Metal roof on house

[Tetto]

Hi All- has anybody been down this path? I’m thinking of replacing the old shingles with a metal roof. From research I gather its way more expensive but possibly worth into the long run. Anybody do this? Do you like the outcome or something to stay away from?

Regards

Tetto

[braumeister]

This thread is old, but it might give you a little information:

Has anyone on this forum put a metal roof on their house?

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tetto Hi All- has anybody been down this path? I’m thinking of replacing the old shingles with a metal roof. From research I gather its way more expensive but possibly worth into the long run.

I considered it the last time a hail storm got our roof but the cost was almost three times the cost of asphalt shingles. I couldn't see spending that kind of money ($50,000+ in my case). With my luck we'd have another major hail storm that would ding the heck out of the metal roof and I'd be forced to live with it as cosmetic damage isn't covered by insurance.

[MichaelB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo I considered it the last time a hail storm got our roof but the cost was almost three times the cost of asphalt shingles. I couldn't see spending that kind of $. With my luck we'd have another major hail storm that would ding the heck out of the metal roof and I'd be forced to live with it as cosmetic damage isn't covered by insurance.

Just curiosity, but would your homeowners insurance premiums change with the metal roof?

[Music Lover]

I've helped 2 people install metal roofs. It goes up quick and easy. It can get tricky if you have a lot of angles and valleys. Both roofs I was involved in were simple 4/12 pitch with no angles or valleys. We ordered them to length and they pre-cut them to size.

It doesn't have to be that much more expensive but I guess it's location specific. My brother paid about $1.30 a sq ft for the metal plus a little more for the ridge pieces, edge trim, and fasteners. We also put water barrier on the entire roof. Maybe $2000 for a 1100 sq ft house all in. Labour free of course.

I'd go with a heavier gauge and hidden fasteners.

[Dtail]

Maybe a silly question, but wouldn't the hard downpours sound much louder?

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB Just curiosity, but would your homeowners insurance premiums change with the metal roof?

I understand they would decrease about 20%, saving me roughly $300/yr. Rough calculation, the metal roof would pay for itself if I can hang on for another 100 years.

[Music Lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dtail Maybe a silly question, but wouldn't the hard downpours sound much louder?

If the metal is touching the sheathing noise is suppressed. But if it's on strapping that provides an air gap the metal can make noise when hit. It's similar to hitting an air duct....it can be quite loud. But hit a piece of duct that's flat against a solid surface and the noise is minimized.

[Music Lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo I considered it the last time a hail storm got our roof but the cost was almost three times the cost of asphalt shingles. I couldn't see spending that kind of money ($50,000+ in my case). With my luck we'd have another major hail storm that would ding the heck out of the metal roof and I'd be forced to live with it as cosmetic damage isn't covered by insurance.

Why so much in your area? Metal isn't that expensive and the labour is often less to install.

[Tetto]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister This thread is old, but it might give you a little information: Has anyone on this forum put a metal roof on their house?

Thanks for that link; I searched and could not find anything!

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Music Lover Why so much in your area? Metal isn't that expensive and the labour is often less to install.

No idea, but the rule of thumb here is metal is at least 2.5x the cost of asphalt shingles. That's also what I found when I asked for quotes when I replaced our roof in 2019.

[Jerry1]

Gave it some thought, but I won’t be around long enough to make it worth it. For sure I won’t be around long enough to break even, but I don’t see being in this house long enough to say it was worth it from an enjoyment perspective. I think I have less than five years left on my current roof and probably 15 for me to be in this house. I’ll check pricing when the time comes and maybe blow that dough if the portfolio is doing well, but it seems unlikely.

Plus, I’m going to have additional cost because the current roof is a second layer, something I’d never do, so I think the cost to take that off and correct any issues will quite a bit to the job.

[Midpack]

I’d much rather have a metal roof, but I’ll have to do the economics when our current roof starts to fail - should be at least 10-15 years off...

[PaunchyPirate]

My current house has a metal roof. The previous owners put it on. I really can’t tell any real difference in sounds when there is heavy rain from what I’ve heard in my previous shingled roofs.

In my area of rural northwest PA, I would say that probably 80% of the roofing projects I see being worked on are putting on a metal roof. Perhaps more. It’s very popular here. It’s already started this spring. I’ve noticed several underway in the area as I have been out and about. I don’t think shingled roof projects have started yet, as I think they want warmer weather. But when they start, there will be far less of them compared to metal projects.

[TNBigfoot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tetto Hi All- has anybody been down this path? I’m thinking of replacing the old shingles with a metal roof. From research I gather its way more expensive but possibly worth into the long run. Anybody do this? Do you like the outcome or something to stay away from? Regards Tetto

How long are you planning on keeping the house? If short term, not worth the extra expense unless you recover cost in resale value. Also depends on the area of the country. Metal roofs are good for high wind, high fire risk areas.

[grasshopper]

We had a shingle roof, but because we are in a wildfire area we put a metal roof on after our house was 20 YO.

The old roof was in pretty good shape so we just put the metal right over top.

I think the extra insulation is great, and Ms G likes the sound of rain on her new roof.

[MRG]

We have shingles where there's about 60% metal roofs. If you convert make sure you understand where snow is going to "shed". It's not an option for us because of that, we'd lose any view out our living room.

[GreenEggs]

I wonder if the Tesla solar roofs will ever become popular? If the numbers work, that seems like the way to go.


We have metal roofs on our cabin and studio in the mountains. They are really quick & simple to install. The metal panels are 3' wide and up to 40' long, so each panel covers a large area. I don't know why roofing installers charge so much more for a metal roof.

[CindyBlue]

We have had a metal on our house for 30 years and counting. Expect it to last our lifetime. Love the sound of the rain on the roof!

[ocean view]

We have a metal roof. It came with the house. I think they roof is called Decra Tiles. It doesn’t look like a metal roof. Ours was also laid over the old shake roof, so it provides additional insulation in the summer (we’re not in a cold winter area).

The biggest downside for us is that it blocks a decent cell phone signal inside. It’s as if we were in a giant Faraday cage. Wifi assist is the only way we can get cell calls. If your phone is old and doesn’t support wifi assist, be warned.

We also have not pursued solar because we were told that it can’t be installed on this type of roof. But honestly, that was a long time ago. Things may have changed.