You’ve seen “Class 4” on estimates, on yard signs and in ads that promise an insurance discount. It’s a real rating with a real test behind it, and the discount is real too, with a catch or two that nobody puts on the yard sign. Here’s what the rating means, what it doesn’t, and how to decide whether it belongs on your roof.
What the Class 4 rating actually tests
The rating comes from a standard called UL 2218, run by Underwriters Laboratories. The test drops steel balls onto a shingle sample from a set height and then checks whether the shingle cracked.
The four classes step up in size and height. Class 1 is a 1.25-inch ball from 12 feet. Class 2 is a 1.5-inch ball from 15 feet. Class 3 is a 1.75-inch ball from 17 feet. Class 4 is a 2-inch steel ball dropped from 20 feet, roughly the energy of a large, damaging hailstone. To earn Class 4, the shingle is struck twice in the same spot on two separate samples and must show no cracking, splitting or rupture on the top or the underside.
Two things to take from that. First, Class 4 is the highest rating available, and Class 3 is a meaningful step below it. Second, the test measures whether the shingle cracks, which is what lets water in. It does not measure cosmetic denting. A Class 4 roof can come through a storm with marks on it and still be doing its job.
How they’re built
Standard asphalt shingles are a fiberglass mat coated in asphalt and covered in granules. Impact-resistant shingles modify the asphalt itself with polymers, which is why you’ll hear them called rubberized or SBS-modified. The result is a shingle that flexes and absorbs a hit instead of cracking, and that holds its granules better over time, which also slows the sun’s wear on the roof.
We install two manufacturers’ impact-resistant lines. Malarkey’s Vista and Legacy shingles carry the Class 4 rating and are built on Malarkey’s NEX polymer-modified asphalt; their Highlander line is Class 3. Owens Corning’s Duration FLEX is a Class 4 shingle built on SBS polymer-modified asphalt. Riddle Brothers is a Malarkey Emerald Pro contractor and an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor, which matters for the warranty conversation later.
The insurance discount is real, and your insurer sets it
Texas insurers commonly offer a premium discount for a roof with a UL 2218 Class 3 or Class 4 rating, because it lowers the odds they’ll be paying for hail damage. Where roofing ads go wrong is quoting a percentage. There is no statewide discount in Texas. Each insurance company decides whether it offers a credit at all and how big it is, and the answer for your policy depends on your carrier, your policy form and sometimes your county.
So the sequence matters. Before you choose the shingle, call your agent and ask three questions. Does this policy offer a discount for a Class 4 roof, and how much? What documentation do you need, and from whom? And does taking the discount change anything else about my coverage?
That last question is the one most homeowners don’t ask. Some carriers pair the impact-resistant discount with a cosmetic damage exclusion. That means if hail dents the roof without causing it to leak, the dents are on you. For a lot of homeowners that trade is still worth it, since the whole point of the shingle is that it won’t leak, but it should be a decision you make on purpose.
On documentation, most carriers want the manufacturer’s spec sheet showing the UL 2218 rating and a completion certificate or letter from the roofer confirming what was installed. We provide both on every Class 4 install.
What a Class 4 roof won’t do
It won’t make your roof hail-proof. Nothing does. A big enough stone at the wrong angle will damage any roof covering ever made, and a Class 4 roof after a severe storm still needs an inspection. What the rating buys you is a much better chance of coming through the ordinary DFW hail season, the one-inch and 1.5-inch storms that total ordinary roofs across whole neighborhoods, with a roof that’s still sealed.
It also won’t extend the manufacturer’s warranty against hail. Shingle warranties cover manufacturing defects, and hail is weather. The value of Class 4 shows up in fewer claims, fewer deductibles paid, a longer-lasting roof and the premium discount, rather than in the warranty paperwork.
When the upgrade pencils out
The math works best when you’re replacing the roof anyway. The impact-resistant shingle costs more per square than the standard architectural version of the same line, but the step-up is a fraction of the whole job, since the labor, tear-off, underlayment and everything else stays the same. Against that you get a premium discount that runs every year for the life of the roof, a roof that holds its granules longer in the Texas sun, and a better chance of skipping the next hail claim and the deductible that comes with it.
It’s a harder case if your roof has plenty of life left and nothing’s wrong with it. Tearing off a sound roof to install a Class 4 one rarely makes sense on the numbers alone. Have it inspected, and when its time comes, upgrade then.
Ask us to quote both
On every replacement estimate we’ll show you the standard architectural shingle and the Class 4 version side by side, with the difference in the price broken out so you can take it to your agent and do the math on the discount. You decide, with the numbers in front of you.
Quick answers about Class 4 shingles in Texas
Are Class 4 shingles hail-proof?
No. They’re rated to resist cracking from a 2-inch steel ball dropped from 20 feet, which covers most DFW hail. Severe storms can still damage them, and any roof should be inspected after one.
Will my insurance company give me a discount?
Many Texas carriers do, and the amount varies by company. Call your agent before you choose the shingle and ask what the discount is and what documentation they need.
How much more do Class 4 shingles cost?
More per square than standard architectural shingles from the same line, but a small share of the total replacement cost since the labor and everything under the shingles doesn’t change. We’ll quote both so you can see the exact difference on your roof.
What’s the difference between Class 3 and Class 4?
Class 3 is tested with a 1.75-inch ball from 17 feet, Class 4 with a 2-inch ball from 20 feet. Class 4 is the highest rating and the one most often named in insurer discount programs.
Do I need a certificate for the discount?
Usually. Most carriers want the manufacturer’s product documentation showing the UL 2218 rating and confirmation from the roofer of what was installed. We provide both.
Rooted in Rowlett since 2013
Riddle Brothers has been on North Texas roofs since 2013, based in Rowlett and working across Rockwall, Garland, Wylie and the greater DFW area. The owners are still on the jobs. Book your free inspection or call (214) 884-8346, and we’ll quote your roof both ways.
