How to Pick Roof Shingle Colors

Color is where exterior home designs truly come to life. With so many shades and tones of roof colors, how do you know you’re making the right design choice?

When selecting your roof shingle color, it’s essential to consider how they complement your home’s exterior, architectural style and even the surrounding neighborhood. The right choice can enhance curb appeal, increase home value and create a balanced aesthetic.

Should the Roof Be Darker or Lighter Than the House?

The ideal roof shade, lighter or darker, depends on your home’s color. It’s all about creating a contrast — helping both your siding and roof stand out and work in harmony to create a beautiful aesthetic.

Contrasting with Dark Homes

A dark home may opt for lighter roof shingle colors, like cream or light grey. Donavan Morgan, CEO of the Roof Gallery, says lighter roofs “are statements that blend naturally with the earth around them.” You could also create contrast with vibrant colors, like blue, red or green. Rich, dark colors can also create contrast for darker homes, provided the value of the colors is different enough to not look one-tone.

• • Brown-colored homes work well with grey, brown and green roofs. Choose a brown that contrasts with your shingles. Darker brown shingle colors are easier to find than lighter ones.
  • Green-colored homes can pair well with a dark brown for natural, earthy contrast. Black and grey colors, meanwhile, provide a striking contrast to green exteriors.
  • Black-colored homes paired with charcoal or dark grey shingles create a sophisticated, monochromatic look, while particularly dark shades of brown can also complement a black exterior.

• Navy-colored homes are complemented by grey and black shingles for a sleek look. You may also consider a bold red or green roof to bring bright, exciting colors to your corner of the neighborhood.

Contrasting with Light Homes

Light-colored homes pair well with both light and dark roofs. Be mindful of the cool versus warm colors in your home’s aesthetics, which should influence the color palette of your roof colors.

• Beige-colored homes contrast well with brown, black, grey, green or blue roofs. Both solid colors or a color blend will work, as long as the blend doesn’t clash with other exterior elements of your home.
• Light grey-colored homes contrast with dark grey, black, dark green and dark blue roof colors. Black and dark grey can offer a more timeless look, while green and blue roofs bring a natural charm that’s perfect for traditional or cottage-style homes.
• Light blue-colored homes contrast well with dark grey, black, dark blue and light grey roof colors. You may want to avoid browns and tans, which may clash with the cool tones of your shade of blue.
• White-colored homes are truly a blank canvas — almost any color will work well. Your decision should be influenced by other variables, including your neighborhood’s aesthetic, your home’s architectural style and your personal preferences.

Contrasting with Monochromatic Homes

While monochromatic color schemes create a sleek and unified aesthetic for your home, you still need some contrast between your siding and roof to avoid a flat appearance.

• Use varied shades to add depth to a monochromatic scheme. A white home with light grey shingles has a subtle yet effective contrast.
• Consider your architectural style and find the shingle that works well. For example, weathered wood or log houses pair well with shingles that have a high-definition profile that mimics the look of natural wood.
• Choose a color blend shingle to add further depth to a monochromatic home. A multi-tonal brown shingle adds contrast and dimension to a beige home.
• Add texture with designer shingles. Shingles with more depth and texture can add visual interest to an otherwise uniform color palette.

Want more guidance for picking colors? Check out our color gallery to find a shingle color that can fit any style.

Should House Material Impact Roof Color Choice?

Different types of siding, such as brick, wood, stucco and stone, have distinct tones and textures that can influence the overall look of your home. Choosing the right shingle color can enhance curb appeal, create visual harmony and even affect resale value.

Brick

The best roof colors for brick homes depend on the brick’s primary color and undertones. Red brick homes can work well with darker tones, such as a black, brown or charcoal grey. Tan bricks work well with dark brown and warm grey-toned roofs, while grey bricks match with black, dark blue, medium grey and brown-toned roofs.

Wood

The rustic aesthetic of natural wood siding is made for earthy roof tones, such as brown, green and a weathered grey look. Cedar shake homes, which weather to a greyish hue over time, are best paired with neutral roofing colors like charcoal grey, deep brown or slate grey.

Stucco

The warm, earthy tones of a beige or tan stucco home can pair well with brown, red or warm grey shingles. White and off-white stucco allow for deeper contrast, with black and deep grey roofs. If your stucco has a bold color, like yellow, orange and red, it’s best to use a muted roofing shade to not compete with your vibrant exterior.

Stone

Multi-tonal stone homes often require a multi-colored shingle that incorporates some of the same colors found in the stonework. For grey and blue-toned stone, pick cool-colored shingles like charcoal, slate grey or blue. For warm beige or brown stone homes, opt for a tan, brown or even muted green roofing for a more organic look.

Can Roof Color Increase a Home’s Value?

Yes, roof color can increase your home’s value. One study found 91 percent of real estate professionals agreed that a color-coordinated exterior between a home and its roof increases the value of a home. Following roofing trends is also a surefire way to add curb appeal to your home.

What Is the Most Popular Roof Shingle?

There isn’t one color that’s more popular than other shingles — it all depends on the category, style and aesthetic of your home. A wide variety of home exterior color palettes have worked for years, but some of the most popular roof colors in 2024 included:

• Traditional and classic homes: Dark grey or brown roof shingles.
• Modern and contemporary homes: White and black roof shingles.
• Rustic and cottage-style homes: Weathered wood and slate grey roof shingles.

Should I Match My Neighborhood?

A roof that complements both your home and neighborhood enhances curb appeal. Try not to stand out too much from surrounding homes — you don’t need to all be the same color, but rather use a similar aesthetic or tone with your shingles.

Does Roof Maintenance Affect Value?

A potential home buyer will often turn the other way if they find a roof leak or torn up shingles on your roof. Make sure to properly care for your roof by fixing leaks, cleaning gutters, replacing missing shingles, removing moss and getting a roof inspection to make sure it’s in good condition.

What Is the Best Color Roof for Heat?

It’s true — the color of your home and roof affects how much heat it absorbs. In general, the lighter the color, the cooler your home will be. This is because lighter colors reflect more light than they absorb, so cream, light grey and white siding will help your home stay cooler in hotter climates. Furthermore, roof colors that are highly reflective may be required to meet building energy efficiency codes. A local roofing contractor will know if this applies and can guide you when selecting shingle colors.

Darker colors absorb more heat because they absorb a greater range of light wavelengths. That absorbed light converts to thermal energy, which then heats your home.

Try Before You Buy

Choosing the perfect roof shingle color can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to guess. IKO offers several tools to help you visualize and plan your exterior home design:

• IKO’s RoofViewer 
• IKO’s Style Boards
• IKO Roofing Pinterest Boards
• IKO Roof Shingle Colors – YouTube Playlist

Explore various shades, test out different combinations and ensure your new roof enhances your home’s overall look. Before making your final selection, ask your contractor to bring several full sized shingles so you can see them in person at your home.

Use these resources today to see how the right roof color can transform your home’s exterior.