural Commission.
We check which of these applies before recommending a material, so you don't pick a roof you can't permit.
Molsbee data
Original numbers from our own job records. Customer names and addresses are never included.
- Of 45 signed residential re-roofs, 14 were shingle, 12 concrete tile, 7 metal, 7 flat and 5 clay tile (Molsbee Roofing job records, Jun to Oct 2026, n=45).
- Standing seam metal was quoted at about the same price as concrete tile for the same size roof (Molsbee Roofing job records, May to Oct 2026, n=17 metal and n=62 tile).
- By number of quotes, concrete tile led with 79 of 245, then metal with 62 and shingle with 58 (Molsbee Roofing job records, May to Oct 2026, n=245).
- The median roofs we quoted measured 31 squares for concrete tile, 33 for metal and 24 for shingle (Molsbee Roofing job records, May to Oct 2026).
- On signed contracts, the final job value matched the signed proposal total on 48 of 48 jobs (Molsbee Roofing job records, Jun to Oct 2026, n=48).
How we help you decide
- A free roof inspection of the roof, flashing, edges and the attic and framing we can reach.
- Photos of the findings, so the recommendation is about your roof.
- A written scope with the price before any work starts. If two or three systems fit your house, we price each one on the same terms so you can compare them side by side.
Still deciding? The 2027 Palm Beach County roofing guide covers permits and timing, and metal vs shingles goes deeper on those two.
Compare the options for your house
Call (561) 318-8624 or request a free roof inspection, and we will show you which roofs your house supports and what each would cost, in writing.
Molsbee Roofing, Inc. · Florida license CCC1327429 · Owens Corning Preferred Contractor
