Key takeaways
- Class 4 is the top UL 2218 impact rating: a 2 inch steel ball dropped from 20 feet, twice in the same spot, with no cracking.
- Upgrading from a standard architectural shingle to the Class 4 version of the same line runs $65 to $110 per square, about $1,950 to $3,300 on a 30-square Plano roof.
- Texas does not set the discount. Each carrier sets its own credit on the wind/hail portion of your premium, and Class 4 earns the highest tier.
- On a real 32-square Plano job the upgrade cost $2,600 and the credit saved $545 a year: a 4.8 year payback before any hail.
- After the June 17, 2024 hailstorm, 0 of 11 Class 4 roofs our crews inspected were totaled. 38 of 41 Class 3 roofs over eight years old were.
Yes. For most DFW homeowners, Class 4 impact shingles are worth it. The upgrade adds $65 to $110 per square over a standard architectural shingle, the carrier credit alone usually pays that back in 4 to 7 years, and the roof is far more likely to come through the next hailstorm without a claim, a deductible, or a premium hike.
The math gets stronger the closer you live to the I-35 hail corridor through Lewisville, Carrollton and Plano. After the June 17, 2024 hailstorm ran 1.75 to 2.5 inch stones from west Frisco through north Plano into Allen, our crews pulled comp shingles off both roof types side by side. The Class 4 roofs almost always survived. The Class 3 roofs almost always got totaled.
Class 4 Malarkey Vista AR impact-resistant shingles going on a North Texas home, an upgrade from a standard Class 3 architectural roof.
what “class 4” actually means.
The rating comes from UL 2218, a test that drops steel balls onto a shingle sample from increasing heights: a 1.25 inch ball from 12 feet for Class 1, up through a 2 inch ball from 20 feet for Class 4 (McElroy Metal). Each sample takes two hits in the same spot at six locations and fails on any tearing, cracking or splitting; cosmetic damage alone is not a failure (Professional Roofing). That 2 inch ball carries roughly the energy of a 2 inch hailstone, the size we see in the worst DFW storms.
Two things to know before you assume Class 4 means bulletproof:
- The test measures cracking through the shingle, not dents on the front. A Class 4 shingle can bruise after a big hit, but the mat stays intact and the roof stays watertight.
- Manufacturers get there two ways: modified asphalt (SBS polymer in the asphalt, like Malarkey Vista AR, CertainTeed NorthGate ClimateFlex and IKO Nordic) or a reinforced mat (CertainTeed Landmark IR). Both pass UL 2218. Both earn the carrier credit.
the real DFW upgrade cost.
Our 2026 pricing. The first two columns are the installed ranges we bid from; the last is the apples-to-apples upgrade when you stay in the same shingle line (Landmark to Landmark IR, for example). Every row assumes a clean tear-off, synthetic underlayment, new pipe boots and a ridge vent.
| roof size | architectural, installed | Class 4, installed | same-line upgrade delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 squares (small ranch) | $7,000 to $11,000 | $11,000 to $13,000 | $1,300 to $2,200 |
| 30 squares (typical Plano or Frisco two-story) | $10,500 to $16,500 | $16,500 to $19,500 | $1,950 to $3,300 |
| 40 squares (Prosper, larger two-story) | $14,000 to $22,000 | $22,000 to $26,000 | $2,600 to $4,400 |
| 50 squares (complex roof) | $17,500 to $27,500 | $27,500 to $32,500 | $3,250 to $5,500 |
Decking at $70 to $100 per sheet, a 5 to 15 percent pitch adder and the $95 to $300 county permit sit on top, which is why most full DFW replacements land between $14,500 and $32,000. A 2,400 sq ft Plano home in Landmark Pro runs about $22,000 with us; the Class 4 version of the same roof, about $24,500.
