For DECRA stone-coated steel, yes in many cases, on the conditions in the ICC-ES code reports on DECRA’s panels and your city’s code; other metal roofs follow their own maker’s instructions.
Can you put a metal roof over shingles? For DECRA stone-coated steel the answer is yes in many cases. DECRA’s code reports, which evaluate its panels against the building code, recognize the panels for use over existing roofs, subject to the code’s rules for a roof recover (new roofing installed over the old) and DECRA’s installation instructions. On your house it comes down to how many layers are up there, what condition they are in, which DECRA profile (panel style) you pick and which building code applies at your address.
This page answers for DECRA only: steel panels with a stone chip finish, made in tile, shake and shingle profiles. Other metal roofs follow their own maker’s instructions and, where one exists, their own evaluation report. Tilcor, another stone-coated steel roofing brand we install, publishes its own installation guide with its own conditions. Standing seam is not covered here: whether it can go over shingles depends on its panel maker’s instructions and the code your city has adopted, and our standing seam roofing page describes that roof type.
DECRA’s code reports are ICC-ES evaluation reports. Two cover its panels, and both allow them over existing asphalt shingles on conditions. An evaluation report comes from ICC Evaluation Service, a subsidiary of the International Code Council; it evaluates a product against named building codes and sets the conditions for installing it.
ESR-1754 (reissued November 2025) covers Villa Tile, Shake XD, Shingle XD and Shingle Plus. ESR-2901 (reissued September 2025) covers DECRA Tile, DECRA Shake and Shingle Plus on battens.
Section 2.0 of ESR-1754 recognizes the panels for use “on new and over existing roofs, when installed in accordance with this report.” Section 4.2.1 covers Villa Tile: “DECRA Villa steel roofing panels may be installed over existing asphalt shingle, built-up, wood shake or wood shingle roofs, provided the roof slope complies with Section 3.4” (the report’s minimum-slope section) and the code’s reroofing section (R908 in the residential code) is met.
Section 4.2.2 says the same for Shake XD and Shingle XD over asphalt shingles. In both, the panels “must be fastened through the existing roof to the roof deck”. This page covers asphalt shingles only; other existing roofs have their own code conditions.
ESR-2901 allows the batten profiles over existing asphalt shingles on the same code condition and adds a step: “For installation over existing asphalt shingles, ridge and hip caps must be removed and the existing roof covering cut back flush with the fascia or barge cover.” Ridge and hip caps cover the roof’s peaks and corners; the fascia and barge cover are its edge trim.
DECRA’s install guides agree. The Villa Tile guide (08/23) says “Panels may be installed over existing asphalt shingles”, and the Shake XD and Shingle XD guide has the matching line. DECRA’s blog post on this question, which calls a recover a “roof-over”, says to check local building codes first and sets a condition on the old roof: “For a roof-over to be successful, the shingles must be within their lifespan and structurally sound—not warped, cupped, or split, and without missing shingles.”
On tear-off, a 2021 DECRA blog post for contractors says: “If the old roof is able to pass a thorough roof inspection as is, then there’s no problem with a direct-to-deck or batten roof-over – As long as local codes allow it. Some jurisdictions have specific restrictions on how many layers can be installed, while others might be based on total weight regardless of layers. But in many cases, a tear-off of the old roof is recommended.”
Houston’s residential code rules out new roofing over old in three situations. The code is the “2021 International Residential Code (with Houston Amendments)”, named on the City of Houston’s list of current construction codes and in effect since January 1, 2024. Houston’s amendments do not change the reroofing section, R908.
Section R908.3.1 permits a roof recover “Where the new roof covering is installed in accordance with the roof covering manufacturer’s approved instructions”. Section R908.3.1.1, as republished for Houston by UpCodes, says: “A roof recover shall not be permitted where any of the following conditions occur:”
This is the City of Houston’s code. Other cities adopt their own editions, and rules outside city limits can differ, so confirm with the permit office or building official for your address.
