Class 4 Shingles in Lubbock: What Should You Ask?

For many Lubbock homes, Class 4 shingles are worth pricing whenever the roof is being replaced anyway. Class 4 is the top impact rating a roof covering can earn, and the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) says a Class 4 roof gets the highest premium credit among impact-rated roofs, though each insurer sets its own discount. The questions that matter are which product is being quoted, what the upgrade costs on your roof, and what your own insurer will give you for it.

What "Class 4" actually means

The rating comes from lab impact tests. Under UL 2218, the most common test for shingles, roofing that passes is rated Class 1 through Class 4, with 4 the highest (TDI). CertainTeed describes the Class 4 test as dropping a 2-inch steel ball from 20 feet to see whether the shingle fractures (CertainTeed). A second test, FM 4473, uses ice balls instead of steel balls, and IBHS counts shingles rated Class 3 or 4 under either test as impact-rated (IBHS).

Two limits are worth knowing. Both tests use new, unweathered material, and that same article notes that long weathering reduces the hail resistance of most products. And a rating is a pass/fail test, not a promise the roof survives every storm. NWS Lubbock logged hail estimated at up to 4.5 inches in southwest Lubbock on June 23, 2023 (NWS), well above the size any of these tests use.

Not all Class 4 shingles perform the same

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety tests shingles with lab-made hailstones and rates them from Poor to Excellent. In its summary, every impact-rated shingle that scored Good or Excellent against 2-inch hail was made of polymer-modified asphalt, and products using older designs such as scrim backing did worse (IBHS). Ask the roofer for the exact product name and check it against the IBHS impact ratings scorecard before you sign.

What the upgrade costs

In a cost survey across seven U.S. markets, IBHS found shingles rated Good or Excellent cost about 9% more per roofing square than non-impact-rated shingles on average. The gap was smaller in the two surveyed markets nearest Lubbock: about 4% in Dallas–Fort Worth and 2% in Oklahoma City (IBHS). These are material cost comparisons from that survey, not Lubbock installed prices. Ask each bidder to show the base shingle and the Class 4 option as separate lines so you see the real difference on your roof.

Getting the insurance credit

TDI's guidance makes three points (TDI):

• Each insurer sets its own discount, and decides which tests it accepts and what labeling and paperwork it needs.
• The paperwork matters. TDI publishes Form PC068, an installation form the contractor fills out after the job. Some insurers use it; others require their own form.
• Labels matter. For the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, the product label must show the testing lab, the UL 2218 class, the manufacturer, the year made and the brand name.

Before you choose, call your agent and ask: what discount applies to a Class 4 roof on my policy, which form do you need, and does the discount add any exclusion? TDI notes that a discount for a metal roof might come with an exclusion for cosmetic damage (TDI); ask whether your policy has a similar condition for shingles.

Questions for the roofer

• What is the exact product and its UL 2218 or FM 4473 class?
• Are the ridge caps and starter strip from the same impact-rated system?
• Will you complete the insurer's installation form, or TDI Form PC068, after the job?
• Can I keep a wrapper or label from the bundles for my records?
• What does the manufacturer's warranty say about hail?

For the material choice itself, see metal vs shingles in Lubbock, and for the full scope of a new roof, see roof replacement in Lubbock. Our new roof cost guide shows where the upgrade fits in the price.

Common questions

Do Class 4 shingles stop hail damage?

No roof is hail-proof. Class 4 means the product passed the toughest level of a standard lab test when new; very large hail can still damage it.

How much is the insurance discount in Texas?

It depends on the insurer. TDI does not publish a set percentage and says each company sets its own credit, so get the number from your agent in writing.

Are Class 4 shingles harder to find in Lubbock?

Availability varies by brand and supplier. Ask the roofer which Class 4 lines it installs and how long delivery takes.

Can I add Class 4 shingles to just part of the roof?

Ask your insurer before you buy. Its own discount rules decide whether a partial upgrade earns any credit.

We connect Lubbock homeowners with independent local pros. You confirm the price and schedule directly with them.