Short Answer: The best roof covering to protect your home from hail is any metal roof covering. That includes steel shingles, shakes, and tiles, and standing-seam.
It’s spring in Colorado, and that means hailstorms. Hailstorm frequency, severity, and hailstone sizes can vary greatly. In 2025, Northern Colorado saw hail 1.5-3.5″ in diameter, ranging from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs. Is your home protected? If you’re looking for the best roof covering to protect your home from hail, below are our recommendations.
Stone-Coated Steel Shingles or Shake
Standing Seam Metal Roofing Panels
Concrete Roofing Tiles
Traditional Asphalt Shingles
Stone-Coated Steel Shingles or Shake
The best roof for hail protection is stone-coated steel shingles, shakes, or tiles. Stone-coated steel roof coverings resemble traditional asphalt shingles, except that instead of a fiberglass foundation, they have a steel one. Why is a stone-coated steel roof the best for hail protection? Steel is much more durable and resistant to hail than fiberglass. Stone-coated steel roofing products are typically made from 24-26 gauge metal.
When a large hailstone strikes a traditional asphalt shingle roof, the impact sends granules flying off the shingle, leaving fiberglass exposed. Stone granules on an asphalt or steel shingle roof are the first line of defense against the elements. When those are gone on a traditional asphalt shingle roof, your roof is vulnerable to moisture. When they’re gone on a steel shingle or shake roof, there’s still the tough steel foundation to protect your home. While steel can dent from large hail impacts, it rarely cracks as a result.
Standing Seam
Standing seam is another great roof covering for hail protection. Standing seam is sheet metal with no granules. We make our own standing seam metal roofing panels in-house for an exact fit to your home. Like steel shingles, standing seam is also made from 24 or 26-gauge metal. Standing seam roofing is just as durable against hail as steel shingles, with an added benefit – standing seam helps to cool your home better and save you more money on your utility bill. In fact, no other roof covering is as energy-efficient as standing seam.
Concrete Roofing Tiles
Another great roof for hail protection is concrete roofing tiles. Profiles from Westlake Royal Roofing include high-barrel, low-barrel, slate, and shake. Although slate is the only concrete roofing tile product line that includes an impact-rated product, that product is Saxony Slate Impact. Concrete is extremely resistant to hail. However, concrete is very heavy and often requires additional reinforcements to your roofing structure. Ask us if concrete roofing tiles are right for you.
Traditional Asphalt Shingles
Although many traditional asphalt shingle manufacturers make Class-4 impact-rated shingles, the highest classification in the industry, they’re not nearly as durable against hail as the above-mentioned steel roof coverings. However, traditional asphalt shingles, even Class-4 impact-rated, are more affordable in the short term than any steel roof. Which is why many homeowners choose them. Once you consider their short lifespan compared to any steel roof, you quickly realize how expensive they are long-term.
The Bottom Line
Although Class-4 impact-rated traditional asphalt shingles are among the least resistant to hailstones, they are more resistant than Class-3 impact-rated shingles. If you’re looking for an affordable hail-resistant roof, consider traditional asphalt shingles with a Class-4 impact rating. However, if you want the best roof for hail protection, consider either stone-coated steel or standing seam. Although these roof coverings are more expensive initially, they’re often less expensive over their lifetime because they often last 3x as long as traditional asphalt shingles.
Hail-Resistant Roof Installation
Need a professional roofing company in Northern Colorado to install a hail-resistant roof? Contact us for a free consultation or estimate. All our roof installations come with a 5-year workmanship guarantee. We offer stone-coated steel roofing products from Decra and Westlake Royal Roofing. We make our own standing seam metal roofing panels ourselves. Our concrete roofing products are provided by Westlake Royal Roofing. We offer traditional asphalt shingles by reliable companies like Owens Corning, Tamko, GAF, and CertainTeed.