Roofing terms, plain.

Every term you'll see on an estimate or inspection report — defined without the jargon.

Architectural Shingle

A multi-layer asphalt shingle (also called dimensional or laminated) with a sculpted look and typical 25–30 year life. The current standard for residential roofs.

Asphalt Shingle

The most common residential roofing material — a fiberglass mat coated in asphalt with mineral granules embedded on the weather face.

Built-Up Roof (BUR)

A low-slope commercial roof system made of alternating layers of bitumen and reinforcing fabric. Often called a tar-and-gravel roof.

Course

A single horizontal row of shingles or panels running across the roof.

Decking (Sheathing)

The flat structural surface of the roof — usually plywood or OSB — that everything else is attached to.

Drip Edge

L-shaped metal flashing installed at the roof's eaves and rakes that directs water away from the fascia and into the gutter.

Eave

The lower edge of the roof that overhangs the wall — where the gutter typically mounts.

EPDM

Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer — a single-ply synthetic rubber membrane commonly used on commercial flat roofs.

Exposed-Fastener Metal

Metal panel roofing where the fasteners go through the face of the panel and are visible. Less expensive than standing-seam but with shorter sealant life.

Fascia

The vertical trim board at the edge of the roof that the gutter mounts to. The 'face' of the roof edge.

Felt (Roofing Felt)

Traditional asphalt-saturated paper underlayment. Largely replaced by synthetic underlayment in modern installs.

Flashing

Metal pieces installed at intersections — chimneys, walls, valleys, vent pipes — to direct water away from joints where leaks are most likely.

Gable

The triangular wall section at the end of a peaked roof.

Granules

Small mineral chips embedded in the surface of an asphalt shingle. They protect the asphalt from UV and provide the shingle's color.

Hip

The external angle where two sloping roof planes meet. Capped with hip-and-ridge shingles.

Hip-and-Ridge Cap

Specialized shingles bent to fit over hips and ridges. The finishing detail on a shingle roof.

Ice & Water Shield

A self-adhering waterproof membrane installed at eaves, valleys, and around penetrations to protect against ice dams and wind-driven rain.

Modified Bitumen

An asphalt-based commercial roofing membrane modified with polymers for flexibility. Often torch-applied or self-adhered.

OSB (Oriented Strand Board)

An engineered wood panel commonly used as roof decking. Less expensive than plywood, slightly more vulnerable to moisture.

Pitch (Slope)

The steepness of a roof, expressed as rise-over-run (e.g. 6/12 means 6 inches of rise per 12 inches of run).

Pipe Boot

The rubber or metal flashing that seals around a plumbing vent pipe where it penetrates the roof. A common failure point that causes leaks.

Plumbing Vent

A vertical pipe that exits the roof to vent the home's plumbing system. Always flashed with a pipe boot.

Rafter

The structural lumber that supports the roof deck, running from the ridge to the eave.

Rake

The sloped edge of a roof at a gable end (perpendicular to the eave).

Ridge

The horizontal peak where two sloping roof planes meet at the top of the roof.

Ridge Vent

Continuous venting installed along the ridge to exhaust hot air from the attic. Pairs with soffit intake vents.

Roof Square

A unit of measure equal to 100 square feet of roof area. Used for material ordering and pricing.

Sealant Strip

The thin strip of heat-activated adhesive on the back of each shingle that bonds it to the course below once warmed by the sun.

Sheathing

See Decking.

Soffit

The horizontal panel covering the underside of the roof eave, between the fascia and the wall. Often vented to bring intake air into the attic.

Standing-Seam Metal

A premium metal roof system with concealed fasteners and raised vertical seams. Typical 50+ year life.

Starter Shingle

A shingle course installed along the eave and rake edges that the first visible course bonds to. Critical for wind resistance.

Step Flashing

Individual rectangular flashings installed where a sloped roof meets a vertical wall — one piece per shingle course, 'stepped' up the wall.

Synthetic Underlayment

Modern woven polypropylene underlayment that has largely replaced felt. Lighter, stronger, water-resistant longer.

Three-Tab Shingle

An older, flat-profile asphalt shingle with cut tabs. Lower cost and shorter life than architectural shingles.

TPO (Thermoplastic Polyolefin)

A single-ply white commercial roofing membrane known for reflectivity and energy efficiency. The dominant low-slope system today.

Underlayment

The water-resistant layer installed over the decking and under the shingles. Either felt or synthetic.

Valley

The internal angle where two sloping roof planes meet — water flows down it. Usually lined with ice & water shield and reinforced flashing.

Vent Boot

See Pipe Boot.

Wind Rating

The maximum sustained wind speed a shingle is rated to withstand. Modern architectural shingles are typically rated 110–130 mph; impact-rated and high-wind shingles go higher.