DECRA Shingle XD vs Shake XD: Which DECRA Profile Suits Your Roof?

DECRA Shingle XD vs Shake XD is a choice between two of the five profiles on DECRA’s 2023 specifications sheet. Both panels fasten straight to the roof deck. They differ in look and in minimum roof pitch (4:12 means the roof rises 4 inches for every 12 inches of horizontal run), and DECRA’s guide specifications list them at different steel gauges and weights. None of the DECRA documents cited here ranks one above the other, so the look you want and your roof’s pitch decide it.

A profile is DECRA’s word for a panel style, and every DECRA profile is stone-coated steel roofing: steel panels with a stone chip finish.

DECRA’s five profiles at a glance

DECRA’s homeowner site shows five profiles. The figures below come from its 2023 specifications sheet (the spec sheet), the look labels from its product pages and the installation row from its blog. A square is 100 square feet of roof.

DECRA no longer shows Shingle Plus among the profiles on its homeowner site.

DECRA Shingle XD vs Shake XD, side by side

DECRA’s post on battens and direct-to-deck installation groups them this way: “Achieve the aesthetics of Spanish barrel-style tile, architectural asphalt shingles or hand-split wood shake with DECRA Villa Tile, DECRA Shingle XD, and DECRA Shake XD, all of which are installed direct-to-deck.”

Shingle XD: the thick-cut shingle look

DECRA’s Shingle XD page describes it as “The depth and dimension of architectural shingles with the durability of stone-coated steel.” ICC-ES describes the panel: “The Shingle XD™ panel has a step that forms two courses of raised and lowered sections that form a series of rectangular shingle shapes.”

Of DECRA’s five profiles, it is the only one with a 4:12 minimum pitch. Its guide specification (March 2024) lists the panel at 28 gauge (0.0149 inch) and 140 pounds per 100 square feet installed. The Shingle XD and Shake XD guide specifications list the same UL 2218 Class 4 impact resistance. For shingle looks in general, see metal roofing that looks like shingles.

Shake XD: the hand-split shake look

DECRA’s shake page says “The DECRA Shake XD line of stone-coated metal roofing products provides the rustic tones and architectural details of hand-split wood shake roofs”. ICC-ES describes the panel: “The Shake XD™ panel has impressions forming individual irregular shake shapes across the panel with alternating heights and lengths.”

Its guide specification (March 2024) sets a 3:12 minimum and lists the panel at 26 gauge (0.0179 inch) and 150 pounds per 100 square feet installed.

DECRA Shake vs Shake XD

DECRA makes two shake profiles, and the main difference is how they go on. DECRA labels DECRA Shake “Richness of Cedar Shake” and Shake XD “Rustic Appeal of Hand-Split Shake”.

DECRA Shake fastens to battens fixed across the deck. Its guide specification (March 2024) calls for 2 by 2 inch battens, and ICC-ES report ESR-2901 (reissued September 2025) covers it. Shake XD fastens straight to the deck under ESR-1754.

• Panel size. DECRA Shake is 14⅝ × 53 inches, 22.4 panels per square; Shake XD is 14⅛ × 52⅛ inches, 23.4 (spec sheet).
• Pitch and gauge. Both need at least 3:12, and both guide specifications list 26 gauge.
• Weight. 150 lb per square for both on the spec sheet and guide specifications; ESR-2901 gives approximately 1.5 psf for batten systems, ESR-1754 1.3 psf.

DECRA’s blog post says “neither method is universally better than the other”, then matches each to a kind of roof. For a complex roof with dormers and valleys, it says direct to deck will likely be the better option; for a roof-over (new roofing over the old), battens are usually preferred, because the batten grid gives a level surface. DECRA’s XD installation guide adds: “XD panels are not designed to be installed over irregular surfaces.” For shake looks in general, see stone-coated steel with a wood shake look.

If you like both shake looks, call RISE Roofing at (832) 224-3435 and ask which installation method suits your roof. We are open 24/7.

