Dark brown shingles are sold in the standard architectural line of every major U.S. maker, under names such as GAF Barkwood, Hickory and Mission Brown, Owens Corning Brownwood and Teak, CertainTeed Burnt Sienna and Heather Blend, IKO Shadow Brown and TAMKO Rustic Hickory. Within one product line they cost the same as gray or black. The real differences are heat (a standard brown is not cool-rated, while CRRC-rated browns reach a solar reflectance of 0.20 to 0.23), regional color availability, and the warranty package behind the line.
Every brown color name below comes from the maker’s own page or data sheet as of October 2026, and every reflectance figure from a maker sheet or the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) Rated Products Directory. California thresholds follow the CRRC chart of the 2025 Energy Code dated Dec. 4, 2025, and the cost arithmetic uses a 25-square roof.
Dark brown shingles: key numbers at a glance
Six figures settle most brown-shingle decisions: $5 to $8 per sq ft installed, an assumed aged solar reflectance of 0.08 for a standard brown, 0.20 to 0.23 for a CRRC-rated brown, California’s 0.20 reroof minimum, a 25-year algae warranty and 3 bundles per square. Each row below names its source.
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Installed cost, architectural asphalt (any color) | $5 to $8 per sq ft | Roofing Brief 2026 roofing cost report |
| Installed cost, 3-tab asphalt | $4 to $6 per sq ft | Roofing Brief 2026 roofing cost report |
| Assumed aged solar reflectance of an asphalt shingle with no CRRC rating | 0.08 (emittance 0.75) | 2025 California Energy Code Sec. 110.8(i), Exception 1, per CRRC code chart, Dec. 4, 2025 |
| Aged solar reflectance of CRRC-rated brown shingles | 0.20 to 0.23 | CertainTeed Solaris data sheet 00-04-1122 (03/26); GAF ratings sheet (9-24-2026) |
| California reroof minimum, single-family steep slope, Climate Zones 4 and 8 to 15 | Aged SR 0.20 and emittance 0.75, or SRI 16 | 2025 Energy Code Sec. 150.2(b)1Ii, per CRRC chart |
| Algae-resistance warranty on major brown lines | 25 years | GAF StainGuard Plus, Owens Corning StreakGuard, CertainTeed StreakFighter product pages, Oct. 2026 |
| Bundles per square (100 sq ft) | 3 | GAF Timberline HDZ RS and Malarkey Vista spec sheets |
Brown shingle colors by manufacturer (2026)
The table below lists every brown-family color name shown on each maker’s U.S. product page or current sell sheet in October 2026. Owens Corning and IKO show colors by detected region, and CertainTeed prints separate regional Landmark palettes (its Northeast and Southwest sheets list different browns), so a color on this list may not be stocked at your local supplier.
