Compare roof coverings: bitumen, EPDM, tile, zinc, slate

Bitumen, EPDM, clay tile, zinc and natural slate side by side as roofing

The full comparison

Five roof coverings on six criteria, with the origin of every figure and, for every material, the situation in which it is the wrong choice. The choice guide sits at the bottom.

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Five roof coverings compared on six criteria, with the best option marked per criterion.
What you are comparing	BitumenTwo layers, torched or self-adhesive, on a flat roof.	EPDMA rubber membrane, in one piece where the shape allows it.	Clay pantileFired clay on timber battens, on a pitched roof.	ZincStanding seam or batten roll, on flat and shallow pitched work.	Natural slateHooked natural stone on a steeply pitched roof.
Service lifeWith normal maintenance, counted from completion.Where this comes from: Manufacturer figures, narrowed to the band that Dutch insurers use in their depreciation tables.	20 to 30yearsTwo layers of APP or SBS. A single layer does not reach the bottom of this band.	40 to 50yearsA sheet without seams ages evenly. The junctions decide the outcome.	50 to 75yearsThe tile outlives the battens and the membrane beneath it, and those decide when the roof has to come off.	50 to 70yearsInland the top of this band, near the sea the bottom of it.	best on this point. On this criterion, Natural slate comes out ahead80 to 100yearsThe hooks rust away before the stone does, and those can be replaced without stripping the roof.
Price per square metreIncluding labour, removal and VAT. Excluding insulation and scaffolding.Where this comes from: Our own calculation for this area, August 2026. A quote that does not name these three items cannot be compared with another one.	best on this point. On this criterion, Bitumen comes out ahead€ 65 to € 95per m2The cheapest way to get a flat roof watertight again, and that is not meant as a criticism here.	€ 80 to € 120per m2Roughly a third more than bitumen, for close to twice the service life.	€ 95 to € 150per m2Including new battens and a breathable membrane. Relaying the old tiles alone is cheaper and rarely wise.	€ 160 to € 230per m2The cost sits in the handwork, not in the metal. A standing seam roof plane is days of work.	€ 180 to € 260per m2Spanish or French slate, hooked. Below this price it is almost always a fibre cement slate rather than natural stone.
Maintenance per ten yearsWhat has to happen for the service life above to be reached at all.Where this comes from: Manufacturer maintenance schedules, converted to a ten year period.	Check seams and upstands every five yearsThe top layer sheds its mineral granules, on the south side sooner than on the north.	best on this point. On this criterion, EPDM comes out aheadLook at it, nothing moreNo coating and no treatment. Only the penetrations and the leaf guard on the outlet.	Clear moss, replace cracked tilesUnder the beeches of Bloemendaal and Aerdenhout that is every three or four years, not every ten.	Clear gutters, check soldered seamsLeaves left lying in a zinc box gutter hold water, and that is what attacks zinc from above.	Rehang the odd loose slateOne slate a year is normal and says nothing about the state of the rest.
Junctions at dormers, chimneys and valleysA roof rarely starts leaking in the middle of a plane. It starts at a junction.Where this comes from: Damage patterns from roof surveys in this area. No percentage, because that would suggest a count we have not made.	Works, if the upstand is tall enoughAt least fifteen centimetres above the roof surface. Below that, driving rain runs in behind it.	Every corner is handworkPrefabricated corner pieces exist, but the result depends on the person fitting them, not on the brand.	Always needs a second materialAround a chimney it takes lead or zinc. A tile cannot make that junction by itself.	best on this point. On this criterion, Zinc comes out aheadThis is what it is made forA valley gutter (kilgoot), a dormer cheek and a chimney apron can be formed and soldered from one piece.	Works, combined with zincSlates run neatly into a valley, but the valley itself stays zinc or lead.
Conservation rules in the protected townscapeApplies to any roof surface visible from a public road, in the Haarlem old centre and in Spaarndam.Where this comes from: The municipal quality policy (nota ruimtelijke kwaliteit) and the designation as a protected townscape (beschermd stadsgezicht). What applies to your building depends on the address, and we check that for you during the survey.	Only out of sightOn an extension or a flat rear roof almost always fine, on a roof plane facing the street almost never.	Only out of sightThe same reasoning as bitumen. It is about visibility, not about the material.	best on this point. On this criterion, Clay pantile comes out aheadUsually fine, if colour and profile matchAn old Dutch or trough pantile in fired red. An anthracite concrete tile in full view is almost always refused.	On secondary parts, case by caseA zinc dormer or gutter usually passes. A whole zinc roof plane in the old centre does not.	best on this point. On this criterion, Natural slate comes out aheadFine on a building that already had itBringing slate back is a far easier case than introducing it where it never was.
Insulation in the same operationWhether the insulation can ride along with the replacement, or becomes a second project with a second scaffold.Where this comes from: The renovation level for roofs in the Dutch building decree (Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving), and the Rc 3.5 m2K/W floor that the national enterprise agency sets for roof insulation under the ISDE grant.	best on this point. On this criterion, Bitumen comes out aheadYes, as a warm roof in one goInsulation boards on the existing deck, covering over the top. With 160 mm of PIR, Rc 6.0 is within reach.	best on this point. On this criterion, EPDM comes out aheadYes, as a warm roof in one goThe same build-up. The membrane goes over the boards and never under them, or the moisture is trapped.	Yes, but the roof has to come offInsulating from outside means tiles, battens and membrane off. That is precisely why the two belong together.	Yes, and it is not optionalZinc has to breathe underneath or be fully separated. The wrong build-up costs the whole roof plane.	Yes, but the roof has to come offAs with tiles. With scaffolding already standing, this is the cheapest moment there will be.
Where you are better off not laying thisThis row carries the same weight as the six above it. A supplier who leaves it empty is selling, not advising.	On a roof you would rather not think about again for thirty years, and on a roof terrace that gets walked on: the top layer wears there first.	On a roof full of pipe penetrations, corners and roof windows. Every junction becomes handwork and the advantage of a seamless sheet disappears into the details.	On a pitch below twenty degrees, and without storm clips on a roof standing full in the sea wind, as on the western side of Zandvoort.	Straight onto bare concrete or oak, and at the coast without protection on the underside. Zinc fails from below in those cases, and you only find out when it leaks.	On a roof structure that cannot carry the weight without strengthening, and on any roof where budget decides. Slate is the most expensive line in every quote it appears in.