The upgrade is not just the shingle. Class 4 installs get 6 nails per shingle, not 4, to keep the wind warranty intact, and most lines need their own starter and underlayment to qualify for the enhanced manufacturer warranty tier. We itemize all of it on the proposal. For a ballpark first, the free roof cost calculator takes two minutes, and the Texas roof cost guide walks through every line item on a bid.
the windstorm discount, carrier by carrier.
This is the part most roofers wave their hands at. Texas does not set the number: the Texas Department of Insurance leaves the amount of the impact-resistant credit to each company, and Class 4 earns the highest tier a carrier offers. The credit also applies to the wind/hail portion of your premium, not the whole policy. On a $4,200 a year HO-3 in Frisco, that portion is usually $1,800 to $2,400.
The credit is set carrier by carrier, not by the state. Your agent can read you the exact percentage off your policy in under a minute.
On the declarations pages our customers in Plano, Frisco and Dallas have shown us, the credit lands anywhere from about 10 to 35 percent of the wind/hail portion, and the paperwork varies:
| carrier | Class 4 credit in Texas | what their agents asked our customers for |
|---|---|---|
| State Farm | yes | UL 2218 Class 4 certificate from the installer |
| Allstate | yes | certificate; some offices also want the warranty registration |
| USAA | yes, the strongest credit we see in Plano | the standard packet below |
| Farmers | yes, varies by zip code | the standard packet |
| Liberty Mutual | yes, often paired with a roof-age credit | the standard packet |
| Travelers | yes | photo of the stamped shingle wrapper plus the certificate |
| Texas Farm Bureau | yes, on the smaller end, easy approval | the standard packet |
| Progressive | yes | the standard packet |
Two more surprises. A handful of regional and surplus-lines carriers do not offer the credit in Texas at all, so confirm yours in writing before you spend the upgrade money. And some carriers pair Class 4 with a separate roof-age credit while others treat new roof plus Class 4 as one discount; ask which, because it moves the payback by years. Roughly 4 in 10 homeowners we talk to did not know the certificate existed, and a few were paying for Class 4 without ever getting the credit applied.
payback math: when does the upgrade pay for itself?
A real Plano roof we replaced in October 2025: 32 squares, two-story, 4 valleys, 1 chimney, 12 pipe boots.
- Class 3 architectural total: $17,800
- Class 4 Malarkey Vista AR total: $20,400
- Upgrade delta: $2,600
- Homeowner’s State Farm wind/hail premium before: $2,180 a year
- Class 4 credit on that policy: 25 percent
- Annual savings: $545 a year
- Simple payback: 4.8 years
Change the credit and the clock moves. On the same $2,600 delta and a $2,000 wind/hail portion, a 10 percent credit takes about 13 years, 20 percent takes 6.5, and 30 percent just over 4. Bigger dwelling coverage in Highland Park or Southlake shortens it; a smaller Mesquite or Garland home can stretch toward 7 or 8 years, still well inside the roof’s 20 to 25 year life.
That is with no hail at all. Class 4 does not change your deductible, which on most DFW policies runs 1 to 2 percent of dwelling coverage, $4,000 to $9,000 for a typical Plano home. It changes whether you file a claim in the first place. Three customers in west Plano never paid that deductible because their Class 4 roofs came through storms that totaled the roofs next door.
Side-by-side test cuts: a Class 3 shingle with mat fractures next to a Class 4 impact shingle showing only granule loss after the same hailstorm.
when class 4 doesn’t make sense.
I will talk you out of it on these jobs:
- Selling within 2 to 3 years. The credit does not follow the house automatically and buyers rarely pay extra for the shingle class. You recoup some of it on the listing, not all.
- A low-hail micro-pocket. Far north Frisco near the Grayson County line and parts of southern Dallas County see meaningfully less hail than the I-35 corridor. Still worth a look, but the math is closer.
- A credit under 10 percent, or a holdout carrier. If you are already near the carrier’s premium floor, a percentage of a small number is a small number.
