If you’re standing in your driveway in Plano or Frisco trying to decide between CertainTeed Landmark and Landmark Pro, here’s the short answer: Landmark is the right call for most Dallas roofs under a full insurance scope, and Landmark Pro is the right call when you’re paying out of pocket, plan to stay 15+ years, or want a thicker shingle to handle the hail cycles we’ve been seeing since 2023. The two shingles look almost identical from the curb. They are not the same product underneath. I’m Mahmoud Abu Saad, co-owner of Roof Raiders & Co., and we’ve installed both on hundreds of DFW homes since 2022. Here’s the side by side I wish more homeowners got before they signed.
Sample boards used to compare CertainTeed Landmark and Landmark Pro during a roofing bid walk.
what’s actually different between landmark and landmark pro.
Both shingles are CertainTeed’s architectural (dimensional) line. Both carry a Class A fire rating. Both use CertainTeed’s NailTrak nailing strip. The differences live in three places: weight, warranty, and wind/impact performance.
| Spec | Landmark | Landmark Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Weight per square | ~240 lbs | ~300 lbs |
| Material warranty | Lifetime limited | Lifetime limited |
| StreakFighter algae warranty | 10 years | 15 years |
| SureStart full coverage | 10 years | 10 years |
| Wind warranty (with 6 nails + starter) | 130 mph | 130 mph |
| StainGuard Plus available | No | Yes |
| Color depth (shadow lines) | Standard | Deeper, more contrast |
The 60 pounds of extra material per square is the headline. On a 30 square Frisco roof, that’s 1,800 extra pounds of asphalt and granules sitting between your decking and the next hailstorm. It’s not marketing. You can feel the difference when you carry a bundle up the ladder.
what each shingle actually costs in dfw right now.
Pricing moves with asphalt, fuel, and labor, but here are the real ranges we’re quoting in January 2026 on a typical 30 square (3,000 sq ft of roof area) tear-off and replace, with synthetic underlayment, ice and water in the valleys, ridge vent, and code-required drip edge.
| Scope (30 sq, tear-off) | Landmark | Landmark Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance scope (RCV claim approved) | Homeowner pays deductible only | Homeowner pays deductible + ~$1,800 to $2,400 upgrade |
| Out of pocket, standard complexity | $14,800 to $17,200 | $20,600 to $24,800 |
| Out of pocket, steep or cut-up roof | $17,400 to $20,500 | $23,800 to $28,400 |
The $5,800 to $8,200 delta on out-of-pocket jobs is real. A lot of that is the shingle itself, but Pro jobs also use more labor (heavier bundles, slower install) and we spec a thicker ridge cap (Mountain Ridge) to match. If you want to plug your own square footage and pitch, our free roof cost calculator gives a tighter range than a phone estimate.
hail performance after the 2023 and 2024 dfw storms.
This is the question I get asked most in Plano, Frisco, McKinney, and Allen. We pulled records from the four storms that drove most of our replacement volume:
- May 28 2023 (Plano, Allen, Wylie corridor, 1.5 to 2.25 inch hail)
- April 9 2024 (Frisco, Prosper, north Dallas, 1 to 1.75 inch)
- May 23 2024 (Lewisville, Flower Mound, Carrollton, 1.25 to 2 inch)
- June 17 2024 (Highland Park, Richardson, east Plano, 1.75 to 2.5 inch)
On Landmark roofs (3-tab thickness equivalent of ~240 lbs/sq), 2 inch and larger hail almost always produced functional damage that an adjuster scoped. Granule loss showed up consistently in valleys and on south-facing slopes by storm 2 or 3.
On Landmark Pro roofs that survived May 28 2023 with cosmetic bruising only, we re-inspected after June 17 2024. About 40% of those Pro roofs still passed inspection. The thicker mat absorbed strikes that would have fractured a standard Landmark.
