A Guide To Metal Roof Costs And Advantages

Metal Roofing – Introducing the Mercedes of the Roofing Industry!

Long gone are the days when Metal Roofing was just a new kid on the block. With its ever growing popularity among residential and commercial roofing projects, metal roofing is becoming a very well respected player of the roofing industry. Its popularity is attributed to many different factors among which a few stand out:

Beautiful Looks

Forget the images of those old ugly metal roofs on grey barns! Modern metal roofs offer vivid colors and a truly impressive selection of styles that command our admiration, and play with our imagination. In fact, when you first see a bright red color metal roof,  you will really be impressed and even fascinated by the beautiful design of the metal roof that had an impressive look, and its lines were playfully reflecting the early morning sun.

Durable and Long Lasting

Modern Metal roofs are among some of the most practical and long lasting roofing solutions available to homeowners today. They offer great security and protection to a homeowner who is planning to stay in his/her house for awhile, and is interested in having a reliable and worry free roof. Modern metal roofing products come with manufacturer backed material warranties of up to 40 years. Forty years of service life for a properly installed metal roof is actually quite realistic. In fact, many premium metal roofing products such as Zinc and Copper have been known to last well over a 100 years! Of course a metal roof is only as good as a metal roofing contractor who installs it. Therefore it is imperative that your installer is properly trained, and far more importantly, is willing to deliver the type of quality necessary for a truly reliable metal roof.

Great Value

This may seem almost counter intuitive; at first, it is obvious that the initial price of a metal roof is considerably higher than the price of an asphalt shingles roof. But this is only the first impression, and first impressions can sometimes be wrong. Consider that an average life expectancy of a typical asphalt roof according to the National Association of Home Builders is only 15 to 30 years. That’s a lifespan of 30 years at best, and only for a premium asphalt shingles roof under mild climate conditions. The national data suggests that an average range of expected lifespan of an asphalt roof is between 12 to 17 years. Not to mention, an asphalt shingle roof is a petroleum based product contributing to the environmental polution, and our dependancy on foreign oil.

Now, an asphalt shingle roof represents a typical mass produced roofing product that most roofers install. Most asphalt shingles roofing crews employ hourly laborers who do not excatly adhere to the installation standards, and rush through the shingling process in order to get to the next job as soon as they can. The common end result of this is a poorly installed roof with shorter lifespan. Eventually, such a roof is likely to require costly repairs due to premature failures. Now, even if the asphalt shingle roof installation was done by the right crew that did a quality work, severe storms, tough climate, and thermal shocks can significantly shorten the lifespan of even an asphalt shingle roof.

Did you know that asphalt shingle roof begins losing granules as soon as it becomes exposed to nature’s elements? An asphalt shingle roof begins to deteriorate and lose its water-resistant abilities in direct proportion to the severity of the local climate, which is not a factor for the longevity and performance of a metal roof.

As an example, lets take a look at the tough South-Eastern states such as Florida, and Alabama. These states are exposed to a lot of heavy rainfall, extreme heat and severe winters that exert heavy toll on the asphalt shingle roofs. The Asphalt roofs are prone to breaking down and leaking in this tough climate. and as a result they may start leaking prematurely and require costly roof maintenance and repairs.

Metal roofing, on the other hand, feels at ease with the rain, snow and ice accumulation, which simply slides off the metal roof helping you prevent ice dams on your roof. Simply put; metal roofing laughs at the severe rain and snow storms. It provides superb, price effective longevity that no other roofing material on the market does. A properly installed metal roof will last well over fifty years and easily pay for its higher initial cost. In fact, after decades of reliable service, metal roofs may result in savings that add up to a double and even three times the amount you would spend with an asphalt shingle roof.

Modern residential & light commercial metal roofing systems are integrated with precision-made sheet metal flashing, which makes it possible to flash around any complex roof pentrations including large chimneys and skylights. Steel roofing shingles systems we install, feature prefabricated chimney and skylight flashing, chimney crickets, valleys, drip-edge/starter and gable flashing, side wall or end-wall flashing.

So, why are we telling you this? Well, here is why; Most conventional asphalt shingle roofs are prone to premature roof leaks. This is often due to the above-mentioned vulnerable elements of the roof that do not get flashed properly. Metal roofs integrated with specially prefabricated metal flashing components, provide decades of leak-free roof performance, while maintaining a beautiful and uniform appearance.

Residential Metal Roofing Prices

There has been a significant increase in the prices of metal across the board; this has greatly affected the cost of metal roofing materials. Currently, residential & light commercial metal roofing products can range in their cost anywhere from $3.50 to $11.00 per square foot. In roofing terms, expect to pay anywhere from $350.00 to $1100.00 per roofing square of material without installation (Roofing square is 100 sq. ft.).

