Metal Roof Cost Calculator: How Much Does a Metal Roof Cost?
Enter your roof area, state and metal type to get a low, typical and high price, plus a side-by-side with asphalt shingles and the cost per year of service life.
Metal roofing covers several quite different products. Exposed-fastener steel panels are screwed through the face and cost little more than good shingles. Standing-seam panels hide their fasteners under raised seams, and they cost two to three times as much. Stone-coated steel looks like shingles or tile. This calculator prices each type for your roof and state and puts it next to an architectural shingle roof, so you can see the gap up front and over the life of the roof.
How it works
The estimate uses the same model as our roof replacement cost calculator, with metal-specific materials and labor:
materials = order squares × (panels + trim and accessories) × markup
labor = squares × (install + tear-off hours) × pitch × stories × wage × billing
total = materials + labor + disposal + decking + permit
per year = typical total ÷ typical service lifeMaterials. Prices per square of roof (100 sq ft), checked at suppliers in October 2026. Exposed-fastener steel panels run about $130 to $250. Standing-seam steel is $380 to $700, stone-coated steel $400 to $650 and standing-seam aluminum $550 to $1,000. Trim, closures, fasteners and high-temperature underlayment add $40 to $180 per square, depending on the system. Standing seam needs the most trim work.
Labor. Standing-seam panels are measured, cut, often roll-formed on site, and seamed, so they take about twice the crew hours of screw-down panels: 3 to 5.5 hours per square compared with 1.5 to 2.6. Labor is priced at your state’s median roofer wage from the BLS, with the same steep-pitch and multi-story factors and the same 2.5 to 4× billing multiplier we use for shingles.
Installing over shingles. If you choose to go over one existing layer, the calculator drops tear-off and disposal. It adds wood purlins or battens instead, at $15 to $40 per square plus about 0.4 labor-hours.
Cost per year. We divide the typical total by a service life we assume for each system: 35 years for exposed-fastener panels, 45 for stone-coated steel, 50 for standing seam and 25 for architectural shingles. These are planning figures, not warranties. A coastal salt environment, poor installation or neglected fasteners can shorten them a lot.
Worked example
A two-story house in Colorado has 2,400 sq ft of roof at 8/12 with one layer of old shingles. Colorado’s median roofer wage is $24.88 an hour. The 8/12 pitch and the second story add 15% and 10% to labor, a combined factor of 1.265.
- Standing-seam steel with a tear-off: about $31,450 typical, with a range of $20,300 to $49,550. Materials are about $19,450 of that and labor about $11,350.
- Architectural shingles on the same roof: about $12,050.
- Per year of service life: standing seam about $629 (50 years) against shingles about $482 (25 years), so at these prices the shingles still win per year.
- Exposed-fastener panels over the old shingles: about $14,100, which works out to roughly $403 per year over 35 years. That’s cheaper per year than the shingles, mostly because there’s no tear-off.
Colorado also has one of the highest rates of large hail in the country, so impact rating matters as much as price there.
Metal roof cost reference table
Installed cost per square by roof type at the U.S. median roofer wage, for a one-story 6/12 roof with one layer torn off.
| Roof type | Low | Typical | High | Typical per year of life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural shingles | $310 | $465 | $730 | $19 (25 yr) |
| Exposed-fastener steel panels | $355 | $565 | $905 | $16 (35 yr) |
| Standing-seam steel | $805 | $1,240 | $1,945 | $25 (50 yr) |
| Stone-coated steel | $785 | $1,145 | $1,695 | $25 (45 yr) |
| Standing-seam aluminum | $1,025 | $1,545 | $2,370 | $31 (50 yr) |
Tips and common mistakes
Compare the same system. Quotes that just say “metal roof” can mean 29-gauge screw-down panels or 24-gauge standing seam, and those are very different roofs at very different prices. Ask for the panel profile, the metal gauge, the paint system (PVDF finishes hold color longer than polyester) and whether the fasteners are exposed.
Plan for fastener maintenance on exposed-fastener roofs. The rubber washers on face screws age faster than the panels. Expect to check and replace screws at some point during the roof’s life.
Mind the minimum pitch. Standing seam handles low slopes that shingles can’t. Exposed-fastener panels and stone-coated steel need at least 3/12. Run your roof through the roof pitch calculator if you’re unsure.
Ask about hail ratings. Panels and coatings tested to UL 2218 Class 4 resist hail best, and in some states insurers give a discount for them. Steel can dent without leaking, so read how the warranty and your policy treat cosmetic damage.
Check the roof-over rules. Going over shingles saves the tear-off but hides the deck. Don’t do it over two layers or a soft deck, and make sure the installer adds a slip sheet or purlins as the panel maker requires.
Use a crew that installs metal regularly. Panel layout, trim and flashing details make or break a metal roof, and many shingle crews rarely install standing seam. Ask for addresses of metal roofs they’ve finished, and use fall protection on any metal roof, which can be slick.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a metal roof cost?
At the U.S. median roofer wage, our typical estimate is about $5.60 per square foot of roof for exposed-fastener steel panels, $11.50 for stone-coated steel, $12.40 for standing-seam steel and $15.50 for standing-seam aluminum, including a one-layer tear-off. On a 2,000 sq ft roof that's roughly $11,300 to $31,000 depending on the system.
Is a metal roof worth it compared with shingles?
Standing-seam metal usually costs two to three times as much as architectural shingles up front. It comes out ahead if it lasts long enough for you to skip one or more shingle replacements, so it makes the most sense in a house you plan to keep for decades or in areas with hail, wildfire or high wind.
Can a metal roof go over existing shingles?
Often, yes. The IRC lets a metal roof go over one existing layer, and standing-seam systems that carry their loads to the structure don't require removing the old roof at all. Most installers add purlins or a slip sheet first. You can't go over two layers, a wet or rotted roof, or a deck that can't hold the fasteners.
What is the minimum pitch for a metal roof?
Standing-seam panels can go as low as ¼ in 12 under the IRC. Lapped panels with exposed fasteners need 3 in 12, or ½ in 12 with lap sealant. Metal shingles and stone-coated steel need at least 3 in 12.
Are metal roofs noisy in the rain?
Over solid decking with underlayment, which is how most homes are built, rain on a metal roof is not much louder indoors than rain on shingles. The drumming people remember comes from panels fastened to open purlins, as on barns and sheds.
Do metal roofs save energy?
Light-colored and specially coated metal roofs reflect more sunlight, which can lower cooling costs in hot climates. The Department of Energy lists metal among the materials available as cool roofs. In cold climates the effect on heating is small.