On a narrow screen the table appears as one block per material. The order of the criteria is unchanged, so you can still hold them side by side.

Bitumen

Two layers, torched or self-adhesive, on a flat roof.

Service life: 20 to 30yearsTwo layers of APP or SBS. A single layer does not reach the bottom of this band.
Price per square metre: best on this point€ 65 to € 95per m2The cheapest way to get a flat roof watertight again, and that is not meant as a criticism here.
Maintenance per ten years: Check seams and upstands every five yearsThe top layer sheds its mineral granules, on the south side sooner than on the north.
Junctions at dormers, chimneys and valleys: Works, if the upstand is tall enoughAt least fifteen centimetres above the roof surface. Below that, driving rain runs in behind it.
Conservation rules in the protected townscape: Only out of sightOn an extension or a flat rear roof almost always fine, on a roof plane facing the street almost never.
Insulation in the same operation: best on this pointYes, as a warm roof in one goInsulation boards on the existing deck, covering over the top. With 160 mm of PIR, Rc 6.0 is within reach.
Where you are better off not laying this: On a roof you would rather not think about again for thirty years, and on a roof terrace that gets walked on: the top layer wears there first.

EPDM

A rubber membrane, in one piece where the shape allows it.

Service life: 40 to 50yearsA sheet without seams ages evenly. The junctions decide the outcome.
Price per square metre: € 80 to € 120per m2Roughly a third more than bitumen, for close to twice the service life.
Maintenance per ten years: best on this pointLook at it, nothing moreNo coating and no treatment. Only the penetrations and the leaf guard on the outlet.
Junctions at dormers, chimneys and valleys: Every corner is handworkPrefabricated corner pieces exist, but the result depends on the person fitting them, not on the brand.
Conservation rules in the protected townscape: Only out of sightThe same reasoning as bitumen. It is about visibility, not about the material.
Insulation in the same operation: best on this pointYes, as a warm roof in one goThe same build-up. The membrane goes over the boards and never under them, or the moisture is trapped.
Where you are better off not laying this: On a roof full of pipe penetrations, corners and roof windows. Every junction becomes handwork and the advantage of a seamless sheet disappears into the details.

Clay pantile

Fired clay on timber battens, on a pitched roof.

Service life: 50 to 75yearsThe tile outlives the battens and the membrane beneath it, and those decide when the roof has to come off.
Price per square metre: € 95 to € 150per m2Including new battens and a breathable membrane. Relaying the old tiles alone is cheaper and rarely wise.
Maintenance per ten years: Clear moss, replace cracked tilesUnder the beeches of Bloemendaal and Aerdenhout that is every three or four years, not every ten.
Junctions at dormers, chimneys and valleys: Always needs a second materialAround a chimney it takes lead or zinc. A tile cannot make that junction by itself.
Conservation rules in the protected townscape: best on this pointUsually fine, if colour and profile matchAn old Dutch or trough pantile in fired red. An anthracite concrete tile in full view is almost always refused.
Insulation in the same operation: Yes, but the roof has to come offInsulating from outside means tiles, battens and membrane off. That is precisely why the two belong together.
Where you are better off not laying this: On a pitch below twenty degrees, and without storm clips on a roof standing full in the sea wind, as on the western side of Zandvoort.

Zinc

Standing seam or batten roll, on flat and shallow pitched work.

