Metal Roofing
Standing seam and metal panel roofs. They cost more up front and they outlast a shingle roof.
Metal roofing costs more and lasts longer
A metal roof will usually outlast an asphalt roof by a wide margin. That is the trade you are making, and it is worth being straight about it.
Standing seam and metal panel systems shed Puget Sound rain and debris well, do not host moss the way a shingle roof does, and hold up on low-pitch sections where shingles struggle.
Whether it is worth the extra up front depends on how long you plan to be in the house and how the roof looks against everything else on the street. We will give you both numbers and let you decide.
The CertainTeed cover is specific to their shingle systems, so it does not apply to a metal roof. Our own 30-year workmanship warranty still does.
When a metal roof is worth it
- Long runs and simple roof shapes, where standing seam looks its best
- Low-pitch sections that shingles cannot be warrantied on
- Houses under heavy tree cover, where moss is a constant fight
- Outbuildings, shops and barns, where appearance matters less and life matters more
- Owners staying put long enough to get the extra life out of it
Standing seam or metal panel?
The two systems look similar from the street and are quite different underneath.
Standing seam
Panels lock together at raised vertical seams, and the fasteners are hidden underneath. Nothing penetrates the surface of the roof, which is why it is the longer-lasting and better-looking option — and the more expensive one.
It is the right choice on a house where the roof is visible and you intend to stay.
Exposed-fastener panel
Panels screw down through the face of the metal, with washers sealing each screw. It costs considerably less and goes on faster.
The trade is those washers: they are the part that ages, and they need checking and eventually replacing. Sensible on a shop or barn, less so on the house.
Two things people ask that are mostly myths
“Is a metal roof loud in the rain?” Not on a house. The noise people remember is from a metal roof over open framing, like a barn or a carport. On a house there is solid decking, underlayment, an attic and insulation between you and the metal. It is not meaningfully louder than asphalt.
“Does it attract lightning?” No. Metal does not attract a strike. It is non-combustible, which if anything makes it a safer surface than asphalt in the event of one.
The real trade-offs are cost up front, and the fact that a metal roof is harder to modify later — adding a skylight or a vent to standing seam is a bigger job than cutting one into a shingle roof.
Get a straight answer about your roof
A free inspection and a written estimate you keep. Daniel owns the company and does the estimate himself — there is no sales team, so the person who looks at your roof is the person accountable for the work.