METAL ROOFING / PHOENIX METRO
A metal roof
is two very different
products.
Standing seam and stone-coated steel are both metal roofs and have little else in common: how they look, how they attach, and where each one suits. We install both, on homes and on commercial buildings.
A USEFUL FIRST QUESTION
“Which metal system is this, and how is it fastened?”
01 / THE CUSTOMER PROBLEM
“Metal roof”
names a material,
not a system.
One metal roofing proposal can mean long panels with raised seams and hidden fasteners. Another can mean steel formed and coated to look like tile. Comparing the two on price alone compares different roofs.
02 / WHAT THE WORK COVERS
Ask for the
scope in writing.
Ask for the metal system to be named in full:
- The system type: standing seam, stone-coated steel, or another panel
- The specific product, the metal and its thickness (gauge), not the brand alone
- The finish or coating, and what its warranty covers
- How the panels attach: concealed clips, fasteners, or battens
- The underlayment beneath the metal
- Flashing and trim at walls, valleys, ridges, and penetrations
- Tear-off of the existing roof, and how the deck will be checked
03 / SUITABILITY AND LIMITS
Where this fits.
Where it does not.
Generally a fit for
- Owners who have decided on metal and want the system specified properly
- Standing seam on homes and commercial buildings where its look and the roof shape suit it
- Stone-coated steel where the look of tile or shake is wanted in a much lighter material than concrete tile
- Commercial buildings where a metal system suits the structure and how the building is used
Ask harder questions when
- Any proposal that says “metal roof” without naming the system
- Low-slope areas, unless the system is rated for that slope
- Decisions made on appearance alone, before the deck and details have been looked at
- Plans for solar, until how the panels would mount on the metal has been discussed
04 / INSPECTION CONSIDERATIONS
What an assessment
should look at.
01
Establish what is there now.
The existing roof, how many layers it has, and the condition of the deck decide what has to happen before metal goes on.
02
Measure the slope.
Metal systems are rated for particular slopes. The slope of each part of your roof decides which systems are options there.
03
Look at the details.
Walls, valleys, vents, and other penetrations are where any roof is most likely to leak, metal included.
04
Agree the finish.
The color and coating decide how the roof looks and how the finish is warranted. Ask what the finish warranty covers, and for how long.
05 / OPTIONS TO COMPARE
More than one
reasonable answer.
01 Standing seam
Long metal panels joined at raised seams, with the fasteners concealed.
Ask which panel profile and seam type, the metal and gauge, and the slope it is rated for.
02 Stone-coated steel
Steel panels coated in stone granules and formed to look like tile, shake, or shingle.
Ask which profile, how it attaches to the roof, and what the coating warranty covers.
03 Metal on a commercial building
A metal system specified for the building’s structure and use.
Ask what the system is rated for, and how it ties into walls, parapets, and rooftop equipment.
04 Re-roofing from tile or shingle to metal
Replacing an existing roof with a metal system.
Ask what happens to the existing roof and deck, and how the change affects flashing and trim at every edge.
06 / COST DRIVERS
Why two proposals
are not the
same number.
Metal proposals differ for reasons the headline figure does not show.
01
System type.
Standing seam and stone-coated steel are different products, installed differently.
02
Metal and gauge.
Thicker material, and different metals, change the price.
03
Tear-off and deck.
Removing the old roof, and any deck repair found once it is open.
04
Roof geometry.
Pitch, number of planes, valleys, and penetrations, each of which needs its own trim and flashing.
07 / QUESTIONS
Before you
decide.
What does a metal roof cost?
Typically $1,500 to $2,000 per square with us, where a square is 100 square feet of roof. What that comes to for a whole roof.
Standing seam or stone-coated steel?
They suit different buildings. Standing seam has a clean, paneled look and suits commercial buildings as well as homes. Stone-coated steel is shaped to look like tile, shake, or shingle. The slope of the roof and the look you want usually decide it.
Do you install metal roofs on commercial buildings?
Yes. We install metal roofs on homes and on commercial buildings. Commercial roofing.
Which metal roofing systems do you install?
Standing seam and stone-coated steel. The specific product depends on the roof; ask for it to be named in writing before you compare it with anything else.
Thinking about metal?
A free inspection looks at the roof you have now and ends in a written answer on what it needs.