If you do not know how many layers your roof has, start with a free roof inspection. Call RISE Roofing at (832) 224-3435 before you decide.
First, what you gain. DECRA’s blog says a roof-over “is typically faster than a full replacement because it skips the step of removing the old roof.” That step is also a line on a roof replacement quote: tear-off and disposal. Our stone-coated steel roofing cost page covers pricing.
Shingles that stay on cover the deck. Nobody can inspect the top of the sheathing or replace a damaged sheet without taking the old roof off, and an attic check shows only the underside.
The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) windstorm program’s page on storm repairs, written for homes in the coastal windstorm area, answers a question about decking when the old roof covering is removed: “You should have your roof deck inspected and replace any deteriorated or damaged decking before the installation of a new roof covering.” That is advice for storm repairs in that area, not a rule against going over shingles.
The old shingles’ weight stays and DECRA’s is added. DECRA’s documents give its installed weight as 1.3 to 1.6 pounds per square foot (psf): 1.3 psf in ESR-1754, approximately 1.5 psf in ESR-2901 and “Installed Weight: 160 lbs./square” in the Villa Tile guide. A square is 100 square feet, so 160 pounds per square is 1.6 psf.
Shingle maker IKO, DECRA’s parent company, describes 3-tab shingles as “usually weighing a maximum of 190 pounds per square” (1.9 psf), says “Most brands of laminate shingles are under 230 pounds per square” (under 2.3 psf; laminate means architectural shingles) and adds: “Premium shingles may range from 230 pounds up to 450 pounds. However, very few shingles will reach the far end of that scale.”
IKO published those figures for sizing a tear-off dumpster, not as a structural load table, so the shingles on your roof may differ. Ask how the framing was checked to carry the old shingles and the new panels together.
Underlayment is the water-resistant layer under the roof covering. The Villa Tile guide requires it in reroofing as well as new construction: “One Layer of Underlayment is required before installing ALL DECRA products in both New Construction and Reroofing applications.” The Shake XD and Shingle XD guide repeats that.
The Tile and Shake batten guide differs: “If the panels are installed over another roofing material, additional underlayment is not required unless specified by local code.” So ask which profile is on your quote and what underlayment goes over the old shingles.
The DECRA guides and code reports cited on this page do not use the term furring strips; they say battens. DECRA Tile and DECRA Shake are batten systems: under ESR-2901 the battens fasten to the deck and the panels to the battens. Villa Tile, Shake XD and Shingle XD go direct to the deck, fastened through the old shingles. The Villa Tile guide adds a caution: “Villa panels are not designed to be installed over irregular surfaces.”
A fire classification belongs to an assembly: the combination of deck, underlayment and panel listed in the evaluation report’s fire table. ESR-1754 classifies reroofing systems installed “with the barrier board and/or underlayment specified in Table 2”, and that table’s highest-classification rows each call for a specific added layer: GAF VersaShield, a fire-resistant underlayment, or a gypsum barrier board under a UL-classified underlayment. Neither report’s fire table has a row with existing asphalt shingles as the base, so ask your contractor which listed assembly your roof will be.
Houston’s code does not permit a recover where the existing roof already has two or more layers of roof covering, so a roof with two layers of shingles is torn off first. DECRA’s blog: “While some areas permit metal roofing over two layers, make sure your contractor verifies that all code regulations are followed.”
DECRA’s Lifetime Limited Warranty does not mention installing over existing shingles. It excludes “damage resulting from improper installation, or inadequate roof pitch, or the failure to follow the Company’s installation instructions, or failure to follow applicable building codes”, however the roof is installed. That is why the code and DECRA’s installation instructions matter on an install over shingles.
DECRA’s blog says a qualified contractor will “check for proper ventilation to prevent moisture buildup beneath the roofing layers”. Ask how your roof’s ventilation was checked.
