Is that stuff really effective? it looks as if a good wind would pull it away.

Crappy cardboard house.

Not saying that fast work is always bad quality, but if speed is the top criteria then quality certainly isn't. These guys may be proud but the home owner probably disagrees with their priorities.

#1 "That stuff" can be quite effective. Each sheet is nailed down, as we see here, but that's just the first step. The real trick is that the sheets are tarred on the underside and after the roof is nailed, it's heated with a "flame thrower" of sorts. This actually GLUES the sheets to each other and to the roof. Depending on geography (mostly temperatures), this material has a life span of 20-40 years. Not bad, considering its low cost. (But it needs to be done properly...)

I guess they aren't paid by the hour...

They hold up pretty well for several years, but some of you are right, the houses here are a lot lighter and more flimsy and often not well insulated. Those nice solid shingles that are on many houses in Europe would make the roof cave in on a house here, way to heavy. Yes, those guys are paid by the hour but are under a lot of pressure to produce, especially since they can't work during inclement weather.

Nailed it!

While some new housing projects have been built as cheaply as possible for a low selling price they still get inspected and have to meet all building codes. I had my house built in 1976 and I have 30 year architectural shingles on it that withstood 115 mph winds when hurricane Isabel came ashore off the Atlantic ocean in 2003, just a few miles from my house. When done properly fiberglass/asphalt shingles hold up very well.

On a note unrelated to the shingles... I'm glad to see that they are wearing safety harnesses and solidly anchored to absolutely nothing. I'd hire these guys for sure.