Metal roofing is an excellent choice for quality-minded homeowners, because a metal roof is virtually the only lifetime roof system that is light-weight, long-lasting, and most of all – affordable. If you compare prices of a metal roof to slate or clay tile prices, you will realize that an average metal roof will cost you only about one third the price of natural slate, while it will look the same or better, and last at least as long.

There are many styles of metal roofs and many choices for roofing materials – your choices range from galvanized steel / aluminum metal roofs, to premium metals such as zinc, copper and stainless steel roofing. You can choose between a “standard” vertical panel (standing seam) metal roof, or a metal roof made to look like either cedar shingles, shakes, natural slate, or flat and barrel tile.

You will also get a wide range of colors to choose from. The result will be such that you will get the look you want with the price you can afford, and the long-lasting performance of metal roofing.

Metal roofing – premium roofing material at down to earth prices:

There is much confusion about the prices of metal roofs, as there is a wide range of metal roof styles and materials to choose form, with some costing a lot more than others. In this metal roofing prices guide, we will show you how much you should expect to pay for different metal roofing systems, and how the choice of metal roofing materials will affect your roofing cost. But before we jump into roof pricing for each type of metal roofs, let me clarify one thing: metal roofs are pricey as compared to asphalt shingles roofs, but keep in mind that metal roof is a lifetime roofing material and so should be compared to its counter-parts in the roofing market – other lifetime roofs, such as natural slate, clay Spanish tiles, concrete tiles, and lately, synthetic slate roofing.

Asphalt shingles, on the other hand, is not a lifetime roofing material and you can expect to replace an average asphalt shingle roof every 15 years. Even the “50 years” or “lifetime” asphalt shingles won’t last more than 25-30 years, as they will simply dry out / roast under sun’s heat and ultraviolet rays.





Also we want to mention that metal roofs cost just as much as cedar shingles roofs, but they will outlast cedar shingles by at least 3 times on average, as cedar shingles rarely last longer than 20 years, due to moisture, mold, mildew and moss growth, etc. Also you can get a metal roof that looks just like a cedar shingles roof, at almost the same price.

Benefits of metal roofing:

• Metal roof is a lifetime roofing material, and you can expect a new metal roof to easily outlast your house (when installed correctly). Even the galvanized steel metal roof, which is usually warranted for 50 years, will usually last well beyond its warranty period, unless it is subject to corrosion due to external sources/causes, such as salt-air environment or mixing of different, incompatible metals, such as copper, aluminum or zinc.
• Main benefit of a metal roof is that it is made out of the most durable roofing materials available, and metal does not deteriorate with age, unlike asphalt shingles. Sun’s UV rays have no effect on a metal roof’s performance, with the exception of the paint fading, which happens rather slowly and gradually, and goes virtually unnoticed for metal roofs coated with Kynar 500 / Hylar 5000 coating.
• Metal roofs are light weight, and do not require any special framing to support the weight of a roof system. An average metal roof weights 50-80 lbs. per 100 square feet, or one roofing square, compared to 250 lbs for asphalt shingles and as much as 800 lbs for slate or tile roofs. Due to low weight of a metal roof, they can easily be installed over existing shingles, which will further reduce your roof installation price. However, there are some exceptions, which we will discuss bellow.
• Metal roofs are Cool Roofs by nature, as they do not store solar heat, and unlike asphalt shingles, quickly cool down as soon as the sun goes down. When coated with “Cool Roof” coating, metal roofs will qualify for a $1500 cool roof federal tax credit.
• Metal roofs shed ice and water and are a natural solution for ice dams problems and related roof leaks. Although Ice Dams are more than just a “roof problem”, nearly every asphalt shingles roof will be subjected to ice dams, no matter how well it is ventilated and insulated. Metal roofs prevent ice build up, as any snow and ware will slide off a metal roof. Even when ice build up occurs on a metal roof, continuous vertical panels and interlocking metal shingles design will not let the water back up under the roof and leak inside your house.

Metal Roofing Prices:

Although roof prices differ from region to region, metal roofing prices are more stable and even, compared to the cost of asphalt shingle roofs. We will look at metal roof prices based on metal roof type and material. Metal roof prices described bellow, are the going average in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, but there should not be much difference in metal roof cost where you live, unless the economic situation in your region is very dire. Usually roof prices have a direct co-relationship to the cost of living in your area, and metal roofs are no exception.