| Maker | Line | Brown-family colors | Maker note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GAF | Timberline HDZ (High Definition colors) | Barkwood, Hickory, Mission Brown, Shakewood | GAF names Barkwood among its top-four selling High Definition colors | GAF Timberline HDZ page, Oct. 2026 |
| GAF | Timberline HDZ (Bold Definition colors) | Chestnut Valley | “GAF’s Bold take on Barkwood” | GAF Timberline HDZ page, Oct. 2026 |
| GAF | Timberline HDZ RS (reflective, made in Shafter, CA) | Hickory, Aged Chestnut | CRRC-rated; marketed for California Title 24 and LA County compliance | GAF HDZ RS page; GAF ratings sheet 9-24-2026 |
| GAF | Grand Sequoia RS (made in Fontana, CA) | Forest Brown | CRRC 0676-0140b | GAF ratings sheet 9-24-2026 |
| Owens Corning | TruDefinition Duration | Brownwood, Teak | Brownwood: “Dark warm brown shingles with prominent black, brown and orange granules” | Owens Corning Duration page, Oct. 2026 |
| Owens Corning | Oakridge | Brownwood, Teak, Desert Tan | Oakridge Brownwood: “blended black, brown and orange” | Owens Corning Oakridge page, Oct. 2026 |
| CertainTeed | Landmark | Burnt Sienna, Heather Blend, Resawn Shake; Sunrise Cedar and Mojave Tan on regional sheet 00-04-291 | Palette printed per region | Landmark sell sheets 00-04-293 (01/26) and 00-04-291 (10/26) |
| CertainTeed | Landmark Solaris | Burnt Sienna, Heather Blend, Resawn Shake, Mojave Tan, High Index Redwood Canyon | Redwood Canyon: “earthy sienna brown and deep iron red,” added January 2026 | Solaris data sheet 00-04-1122 (03/26); sell sheet 00-04-5731 (01/26) |
| IKO | Dynasty | Shadow Brown, Brownstone, Driftshake | IKO lists a Class 3 impact rating for the line | IKO Dynasty page, Oct. 2026 |
| Malarkey | Vista; Highlander Cool | Sienna Blend (Vista); Burlwood (Highlander Cool) | Both CRRC-listed | Vista data sheet (eff. 02/26); Malarkey CRRC chart (09/25) |
| TAMKO | Titan XT | Autumn Brown, Black Walnut, Natural Timber, Rustic Hickory, Rustic Cedar, Rustic Redwood | Black Walnut also offered in StormFighter FLEX; Rustic Cedar in Heritage | TAMKO color index, Oct. 2026 |
Gray-brown blends such as GAF and CertainTeed Weathered Wood and Owens Corning Driftwood sit between the gray and brown families, and they are covered on our Weathered Wood shingles guide. For the full GAF palette by line, see our GAF shingle colors guide. For a cooler sibling color family, see our guide to blue shingles.
The same name can mean two different products
Color names repeat across makers and lines, so a contract that says only “Hickory” or “Burnt Sienna” is ambiguous. GAF sells Hickory in standard Timberline HDZ and in Timberline HDZ RS, and only the RS version carries a CRRC rating (product ID 0676-0138a). CertainTeed sells Burnt Sienna in Landmark Solaris (CRRC 0668-0153) and Max Def Burnt Sienna in Landmark PRO Solaris (CRRC 0668-0154), two separate rated products.
Write the maker, the line and the exact color name into the roofing contract, for example “CertainTeed Landmark Solaris, Burnt Sienna, CRRC 0668-0153.” That one line fixes the granule blend, the warranty and the reflectance rating at the same time.
Are brown shingles more expensive?
Brown shingles are not more expensive than gray or black ones in the same product line. Asphalt shingle color comes from the granule blend, and the 2026 Roofing Brief cost baseline of $5 to $8 per square foot installed for architectural shingles applies to Barkwood exactly as it does to Charcoal. The price moves with the line tier and the roof, not the color.
The worked example below uses a 25-square roof (2,500 sq ft of roof surface). The 10 percent waste allowance is a Roofing Brief assumption for a simple gable roof; hips, valleys and dormers raise it.
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Roof area | 25 squares x 100 sq ft | 2,500 sq ft |
| Squares to order with 10% waste | 25 x 1.10 | 27.5 squares |
| Bundles at 3 per square | 27.5 x 3 = 82.5, rounded up | 83 bundles |
| Nails, GAF 4-nail pattern (256 per square) | 25 x 256 | 6,400 nails |
| Installed cost, architectural brown | 2,500 x $5 to 2,500 x $8 | $12,500 to $20,000 |
| Installed cost, architectural black or gray | Same baseline, same line | $12,500 to $20,000 |
| Installed cost, 3-tab brown | 2,500 x $4 to 2,500 x $6 | $10,000 to $15,000 |
Small retail packs are a separate market. One Amazon listing in the current search results sells 8 brown 3-tab pieces of 39.4 by 13.1 inches covering about 12.8 sq ft, which works out to roughly 7.8 packs per 100 sq ft; that is a shed or repair product, not a reroof price. Full regional pricing is in our 2026 roofing cost report.