DECRA’s two tile profiles

DECRA’s other two profiles are tiles. Villa Tile, which DECRA calls “Spanish-Style Barrel Tile”, goes direct to the deck; DECRA Tile, its “Mediterranean-Style Scalloped Tile”, goes on battens. The Villa Tile roof in Rustico Clay that RISE installed on a ranch in Refugio, Texas, shown at the top of this page, was a finalist for DECRA’s 2025 Project of the Year. Our metal tile roof guide covers both tile profiles.

Which DECRA profiles your roof pitch allows

Check the flattest section of your roof, not only the main slopes.

• 4:12 or steeper: all five DECRA profiles.
• 3:12 to just under 4:12: every DECRA profile except Shingle XD. Tilcor’s shingle-look CF Shingle (covered below) lists a 3/12 minimum, the same as 3:12.
• 2:12 up to the profile’s minimum: DECRA treats the panels as decorative. DECRA’s Shingle XD, Shake XD and Shake guide specifications say they “must be installed over a roof covering system in accordance with the local building code.”
• Below 2:12: DECRA’s XD installation guide says: “Anything below 2:12 should be prohibited even though it is considered decorative.”

DECRA Shingle XD, Shake XD and DECRA Shake colors

These are the colors on DECRA’s product pages as of October 2026. DECRA marks its made-to-order colors with an asterisk and notes: “Please note these colors are MTO (made to order) and production times may be extended”.

DECRA Shingle XD colors

Classic Cobblestone, Midnight Eclipse, Natural Slate and Old Hickory, plus Woodland Green made to order.

DECRA Shake XD colors

Antique Chestnut and Pinnacle Grey, plus Midnight Eclipse and Woodland Green made to order.

DECRA Shake colors

Charcoal, Chestnut, Granite Grey, Shadowood and Weathered Timber, plus Woodland Green made to order.

DECRA warns that “roof colors and color swatches may vary slightly from the actual product”, so choose from a sample rather than a screen.

DECRA’s cool color page says its three cool-roof colors, Royal Oak, Mist Grey and Spanish Clay, are “Available on all DECRA Metal Roofing profiles”, though none appears among the product-page swatches, and that “you should expect increased lead time and cost.”

How the panels fasten, and the code reports behind them

An ICC-ES evaluation report checks a product against named building codes and sets the conditions for installing it. DECRA’s direct-to-deck profiles (Villa Tile, Shingle XD and Shake XD) are covered by ESR-1754 (reissued November 2025), and its batten profiles (Tile and Shake) by ESR-2901 (reissued September 2025).

ESR-1754 has the XD panels installed “directly on minimum 15/32-inch-thick (11.9 mm) plywood or on solid sheathing complying with the applicable code.” DECRA’s XD installation guide also requires one layer of underlayment, the water-resistant layer under the panels. The panels are non-combustible, and the reports give Class A, B or C fire ratings depending on the underlayment or barrier board beneath them; Class A applies only with the specific layers the reports name.

Both reports allow these profiles over existing asphalt shingles when the roof meets the reports’ slope limits and the building code’s reroofing rules, and RISE can install DECRA over a single layer of sound asphalt shingles where the code allows; our guide to installing DECRA over existing shingles has the conditions. In the Texas windstorm designated catastrophe area (14 coastal counties and parts of Harris County east of Highway 146), RISE requires a tear-off first; that is our own practice, not a rule of the Texas Department of Insurance, the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association or DECRA.

Tilcor’s shake and shingle profiles

Tilcor is the other stone-coated steel line RISE is certified to install. Its maker, Ross Roof Group of New Zealand, was bought in 2021 by IKO, DECRA’s parent company. IKO’s July 2025 press release says its plant in Ennis, Texas makes “stone-coated metal roofing in tile, shake, and shingle profiles under the DECRA® and Tilcor brands.” DECRA’s ICC-ES reports list Corona, California as the place of manufacture.

Tilcor’s US product line has four profiles: CF Shake, CF Shingle, Craftsman Shake and Antica, a tile. CF stands for “Concealed Fastening”, Tilcor’s name for its fastening system. The product pages list all three shake and shingle profiles at a 3/12 minimum pitch and 20 tiles (panels) per square.

Tilcor CF Shake

Tilcor’s headline for CF Shake is the “Rustic charm of traditional shake”, and it says: “Its deep-ribbed profile enhances the shadow lines and creates visual contrast.” Its 2020 flyer lists it for “Direct to Deck or Battens”.