Before we dive into metal roofing prices, lets establish a reference point for which roof prices are given: Our model roof will be a 1500 sq. feet gable roof with one chimney, a ridge and two roof “planes”, as well as 3 bathroom vent pipes. There are also two skylights on the roof and about 50 feet of roof to wall flashing (side-wall flashing). Our “model” roof has a plywood deck with no shingles or any other roofing materials on it and all wood is in sound shape. We will install 3 feet wide Ice and Water Shield along the eaves of our roof and GAF DeckArmor underlayment on the rest of the roof. We also will install 5 snow-guards over each door used in the winter, and over garage doors, and a ridge vent along the ridge.

So here is a basic rundown on roof specs:

• Roof slop – walkable – 3 to 6 roof pitch.
• No tear-off.
• Roof installation to include Ice and Water shield along the eaves / valleys, and GAF DeckArmor over the rest of the roof.
• Roof installation includes Ridge vent cut in and installation.
• Roof installation includes new, color-matching chimney flashing and counter flashing.
• Skylight flashing and chimney flashing for more than one chimney is usually extra, and is not included in the following per-square roof pricing.
• Snow guards are normally installed only over doors, which you use in the winter – typically 5 or 7 snow-guards per door. Any additional snow-guards are charged for at about $15 per snow-guard.
• When roof difficulty goes up, the price-per-square goes up. So a roof with many valleys, dormers, side-wall flashing, etc., will cost more than a simple roof in the picture bellow.

We will list the metal roofing prices for different metal roof materials in the order of low to high price. Also notice that there is a difference in price of steel roof vs. aluminum roof, with aluminum being about a $100 more per square, compared to G90 or Galvalume steel.

Steel shingles metal roof prices:

Steel interlocking shingles is the least expensive architectural metal roof system, though id does not mean that it is “the worst quality”. In fact, steel shingles, such as those demonstrated above, are a very high quality metal roofing system, but cost the least. This is because they are the least expensive metal roof material for us to purchase, and are the “easiest to install”.

On average, one square of steel shingles will cost you about $800 to install on a simple roof such as the one described above, excluding any tear-off, and other extras such as multiple chimneys/skylights flashing, gutters, leaf-guards, etc. This price includes any one of the three available profiles: Slate, Wood Shingle and Tile.

Aluminum shingles metal roof prices:

Similar to the prices of steel interlocking shingles, aluminum shingles will cost $900 per square, which includes the difference in material prices. All other items remaining the same, aluminum shingles installation is virtually the same as steel shingles, with the exception of using aluminum ring-shank nails and usually not using clips, as aluminum shingles are smaller (1 sq. ft. each) and have a built in attachment “ear”.

Standing seam metal roofing prices:

Standing seam metal roof material costs more to install, and is usually more difficult / time consuming to install if there are any roof penetration,s such as sky-lights or chimneys, as the flashing method for roof curbs on standing seam metal roofs is very complicated due to roof design. Additionally, the roofing material prices for standing seam are considerably higher, as the metal gauge is higher compared to metal shingles in both steel and aluminum.





A simple roof with standing seam metal panels will cost about $1000 per square for a steel metal roof. As soon as the difficulty of a roof goes up, the installation process becomes much more complicated as compared to metal shingles, and the price difference per square becomes higher than is the case with metal shingles. This is due in part to the lack of a method to install roof staging on a standing seam metal roof, and a need to use the hydraulic lift on most hip roofs, as there is no way to attach a hook ladder on a hip roof.

An aluminum standing seam metal roof will usually cost about $1100 per square to account for the materials price difference. Also, the snow-guards choices for standing seam roofs offer a great range for styles, but increase the overall cost as well.

Exposed fasteners (EF) metal roofing – Multi-rib / R-panel / V5 crimp panel / corrugated metal roof prices:

Unlike the architectural metal roofing such as standing seam, exposed fasteners metal roofs cost considerably less, but are also of a much lower material quality and are limited in terms of installation / flashing methods for complicated roofs. EF metal roofs are designed to be a cheap metal roof for farm / industrial / commercial buildings, and are rarely used in residential metal roofing. This type of metal roofing is usually made with a cheap 29 ga steel and acrylic paint / coating, instead of a minimum 26 ga steel and Kynar 500 paint for architectural standing seam. Also the limited flashing method, makes this type of metal roofing a bad choice for complicated roofs. Exposed fasteners also pose a great possibility of a roof leak and will normally require re-sealing and re-tightening in about 10 years, as neoprene rubber gasket dries out and water begins to seep in.

