What is the Cost of Installing a Metal Roof?
Depending on your location, freight costs and the cost of labor in your area, the cost of installing a metal roof could vary greatly. The top brands in this particular product category, such as Met Tile, Gerard, Decrabond and Prestige issue the best warranties, so theyre probably the product youll want to go for, and theyre also the manufacturers most likely to have bases in or near you area. As most contractors tack their own commission onto the wholesale metal roof material prices that they pay, the best thing to do is to buy as much as your roofers estimates suggest youll need from the manufacturer along with another homeowner looking to install the same type of paneling or shingles. This will assist you in getting wholesale prices on your metal roof materials without the help (and fees) of the contractor.
Once youve acquired the necessary materials, ask the manufacturer about contractors in your area qualified to install this particular type of roofing. Remember that the biggest cost you could possibly incur while installing a metal roof would be to have to get the entire job redone, so as tempting as it may be, dont skimp, pick someone thats been in roofing a while and has worked with the particular roofing material you want to install. Because of the small amount of manpower and physical exertion required of someone installing a metal roof, the contractor will likely charge you less than he would on the much more difficult job of installing traditional materials like tuscan roof tiles.
Now, roofs with numerous irregularities - dormers, sidewalls, skylights and so on - are likely to require custom cutting of panels, which is best done on site with a hydraulic cutting device known as a brake. This machine is expensive and requires training for safe use, meaning that if your roof fits the above description you should probably rethink your plans of a DIY installation. The cost of installing a metal roof is directly proportional to the number of unusual features the roof has, so expect to shell out some cash if thats the case.
While base metal roof prices are a little steep by comparison to fiberglass and asphalt roofs, if you plan to stay in your home, the cost will more than justify itself. Metal roofing is naturally flame retardant. Indeed, because of its noncombustible characteristics, many insurance companies offer discounts of up to 25 percent on policies for homes with metal roofs.
Whats more, metal roofing can be a boon when summer hits. Metals naturally reflective qualities mean that sunlight bounces off them instead of being absorbed, so you wont have to use your air conditioning system as much - which translates into lower electricity bills and less of an impact on the environment. If you purchase shingles with a coating of Kynar (a kind of plastic composite), youll increase this reflective effect.
There is also no roofing solution that can match a copper, aluminum or stainless steel roof for durability. Metal shingles are strong enough to stand up to hail without a dent, and many of them have withstood hurricane force winds without being dislodged. Furthermore, a simple Zinc-Aluminum coating can make metal shingles so resistant to corrosion that all thats required for their maintenance is the occasional hose-down. This is the reason that many companies offer warranties on their shingles of up to fifty years.