On average, expect to pay anywhere from $350.00 to $650.00 per square of metal roofing system (These figures reflect approximate prices you would pay to a supplier of metal roofing products. These figures do not reflect the actual installation cost of the product). The prices per square include all the necessary trim flashing (such as gable, starter/drip edge, and ridge cap), screws/nails, clips and fasteners. It is recommend installing a breathable synthetic roof under-layment for your metal roofing system. Breathable underlayment will add another $30 to $40 to the metal roofing material cost per square.

Types of Metal Roofs

G-90 Galvanized Steel

What is a G-90 galvanized steel? G-90 galvanized steel is a steel coil, or a sheet steel that has received a zinc coating for resistance against the corrosion and oxidation. The G-90 galvanized steel has been coated with a minimum of 0.90 oz. of zinc per square foot of steel coil through the process of continuous hot-dipping.

In roofing applications, G-90 steel is further protected and enhanced with a factory applied CERAM-A-STAR® 1050 CoolRoof color paint coatings. The CERAM-A-STAR® 1050 coated galvanized steel offers excellent long lasting protection in roofing.

Galvalume Steel Standing Seam Roofing

What is galvalume steel? Galvalume Steel also known as zinc-alum is steel coil or sheet steel coated with a combination of zinc and aluminum to provide high degree of corrosion resistance and protection.

Galvalume steel is used in metal roofing systems such as standing seam. Standing seam materials from the supply wearhouse start at about $450.00 per square for materials alone. The price includes all the necessary trim and flashing. Steel Standing Seam roofs are used in commercial roofing applications, and many homeowners looking for “Modern Look” choose to install standing seam for their residential homes. The installation price for Steel Standing Seam Metal Roofing starts at $1000.00 per square installed.

Aluminum Standing Seam Roofing

Material prices start at about $500.00 and up. Installation process is more involved. Basic gable roof installation price with no tear off starts at $1100.00.

Copper, this phenomenal metal is very expensive; expect to pay around $1100.00 – $1200.00 per square just for the product without the installation.

High metal roofing materials cost is not the only factor that makes metal roofs pricey. Unlike conventional roofing, metal roofs are not simply nailed to the deck. The installation must be accurately measured and very precise. Improper installation may cost thousands of dollars in wasted materials costs. Quality metal roofing application requires highly trained professional installers.

• Metal’s longevity, and its solar radiation reflective properties are the biggest assets of value in metal roofs.
• A properly installed metal roof may last a very long time, with very little maintenance costs, and reduced energy bills.
• A higher priced metal roof may have the lowest life-cycle cost when compared to majority of conventional roofs.
• Expect to pay anywhere from $750.00 to $1500.00 per square of metal roofing installed (materials and labor).
• The variance in price allows for different levels of difficulty in the installation of metal roofing.

Thus, $750.00 per square would represent a fairly simple roof, while $1500.00 per square may be asked for a challenging roof that will require a lot of time and resources to complete.

Finally, good negotiation skills may help you lower the price of a new metal roof for your home! Keep in mind that it is perfectly appropriate to negotiate, and nicely, ask for a metal roofing discount.

Appreciate Your Home with Quality Metal Roofing

If you’ve been considering upgrading your home and increasing its resale value, you should know that beautiful and enduring metal roofing is highly valued as one of the top renovation-friendly building materials for rehabbers and new home builders alike.

With resale values of up to 139% (Miami, FL), you can enjoy quality metal roofing on your home at virtually no cost!

As reported by Sal Alfano of Remodeling Magazine, homes renovated with standing-seam metal roofing show a rate of 85.9% cost recouped in the national average with up to 95.5% for homes in the Eastern states, a full 1 and 6% resale value gain over homes roofed with asphalt. And with all the added safety and longevity associated with quality metal roofing matching installation job costs that reach only one half of that of cosmetic room remodeling averages or even one eighth of that of a master suite addition, you hardly deny the sense in upgrading.

Lower Your Insurance with Weather-Resistant Metal Roofing

If you live in an area that experiences extreme weather from time to time, be it hail, heavy wind or forest and canyon fire, you should be aware of the availability of impact-resistant UL Standard 2218 tested metal roofing (classes 1 through 4) and fire-resistant Class A, B and C metal roofing. While important for the safety and security reasons alone, these quality metal roofing products may also earn you discounts on your homeowner’s insurance!

UL 2218 Discounts Available:

Although all insurance packages may vary, many homeowners’ insurance agencies allow discounts for homeowners with specific weather-resistant metal roofing products.

Be sure to contact your insurance agency to request information on available discounts. In some areas of the United States, we have heard of discounts of 30% or more!