# Commercial Slate Roofing

> Commercial slate roofing in greater St. Louis. Virtually fireproof, known to last 150 years, installed by one of the few real slate crews left.

Canonical: https://donovanrc.com/commercial/slate/

![Large stone commercial building with a steep natural slate roof](/wp-content/uploads/donovan/photos/commercial-projects/commercial-slate-hero.webp)

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Commercial · Slate

# The 150-year
roof.

One of the few crews left in St. Louis doing real slate. Virtually fireproof, long-lasting, and known to last 150 years, roughly six times longer than a shingle roof on the same building.

What it is

## Natural stone, cut and hung by hand.

Slate is quarried stone, not a manufactured product, and it behaves like stone: it does not burn, it does not rot, and it does not care how many St. Louis summers and winters pass over it. On a commercial building that means a roof you specify once and stop thinking about, instead of a re-roof line item every fifteen to twenty years.

MaterialNatural quarried slate

LifespanUp to 150 years

FireVirtually fireproof

Vs. shingleRoughly 6x longer

Best forSteep-slope commercial

InspectionFree, with roof report

![A craftsman hanging slate by hand with copper nails](/wp-content/uploads/donovan/photos/slate/craftsman-hammering.webp)

![Completed gray slate roof on a brick home with a covered porch](/wp-content/uploads/donovan/photos/slate/slate-home-brick-finished.webp)

![Completed slate roof on a steep-slope building](/wp-content/uploads/donovan/photos/slate/cape-cod-1.webp)

The longevity

### Six times the lifespan of a shingle.

A shingle roof on a commercial building is a recurring expense. Slate is known to last 150 years, so the building is far more likely to outlast the roof than the other way around. The math favors slate over a long enough horizon, and commercial buildings are a long horizon.

The fire rating

### Stone does not burn.

Slate is virtually fireproof, which matters on any commercial structure and matters more when the building sits close to its neighbors. There is no asphalt mat to ignite, nothing to feed a fire from above.

The crew

### One of the few real slate crews left.

Real slate work is a trade that is disappearing. We are one of the few crews in St. Louis still doing it properly, hanging stone by hand with copper flashing details, not nailing down a slate-look substitute.

### Specifying or restoring a commercial slate roof?

A project consultant inspects the roof for free and comes back with a roof report, not a quote. If slate is the right call for the building, we will tell you, and if a different system fits better, we will tell you that too.

[Request the visit](/contact)

What homeowners are saying

- > “Justin did a great job of communicating and was on the job site a lot.”

Gerald K. · Google
- > “Nick Mirth did an excellent job throughout the process our insurance claim!”

Tim C. · Google
- > “Great experience, very knowledgeable and customer friendly. I would highly Recommend.”

Kathy O. · Google

[See all reviews](/reviews)