How Much Does a Metal Roof Cost?
How Much Does a Metal Roof Cost?
I was shocked when I received the price quote for my first metal roof – Thirty-seven thousand dollars, for a roof. I called my husband down to the home office and showed him the number on the screen like I’d just discovered we’d won the lottery—except in reverse. He took one look and walked away, shaking his head. We spent the next week looking at regular shingle estimates instead, which came in at around nine grand. The difference was massive.
Here’s the deal. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So, I did what I always do when I am thinking about something expensive that I don’t really understand. I broke the numbers down and figured out what I was paying for.
What I’m Paying For
Metal roofs aren’t cheap (there’s no getting around that). If you break down the cost per square foot, it’s going to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $14 – $40, depending on the type of metal you choose and where you live. Based on a national average, I’m seeing prices closer to $27 per square foot right now. That doesn’t sound like much until you multiply it by two thousand square feet and realize you’re spending five grand to ten grand just on materials and labor.
My original quote was actually on the high end of that range. The contractor I was talking to in the beginning was basically trying to sell me a luxury roof. Standing seam metal—which is the most common type for residential homes—runs about seventeen to twenty-four dollars per square foot as of this year. That’s the sweet spot where most people land. You’re getting quality without paying for copper or titanium or whatever else they throw on high-end commercial buildings.
Let me put it in perspective. A basic asphalt shingle roof costs maybe five to ten grand installed. A metal roof? Fifteen to forty grand. I’ve seen some projects over fifty thousand if you’re doing something really fancy, or you’ve got a complicated roof design. My neighbor just had his redone with a specialty finish, and he spent nearly forty-five thousand. His roof looks like it’s worth it, but yeah, that’s a second car payment.
Why There’s Such a Big Range
The first thing that affects price is the type of metal you’re choosing. Steel is the least expensive option, and you can expect to pay about four to twelve dollars per square foot for steel. Aluminum costs about the same and could end up being a bit more expensive. Then you’ve got corrugated metal panels, which are the simpler-looking ones. Those come in cheaper, around seven to twelve dollars per square foot. But if you want standing seam, which looks more modern and sleek, you’re jumping to seventeen to thirty dollars per square foot, depending on the quality.
Then there’s the fancy stuff. Copper and titanium are beautiful if you love that upscale look, but they’ll run you thirty dollars per square foot or more. That’s not something most people are doing unless they’ve got money to burn. My contractor showed me copper samples during my research phase, and I’m not going to lie—they looked incredible. Then he told me the price, and I suddenly became very interested in steel.
Location matters too. If you live somewhere with a complicated roof—lots of peaks and valleys, multiple chimneys, skylights, that sort of thing—it’s going to cost more. My house is a simple ranch with minimal angles, so installation was straightforward. One of my friends has a colonial with all kinds of architectural details, and his quote was nearly twenty percent higher than mine for the same square footage. The roofers have to work around all those complications.
Labor costs vary by region as well. I’m in the Midwest, so labor is reasonable. If you live in California or the Northeast, you are most likely paying thirty to forty percent more on the total bill because everything costs more there. It’s unfortunate, but that’s the deal.
Hidden Costs Nobody Talks About
Here’s where people get blindsided. The quote for the metal roof itself doesn’t include removing your old roof. That’s a separate line item. Tear-off is usually about one to three dollars per square foot, which means another two to six thousand dollars for most homes. Nobody looks forward to the shock of finding out how much your bill will be!
You may also need new flashing, which is the metal that seals around the chimney and vent brackets. Depending on how marketed and what needs to be done, it could be another 1,000 to 3,000 on top of everything else! . If your underlying roof structure is damaged—which you won’t know until they rip off the old roof—that’s even more money. Rotted decking isn’t cheap to replace.
Then there’s the question of gutters and downspouts. Some people upgrade those at the same time, which makes sense since you’ve already got roofers on the job. But that’s another two to five grand if you decide to do it. I didn’t upgrade mine because they were relatively new, but I knew plenty of people who did and were glad they bundled it all together.
Financing It Makes More Sense Than You’d Think
When I finally sat down to crunch the numbers, I thought that while 37,000 was a substantial amount of money out of pocket, to spread that over a 60-year life made it not as painful. It may be around 600 a year. In comparison, my buddy with a shingle roof is going to have to replace that roof in 20 to 25 years. If you are comfortable in a house for that long, you will replace a shingle roof at least twice. Maybe three times if you’re really unlucky with the weather.
A lot of roofing companies offer financing. Zero percent for twelve or twenty-four months isn’t uncommon. Some will even go longer. I had some of it financed, so the monthly expense is manageable now. And the way I looked at it, by breaking it up and spreading it out over time, I didn’t feel like I was dumping all that cash at once.
What I have learned
Steel was the correct decision because I know I will be in the house for a very lengthy period of time. The cost is high, but the longevity made the math work. If you’re planning to move in five years? Metal roofing probably doesn’t make sense for you. You won’t recoup the investment. But if this is your long-term home, especially if you live somewhere with rough weather, it’s worth seriously considering.
Get multiple quotes. Contractors can range in paperwork pricing from a low-bid contractor to a high-bid contractor. Don’t go for the lowest price. Many fly-by-night contractors cut costs, sub different materials, or don’t do the install correctly. I paid more than the cheapest bid, but my contractor had 20 years of experience with metal roofing and had a solid warranty to back up his work.
You should be sure to ask questions about the different types of metal available and the different finishes. Steel and aluminum are the two least expensive types and the most durable types for residential use. Copper, while beautiful, is overkill unless you love the aesthetic. And don’t hesitate to ask any questions about warranty coverage; most of your metal roofs will have twenty to forty-year warranties, but some are even longer.
The Bottom Line
Yes, a metal roof costs a lot of money. There’s no way to sugar-coat that. But when you break that down to a monthly amount and contend with the fact that you will probably never buy another roof again, the number isn’t quite as scary. I am two years into my metal roof, and I have not regretted my decision for even one second. To not have to worry about this for another twenty years? That peace of mind is worth something, too.
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