Neither shingle is impact-rated Class 4. If you want a UL 2218 Class 4 impact rating (and the insurance premium discount that comes with it on most TX carriers), you need Landmark IR or a different SKU entirely. Pro is thicker. It is not impact-rated. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
A Landmark Pro shingle showing a hail bruise that dented but did not fracture the mat.
warranty is where most homeowners get oversold.
Both shingles ship with a “lifetime limited” material warranty from CertainTeed. The word “lifetime” does a lot of heavy lifting in roofing sales, so let me break down what actually matters:
- SureStart period. Years 0 to 10, CertainTeed covers 100% of material and labor if the shingle fails for a covered reason. After year 10, coverage drops fast on Landmark and slower on Pro.
- StreakFighter (algae). Landmark is 10 years. Pro is 15. In DFW we get enough humidity east of I-35 that this matters more in Garland, Mesquite, and Richardson than it does in Frisco or Prosper.
- Wind warranty. Both rated 130 mph but only if installed with 6 nails per shingle and matching CertainTeed starter strip. We default to 6 nails on every job. Most shops still install 4. Ask.
- SureStart Plus (extended labor). Only unlocks if your installer is a CertainTeed credentialed contractor. We’re a ShingleMaster (top 3% nationally), which means our installs qualify for the 4-Star SureStart Plus warranty on Pro. A non-credentialed installer can put the same shingle on your roof and you get the basic warranty only.
If you’re staying in the house under 8 years, the warranty difference is mostly noise. If you’re staying 15+, Pro plus a credentialed installer is the only combo that gives you real coverage.
which shingle fits which home.
After 1,400+ DFW roofs, here’s the decision tree we actually use on the driveway:
Pick Landmark if:
- You filed an insurance claim and the carrier approved your roof at the Landmark line item
- The home is a rental, a flip, or you plan to sell within 5 years
- Budget is the deciding factor and the deductible already stretches you
- HOA only requires architectural shingles (most Plano and Frisco HOAs are fine with Landmark)
Pick Landmark Pro if:
- You’re paying out of pocket and plan to stay 10+ years
- The roof is a forever home in Highland Park, Southlake, or a custom Prosper build where the curb appeal upgrade pays back at resale
- You’ve already replaced one roof since 2020 and you’re tired of the cycle
- You want the deeper shadow lines (Pro reads more like a wood shake from the street)
Pick neither, go to Landmark IR or a competitor’s Class 4 if:
- You want the impact-rated insurance discount
- You’ve been hit twice since 2022
- You’re getting a roof inspection and the adjuster is flagging “marginal” damage every storm
Landmark Pro in the Weathered Wood color on a custom two-story home.
color and curb appeal: where pro pulls ahead.
If you’ve been driving around Plano West or West Frisco lately, the roofs that catch your eye are almost all Pro or higher. The deeper shadow band on Pro creates a contrast line that reads as “thicker” from 50 feet away even though the difference is closer to 60 lbs per square than to a true thick shake.
Colors that look noticeably different between Landmark and Landmark Pro in DFW sun:
- Weathered Wood: Pro reads more brown, Landmark trends gray
- Heather Blend: Pro has more visible blue undertones
- Max Def Moire Black: the SKU we install most in Plano custom homes. Available in both, but Pro’s depth is obvious side by side
- Burnt Sienna: the orange/red. Almost identical between the two lines
The Max Def color process is on both shingles, so you don’t lose the multi-tonal blend by going with regular Landmark. You lose depth, not color.
A Max Def Moire Black Pro install in progress on a two-story home.
install differences your roofer should know.
A Landmark Pro install is not the same job as a Landmark install. If your bidder doesn’t talk about these, push back:
- Bundle weight. Pro bundles run ~75-80 lbs vs. ~60-65 for Landmark. That’s why Pro jobs cost more in labor.
- Nailing. Both shingles need 6 nails to hit the 130 mph wind warranty. NailTrak makes this easier on both but the strip is more obvious on Pro.
