Search interest is the clearest early read on what homeowners are considering before they call a contractor, and in 2026 it tells a very different story than what is actually going on roofs. Metal roofing dominates roofing search demand, drawing an estimated 60,500 US searches a month for the head term alone (Skoatch 2025 keyword study), yet metal holds only about 17% to 18% of the residential installed market (Metal Roofing Alliance and FMI, 2023). Asphalt shingles are the reverse: roughly 73% to 81% of roofs (ARMA via Freedonia Group, 2023 to 2024) but flatter, lower aspirational search volume. That gap between what people search and what they install is the real trend, and it is widening.
This report ranks roofing materials by search demand, marks which are rising and falling, and cross-checks every search signal against installed market share and shipment data so the numbers mean something. Where a figure is a keyword-tool estimate rather than a hard count, we say so.
Key findings: which roofing materials are rising and falling in 2026
- Metal roofing leads search demand by a wide margin, near 60,500 US monthly searches for the head term (Skoatch 2025), and it is rising: the segment is forecast to grow around 7.4% CAGR (MarketDataForecast 2025) with 19% shipment growth projected for 2024 to 2028 (FMI via MRA 2024).
- Asphalt shingle search interest is high in aggregate but flat, spread across terms like “roof shingles” (about 28,000/mo) and “roofing shingles” (about 16,000/mo) per Hook Agency 2025, matching its stable, dominant installed share.
- Integrated solar roofing search is cooling at the consumer level. Tesla Solar Roof deployments fell to roughly 223 MW in 2023, down about 36% year over year, after which Tesla stopped reporting the figure (CleanTechnica 2025; Roofing Contractor 2024), and the product was described as “on life support” in 2026 (Electrek 2026).
- TPO is the rising material on the commercial side, holding roughly 37% to 41% of the single-ply market and taking share from modified bitumen (myCLEARopinion 2025; Stratview Research 2024).
- The search-to-install gap is the headline: metal roofing generates several times more head-term search interest than its installed share would predict, while asphalt installs far more than its aspirational search volume suggests. Search demand is a leading, research-phase signal that overweights premium and durable materials.
Roofing material search demand ranking (2026)
This table ranks residential roofing materials by estimated US head-term monthly search volume, then marks each material’s multi-year direction using market shipment and CAGR data as a cross-check. Search volumes are keyword-tool estimates derived from Google Keyword Planner data, not exact counts, and shift with the exact phrase measured.
| Rank | Material (head search term) | Est. US monthly searches | Direction | Cross-check (installed / shipment signal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Metal roofing | ~60,500 (Skoatch 2025) | Rising | 7.4% CAGR forecast (MarketDataForecast 2025); 19% shipment growth 2024 to 2028 (FMI/MRA 2024) |
| 2 | Roof / asphalt shingles | ~28,000 for “roof shingles” (Hook Agency 2025) | Stable | 73% to 81% installed share (ARMA/Freedonia 2023 to 2024) |
| 3 | Metal roof (variant) | ~21,000 (Hook Agency 2025) | Rising | 17% to 18% residential share, growing (MRA/FMI 2023) |
| 4 | Tile roof | ~14,000 (Skoatch 2025) | Stable | Single-digit to low-teens share, regionally concentrated (2023 to 2024) |
| 5 | Rubber / EPDM roofing | ~7,700 (Hook Agency 2025) | Stable | Chief product for 24% of single-ply contractors (myCLEARopinion 2025) |
| 6 | Corrugated metal roofing | ~5,900 (Hook Agency 2025) | Rising | Steel is about 82% of residential metal (MRA/FMI 2024) |
| 7 | Tin roofing | ~4,200 (Hook Agency 2025) | Stable | Legacy term for steel panels; folds into metal growth |
| 8 | Slate roofing | ~1,200 (Hook Agency 2025) | Niche/stable | Low single-digit share; synthetic slate taking aspirational demand (2026 trade reporting) |
| 9 | Solar shingles | Below top head terms; not ranked in 2025 keyword tables | Cooling | Solar shingle market ~5.1% CAGR (GMI 2024); Tesla Solar Roof deployments down ~36% in 2023 (Roofing Contractor 2024) |
Why is metal roofing search demand rising so fast?
Metal roofing search demand is rising because durability, insurance pressure, and severe weather have turned it into the material homeowners research first, even when they ultimately install asphalt. Reported metal-roofing demand climbed sharply into 2025, with industry reporting citing a surge of roughly 35% in demand between 2024 and 2025 (Central States 2025), and the metal segment carries the highest forecast growth rate in residential roofing at about 7.4% CAGR (MarketDataForecast 2025).
The drivers are concrete. Billion-dollar climate disasters rose from 2015 to 2022, pushing interest toward materials that survive hail and high wind (Metal Roofing Alliance research). FORTIFIED roof programs, insurance incentives, and new building requirements in storm-exposed states add further pull. Metal is also marketed as “the last roof you install,” which is exactly the framing that generates research-phase searches years before a replacement.
The search-to-install gap matters here. A material can lead search volume while trailing in installs because search captures aspiration and early research, while install data captures budget reality. Metal’s up-front cost, often 2 to 3 times asphalt per square, is where much of that aspirational demand converts back to asphalt at the quoting stage. For the price side of that decision, see our roof cost per square foot breakdown and the 2026 Roofing Cost Report.
Which roofing materials are falling or cooling in search interest?
The clearest cooling category is integrated solar roofing at the consumer level, driven by the retreat of the flagship product. Tesla Solar Roof deployments fell to about 223 MW in 2023, down roughly 36% from 348 MW in 2022, after which Tesla removed solar deployment figures from its earnings entirely (CleanTechnica 2025; Roofing Contractor 2024). By 2026 the product was reported as “on life support” as Tesla pivoted back to conventional panels (Electrek 2026).