Do dark brown shingles make a house hotter?
California’s 2025 Energy Code assumes that an asphalt shingle without a CRRC rating has an aged solar reflectance of 0.08, which means a standard dark brown shingle is treated as absorbing about 92 percent of the sunlight that hits it. A CRRC-rated brown such as CertainTeed Landmark Solaris Burnt Sienna (aged SR 0.20) absorbs about 80 percent. That gap is 120 watts per square meter at peak sun.
The arithmetic uses the 1,000 W/m2 solar flux that ASTM E1980 sets as the reference condition for calculating SRI. Absorbed energy equals (1 minus solar reflectance) times 1,000 W/m2.
| Shingle | Aged solar reflectance | Absorbed at 1,000 W/m2 | Less than a standard brown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard brown, no CRRC rating (code default) | 0.08 | 920 W/m2 | Baseline |
| CertainTeed Landmark Solaris Burnt Sienna | 0.20 | 800 W/m2 | 13.0% |
| GAF Timberline HDZ RS Hickory (initial value) | 0.21 | 790 W/m2 | 14.1% |
| CertainTeed Landmark Solaris High Index Redwood Canyon | 0.23 | 770 W/m2 | 16.3% |
Roof-surface heat reaches the living space only through the attic, so ventilation and insulation decide how much of that 120 to 150 W/m2 difference shows up on a cooling bill. California’s own reroof rule reflects this: a home with at least R-38 ceiling insulation is treated as equivalent to a cool roof under Sec. 150.2(b)1Ii, Exception 1.
CRRC-rated brown shingles and their numbers
Only a minority of brown colors carry a CRRC rating, and those are the only browns with published reflectance. GAF states that on standard Timberline HDZ the CRRC rating applies only to Copper Canyon, Birchwood and Golden Amber, so standard Barkwood, Hickory and Mission Brown have no published solar reflectance.
| Product and color | CRRC ID | Solar reflectance | Thermal emittance | SRI | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CertainTeed Landmark Solaris Burnt Sienna | 0668-0153 | 0.20 aged | 0.92 | 20 | CertainTeed data sheet 00-04-1122, 03/26 |
| CertainTeed Landmark Solaris Heather Blend | 0668-0117 | 0.20 aged | 0.92 | 20 | Same |
| CertainTeed Landmark Solaris Resawn Shake | 0668-0118 | 0.20 aged | 0.93 | 20 | Same |
| CertainTeed Landmark Solaris Mojave Tan | 0668-0115 | 0.20 aged | 0.90 | 19 | Same (not listed as meeting LA County Title 31) |
| CertainTeed Landmark Solaris High Index Redwood Canyon | 0668-0165 | 0.24 initial, 0.23 aged | 0.91 | 24 initial, 26 aged | Sell sheet 00-04-5731 (01/26); data sheet 03/26 |
| CertainTeed Landmark PRO Solaris Max Def Heather Blend | 0668-0123 | 0.19 aged | 0.94 | 20 | Data sheet 03/26 |
| GAF Timberline HDZ RS Hickory | 0676-0138a | 0.21 initial (aged pending) | 0.92 | 21 | GAF ratings sheet, updated 9-24-2026 |
| GAF Timberline HDZ RS Aged Chestnut | 0676-0130b | 0.21 initial (aged pending) | 0.92 | 21 | Same |
| GAF Grand Sequoia RS Forest Brown | 0676-0140b | 0.22 initial (aged pending) | 0.92 | 23 initial, 21 Title 24 aged | Same |
| Malarkey Vista Sienna Blend | 0850-0025 | 0.21 initial, 0.20 weathered | 0.92 | 21 initial, 20 weathered | Malarkey Vista data sheet, eff. 02/26 |
| Malarkey Highlander Cool Burlwood | 0850-0057 | Not shown on chart | Not shown | 22 (3-year) | Malarkey CRRC chart, 09/25 |
One older label is no longer a valid shortcut. EPA ended ENERGY STAR certification for roof products on June 1, 2022, so a brown shingle advertised as “ENERGY STAR” is quoting a retired program; the CRRC Rated Products Directory is the current reference. Our solar reflective shingles guide covers cool lines in other colors.