Tilcor CF Shingle

Tilcor says CF Shingle was “specifically designed for the North American market to resemble the look of traditional Asphalt Shingles”. Its CF installation guide says: “CF Shingle can be installed over one layer of asphalt shingles if allowed by local code.”

Tilcor Craftsman Shake

In Tilcor’s words: “Tilcor’s Craftsman Shake textured tiles feature the wood-grain appearance of traditional shake.”

What affects the price of a DECRA Shingle XD or Shake XD roof

We do not print prices here; the number depends on your roof. These things move a quote:

• Profile. Panel counts differ by profile (see the tables above), and DECRA’s estimating sheets add a waste allowance; the Shingle XD and Shake XD sheets use the same allowance. DECRA Shake and DECRA Tile also go on battens, which DECRA’s Tile and Shake estimating sheet lists as a separate material. No DECRA document cited here compares the installed price of one profile with another.
• Roof size and shape. A bigger roof takes more panels, and hips, valleys, dormers and walls mean more cuts and trim.
• Tear-off or over the shingles. DECRA’s blog says roof-overs “can save money on time, labor and disposal expenses when compared to a complete roof tear-off.” Where the code rules that out, the old roof comes off, and in the Texas windstorm area RISE tears it off as its own practice.
• Trim and accessories. DECRA’s Shingle XD estimating sheet lists hip and ridge pieces, starter clips, rake and valley trim, flashing and vents separately from the panels.
• Color. Made-to-order and cool-roof colors can take longer, and DECRA says cool-roof colors add cost.

For numbers, our stone-coated steel roofing cost page covers pricing and the roof cost calculator gives a starting estimate for your roof.

What RISE installs

RISE Roofing is certified with DECRA and Tilcor and installs every DECRA and every Tilcor profile. Our certified installation crew has installed DECRA for over 20 years.

Our crew installs both ways, on battens and direct to the deck, and we typically go direct to the deck. DECRA Shake is the exception among DECRA’s shake and shingle profiles: it is a batten profile, so it goes on battens.

Every DECRA roof we install comes with DECRA’s manufacturer warranty, which for the first 20 years after installation covers labor and materials to repair or replace a component with a manufacturing defect. Tilcor’s US Lifetime Limited Warranty (March 2026) uses the same terms.

DECRA’s Lifetime Limited Warranty (10/2025) ties its wind and hail terms to a manufacturing defect: panels blowing off in winds of up to 120 mph, or hailstones of 2.5 inches or less penetrating “completely through the Roof System”. It excludes “any loss of surface coating caused by hailstones or any weather event” and states: “This Limited Warranty is NOT a guarantee of performance.”

Whichever look you lean toward, ask RISE to check your roof’s pitch and quote the DECRA profile you like; our DECRA roofing in Houston page shows the full DECRA line we install. Call (832) 224-3435 or request a free estimate.

Questions to ask before you pick a DECRA profile

Ask any contractor quoting a DECRA roof, RISE included.

• Which DECRA profile is on this quote, and what minimum pitch does it need?
• What is the pitch of my roof at its flattest section?
• Will the panels go direct to deck or on battens, and which evaluation report covers that?
• Is the old roof coming off? If not, is its surface even enough for the panels on the quote?

Sources

DECRA: Specifications Sheet (2023); guide specifications (March 2024); installation guides (08/23); estimating sheets (05/23); Lifetime Limited Warranty (10/2025); Homeowner’s Manual (2021); walking instructions; web pages and blog. ICC-ES: Evaluation Reports ESR-1754 (reissued November 2025) and ESR-2901 (reissued September 2025; marked “Subject to renewal September 2026”). IKO: press releases (September 1, 2021; July 16, 2025). Tilcor: product pages, CF Shake flyer (2020), CF installation guide (06/19) and US Lifetime Limited Warranty (03/2026). All read October 4, 2026. ICC-ES states that its evaluation reports are not “an endorsement of the subject of the report or a recommendation for its use.” Makers revise these documents, so confirm current figures before you rely on them.

Frequently Asked Questions