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Roof shingles in Sioux Falls: Class 4, wind ratings and warranties
Impact resistant shingles in Sioux Falls carry a Class 3 or Class 4 label from a lab test with steel balls or ice balls. The label tells you how a new shingle did on test day. Here is what it means against real hail, what insurers in South Dakota give for it, and what the warranty on the bundle actually pays for.
What is the difference between 3-tab and architectural shingles?
Architectural shingles, also sold as laminated shingles, are the step up from the flat 3-tab. The warranties show the gap. GAF’s 3-tab, Royal Sovereign, carries a 25-year warranty and a 60 mph wind rating, and Atlas GlassMaster carries 30 years and 60 mph. Both makers put a Lifetime warranty on their architectural lines.
Life charts give 3-tab about 20 years and architectural about 30. Those are national figures, and hail here can cut them short. Read more on how long a roof lasts in South Dakota.
What do Class 3 and Class 4 shingles mean?
They are impact ratings. Under UL 2218, a lab drops steel balls on the shingle: a 1.75 inch ball from 17 feet for Class 3, a 2 inch ball from 20 feet for Class 4.
Each spot takes two hits, at six spots. The shingle passes if nothing tears, cracks, splits or ruptures. Dents and scuffs do not count as a failure.
FM 4473 is the other test. It fires balls of ice instead, and Class 4 again means 2 inches. One 2023 lab report under FM 4473 froze the sample at minus 10 F for 48 hours before firing.
Some examples from the makers’ own specs:
- Class 4: Malarkey Legacy (UL 2218), IKO Nordic (UL 2218 and FM 4473).
- Class 3: Owens Corning Duration, CertainTeed Landmark, IKO Dynasty.
Compare that with local hail. Of 269 NOAA hail reports in Minnehaha, Lincoln, Turner and McCook counties from 2015 to June 2026, 36 were 1.75 inches or bigger and 11 were 2 inches or bigger. UL’s own standard says there is no established direct link between how a shingle handles a steel ball and how it handles a hailstone, so the class is a lab result.
Do Class 4 shingles hold up to real hail?
Some do far better than others. The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) tests impact-rated shingles with lab-made hailstones and scores the dents, tears and lost granules.
Its first scorecard, in August 2019, tested eight impact-resistant shingles sold in 2018. All carried the label. Results ran from Excellent to Poor.
The fourth edition came out on 19 November 2025. It covered 24 products, about 95% of the impact-resistant shingles sold each year. Most rated Good. None rated Excellent. IBHS says it does not recommend a product rated Marginal or Poor anywhere that gets hail.
IBHS posts the score for each product on its shingle ratings page. Check your exact line there before you choose. A 2026 magazine column claims Class 3 shingles beat Class 4 in the 2025 round, but its author works for a polymer supplier and IBHS’s own release says nothing of the kind.
Hail hits old roofs harder too. A 2025 IBHS study found repeated small hail wears shingles down faster. Here is what small hail does to a Sioux Falls roof.
Do impact resistant shingles lower insurance in South Dakota?
With some insurers, yes, but nobody publishes the amount. State Farm lists South Dakota among the states where it offers a roofing discount for certain impact-resistant products, such as Class 4 shingles.
State Farm wants a roofing installation certification form. It gives no discount on a roof laid over an old one, except certain qualifying metal roofs. No percentage is given.
Homeowners of America’s South Dakota guideline gives an added discount for a new Class 3 or Class 4 roof under UL 2218. It must be new construction or a full replacement, in any material except wood (synthetic polymer is excluded too). Again, no percentage.
We found no South Dakota law or Division of Insurance bulletin that requires or sets the discount. One contractor’s blog claims 15% to 30%. No insurer backs that figure.
So ask your agent before you order shingles. Get in writing which classes qualify, what form they need signed and what the discount is on your policy. Then weigh it against what a replacement costs here, and read how roof claims work in South Dakota.
How much more do Class 4 shingles cost in Sioux Falls?
One Sioux Falls roofing directory listed Class 4 roofs at $8,500 to $18,000 in 2026, against $6,500 to $14,000 for architectural asphalt. It was the only local figure we found, and it shows no method.
What wind rating should shingles have here?
Look at the wind class on the bundle, then at what the warranty demands at install. There are two lab tests. ASTM D3161 is a fan test: Class A means 60 mph, Class D 90 mph and Class F 110 mph. ASTM D7158 classes run D, G and H, with H the highest.
The model building code calls for shingles tested to ASTM D7158, with the class printed on the bundle label, and at least four nails per strip shingle.
The wind warranty is where the nails and parts matter:
| Shingle | Standard wind warranty | Higher rating and what it needs |
|---|---|---|
| GAF Lifetime shingles | 110 mph, 15 years | 130 mph with 4 nails plus GAF starter strips at eaves and rakes (LayerLock shingles such as Timberline HDZ), or 6 nails plus GAF starter on other GAF shingles |
| Owens Corning Duration | Up to 160 mph | Owens Corning component rules met, starter shingles on eaves and rakes |
| CertainTeed Landmark | 110 mph, 15 years | 160 mph with CertainTeed starter and hip and ridge |
| Malarkey Legacy | 110 mph | 130 mph with other Malarkey products |
| IKO Nordic | 130 mph | Nails per the wrapper, sealed shingles, IKO starter at the eaves, approved IKO hip and ridge |
Ask the contractor which starter and ridge products the quote includes, and how many nails per shingle.
What does a shingle warranty actually cover?
Less than the word lifetime suggests. Each warranty starts with a non-prorated stretch, when the maker pays in full. After that, coverage is prorated and shrinks with the roof’s age.
| Maker | Full-coverage period | Who “lifetime” covers |
|---|---|---|
| GAF | 10 years (Smart Choice) | The original owner, or a second owner if the home sells within the Smart Choice period. Individually owned single-family detached homes only; others get 40 years. |
| Owens Corning Duration | 10 years (TRU PROtection) | “For as long as you own your home”; 40 years on commercial projects. |
| CertainTeed Landmark | 10 years (SureStart) | Lifetime limited, transferable. |
| IKO | 15 years (Iron Clad) | The owner for as long as they own the building. A buyer gets the lesser of 120 months from install or the owner’s remaining period. |
Read the prorated part closely. After IKO’s 15 years, coverage is for shingles only, with no tear-off, disposal or flashing. Atlas ends lifetime cover when the last owner sells or dies, according to a 2020 brochure; we found no current Atlas copy.
Hail is left out. GAF calls it an act of nature. Owens Corning says hail damage is specifically excluded, and IKO says its Class 4 rating is no performance guarantee. A hail-damaged roof is an insurance claim, never a warranty claim.
Questions about impact resistant shingles in Sioux Falls
What is the difference between Class 3 and Class 4 shingles?
The test ball size. Under UL 2218, Class 3 survives a 1.75 inch steel ball dropped from 17 feet and Class 4 a 2 inch ball from 20 feet, without cracking or tearing.
Are Class 4 shingles worth it in Sioux Falls?
It depends on your insurer and the shingle line. Ask your agent in writing what discount you would get, check the line’s IBHS rating, and compare that with the extra cost.
Does a shingle warranty cover hail damage?
No. GAF, Owens Corning and IKO all leave hail out of their shingle warranties, even on Class 4 shingles. Hail damage goes through your homeowners insurance.
Get a free quote for a new shingle roof
Tell us about the job, with the shingle or impact class you have in mind, and a local roofing contractor will call, text or email to set up a visit. The quote is free.