Can you use brown shingles under California’s cool-roof rules?
Yes, if the brown is CRRC-rated and meets the minimums. California’s 2025 Energy Code, effective January 1, 2026, requires single-family steep-slope reroofs in Climate Zones 4 and 8 to 15 to use a product with an aged solar reflectance of at least 0.20 and thermal emittance of 0.75, or an SRI of at least 16. A standard brown, defaulted to 0.08, does not qualify.
| Rule | Applies to | Climate zones | Minimum | Brown colors that clear it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy Code Sec. 150.1(c)11A | New single-family, steep slope | 10 to 15 | Aged SR 0.20 + TE 0.75, or SRI 16 | All CRRC-rated browns in the table above |
| Energy Code Sec. 150.2(b)1Ii | Single-family reroof, steep slope | 4, 8 to 15 | Aged SR 0.20 + TE 0.75, or SRI 16 | Same |
| Energy Code Sec. 10-113(a) | Any product used for compliance | All | Package label showing emittance and initial and 3-year aged reflectance | Check the bundle wrapper on delivery |
| Los Angeles County Title 31 | Steep-slope residential | LA County | SRI of 20 or greater (per Malarkey’s CRRC chart note) | Burnt Sienna, Heather Blend, Resawn Shake, Redwood Canyon; not Solaris Mojave Tan (SRI 19) |
Sec. 150.2(b)1Ii lists four equivalent paths that remove the cool-roof requirement on a reroof: ceiling insulation of at least R-38 (or a U-factor of 0.025 or lower), an attic radiant barrier, no attic ducts in Climate Zones 2, 4, 9, 10, 12 and 14, or R-2 or greater continuous insulation at the roof deck. If one applies, a standard Barkwood or Brownwood can still be installed; confirm with the local building department before ordering.
Will algae streaks show on a brown roof?
Algae streaks on asphalt roofs are dark blue-green to black, so they contrast less with a dark brown such as Barkwood or Brownwood than with a light gray, but they still show on medium browns and tans. Every major brown line now ships with an algae-resistant granule package carrying a 25-year limited warranty, which matters more than the color choice.
| Line | Algae technology | Warranty term | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAF Timberline HDZ and HDZ RS | StainGuard Plus (time-release algae-fighting granules) | 25 years | Only on packages bearing the StainGuard Plus logo |
| Owens Corning TruDefinition Duration | StreakGuard (copper-lined granules) | 25 years | Per Duration spec table; see warranty |
| CertainTeed Landmark | StreakFighter | 25 years | “Where available” on Solaris; listed on Landmark regional sell sheets 00-04-293 and 00-04-291 |
If streaks appear outside warranty coverage, ARMA, GAF and Owens Corning guidance is a bleach-and-water mix left 15 to 20 minutes, then a low-pressure rinse; pressure washing strips granules. ARMA does not recommend retrofitting zinc or copper strips on an existing roof. Step-by-step instructions are in our asphalt roof cleaning guide, and regional risk is mapped in our algae streaks guide.
What house colors go with a brown roof?
