What this video covers
This McAllen house has a 30-year architectural shingle on every flat part of the roof. The hips and ridges are a different shingle entirely — a 25-year three-tab, cut into three pieces and bent over each corner. From the street on the day it was finished, the two look the same. Eight to ten years later, every cap on the house is cracked and shedding granules, and the homeowner is paying for a new roof.
- 0:39 Cut into three: a three-tab shingle is made to lie flat. Cutting it into thirds and folding each piece over a hip or ridge is a standard way to save money on a quote, and the house next door had the same thing done.
- 1:28 Why bending it breaks the shingle: folding the shingle over a corner breaks the fibres inside it. The strength of that piece is gone from the moment it is installed — the damage is done before the roof is ever weathered.
- 2:11 What it looks like years later: the sun works on the cracked fold until the granules come away and the caps lose their rigidity. Every ridge and every hip on the house looks the same, on a roof that is only about eight to ten years old.
What to check on your own quote
- Read the hip and ridge line by itself. Does it name a purpose-made hip-and-ridge cap, or does it name a field shingle that is going to be cut up?
- Check the rating matches. A 25-year cap on a 30-year roof is the weakest part of the system sitting on the most exposed part of the house.
- Compare material before price. When two quotes are thousands apart for the same scope, the difference is usually in the material list, not the margin.
- Look at the ridge line from the street. On a roof a few years old, caps that have faded or darkened at a different rate to the field shingles are worth a closer look.
Frequently asked questions
What is a hip and ridge shingle?
It is a cap made specifically to fold over the peak of a roof and the angled hips running down from it. It is thicker and more flexible than a field shingle so it can bend over a corner without cracking, and it is sold to match the field shingle it sits on.
Can you use three-tab shingles on hips and ridges?
They are cut and bent over corners regularly, which is why this comes up so often. The problem is that a three-tab is designed to lie flat. Folding it damages the mat inside, so those caps weather faster than the roof they are protecting.
How can I tell if my hips and ridges are the wrong shingle?
From the ground, look for a ridge line that has faded, darkened or gone patchy at a different rate to the rest of the roof. Up close, cracked folds and bare spots where the granules have come off are the giveaway. On a written quote, the hip and ridge line should name the cap product.
Does the wrong hip and ridge shingle void anything?
It is worth asking the company that quoted you to put in writing which cap they are installing and how it affects the coverage on the roof. Materials that are not installed the way the manufacturer specifies are a reasonable thing to ask about before you sign.
Do you charge for an estimate?
No. A roof inspection in McAllen is free, and you get photos of whatever we find — including the hips and ridges.
Get a second opinion
If you are holding two roofing quotes and one is a lot cheaper, bring us the other one. We will go through it line by line and tell you plainly where the difference is, even if the answer is that theirs is fine. Call (956) 586-5711 or book a free roof inspection. See also roof replacement and roof repair.
More on comparing estimates: why a cheaper roofing quote is usually a different material list.
Frontline Roofing — 601 N Main Street, Suite 102, McAllen, TX 78501. Serving McAllen, Mission, Edinburg and the Rio Grande Valley.