My 2 cents is that the gentle slope is always going to be a problem in a snow area as when the snow builds up, the 'downhill' snow can easily be higher than the top edge of the shingle just above it, allowing the melt water to gravity flow 'down' off the snow and still reach the top edge of the shingle, overflowing it and getting beneath the shingle where it can then search out any hole in the felt or flashing beneath. I agree that the only real cure will be to use the ice shield on the entire roof. Regardless of the shingles used, the snow problem will remain. The ice shield will at least allow the water to flow beneath the shingles and down to the drip edge without getting past the roofing. A metal roof would be best but the assorted valleys would sure make that a costly option. Ice shield = that black, adhesive, gummy membrane that sticks together.

Thanks for all the really great replies!! Maingrower - it was a complete tear off, sorry I didn't make that clear. Everyone else, yes, it looks unattractive, but we've discovered it's as a few of you were guessing - it's proper and water tight. I've been stressed and swamped the last few days and my parents are here as well, so I apologize for not getting back sooner. Our neighbors (both experienced in the trades), 1 of which was actually home during parts of the install both say they did a good and proper job. So I am content as far as that goes. Now, as far as them dinging up the houses on both sides due to serious carelessness, that's another story, but the roofer is working it out to their satisfaction. Basically the protection they put up on each side during the tear off came down before they were done tearing off. And then there's the electric on a small portion of the front of the house (2 lights and 2 outlets) that has suddenly stopped working. I think the wires were run through the ceiling in that area, which is right under the roof. No crawl, likely no insulation. There's a licensed/bonded electrician they are sending out next week to take care of that. And some other minor stuff also being taken care of. And no, we will not be paying them until everything is 100%. Sigh. Why does it have to be so difficult?

Look at the half full scenario here, because it could be MUCH worse than a happy accident of a better color here. Your contractor did a good job installing the roof with good variation in the color, and it doesn't leak AND the manufacturer is offering you a rebate! They certainly did not have to. "We asked our contractor to order that specific model and when the pallets arrived (wrapped with clear plastic), the contractor and roofer verified that the label / invoice matched our specification." Inspecting the shipping label and invoice is not enough! The GC should have broken open the pallets and compared the roofing with the sample and pics of previous installations he had. Dye lots can vary quite a bit also so, I can see where the color might look a bit similar on the pallet. So, even if he did a physical inspection, he still might not have realized that something incorrect was delivered. However, he should have realized that it was incorrect after just a course or two was begun. At that point, he should have immediately stopped the job, holiday weekend or not. It doesn't matter if the manufacturer was unavailaible. It doesn't matter if you weren't available. You DO NOT install incorrect materials just to keep the job rolling. You suck it it, take photos of what the color looks like installed, repackage what you can and wait until you can contact the manufacturer on Monday and then work on something else. And if you can't contact the owner to tell them what has transpired, you leave a voice mail with the GOOD NEWS that the incorrect product was NOT installed and that you will be in touch with the manufacturer first thing Monday to straighten this out. You do not continue installing an incorrect color, because at that point, if you do that, then YOU are on the hook for the problem, not the manufacturer. If you absolutely cannot stand the serendipitous installation of a better looking material, and the contractor will not reorder and reinstall, then your next move would be to contact a construction lawyer (5k retainer to even start) and begin the process for a suit. Your claim is too large for small claims. And the lawyer fees will eat up a lot of what you could possibly recover. But, if it is worth it to you for the principle and you can afford the suit, then it's worth it.

My house is somewhere between 1,200 sq. ft. and 1,400 sq. ft. Its roof has only a small front porch (over the front door) and a small back porch as complications. Last November, I received a letter from my insurance carrier informing me that the insurance on my house would not be renewed unless I provided proof that the shingles on the roof had been replaced, and pointing out that it might be a good idea to get the chimney repointed. Neighbors gave me estimates between $4,000 and $10,000 for getting the roof replaced. After a single shingle fell off, I called a local roofer. The owner of the company came to my house on a Saturday morning. I asked him what it would cost to replace the roof without compromise. Two layers of shingles needed to be removed, a ridge vent needed to be installed, and the chimney needed to be repointed. The owner of the company told me that replacing my roof with GAF Timberline Presqtique shingles with the limited lifetime warranty, installing the ridge vent, installing GAF Leak Guard, installing an 8" drip edge, and repointing the chimney would cost $4,900. I could hardly contain myself, and asked the owner of the roofing firm why some estimates were so much higher. To my amazement, the owner told me that he is selling a service, and some roofers are selling a product. If he interviews 10 perspective customers, he sells 3 or 4 roofs. If people selling a product interview 10 perspective customers, they sell 1 or 2 roofs. Guess who gets to pay for all of the failed sales attempts. For months, I cringled in shame whenever I saw my roof. Now, I have gone from having the worst one on the street to having the best one on the street, done by a roofer with a GAF Certified Master Elite certification.