- A 12/12 or steeper, cut-up roof. Class 4 labor climbs faster on steep, complex roofs and the pitch adder applies to a bigger base. Payback can stretch past 10 years.
- A total-loss claim on an ACV policy. The upgrade is still out of pocket and the depreciation math gets odd. Our ACV versus RCV guide covers it; we walk these case by case.
- A healthy polymer-modified roof already on the house. Replacing an 8-year-old Malarkey roof early to chase the credit makes no sense.
For most everyone else in our Dallas service area, the answer is yes.
the brands we actually install (and why).
Our crews have installed all of these. The honest take on each:
- Malarkey Vista AR. Our default. Heavily SBS-modified, so the asphalt flexes when hail hits. Algae-resistant, and excellent in the February ice storms we keep getting.
- CertainTeed Landmark IR. For the homeowner who wants CertainTeed’s SureStart PLUS 5-Star registration, which only a ShingleMaster contractor can file. Fewer than 3 percent of US roofers hold that credential; we do. Reinforced mat rather than SBS.
- CertainTeed NorthGate ClimateFlex. SBS-modified, and what I would put my own money on for south and west facing slopes that take afternoon sun and hail from the same direction. Easy insurance paperwork.
- GAF Timberline AS II. The least expensive Class 4 from a major manufacturer and the easiest to source before hail season. Our pick when budget is tight.
- IKO Nordic, Owens Corning Duration Storm, Atlas StormMaster Shake. All solid Class 4 products with smaller DFW market share. The Atlas is for the homeowner who does not want a roof that looks like every other Plano roof.
We skip budget-tier Class 4 from smaller manufacturers. The credit is identical, but performance in real hail varies, and you are spending the money to survive the storm. Two side notes: SBS-modified Class 4 is quieter in rain than standard architectural, and Class 4 comes in the same color families, so HOA lists in Plano and Frisco are rarely a problem. For a full ranking by heat and hail performance, see our guide to the best roof shingles for Texas heat and hail.
what we saw after june 17 2024.
The storm hit a corridor from west Frisco through north Plano into Allen with 1.75 to 2.5 inch hail. Our crews worked 47 hail damage roof repair and full roof replacement jobs in that batch:
- Class 3 architectural roofs (any brand), 8+ years old: 38 of 41 totaled by the carrier.
- Class 3 architectural roofs, under 5 years old: 4 of 6 totaled. The other two had one slope replaced.
- Class 4 impact roofs (any brand, any age): 0 of 11 totaled. Four got partial scopes for cosmetic dents on metal accessories. The shingles passed.
One storm is a small sample, but we saw the same pattern after the May 28, 2023 storm in Carrollton and Coppell and the April 9, 2024 event in Plano and Richardson. A Lakewood roof our crews had put in NorthGate the previous fall sat in the June 17 path and came through with zero functional damage: no claim, no deductible, credit intact. In Wylie and Garland, Class 4 roofs in the same path as totaled Class 3 roofs needed a vent boot or a couple of ridge caps.
Class 4 shingles do not get totaled in normal DFW hail. They get totaled in tornado-adjacent events, and that is a different conversation.
That matters beyond the deductible. Every claim you file can raise your premium and your odds of non-renewal, in a state that led the nation with 902 major hail events in 2025 (Insurance Information Institute) and accounted for $1.4 billion of the $5.6 billion State Farm alone paid in hail claims that year (State Farm). Wondering whether your roof took that kind of hit? Start with our guide to telling if hail damaged your roof or book a roof inspection. We document every slope and meet your adjuster on the roof.
Aerial view of a finished Class 4 CertainTeed Landmark IR install on a two-story North Texas home with clean ridge lines and valleys.
getting the credit actually applied.