Brown roofs pair with warm exteriors: tan and beige siding, cream trim, red or orange brick, and natural stone. GAF’s color guide describes brown as earthy shades that let “other colors on a home appear richer and brighter,” and CertainTeed describes Redwood Canyon as pairing with “stone, wood, brick, and warm-toned exteriors.” The pairings below are editorial guidance built from those maker descriptions.
| Exterior | Brown direction | Maker colors to sample | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beige or tan stucco | Mid to dark brown | OC Teak, CertainTeed Mojave Tan, GAF Shakewood | IKO’s color guide pairs beige or tan stucco with “brown, red or warm grey shingles” |
| Red or orange brick | Dark brown with red or orange granules | OC Brownwood, CertainTeed Burnt Sienna, Redwood Canyon | A brown that matches the brick exactly can flatten the facade; compare full-size shingles against the wall |
| Natural stone or wood siding | Dark brown blend | GAF Barkwood or Chestnut Valley, IKO Shadow Brown, TAMKO Black Walnut | Stone with gray veining may suit a gray-brown such as Weathered Wood better |
| White or cream siding | Dark brown for contrast | GAF Mission Brown, OC Brownwood | Bronze or brown gutters and drip edge keep the edge line consistent |
| Blue-gray or cool gray siding | Usually not brown | Consider charcoal or gray instead | Editorial view: a warm brown roof over cool gray siding mixes two undertones, so sample both against the wall |
Homeowners associations and historic districts can restrict roof color by written rule, so request the HOA’s approved palette in writing before signing a contract and name the exact product on the request, for example Owens Corning TruDefinition Duration in Brownwood. For whole-market color data, see our most popular roof colors report.
Brown vs black shingles: which is better?
Brown and black shingles cost the same within a line and carry the same wind, impact and algae warranties, so the choice comes down to heat and the house. In CertainTeed’s cool line, Landmark Solaris Moire Black has an aged solar reflectance of 0.18 and SRI 17, while Burnt Sienna has 0.20 and SRI 20; only Burnt Sienna is listed as meeting LA County Title 31.
| Factor | Dark brown | Black | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installed price, architectural | $5 to $8 per sq ft | $5 to $8 per sq ft | Roofing Brief 2026 cost report |
| Cool-line aged SR (CertainTeed Solaris) | Burnt Sienna 0.20 | Moire Black 0.18 | CertainTeed 00-04-1122, 03/26 |
| Cool-line SRI (CertainTeed Solaris) | 20 | 17 | Same |
| LA County Title 31 (Solaris) | Yes | No | Same |
| Darkest reflective option (GAF claim) | HDZ RS Hickory, SRI 21 | HDZ RS Charcoal, SRI 21, which GAF calls the darkest highly reflective shingle color available | GAF HDZ RS page and ratings sheet, 2026 |
| Algae warranty | 25 years | 25 years | Maker product pages |
The black side of this comparison, including attic-heat figures, is on our black shingles guide.
Which brown shingle should you pick?
Match the brown to the code first (an aged SR of 0.20 or SRI 16 in California Climate Zones 4 and 8 to 15), then the weather (UL 2218 Class 4 for hail), then the house. The decision table maps common situations to specific lines and colors from the maker documents above.
| If your situation is | Then pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| California reroof in Climate Zone 4 or 8 to 15 with no exception path | CertainTeed Landmark Solaris Burnt Sienna or Heather Blend, GAF HDZ RS Hickory or Aged Chestnut, Malarkey Vista Sienna Blend | CRRC-rated, SRI 20 to 21, above the SRI 16 minimum |
| Los Angeles County steep-slope home | Redwood Canyon (SRI 26 aged) or Burnt Sienna (SRI 20) | Title 31 needs SRI 20 or more; Solaris Mojave Tan (19) falls short |
| Hail-prone area where an insurer credits Class 4 | Malarkey Vista Sienna Blend | Vista is UL 2218 Class 4; Landmark, Dynasty and HDZ RS are Class 3 |
| High-wind coast | GAF Timberline HDZ in Barkwood or Hickory with the WindProven system | WindProven has no maximum wind speed with LayerLock shingles plus 4 qualifying GAF accessories |
| Want a deeper, higher-contrast brown | GAF Chestnut Valley | GAF positions it as the Bold Definition version of Barkwood |
| Budget reroof or outbuilding | A 3-tab brown such as Owens Corning Supreme Autumn Brown | 3-tab baseline $4 to $6 per sq ft; one supplier lists Supreme AR at a 25-year limited warranty and 60 mph wind rating |
How to choose and order a brown shingle color
- Look up your climate zone if you are in California; if it is 4 or 8 to 15, shortlist only CRRC-rated browns unless your home meets an exception in Sec. 150.2(b)1Ii.
