Wood shingle roofing is made from several small, overlapping plates of any kind of wood. They are lightweight and inexpensive compared to many other roofing materials, and the shingles can be cut in many different shapes for different stylistic effects. This material is very common, and has been in use for centuries. Because of the layout of shingles, they are most generally used on sloping roofs.

The wooden units overlap from one course to the next. Their outline and wood species can vary without changing the shingle construction.

Wood plank roofing uses fitted boards rather than small overlapping plates. A preservative treatment alone does not make wood shingles a tar roof unless the tar entirely obscures the wood.