The price of an EF metal roof averages between $600-650 per square. The difference in roof price is due in part to considerably lower quality and cost of roofing materials, as well as faster, simpler installation.

Specialty metal roofing products – stone coated steel, copper and zinc metal roofs:

Stone coated steel is one example of specialty metal roofing. Although it is pretty common in the south and the mid-west, it is rather rare in New England. Due to high material costs ad complicated installation, stone coated steel metal roofing is only installed when a specific style of a light metal roof is required.The most common style of the stone coated steel roofs is the Spanish tile impressions.

Stone coated steel roofing is usually made form a 24 or 22 gauge, G90 galvanized steel, and is coated with tiny stone granules painted in typical colors of clay tile roofs installed throughout Southern Europe, with predominantly red and orange shades.

Stone coated steel roofs are usually installed over horizontal battens, and installation goes from top to bottom instead of the typical bottom-up installation process.

Stone coated steel roofs usually cost about $1300+ per square, including installation of 2×2″ battens, and underlayment. All roof penetration flashing is rather complicated due to design limitations of stone coated steel metal roofs, and hence will cost even more than curb flashings for standing seam roofs.

Despite higher than usual roof prices, stone coated steel roofs offer a beautiful look of a Spanish tile roof, at a fraction of the total cost of real clay tiles, while the roof quality is at lease the same, if not better. The relatively light weight of stone coated steel roofs eliminates the need for special framing required to support the weight of real clay tiles.

Spanish tile stone coated metal roof which we installed at Venus De Milo restaurant in Swansea, MA

Copper roofing prices

Copper is rarely installed over the entire roof due to extremely high cost of material. Copper is usually used for smaller, custom roofs, such as decorative bay-window roofs, curved metal roofs, etc. However, if you want to have a copper roof installed over your entire house, the most cost-effective copper roof would be to use copper interlocking metal shingles, which have the same design as aluminum shingles, and are once again the easiest type of copper roof to install, and cost less than copper standing seam.





Since copper is a pretty soft metal, is can be molded and formed to look like almost any type of roof. Copper looks particularly “awesome” when it’s made to look like Spanish tile, especially when the natural green patina occurs on it due to normal oxidation. The Spanish tile copper roofing is by far the most expensive copper roof, when you price it for the whole house. Of course it will still be less expensive per square foot, compared to custom copper roofing.





Copper roof prices:

The least expensive copper roof shingles will cost you about $2000 per square. This number is not very firm though as copper prices are very volatile and have risen dramatically in the recent months (since Jan. 2010). This price includes all flashing made from 16 oz. copper as well as copper shingles which are also made from 16 oz. copper. You also have a choice of 20 oz. copper, but that will bump up your copper roofing cost another $100 per square.

Copper Spanish tile will cost you about $2750 per square, as it is made from 20 oz. copper by default, costs considerably more than copper shingles and the installation of copper Spanish tile roof is also much more complicated.

Any custom copper work will be priced on an individual basis, as there is really no way to provide standard pricing for custom copper roof work. However, a typical straight panel copper bay window will cost you between $2500 and $3000. Any curved copper roof installation will increase the roof price dramatically.

Zinc Roof prices:

Zinc roofing costs virtually the same as copper, though in some cases it is actually less expensive. A zinc roof is usually installed as standing seam, though, custom zinc roofing shingles can be ordered and manufactured as a special order. In general, you can expect to pay $1800-1900 per sq. for zinc roofing on roof sizes over 500 sq. feet.

Metal Roofing Resources:

Use our Roofing Calculator to estimate metal roof prices in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, as well as get free roofing price quote, when you submit a roofing estimate request.

Solar Metal Roofing – Did you know that a standing seam metal roof can be combined with thin-film solar panels such as PV laminates made by UniSolar? Solar metal roofing is the most cost effective way to combine green metal roofing materials with Solar Panels, and get the best price for both!

You can use the Solar Calculator to estimate solar roofing prices based on the roof’s size, as well as the size of the solar system you are looking to install. The Solar calculator will also help you estimate the break-even period, and the solar electricity production of your solar PV panels.

References

Metal Roofing prices – a helpful guide to understanding metal roofing prices for materials and labor.

Roofing Costs – related guide to understand roofing prices for common roof types.