- Get the HOA or historic-district palette in writing and strike any brown it does not list.
- Ask your supplier which browns it stocks for your region; CertainTeed’s Northeast Landmark palette, for example, offers Burnt Sienna, Heather Blend and Resawn Shake but not Mojave Tan.
- Lay out full-size shingles in daylight; GAF advises seeing “several full-size shingles,” and Malarkey says five or six shingles should be laid out before installation.
- Order matching hip and ridge caps in the same color; Home Depot’s brown shingle listing in October 2026 includes Brownwood algae-resistant hip and ridge shingles.
- Write the maker, line, color and any CRRC ID into the contract, then check the bundle wrapper on delivery against it.
- Register the warranty with the maker after installation so the 25-year algae coverage and any upgraded wind warranty are on file.
Frequently asked questions
Are brown shingles more expensive?
No. Within one product line, brown shingles cost the same as gray or black because color comes from the granule blend. The Roofing Brief 2026 baseline is $5 to $8 per square foot installed for architectural asphalt in any color, and $4 to $6 for 3-tab. A 25-square roof in architectural brown runs about $12,500 to $20,000 at those rates.
What is the darkest shingle?
Makers do not publish a darkness rating, but their blackest names are Owens Corning Onyx Black, CertainTeed Moire Black and GAF Charcoal. Among reflective shingles, GAF says Timberline HDZ RS Charcoal is the darkest highly reflective color available, with an SRI of 21. For browns, the deepest names include GAF Chestnut Valley, which GAF calls its Bold version of Barkwood.
Do they make brown shingles?
Yes. Every major U.S. maker sells brown asphalt shingles: GAF Barkwood, Hickory and Mission Brown; Owens Corning Brownwood and Teak; CertainTeed Burnt Sienna, Heather Blend and Resawn Shake; IKO Shadow Brown and Brownstone; Malarkey Sienna Blend; and TAMKO Rustic Hickory and Black Walnut. Availability varies by region, so confirm the local palette with your supplier.
Are brown shingles good?
Brown shingles perform the same as other colors in the same line, with identical wind, impact and 25-year algae warranties. Their one weakness is heat: a standard brown is assumed to reflect only 8 percent of sunlight under California code. In hot climates, a CRRC-rated brown such as CertainTeed Landmark Solaris Burnt Sienna (aged SR 0.20) cuts absorbed solar energy by about 13 percent.
Are brown or black shingles better?
Neither is better on price or warranty. Brown has a small heat edge in cool lines: CertainTeed Landmark Solaris Burnt Sienna has an aged solar reflectance of 0.20 and SRI 20, while Moire Black has 0.18 and SRI 17, and only Burnt Sienna meets LA County Title 31. Black suits cool gray, white and blue exteriors; brown suits brick, stone and tan.
Is brown a good color for a roof?
Brown works well on homes with warm exteriors such as tan or beige siding, red brick and natural stone. GAF describes brown as letting other colors on a home appear richer and brighter. In California Climate Zones 4 and 8 to 15, choose a CRRC-rated brown for a reroof unless your home meets an exception, such as R-38 ceiling insulation.
Are brown shingles in style?
Makers are still adding browns. CertainTeed added High Index Redwood Canyon, a sienna-brown and iron-red blend, to Landmark Solaris in January 2026. Owens Corning’s 2027 Shingle Color of the Year, Summer Harvest, blends sunny gold, cool blue and burnt sienna. GAF’s Bold Definition collection added Chestnut Valley, its deeper take on Barkwood.