Metal vs Asphalt Shingles: How to Actually Choose
This is the comparison we are asked to make more than any other, and it is usually framed as though one answer must be correct. It is not. Metal and asphalt shingles are both good roofs, they fail in different ways, and the right choice comes down to a small number of specifics about your house and your plans.
We install both, which is the only reason this comparison is worth reading. A contractor who fits only one will tell you that one is better.
The short version
- Choose asphalt shingles if the up-front cost matters, if you may move within ten to fifteen years, or if your neighborhood and house style call for a conventional look.
- Choose metal if you intend to stay long enough to only buy one more roof, if you are in a hail or high-wind market, or if the roof is simple enough that metal is efficient to install.
Lifespan, and why the comparison is not straightforward
Architectural asphalt shingles generally deliver 25 to 30 years of service, with manufacturer warranties running considerably longer than that. Standing seam metal typically runs 40 to 70 years. On paper metal wins comfortably.
The complication is that most people do not own a house for 40 years. If you sell in twelve, you did not consume the extra lifespan you paid for, and you only partially recover it in the sale price. The lifespan advantage is real but it accrues to whoever is still there.
The counter-argument is equally real: buying one metal roof instead of two asphalt roofs is cheaper over the long run and avoids a second tear-off, a second week of disruption, and a second round of exposure to whatever material prices are doing in twenty years.
Where metal is genuinely better
- Hail. Metal dents rather than fracturing. A dented panel keeps working; a hail-bruised shingle mat cracks later. This matters in Denver, Parker, Oklahoma City and Springfield more than anywhere else we work.
- High wind. Standing seam has concealed fasteners and continuous panel engagement, which resists uplift better than individually fastened shingles.
- Fire. Metal is non-combustible. Relevant near wildland areas.
- Snow. Metal sheds snow rather than holding it, which reduces load and ice damming, though it means snow guards are needed above doorways and walkways.
- Heat. Reflective finishes reduce attic heat gain measurably, which shows up on cooling bills in Florida and the coastal South.
- Low maintenance. Very little to do beyond keeping debris off and checking sealant at penetrations.
Where asphalt shingles are genuinely better
- Up-front cost. Substantially less. This is the reason most roofs are asphalt and it is a legitimate reason.
- Complex roofs. Multiple hips, valleys, dormers and penetrations add labor to a metal job faster than to a shingle job. On a cut-up roof the cost gap widens.
- Repairability. A damaged shingle is replaced individually by almost any roofer. A damaged metal panel often means addressing a whole run, and fewer crews can do it well.
- Appearance and matching. On a traditional house, in a historic district, or in an HOA with an approved materials list, shingles are frequently the only option that will be approved.
- Availability of skilled labor. More crews install shingles competently than install metal competently, and installation quality matters more than material choice.
Three things people believe that are not quite true
“Metal roofs are noisy in the rain”
This comes from barns and sheds, where metal is fastened to open purlins with nothing beneath it. A residential metal roof sits over solid decking and underlayment, with insulation and a ceiling below. In practice most homeowners report no meaningful difference.
“Metal attracts lightning”
It does not. Lightning is not drawn to metal roofing, and because metal is non-combustible and conductive, a strike is arguably less dangerous than on a combustible roof.
“Metal always lowers your insurance premium”
Sometimes it does, particularly where a product carries an impact resistance rating and the carrier offers a discount for it. But it varies by carrier and by state, and some insurers charge more for metal because repair costs are higher. Worth asking your agent before assuming either way.
The question that usually settles it
How long do you plan to be in this house?
Under ten years, the economics favor asphalt almost every time. Over twenty-five, they favor metal almost every time. Between the two it becomes a judgment about cash flow, appearance and how much you care about not doing this again.
There is also a middle path worth knowing about. GAF TimberSteel is a metal product designed to read as a premium shingle roof, which resolves the appearance objection in neighborhoods where a standing seam profile would look out of place.
If you want to compare more than these two, our roofing types pages cover tile, slate and low-slope systems, and metal roofing systems goes deeper on the metal side. The practical next step is a free roof inspection, because your deck condition and roof pitch rule some options in and out before preference enters into it.
Metal vs shingle questions
It depends almost entirely on how long you will own the house. Over twenty-five years or more, buying one metal roof instead of two asphalt roofs usually costs less overall and avoids a second tear-off. Under ten years, you pay for lifespan you will not use and only partly recover it in the sale price.
Not on a house. The noisy-metal reputation comes from barns and sheds where panels are fastened to open framing with nothing underneath. A residential metal roof sits over solid decking, underlayment, insulation and a ceiling, and most homeowners notice no real difference.
Metal, generally. It dents rather than fracturing, and a dented panel continues to perform. Hail bruises the mat of an asphalt shingle without necessarily breaking the surface, and that bruise becomes a crack later. In Denver, Parker, Oklahoma City and Springfield this is a significant factor.
Sometimes, particularly where the product carries an impact resistance rating and your carrier offers a discount for it. It varies by carrier and state, and a few insurers charge more for metal because repairs cost more. Ask your agent for your specific policy rather than assuming.
It tends to help, both as a selling point and because a buyer inherits decades of remaining life. How much of the premium you recover depends on your market and whether metal is normal for the neighborhood. In areas where it looks unusual, the return is smaller.
Sometimes, but it is rarely the right call. Leaving the old roof on hides deck damage, complicates ventilation and can affect warranty coverage. We would generally rather tear off and see what we are fastening to.