REPLACE ROOFING WITH FIRE-RESISTANT MATERIALS
Protecting Your Property from Fire
FEMA
April 2008

Some roofing materials, including asphalt shingles and especially 
wood shakes, are less resistant to fire than others. When wildfires 
and brush fires spread to homes or businesses, it is often because 
burning branches, leaves, and other debris buoyed by the heated air 
and carried by the wind fall on roofs. If the roof of your property 
is covered with wood or asphalt shingles, you should consider 
replacing them with fire-resistant materials. As shown in the 
figure, you can replace your existing roofing materials with slate, 
terra cotta (clay) or other types of tile, or standing-seam metal 
roofing. 

Replacing roofing materials is difficult and dangerous work. Unless 
you are skilled in roofing and have all the necessary tools and 
equipment, you will probably want to hire a roofing contractor to do 
the work. Also a roofing contractor can advise you on the relative 
advantages and disadvantages of various fire-resistant roofing 
materials. 

BENEFITS OF UTILIZING THIS MITIGATION STRATEGY

* Helps to prevent damage to structures due to fire

* Helps to prevent injuries to occupants 

TIPS 

Keep these points in mind if you plan to have your existing roofing 
materials replaced: 

* Tile, metal, and slate roofing materials are more expensive than 
asphalt or wood shingles. However, if you need to replace your 
roofing, it may be worthwhile to pay a little more for the added 
protection these materials provide. 

* Slate and tile can be much heavier than asphalt shingles or wood 
shingles. If you are considering switching to one of these heavier 
coverings, your roofing contractor should determine whether the 
framing of your roof is strong enough to support them. 

* If you live in an area where snow loads are a problem, consider 
switching to a modern standing-seam metal roof, which will usually 
shed snow from the roof more efficiently.  

ESTIMATED COST 

If you hire a contractor to replace your existing roof covering, you 
can expect to pay about $4 per square foot of roof area for tile or 
metal roofing and about $7 per square foot of roof area for slate. 
For example, a structure measuring 60 feet by 30 feet will have 
about 1,800 square feet of roof area. For this structure, tile or 
metal roofing would cost approximately $7,200 and slate would cost 
approximately $12,600. 

OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION 

The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH), http://www.flash.org. 
Firewise Communities, http://www.firewise.org. 

"Five Hot Tips for Homeowners on the Edge," by Herbert McLean, in 
American Forest, vol. 99, no. 5-6. May-June 1993, 
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1016_v99/ai_14177979.  

Hazard Identification and Mitigation Workshop Manual, U.S. 
Department of Energy, August 2000 
http://www.eere.energy.gov/weatherization/hazard_workshop.html.

Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), 
http://www.disastersafety.org. 

Interagency Wildfire Mitigation Program, Rocky Mountain Wildland 
Fire Information, Colorado State Forest Service, the U.S. Department 
of the Interior Bureau of Land Management, and supporting partners, 
http://rockymountainwildlandfire.info/firewise/index.htm. 

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), http://www.nfpa.org. 
National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) at 1-847-299-9070 or 
online at http://www.nrca.net. 

International Residential Code® (IRC®), Chapter 9, “Roof 
Assemblies,” 2006.