Pick the roof that goes with your siding
A roof is the one exterior color you cannot repaint next year. Shingles last 20 to 30 years and metal even longer, so the color you pick has to work with the siding you have now and the siding you might paint later. That is hard to judge from a sample board on the ground or a brochure photo of somebody else's house.
With the roof color visualizer you keep everything else fixed and change only the roof covering. Shingles stay shingles and metal stays metal; only the color changes. Look at the full house from the street, the way neighbors and buyers will see it, and check how the new roof sits with your brick, stone, trim and front door.
Simple pairing rules that hold up
Roofers and designers lean on a few pairings that work on most houses:
- White, cream or light gray siding: charcoal, black or slate gray roofs give the crisp, classic contrast.
- Warm beige, tan or greige siding: weathered wood, driftwood or barkwood blends keep it soft and warm.
- Red or orange brick: charcoal or weathered wood, rather than a red or brown roof that competes with the brick.
- Blue, gray or green siding: charcoal and slate gray tie in the cool tones; black adds drama.
- Modern dark exteriors: matte black metal or onyx shingles for a single, quiet block of color.
A note on light and dark roofs
Lighter roofs reflect more sunlight and darker roofs absorb more, which is why you see more light roofs in hot, sunny regions. How much that matters for your energy bill depends on your insulation, ventilation and climate, so ask your roofer about it. The visualizer is for the look; your roofer handles the performance.
The roof colors here are generic shingle and metal colors, not a particular manufacturer's product. When you find a look you like, take the result to your roofer or supplier and ask for their closest match, then look at a real shingle sample against your siding outside.