In the Texas windstorm designated catastrophe area, RISE requires a tear-off of the old roof before installing DECRA. That is our own practice, not a rule of TDI, the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) or DECRA. With the shingles off, the deck can be inspected before the new roof goes on.
TDI describes the area this way: “Properties in 14 coastal counties and in parts of Harris County east of Highway 146 are in a designated catastrophe area.” Its windstorm FAQ names the Harris County part: “certain cities east of State Highway 146 in Harris County (La Porte, Morgan’s Point, Pasadena, Seabrook, Shoreacres).” That means inside those city limits and east of the highway, not Houston generally.
For roof work there, the same TDI page that describes the area says: “Most new construction, roof replacements, major repairs, and other alterations require an inspection and certificate of compliance.” TDI’s inspection process page says what the certificate is for: “A WPI-8 is required for the building to be eligible for wind and hail insurance coverage through TWIA.” TDI issues the WPI-8 for ongoing construction; our Texas windstorm insurance guide explains it.
We treat an over-shingle install as an option to assess roof by roof, not a default. We can install DECRA over a single layer of sound asphalt shingles where the local code allows it. Where the code does not allow it, the job is a full roof replacement with a tear-off. We also require a tear-off when the home is in the windstorm area. Where both are allowed, only a tear-off lets anyone inspect the top of the deck and replace a damaged sheet.
RISE is DECRA-certified and installs every DECRA profile. Our certified installation crew has installed DECRA for over 20 years, and every DECRA roof we install, over the old shingles or after a tear-off, carries our 20-year workmanship warranty.
If you are considering DECRA roofing in Houston, have the existing roof looked at first. Call (832) 224-3435 or request a free estimate.
Questions for any contractor who proposes going over your shingles, RISE included.
If you have not settled on metal yet, see our metal roof vs shingles comparison.
ICC-ES Evaluation Reports ESR-1754 (reissued November 2025) and ESR-2901 (reissued September 2025); DECRA installation guides (08/23 editions), blog posts and Lifetime Limited Warranty (10/2025); City of Houston, Houston Construction Code list (revised September 2026) and 2021 IRC amendments; Houston Residential Code 2021, Chapters 2 and 9, via UpCodes; Texas Department of Insurance windstorm pages; IKO blog; Tilcor CF installation guide. All read October 1, 2026; the two ICC-ES reports were re-checked October 2, 2026. ICC-ES states that its evaluation reports are not “an endorsement of the subject of the report or a recommendation for its use.” This page covers DECRA under the City of Houston’s code; confirm current requirements with your permit office.
It depends on the roof. DECRA’s code reports allow its panels over existing asphalt shingles when the building code’s reroofing rules are met. A 2021 DECRA blog post written for contractors says a roof-over is no problem when the old roof passes a thorough inspection and local codes allow it, and that in many cases a tear-off is recommended. Only a tear-off exposes the whole roof deck.
Not under the City of Houston’s residential code as written. It does not permit a roof recover, meaning new roofing installed over the old, where the existing roof already has two or more layers of roof covering, so the old roofing comes off first. Other cities adopt their own editions, so confirm with your permit office.
It depends on the profile. DECRA’s guides for Villa Tile, Shake XD and Shingle XD require one layer of underlayment in reroofing as well as new construction, and those panels go direct to the deck. DECRA Tile and DECRA Shake go on battens, which is the word their guide uses rather than furring strips, and the guide requires no additional underlayment unless local code specifies it.
There is no single number, because it depends on the roof. Tear-off and disposal are a line on a roof replacement quote. A DECRA install over the existing shingles skips the full tear-off, though DECRA’s instructions still have the old ridge and hip caps removed. The panels, flashing and installation labor are on the quote either way. Our stone-coated steel roofing cost page covers pricing.
That depends on the panel maker’s installation instructions and the code your city has adopted, so ask the contractor for those written instructions before you agree to it. Everything else on this page is specific to DECRA stone-coated steel. Do not apply DECRA’s rules to a standing seam roof.
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