James Wilkinson wrote
wrote
James Wilkinson wrote

I accidentally spotted some A5 sized pieces of roof felt/bitumen
(like we use on garages and sheds here in the UK) on an American
house, placed to look like tiles. Is that common over there and why?

Shingles are probably the most common roof type there.

Looks rather cheap

Yeah, not as good looking as proper shingles.

and not long lasting.

Sure, but that is just as true with shed and garage roofs too.