An ancient Greek philosopher once said “Change is the only constant in life” and that applies to the roofing industry as much as it does elsewhere. Here are some changes in the roofing world that may impact your world in the coming months.storm resistant roofing

Storm resistant roofing

Many local building codes are being updated at the behest of insurance companies to require the use of roofing products that are more resilient in the face of number of more powerful storms we’ve been facing over the last 5-10 years. Adding this requirement to a roofing project may increase the overall cost by 10-20%.

Cool roofing

Legislation is being considered in many Western States to require “cool” roofing – roofing with materials that help reduce energy consumption. (This is separate but related to the legislation mandating the use of solar panels in new construction). Cool roofing materials include light-colored plastic coatings and metal panels. This trend is primarily focused towards commercial properties today but may extend to residential projects in the near future.

Increased costs for roofing projects

We previously discussed the rising prices of roofing materials for residential roofing projects (see below). This is one side of the issue that’s brought about by external pressures. Much closer to hoe is the rising cost of roofing labor – as the unemployment rates decreases finding roofing labor becomes harder which is naturally reflected in higher wages. Look for this trend to continue – completing your roofing project sooner than later will likely save you $100s, if not $1000s.


George J Keller & Sons are your local roofing contractors. If you have any questions on anything here or specific questions about your roof call us today at 973-927-0963 and we’ll have one of our roofing experts complete a no-obligation assessment of your needs.