A cool roof is worth it for most homes that need a new roof anyway, sit in a warm inland area, have flat sections or air-conditioning ducts in the attic, and run the air conditioner through the summer: the extra cost is often small or nothing, and the return is lower bills and cooler rooms. It is worth less on a young roof, a shaded roof or a foggy coastal home that rarely needs cooling. To weigh it for your own house, call NEMA Roofing at 866-631-3366.
Does a cool roof cost more than a standard roof?
Often not much, and sometimes not at all. The Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) says plenty of cool roof products are priced the same as the conventional products they replace, and some carry a slightly higher price. The U.S. EPA notes that products using special infrared-reflective pigments, the kind that make darker “cool colors” possible, tend to cost more than those with standard pigments, and that low-slope cool roofs may need periodic cleaning to stay reflective.
So the real question is rarely “cool roof or no roof”. It is whether the cool version of the roof you are already buying is worth any difference in price. When the roof is due for replacement, the answer is usually yes; paying to replace a sound roof only to make it cool is much harder to justify.
What do you get back?
- Lower cooling bills: an average of 7 to 15 percent off total cooling costs, according to the CRRC, with the savings concentrated on hot afternoons when time-of-use rates peak.
- More comfort: cooler attics and top-floor rooms; in homes without air conditioning, the EPA cites maximum indoor temperatures 2.2 to 5.9°F lower.
- Longer equipment life: less strain on the air conditioner, and a cooler roof surface that may last longer.
The full list, with sources, is in our guide to cool roof benefits.
A quick worth-it check for your home
| Factor | Leans toward yes | Leans toward less value |
|---|---|---|
| Roof timing | Due for replacement or recoating now | Recently replaced and in good shape |
| Climate | Inland valleys and deserts with many 90-degree days | Foggy coastal areas with few hot days |
| Roof shape | Flat or low-slope sections, which take the most reflective products | A steep roof that is mostly shaded by trees or neighboring buildings |
| Attic | Ducts in the attic, thin insulation | No ducts in the attic and deep ceiling insulation |
| Cooling use | Air conditioning runs most summer afternoons; time-of-use rate plan | Rarely uses air conditioning |
| Solar | Panels cover only part of the roof | Panels cover most of the sunny roof area |
| Color | Open to light colors, or to a rated cool version of a darker color | Design rules require a color with no rated cool option |
If most of your answers fall in the middle column, a cool roof is very likely worth it. If most fall on the right, spend first on the alternatives below.
When the code decides for you
Sometimes the choice is already made. When more than half of a roof is replaced, California’s energy code requires rated cool products on pitched home roofs in climate zones 4 and 8 through 15, and on low-slope home roofs in zones 4 and 6 through 15, unless an exception applies. In Woodland Hills, Tarzana and Encino, which are part of the City of Los Angeles, the Department of Building and Safety requires a Cool Roof Rating Council certified product whenever more than half of a home’s roof is replaced. One exception worth knowing: lifting existing tile, installing new underlayment and relaying the same tile is handled as an express permit in Los Angeles and does not require cool roof compliance.
On the Santa Barbara and Ventura County coast (climate zone 6), pitched home roofs are not required to be cool, so there the decision is yours. Our Tarzana roofing page covers the Los Angeles side in more detail.
Cheaper alternatives when the roof is not due
If your roof still has years left, these steps often deliver more comfort per dollar now. The energy code itself treats several of them as equivalent to a cool surface on pitched home roofs:
- Adding ceiling insulation to R-38.
- Installing a radiant barrier in the attic.
- Moving ducts out of the attic, or sealing and insulating them.
- Opening blocked soffit vents and adding exhaust ventilation.
- Coating a flat section over the hottest room, if that roof is sound.
Questions to ask before you decide
- What is the price difference, if any, between the cool and standard version of the same product?
- What are its aged solar reflectance and thermal emittance in the CRRC directory?
- Does the code already require it for my roof and climate zone?
- What cleaning or recoating will it need over the years?
- Is there a utility rebate? Incentive programs change, so ask your utility; the CRRC keeps a list of financial incentive programs.
A roof inspection tells you how much life your current roof has left, which is the first thing to know before any of these questions.
Talk it through with us
Our team walks you through the options, explains how each system works and helps you choose the best solution for your budget and goals. NEMA Roofing has five Google-verified locations, in Woodland Hills, Tarzana, Downey, Oxnard and Santa Barbara, and we serve homeowners across Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. See our cool roofing service or call 866-631-3366.
