Choosing the right roof color is more than just a design decision. It influences your home’s curb appeal, energy efficiency, and long-term value. The ideal shade should complement your home’s architectural style while blending with the surrounding environment.
With so many options on the market, it helps to focus on key factors, including:
- Coordinating with your home’s exterior style and color scheme
- Selecting a color that boosts resale value and enhances curb appeal
- Considering HOA or gated community regulations
- Maximizing energy efficiency, particularly in warmer climates
- Reviewing roofing samples to see how colors look in natural light
This guide will walk you through the decision-making process, ensuring your new roof enhances your home in both style and function.
1. Match Your Home’s Exterior Style
Your roof makes up about 40% of your home’s exterior, making it a major design element.
When choosing a color, consider your home’s architectural style to create a cohesive look with your paint, trim, and siding. Here are some common pairings:
- Mediterranean or Spanish Revival: Warm, earthy tones like terracotta, sand, or gold enhance white stucco exteriors and arched architectural details.
- Cape Cod or Coastal: Cool, neutral shades like charcoal, slate gray, or soft blue complement light blue or gray homes with crisp white trim.
- Contemporary or Modern: Deep, bold colors like black, dark gray, or even deep navy create a striking contrast against sleek, minimalist designs.
- Colonial or Traditional: Classic tones like chestnut, natural slate, or warm gray pair well with brick facades or neutral-colored siding.
- Rustic or Craftsman: Rich, natural hues like weathered brown, deep copper, or forest green blend beautifully with stone, wood accents, and earthy color palettes.
Some homeowners prefer a complementary shade for a seamless look, while others opt for a contrasting color to make their home’s exterior stand out.
>>>Related Resource: Check out our gallery for inspiration!
2. Select a Color (and Material) that Boosts Curb Appeal and Resale Value
The right roof color doesn’t just enhance your home’s style–it also boosts curb appeal and increases resale value. But while color is important, selecting the right material is just as crucial.
For example:
- Mediterranean-style homes often feature tile roofing to enhance their Old World charm.
- Cape Cod-style homes, inspired by the seaside, often feature natural materials like cedar shingles, which complement their simple, coastal aesthetic.
- Contemporary or Modern homes tend to use sleek materials like standing seam or stone-coated metal roofing, which contribute to the minimalist, streamlined designs of modern architecture while offering a bold contrast to traditional roofing styles.
- Colonial and Traditional-style homes commonly use asphalt shingles, which are popular for their affordability and versatility. However, slate roofing is also a classic option for these styles, offering a more elegant and timeless look.
- Rustic or craftsman homes typically use wood or shake roofing materials that add depth and character.
However, traditional materials like clay tiles, asphalt shingles, and wood shakes come with drawbacks, including high maintenance, susceptibility to weather damage, and costly repairs.
That’s where metal roofing stands out. Unlike asphalt shingles, which typically need to be replaced every 15 to 20 years, metal roofing lasts between 40 and 80 years. Plus, modern stone-coated metal roofing replicates the look of nearly any roofing material while offering superior durability against extreme weather conditions.
Because of this, homeowners can recoup between 85.9% and 95.5% of the cost of a new metal roof, making it a great investment regardless of how long you plan to stay in your home.
3. Follow HOA or Community Guidelines
When selecting your roof color and material, be sure to check your HOA rules or community regulations, as many neighborhoods have restrictions on both. These guidelines help maintain a cohesive look by preventing colors that clash with surrounding homes or materials that have a reflective sheen, which can be disruptive in a shared community.
If you own a historic home, your city’s historical preservation society may also have regulations requiring historically accurate roofing materials and colors to preserve the architectural integrity of the area.
The good news? DECRA offers five distinct profiles and over 30 colors to complement a wide range of architectural styles. This versatility makes it a top choice for homeowners in HOA-governed communities and historic districts alike.
4. Consider Energy Efficiency
Your roof color does more than enhance curb appeal–it can also impact your home’s energy efficiency. Lighter-colored roofs reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat, helping to keep your home cooler and reduce cooling costs in warm climates. On the other hand, darker-colored roofs absorb heat, which can be beneficial in colder regions by helping to retain warmth and lower heating costs.
Many modern roofing materials, including DECRA’s stone-coated metal roofing, feature cool roof technology with reflective pigments that enhance solar reflectance–even in darker shades. This allows homeowners to choose the look they want without sacrificing energy efficiency.
In fact, a study found that DECRA direct-to-deck products improved energy efficiency by 30.3% compared to asphalt shingles. When installed on battens, DECRA products increased energy efficiency by up to 48.7%.
When selecting your roof color and material, be sure to factor in energy efficiency to maximize comfort and savings year-round.
5. Get a Sample
Once you’ve narrowed down your roof color choices, seeing it in person can help you make the final decision.
DECRA offers complimentary samples, allowing you to compare the color against your home’s exterior to ensure it complements your paint, trim, and siding. This also gives you confidence that the actual color matches what you’ve seen online or in brochures.
If your HOA or community has concerns about your selection, providing a sample can help reassure them that it meets their guidelines.
Style and Strength for Any Home—Choose DECRA
No matter what style home you have, DECRA has a profile and color to match. With five distinct profiles and over 30 colors to choose from, you’re sure to find something you (and the rest of the neighborhood) will love.
For more help with your decision, try our free online visualization tool. Simply send us a picture of your home, and a DECRA Metal Roofing Advisor will generate a preview of the profile and color you’re considering.