- Starter and ridge. Pro should pair with CertainTeed Swiftstart and Mountain Ridge cap (the thicker ridge). Putting standard ridge cap on a Pro roof costs you the warranty extension and looks wrong from the curb.
- Underlayment. We use synthetic on both. Felt is below code on new builds and we won’t install it.
- Decking inspection. Same on both. If your decking is 7/16 OSB and it’s been hit by hail twice, plan for replacement sheets.
A clean Landmark install beats a sloppy Pro install every time. Credentials matter more than the shingle name on the bundle.
what the insurance side looks like.
If you’re filing a hail claim, your scope of work from the carrier will almost always be written for a “20 year dimensional” or “architectural” shingle. That’s Landmark territory. Landmark Pro is an upgrade and the carrier won’t pay the difference unless your prior roof was Pro (and you can document it via the original installation invoice) or your endorsement specifies it.
The numbers we see most:
- ACV settlement on a Landmark roof: $9,200 to $12,800 (carrier holds depreciation until work is done)
- RCV release after install: brings settlement up to $14,800 to $17,200 minus deductible
- Pro upgrade out of pocket on top of an RCV Landmark scope: $1,800 to $2,400
- Supplements we typically write: decking, drip edge to code, ice and water shield in valleys, satellite dish reset
The cleanest path on a hail claim is: take the Landmark scope, pay the deductible, write the Pro upgrade as a homeowner-pay line item. Be wary of any contractor pressuring you to sign before the adjuster has even seen the roof.
If you need help reading your scope, the team at our Plano office walks every customer through the carrier letter before we sign anything.
financing the upgrade.
The Pro upgrade is where our in-house zero interest payment plan makes sense for most homeowners: on qualifying projects, a larger upfront deposit gets the work started and the balance is split over flexible terms depending on the size of the project. That $2,000 to $2,400 delta buys roughly the difference between a 22 year roof and a 30 year roof in DFW hail country. Details are on our payment plans page.
frequently asked questions.
is landmark pro worth the extra money in dallas?
If you’re paying out of pocket and staying 10+ years, yes. The thicker mat handled the June 17 2024 storm noticeably better than standard Landmark in our re-inspections. If you’re on an insurance scope and moving in 5 years, no. Take the Landmark and pocket the difference.
does landmark pro qualify for the texas impact discount?
No. Neither Landmark nor Landmark Pro carries a UL 2218 Class 4 impact rating. For the insurance premium discount most Texas carriers offer, you need Landmark IR or a true Class 4 SKU. Don’t let a salesperson tell you Pro qualifies. It doesn’t.
how long does landmark vs landmark pro last in dfw?
In our experience installing both since 2022: Landmark runs 18 to 22 years before functional issues if it doesn’t take a major hit. Landmark Pro runs 24 to 30. Both numbers drop by 5 to 8 years if your home sits in a hail corridor and you get hit every 2 to 3 years.
can i mix landmark and landmark pro on the same roof?
Technically yes, but no credentialed installer will do it on a full replacement. For a partial repair after wind damage, we’ll match Landmark to Landmark and Pro to Pro. Mixing voids the warranty and looks wrong from the curb.
what about landmark premium or presidential shake?
Those are the next tiers up. Premium is ~360 lbs/sq, Presidential Shake is ~480. Both look great but neither pencils out for most DFW homes unless you’re in a Highland Park or Southlake custom build where the roof is a major architectural feature. Most of our customers cap at Pro.
does the algae warranty actually matter in dallas?
In Plano, Frisco, and west DFW, less so. East of I-35 in Garland, Mesquite, and east Richardson, yes. The 15 year StreakFighter on Pro vs. 10 on Landmark shows up by year 8 on north-facing slopes in the more humid zip codes.
If you want a side by side bid with both shingles spec’d out for your specific roof, call us at (214) 326-3106 or have us out for a no-pressure walk. We’ll bring sample boards of both in your top color choices, measure the roof, pull your storm history, and write you a clean scope you can compare against any other bid. Most quotes go out within 48 hours of the walk.
