The Quiet Quitting of the 3 Tab Shingle
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If you have not thought about your roof since the day it was installed, you are not alone. But there is a lot going on in the roofing world right now, starting with the old school 3 tab shingle, which is slowly disappearing from the market.
Manufacturers have been quietly pulling 3 tab product lines for the last several years. Industry estimates put the drop at around 68% from 2019-2024.
Why the exit? Architectural (also called dimensional) shingles have taken over as the industry standard. They look better, they last longer, and they hold up to wind far better than a 3 tab ever could. A standard 3 tab shingle is typically rated for 60 to 70 mph winds. Architectural shingles are commonly rated for 110 to 130 mph.
Kentucky Actually Protects You When You File A Claim
Kentucky has a regulation on the books, 806 KAR 12:095 Section 9, that requires insurers to replace enough roofing material to create what the law calls a reasonably uniform appearance. In plain English, if your insurer cannot find a shingle that matches what is already on your roof, they cannot just patch one slope and call it done. They may owe you a full roof replacement.
This regulation has been around since 1992 and has been updated a handful of times since, most recently in 2021. In 2023, Kentucky’s Insurance Commissioner issued an advisory opinion clarifying exactly how this applies to matching problems, largely because so many older shingle lines, including 3 tab shingles, are disappearing from the market and can no longer be matched.
Here is what that looks like in real life. Say a hailstorm damages one slope of your roof and your shingles are an older 3 tab style that is no longer manufactured. Your insurance company sends an adjuster who offers to repair just that one slope. Under Kentucky law, if a matching shingle is not available, that is not a legal option. The insurer is required to replace shingles across the roof so everything looks consistent, not just patch the damaged section. Untintended consequence is this elevated cost drives up insurance premiums. LINK TO ARTICLE
If you ever find yourself in this situation, ask your adjuster directly whether the replacement shingle they are proposing is the exact make, model, and color still in production. If it is not, you have grounds to push back and point them to the regulation. A lot of homeowners do not know to ask this question and end up settling for a partial repair they were never required to accept.
You Should Check On Your Roof Coverage
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While you are digging into your policy, there is one more thing worth checking. Homeowners insurance typically settles roof claims one of two ways, either replacement cost value or actual cash value, and the difference between the two can cost you thousands of dollars.
Replacement cost value pays what it actually costs to replace your roof today, full stop. Actual cash value pays the replacement cost minus depreciation, meaning the older your roof is, the less money you get, even though a full new roof costs the same either way. On a fifteen year old roof, that depreciation can wipe out a huge chunk of the payout.
This shift toward actual cash value coverage on roofs, especially older ones, did not happen by accident. It grew out of a wave of high volume roof claims tied to hail and wind damage over the past couple of decades, which put real pressure on insurance company profits. In response, many carriers began writing policies that automatically move a roof to actual cash value once it hits a certain age, often somewhere between 10 and 20 years, even if the roof has no issues at all.
The only way to know which one you have is to actually check. Pull your policy declarations page or call your agent and ask point blank whether your roof is covered at replacement cost or actual cash value, and if there is an age cutoff where that changes. It is a five minute phone call that could make a very big difference should you need to file a claim.
What’s New in Roofing Materials
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While all of this is happening, the materials themselves have quietly gotten a lot more advanced. A few things worth knowing about if you are ever in the market for a new roof.
+Impact resistant shingles, often called Class 4 shingles, are built to survive a hail impact test where a two inch steel ball is dropped from 20 feet onto the shingle, twice, in the same spot. If it does not crack, it earns the top rating under a testing standard called UL 2218. Not every shingle line qualifies for this, even from major brands. It is usually a specific premium product, so if you want it, you have to ask for it by name. Choosing Class 4 impact resistant shingles or a metal roof can lower your homeowners insurance premium between 10-30% since it lowers the odds of a costly hail claim down the road. If you are already planning to replace your roof, it is worth a call to your insurance agent before you pick a shingle, just to see if a discount is on the table.
+Then there is algae resistance, which solves a problem almost everyone has seen and misunderstood. Those dark streaks that show up on roofs over time are not dirt. They are a type of algae called Gloeocapsa magma, and it thrives in humid climates like ours. Manufacturers fight it by mixing copper infused granules into the shingle. When it rains, those granules slowly release copper ions across the roof, and algae cannot get a foothold in the presence of copper.
+Metal roofing has also come a long way from its barn roof reputation. Standing seam metal, the style with raised, hidden seams and a factory prepainted finish, can last 40 to 50 years or more with very little maintenance. It costs more upfront than asphalt, but for homeowners planning to stay put for the long haul, the math often works out in their favor.
+Synthetic composite shingles are worth a look too. These are made to mimic the look of slate or cedar shake without the weight or the upkeep, and they have become a popular middle ground between traditional asphalt and premium natural materials.
Your roof does more work than almost any other part of your home, and most of us never give it a second thought until something goes wrong.
Call us if you want to talk roof because at Parker & Klein, we are on top of it!