Slate Tile Roof Installation by ARCM Roofing
Quarried stone with a service life measured in centuries — hard slate from Vermont and Virginia, hung on copper, engineered for your framing.
5 Highlights on Slate Installation
The Only Roof Measured in Centuries
The pinnacle of tile roofing — natural quarried stone whose color runs full-depth and whose lifespan makes every other material temporary.
100-200 Year Stone
Hard slate from Vermont and Virginia quarries outlasts every manufactured roofing material on earth — the roof your great-grandchildren inherit.
Copper and Stainless Fastening
Every slate hangs on corrosion-proof nails sized to the stone's thickness. Slates hang rather than clamp, letting stone breathe and drain naturally.
Hard and Soft Slate Sourcing
Unfading Vermont greens and grays, Virginia Buckingham black, and budget-conscious Pennsylvania soft slate — matched to your timeline and budget.
Hook-and-Ripper Repair Capability
Individual slates replace cleanly with slate rippers and hooks, which means storm damage stays a repair, never a tear-off.
Structural Engineering Included
At 800 to 1,500 pounds per square, slate is the heaviest system we install — load verification and reinforcement scoping come standard.
Hard slate installed today will still be shedding rain in 2176.
Why Choose Us
Hung on Copper, Never Clamped
Slate is a craft trade. Our installers train to Slate Roofing Contractors Association guidelines — nails driven so each slate hangs freely, headlap calculated for pitch, and courses blended across pallets so color variation reads as character, not patchwork.
Copper does the detail work: 16-and-20-ounce valley and flashing metal sized to serve as long as the underlayment beneath it. On a stone roof, galvanized shortcuts are how century systems fail in decade three.
We keep matching stone for the quarries we source, repair existing slate roofs with hook-and-ripper technique, and back installations with our 10-year workmanship warranty alongside the stone's 75-year-to-century coverage.
Existing slate roof condemned by another contractor? Bring us the estimate — many century roofs need flashing and selective repair, not tear-off.
When It Makes Sense
Signs Slate Is the Right Investment
You're Building or Restoring a Legacy Home
Slate belongs on architecture meant to endure: historic restorations, estate properties, and homes built for generational ownership. It's the only roofing material whose service life is measured in centuries, and appraisers value it accordingly.
Your Existing Slate Roof 'Needs Replacement'
Get a second opinion before anyone tears off century-old stone. Slipped slates, failed copper flashing, and worn underlayment all repair without replacing the field. We diagnose with the hook-and-ripper standard — many condemned slate roofs have 75 years left.
Fire Zone, Hail Zone, or Both
Natural stone is noncombustible and shrugs off all but the most severe hail. When large hail does crack slates, individual replacement restores the field — the stone around the damage is unaffected.
You've Priced the Century, Not the Decade
Slate's up-front cost exceeds every alternative, but a 150-year service life amortizes below asphalt's cost per year — while adding resale value no asphalt roof can claim.
Authenticity Matters to You
Synthetic slate imitates the look. Quarried stone delivers the texture, the color-in-depth, and the aging character no polymer reproduces. On historic districts and architectural review boards, the difference often decides approval.
Thinking in centuries? Start with the engineering.
How We Work
Our Slate Tile Installation Process
01
Structural Engineering
Rafter measurement, span-table verification, and reinforcement scoping — slate's weight makes this step non-negotiable.
02
Stone Selection
Hard versus soft slate, quarry sourcing, color blend, and thickness — with physical samples and weathered references.
03
Tear-Off and Reinforcement
Existing roofing stripped, framing reinforced where engineering requires, deck repaired to a sound substrate.
04
Premium Underlayment
Thirty-pound felt or high-temperature synthetic per slate tradition, doubled at eaves, hips, and valleys.
05
Slate Installation
Each course laid to headlap spec with copper or stainless nails driven to hang, never clamp — the detail that separates century roofs from cracked ones.
06
Copper Flashing and Detail Work
Valleys, sidewalls, chimneys, and penetrations flashed in 16-or-20-ounce copper sized to outlast the underlayment.
07
Ridge and Final Inspection
Ridge treatment set, every course sighted for alignment, the finished roof photographed and warranty registered.
Slate installations run two to four weeks — craftsmanship at stone's pace.
Brands We Use
Quarries and Craft Suppliers We Source
Vermont Structural Slate
Unfading green, gray, and purple hard slate
Greenstone Slate
Vermont quarried roofing slate
Buckingham Slate
Virginia's legendary blue-black hard slate
Penn Big Bed Slate
Pennsylvania soft slate
North Country Slate
Canadian and domestic slate blends
Evergreen Slate
Vermont slate in architectural blends
Revere Copper
16 and 20 oz flashing copper
Grace
Ice & Water Shield HT underlayment
Stortz & Son
Slate rippers, hooks, and cutters since 1853
Simpson Strong-Tie
Structural reinforcement hardware
Slate staging distributes stone loads across framing, crews work from hook ladders and staging boards rather than walking finished courses, and OSHA fall protection anchors every pitch.
FAQs
FAQs About Slate Installation
›What is slate tile roof installation?
Slate tile roof installation is the process of fastening natural quarried stone tiles to a reinforced deck with copper or stainless nails over premium underlayment. Each slate hangs on its fasteners rather than being pinned tight, letting the stone move and drain naturally.
›How long does a slate roof last?
Hard slate lasts 100 to 200 years. Soft slate runs 60 to 125 years. The copper flashing and underlayment components typically need renewal before the stone itself wears out.
›How much does slate roof installation cost?
Slate is roofing's premium tier, several times the cost of asphalt, driven by material, structural reinforcement, and specialized labor. Amortized over a century-plus lifespan, it can beat asphalt's cost per year. We provide detailed written estimates.
›Can my home support slate?
Natural slate weighs 800 to 1,500 pounds per square, so structural verification isn't optional. We evaluate rafters and spans first and scope reinforcement where the framing needs it.
›What's the difference between hard and soft slate?
Hard slate from quarries in Vermont and Virginia resists weathering for 150 years or more. Soft slate, like Pennsylvania black, serves 60 to 125 years at lower cost. We source both and explain the tradeoff before you choose.
›Can you repair my existing slate roof?
Usually, yes. Slipped and cracked slates replace individually with matching stone using the ripper-and-hook technique. Many 'failing' slate roofs need flashing renewal and selective slate replacement, not tear-off.
›Does ARCM Roofing warranty slate installation?
Yes. Our 10-year workmanship warranty covers the installation, and the stone itself carries 75-year to century-scale manufacturer warranties.
Related Services
Stone Outlasts. Everything Else Just Weathers.
100-200 year hard slate · Copper flashing · Engineering included