You can install Class 4 and never see the credit if the paperwork never reaches the carrier. Every Class 4 job we close ships with:
- Manufacturer Class 4 certificate with the shingle SKU and the UL 2218 reference
- Installer letter on our letterhead confirming the install date and address
- Photos of the stamped shingle wrappers showing the Class 4 mark
- Copy of the warranty registration tied to your address
Send that packet to your agent right after install. The credit applies at your next renewal, not retroactively, though a few carriers prorate the current term if you ask. Agents also forget to carry it forward, so check your declarations page every year. Already have Class 4 and never claimed it? The same packet works.
the warranty fine print most roofers skip.
A Class 4 shingle warranty does not cover hail damage. Hail is always an insurance claim, never a manufacturer claim.
The manufacturer warranty covers defects, granule loss outside normal aging and wind up to the rated speed. What Class 4 buys you on the warranty side: the shingle survives the hit, so there is no leak and no claim; the wind warranty stays intact at 6 nails per shingle; and most manufacturers unlock an enhanced system tier when the Class 4 shingle goes on with the matching underlayment, starter, ridge and ice and water barrier. We document every roof with photos, the certificate and the install specs so any warranty claim is clean. That same folder is what you hand a buyer at resale.
frequently asked questions.
Do Class 4 shingles ever get hail damage?
Rarely in normal DFW hail of 1 to 1.75 inches. In the June 17, 2024 storm we tracked 11 Class 4 roofs through 1.75 to 2.5 inch stones and none were totaled; a few needed cosmetic work on metal accessories. Above 2.5 inches, all bets are off, and a 4 inch windshield-breaking storm will total any shingle. That is an insurance claim, not a warranty claim.
Will my insurer require Class 4 if my old roof is totaled?
No. Texas carriers cannot force you to upgrade on a like-kind-and-quality claim. But if the claim is already paying for the tear-off and labor, your out-of-pocket difference is only the shingle upgrade, about $65 to $110 per square. We quote both options on every insurance job so you see the two numbers side by side.
How do I prove to my insurer that I installed Class 4?
Four documents: the manufacturer’s Class 4 certificate with the shingle SKU and UL 2218 reference, an installer letter on company letterhead with the install date and address, photos of the shingle wrappers showing the Class 4 stamp, and a copy of the warranty registration. We assemble that packet for every Class 4 job. Send it to your agent right after install.
Does every Texas carrier offer the same Class 4 discount?
No. The Texas Department of Insurance leaves the amount to each company, so the credit varies by carrier and sometimes by zip code, and a handful of regional and surplus-lines carriers offer none at all. The programs are statewide, so Fort Worth and Arlington customers see the same carrier credits Collin and Dallas County customers do. Confirm your number in writing first.
Can I get the discount retroactively if I already have Class 4?
Usually, for future premiums. Pull your installation paperwork, ask the manufacturer or your installer for the Class 4 certificate, and send the packet to your agent. Most carriers apply the credit at your next renewal; a few prorate the current term if you ask. Agents also forget to carry it forward, so check your declarations page every year.
Does the Class 4 discount transfer when I sell the house?
The shingles stay, so the next owner can claim the credit under their own policy, but it does not follow automatically. They submit the same documentation packet you did. Keep the certificate, the install contract and the wrapper photos with your closing documents; a buyer’s agent who sees “new Class 4 roof, documented” on the listing treats it as a real feature.
How long do Class 4 shingles last in Texas heat?
In DFW we plan on 20 to 25 years for a Class 4 roof with proper attic ventilation, against 18 to 22 for a standard architectural shingle. The manufacturer’s lifetime limited warranty runs longer on paper, but heat on south and west facing slopes is what sets the clock here, and SBS-modified products hold up best on those slopes.
Want Class 4 priced on your roof with your carrier’s credit plugged in? Call (214) 326-3106 for a free inspection and a written proposal with the Class 3 and Class 4 numbers side by side, run the free roof cost calculator for a two-minute ballpark, and ask about our in-house payment plans on qualified projects. We will tell you straight when the upgrade is worth it and when it is not.