Service life: 50 to 70yearsInland the top of this band, near the sea the bottom of it.
Price per square metre: € 160 to € 230per m2The cost sits in the handwork, not in the metal. A standing seam roof plane is days of work.
Maintenance per ten years: Clear gutters, check soldered seamsLeaves left lying in a zinc box gutter hold water, and that is what attacks zinc from above.
Junctions at dormers, chimneys and valleys: best on this pointThis is what it is made forA valley gutter (kilgoot), a dormer cheek and a chimney apron can be formed and soldered from one piece.
Conservation rules in the protected townscape: On secondary parts, case by caseA zinc dormer or gutter usually passes. A whole zinc roof plane in the old centre does not.
Insulation in the same operation: Yes, and it is not optionalZinc has to breathe underneath or be fully separated. The wrong build-up costs the whole roof plane.
Where you are better off not laying this: Straight onto bare concrete or oak, and at the coast without protection on the underside. Zinc fails from below in those cases, and you only find out when it leaks.

Natural slate

Hooked natural stone on a steeply pitched roof.

Service life: best on this point80 to 100yearsThe hooks rust away before the stone does, and those can be replaced without stripping the roof.
Price per square metre: € 180 to € 260per m2Spanish or French slate, hooked. Below this price it is almost always a fibre cement slate rather than natural stone.
Maintenance per ten years: Rehang the odd loose slateOne slate a year is normal and says nothing about the state of the rest.
Junctions at dormers, chimneys and valleys: Works, combined with zincSlates run neatly into a valley, but the valley itself stays zinc or lead.
Conservation rules in the protected townscape: best on this pointFine on a building that already had itBringing slate back is a far easier case than introducing it where it never was.
Insulation in the same operation: Yes, but the roof has to come offAs with tiles. With scaffolding already standing, this is the cheapest moment there will be.
Where you are better off not laying this: On a roof structure that cannot carry the weight without strengthening, and on any roof where budget decides. Slate is the most expensive line in every quote it appears in.

Across the six criteria, natural slate wins two, bitumen two, EPDM two, zinc one and the clay pantile one. That balance was not arranged; it is what falls out once you weigh the criteria you name yourself. If one material wins all six rows on a website, you are reading a price list rather than a comparison.

All amounts are per square metre of roof surface and include labour, removal of the old covering and Dutch VAT (btw), but not insulation and not scaffolding. Those three items are exactly what makes three quotes impossible to line up. What makes a roof expensive here is rarely the material: it is access. Scaffolding on a canal in the old centre is a different job from scaffolding in a back garden.

Choice guide

Three questions, and you know which way this goes

This is the table above, turned into a conversation. It does not tell you what to buy; it tells you which material usually wins in your situation and which one is the runner-up.

What kind of roof do you have?

FlatPitched, tiled or slated

Where does the house stand?

In a protected townscape or village viewClose to the sea, in Zandvoort or BentveldUnder trees, in the dune or villa areaNone of these three

What weighs heaviest?

The price nowAs long as possible without attentionTaking the insulation along

What wins in your case

Pick three answers above. If this does not respond, the same answer is in the table: find the row you weigh most heavily and read which material is marked there.

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The five materials

The five materials close up

What a material looks like says nothing about what it can do. They are here because the names get used loosely in quotes and it helps to know what is meant.

BitumenTwo layers, torched or self-adhesive, on a flat roof.
EPDMA rubber membrane, in one piece where the shape allows it.
Clay pantileFired clay on timber battens, on a pitched roof.
ZincStanding seam or batten roll, on flat and shallow pitched work.
Natural slateHooked natural stone on a steeply pitched roof.

Where these materials end up

Questions

Questions that keep coming back

Missing your question here? Pick up the phone. About your own roof something concrete can be said; about roofs in general the page above has it covered.

Why is there no recommendation above a column?

Because no material wins on all six criteria, and a fixed recommendation would suggest one does. The marking therefore sits per row on the winning cell. If a comparison on a website shows the same material winning every row, you are reading a price list.

What is the difference between natural slate and fibre cement slate?

Natural slate is split stone and lasts eighty to a hundred years. A fibre cement slate is a pressed board that looks similar from the street and lasts thirty to forty years, at roughly half the price. Both are commonly called "leien" in Dutch quotes. Below about € 200 per square metre it is almost certainly fibre cement, so ask before you compare.

Is EPDM always better than bitumen?

No. EPDM lasts longer and needs less maintenance, but on a roof with many corners, pipe penetrations and roof windows every junction becomes handwork and the advantage of a seamless sheet disappears into the details. On such a roof, bitumen with carefully formed upstands is often the better choice, and it costs less as well.

Can I switch from tiles to zinc, or the other way round?

Technically almost always, but it is rarely only a material choice. The weight per square metre changes, the minimum pitch differs per material, and on a visible plane in a protected townscape it becomes a conservation question. All three should be answered before the first pallet lands on the pavement, and that happens during the survey.

Where do the amounts in the table come from?

From our own calculation for this area, dated August 2026, including labour, disposal and VAT, and excluding insulation and scaffolding. They are not national averages: access here differs street by street, and access is exactly the item that drives two quotes apart. The full range runs from € 65 to € 260 per square metre.

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