Solar shingles as a category are not collapsing, but growth has decelerated. The solar shingle market is projected to expand at roughly 5.1% CAGR through the mid-2030s (GMInsights 2024), slower than the double-digit rates once forecast, as high interest rates and the end of California net metering weighed on demand. Search interest in “solar shingles” sits well below the head terms for metal and asphalt in 2025 keyword tables.
Traditional cedar shake is the other quiet decliner. Industry reporting in 2026 describes a shift toward composite and synthetic products that mimic shake and slate while offering higher fire and wind ratings (trade reporting, 2026). Search demand appears to be migrating from the natural material toward its synthetic look-alikes rather than disappearing.
Commercial roofing search demand: TPO keeps taking share
On the commercial low-slope side, TPO is the rising system and continues to take share from older assemblies. Thermoplastic polyolefin holds roughly 37% to 41% of the single-ply market and is the chief product for about 37% of single-ply contractors (myCLEARopinion 2025; Stratview Research 2024). The single-ply category overall is forecast to grow at about 4.5% to 7.7% CAGR depending on the source (Stratview 2024; Mordor Intelligence 2025).
Commercial search behavior differs from residential. Building owners and contractors search by system and spec (TPO, PVC, EPDM, modified bitumen) rather than by aspiration, so search volumes are lower and more transactional. TPO’s gains come largely at the expense of bituminous roofing, helped by faster installation amid a persistent skilled-labor shortage and lower cooling costs in warm climates (Stratview 2024). EPDM and PVC remain the chief products for about 24% and 28% of single-ply contractors respectively (myCLEARopinion 2025).
Search demand versus reality: the gap homeowners and marketers miss
Search demand consistently overweights premium, durable materials relative to what gets installed, and 2026 is the widest version of that gap yet. Metal roofing draws head-term search volume several times larger than its roughly 17% to 18% installed residential share would predict, while asphalt shingles hold 73% to 81% of installed roofs on flatter aspirational search (MRA/FMI 2023; ARMA/Freedonia 2023 to 2024). A 2024 homeowner survey found about 47% of respondents installed asphalt in the prior five years versus nearly 13% who installed metal (Roofing Contractor 2024), a ratio far more asphalt-heavy than search interest alone implies.
The practical read is that search interest is a leading indicator of consideration, not a snapshot of the market. Metal, synthetic slate, and composite shake win the research phase; asphalt wins the install because of price and supply. For contractors, that means metal queries are high-intent but low-conversion without a price-anchored pitch, and asphalt remains the volume business. For the full installed-base picture behind these search signals, see our roofing material market share report, and to act on rising metal demand, our guide to finding metal roofing contractors and standing seam specialists.
Methodology and limitations
This report triangulates three data types rather than relying on a single Google Trends draw. Head-term monthly search volumes are keyword-tool estimates (Skoatch 2025; Hook Agency 2025) derived from Google Keyword Planner data, which vary by exact phrase and update cycle and should be read as ranges, not precise counts. Direction labels (Rising, Stable, Cooling) are assigned by cross-checking search signals against installed share and shipment or CAGR forecasts from named market sources, so a material is only marked “Rising” when both search and shipment data agree.
Two limitations matter. First, the US Census Bureau does not publish a national roofing-material statistic, so all installed-share percentages are Tier 2 market-research estimates, not federal counts. Second, search volume conflates research, repair, and replacement intent, so absolute numbers overstate active buyers. Figures that could not be sourced to a named provider and year were omitted rather than estimated.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most searched roofing material in 2026?
Metal roofing is the most searched residential roofing material in 2026, with an estimated 60,500 US searches a month for the head term (Skoatch 2025). It leads asphalt shingle terms and tile roof searches by a wide margin, even though metal holds only about 17% to 18% of the installed residential market (MRA/FMI 2023). The gap reflects aspirational research demand that often converts back to asphalt at the quoting stage.
Is metal roofing demand actually growing or just hype?
Both search and shipment data point to real growth. The metal segment carries the highest forecast growth rate in residential roofing at about 7.4% CAGR (MarketDataForecast 2025), with 19% shipment growth projected for 2024 to 2028 (FMI via MRA 2024). Industry reporting cited a demand surge near 35% between 2024 and 2025 (Central States 2025). Growth is genuine, though installs still trail search interest.
Why is solar roofing search interest falling?
Consumer interest in integrated solar roofing cooled as the flagship product retreated. Tesla Solar Roof deployments fell about 36% in 2023 to roughly 223 MW, after which Tesla stopped reporting the number (CleanTechnica 2025), and the product was described as “on life support” by 2026 (Electrek 2026). High interest rates and the end of California net metering added pressure. Solar shingles overall still grow near 5.1% CAGR, just slower than once forecast (GMInsights 2024).
Which commercial roofing material is gaining the most?
TPO is the fastest-gaining commercial roofing system in 2026, holding roughly 37% to 41% of the single-ply market and serving as the chief product for about 37% of single-ply contractors (myCLEARopinion 2025; Stratview Research 2024). It takes share mainly from modified bitumen, helped by faster installation during a skilled-labor shortage and lower cooling costs in warm climates.
Does high search volume mean a material is widely installed?
No. Search volume measures consideration and research, not installs. Metal roofing draws far more head-term search interest than its roughly 17% to 18% installed share predicts, while asphalt shingles hold 73% to 81% of roofs on flatter search demand (MRA/FMI 2023; ARMA/Freedonia 2023 to 2024). Search interest is best read as a leading indicator of what homeowners are weighing, not a market-share snapshot.
Reviewed by The Roofing Brief Team. Last reviewed July 2026.