☎ Call 612-255-9605 | speak to a real person
St. Anthony & NE Minneapolis | local, licensed & insured · MN # BC630708
☎ Call 612-255-9605 | speak to a real person
St. Anthony & NE Minneapolis | local, licensed & insured · MN # BC630708
Asphalt Shingle Roofing · Minneapolis & the Twin Cities
Your shingles are your home’s first line of defense against Minnesota weather, and “asphalt shingle” covers everything from builder-grade to beautiful. Here’s the honest guide to what you’re choosing between, and why installation matters more than the wrapper on the bundle.
30+ years of Twin Cities roofing · GAF Certified Contractor · Local crews, start to finish · MN Lic. # BC630708
A quality asphalt shingle system handles all our weather: hail, wind, UV, and the freeze–thaw cycle, at the best value in roofing. The catch is the word system. The shingle everyone sees is one layer of it; the ice-and-water shield at the eaves, the underlayment, the starter courses, the ventilation, and the nailing pattern decide whether those shingles reach their potential or fail a decade early. That’s why this page is about materials while the actual explanation of the project lives on our Roof Replacement page.
The flat, single-layer economy option. Lightest, least expensive, and the first to go in wind and hail. We’ll install them when the situation genuinely calls for it (short-horizon rentals, matching an existing roof, very small homes), but for most people, the next tier up repays its modest premium several times over.
The Twin Cities standard, and what we recommend for most homes: laminated (twice the thickness), heavier, wind-rated far beyond 3-tab, with real depth from the curb. Honest Minnesota lifespan: typically 20–30 years, weather depending, because hail can change everything.
Heavier still, something 5 times thicker, with profiles that read as slate or shake from the street, and the strongest impact and wind ratings in asphalt. The sweet spot for homeowners who want a distinctive roof without leaving asphalt pricing. (Want a true lifetime-class roof? That conversation is Lifetime Roofs →.)
We spec Owens Corning, GAF, and CertainTeed as our primary lines because they all have deep color ranges, proven cold-weather performance, and warranty programs that actually pay off (we’re a GAF Certified Contractor). TAMKO earns its place as a solid mid-market option when budget leads. We’ll walk sample boards with you at the evaluation and tell you plainly what each choice means for you.
Every shingle above carries a long manufacturer warranty… and every one of those warranties assumes the shingle was installed to spec. Wrong nail placement, skipped starter courses, or starved ventilation quietly void coverage and shave years off the roof. Our crews install to manufacturer specification and Minnesota code (ice-and-water protection included, always), which is why our roofs still look installed-yesterday at year fifteen. When you’re ready to talk about your roof specifically, the numbers, process, and signs-you-need-one live here: Roof Replacement →.
The shingle field rarely fails first. A shingle system lives or dies at its details, and these are the spots we obsess over on every install and check first on every evaluation:
(Something on this list already leaking? Roof repair →)
The shingles are half the job; the other half is how your property is treated. On every project: your yard cleaned up daily and swept for nails, landscaping protected, all woodwork- meaning trusses, decking, soffit, and fascia, are documented and repaired correctly rather than covered, and no surprise line items. With experience comes a calm, easy process, no matter what your situation is.
Re-roofs contingent on a closing (performed and paid through the transaction), are a rhythm we know well: documented condition, firm numbers, and a schedule that works with the closing date. (Start with a documented roof inspection.)
At Right Away Construction, five-star service is the standard… not the goal.
Honestly: 3-tab, 15–20 years; architectural, 20–30; designer lines longer on paper, all minus whatever hail takes. The bigger variable is installation and ventilation, which is why identical shingles age so differently across one neighborhood.
For almost every owner-occupied home, yes. These have higher wind and impact performance and better looks for a modest premium. It’s the one upgrade we recommend nearly universally.
In a hail metro, Class 4 impact-rated shingles are worth a real look; some insurers offer premium credits for them. Ask at your evaluation; we’ll give you the honest cost-benefit for your roof, not a blanket pitch.
The honest answer: the top three (Owens Corning, GAF, CertainTeed) are all excellent, and the correct choice is usually about color, profile, and the specific line’s ratings for your exposure. Installation quality separates roofs far more than brand does.
Sample boards, straight answers, and a roof system designed for Minnesota, not just what’s in stock.
Right Away Construction · Roofing · Siding · Exterior Renovation · Twin Cities, MN · MN Lic. # BC630708
