Metal Roofs

Metal roofing provides many benefits that make it worth the investment. They’re made from large sheets of metal that run the length of the roof and overlap each other. Metal roofs are durable, highly impact resistant, fire retardant, recyclable and require very little maintenance. They are available in a wide variety of colors and styles and lighter shades can actually help save money on energy bills by reflecting more heat than traditional roofs. 

The more you learn about metal roofing, the more you’ll want it the next time you need a roof replacement. For a modern, stylish roof that will save money on both maintenance and energy costs, metal roofs are an excellent choice for homeowners in every market we serve. 

Compare this material to our other Roofing Types, or explore our full Residential Roofing service line.

Standing Seam vs. Metal Shingles vs. Exposed Fastener

“Metal roof” covers three quite different products, and the difference matters more than the color you pick.

• Standing seam. Long vertical panels with concealed fasteners and interlocking seams. Nothing penetrates the water plane, which is why it is the longest-lived and best-performing option. The clean modern line is either exactly what you want or exactly what you do not.
• Metal shingles and shakes, including GAF TimberSteel. Steel formed into individual pieces that install with the same tools as an asphalt roof. You get metal’s durability with a shake-like appearance and a much wider pool of qualified installers. For most homes this is the practical way into a metal roof.
• Exposed fastener (corrugated or ribbed). Screwed through the panel face with a sealing washer at each screw. Inexpensive and fast, common on barns, workshops and detached structures. On a house it means thousands of individual penetrations, each one a maintenance item, and the washers wear out long before the metal does.

What Metal Actually Costs You, and What It Gives Back

Metal costs more than asphalt up front. There is no version of this where it does not. The case for it is arithmetic rather than enthusiasm:

• Service life. A metal roof commonly outlasts two or three asphalt roofs. Divide cost by years of service rather than comparing install prices and the gap narrows sharply, sometimes it closes.
• You may only buy one. If you intend to stay in the house for decades, a metal roof can be the last roof you pay for.
• Maintenance. Very little. It sheds water and debris, and resists algae, moss and pests.
• Energy. Lighter shades reflect heat rather than absorbing it, which reduces cooling load through a long summer.
• Insurance. Many metal systems carry Class 4 impact ratings, and many carriers discount for them. Ask your agent for the actual number on your policy before you assume it either way.
• Resale. A roof with forty years left on it is a different line in a home inspection report than one with eight.

If the up-front figure is the obstacle rather than the decision, see roof financing.

Metal by Market

• Denver, Parker and Oklahoma City. Hail is the reason to consider metal here. Metal dents where asphalt cracks, and a dented metal roof is generally still a fully watertight roof, a very different outcome from a compromised shingle roof. Policies differ on cosmetic denting, so ask your carrier.
• Myrtle Beach and Charleston. Wind. Standing seam with concealed clips performs extremely well against uplift. The counterweight is salt air, which attacks fasteners and dissimilar-metal contacts, so coastal jobs need the right fastener and flashing metallurgy specified rather than assumed.
• Savannah and Jacksonville. Heat and sun. A reflective metal roof runs considerably cooler than asphalt in July, and metal does not dry out and grow brittle the way asphalt does.
• Springfield and Raleigh. Freeze-thaw and snow. Metal sheds snow and ice well, though snow guards are worth adding above entrances, walkways and driveways.

See our service area for all twelve markets, or a specific location page.

The Things People Worry About

• “Is it loud in the rain?” No, not on a house. The noise people remember is from a barn: bare panels over open framing with nothing underneath. A residential metal roof sits on solid decking with underlayment and an insulated attic below it, and it is comparable to asphalt.
• “Does it attract lightning?” No. Metal does not increase the likelihood of a strike, and being conductive and non-combustible it is arguably a safer material if one occurs.
• “Will it rust?” Modern steel panels are coated, and the coating grade determines finish life. Aluminum resists coastal corrosion better than steel, which is why the aluminum premium often pays for itself near salt water.
• “Will it dent from hail?” It can. The important distinction is that a dent is usually cosmetic while a cracked shingle is a leak path.
• “Can it go over my existing shingles?” Sometimes, where code permits and the deck is sound: but we generally prefer a tear-off so we can see and correct the deck, the flashing and the ventilation while access is open.

Installation Details That Decide Everything

Metal is unforgiving of a crew that mostly installs shingles, and the reason is thermal movement. A long panel in direct sun expands measurably and does so every single day. A system that does not accommodate that movement destroys itself slowly.

• Sliding clips rather than fixed fasteners on standing seam, so the panel can move
• Panel length limits and expansion detailing at ridges, eaves and transitions
• Correct fastener alloy, especially where dissimilar metals meet or salt air is present
• Flashing that allows movement at chimneys, skylights, walls and vents, rigid detailing at a moving joint tears itself apart
• Underlayment specified for metal, typically high-temperature or self-adhered
• Balanced attic ventilation, exhaust matched by soffit intake. See why proper roof ventilation matters.

We are a GAF-certified contractor, and every roof is signed off by a Brazen quality-control inspector rather than by the crew that installed it. See TimberSteel installation and the TimberSteel guarantee.

Compare this material to our other Roofing Types, including architectural shingles, tile and slate, or explore our full Residential Roofing service line. Book a free roof inspection for a real number on your own roof. For commercial buildings see commercial metal roofing systems.

Frequently Asked Questions