Free homeowner tool
Metal vs. shingle: 20-year cost comparison
Metal costs more on day one and lasts a lot longer. Put in your roof size, the per-square prices from your quotes, and what your agent and your power bill tell you, and see both roofs over 20 and 30 years.
Cost over time — an estimate
Enter the squares and the per-square price from each quote to compare the two roofs over 20 and 30 years.
This is an estimate in today's dollars: no inflation, no financing cost, no resale value, and no guess at future material prices. Storms, ventilation, salt air and the quality of the install all move real lifespans. Use it to see the shape of the decision, not to predict a number.
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What the comparison counts
What your quotes say
You type the per-square price from each quote; we don't supply one. Standing-seam metal generally costs more per square than architectural shingle, and that gap is the whole reason the comparison exists — the question is what happens after year one.
How many times you buy it
In Florida's sun and storms an architectural shingle roof typically lasts 15 to 20 years; metal 40 to 60. Over 30 years that can mean a second shingle roof, priced here at today's rate.
Upkeep
Both need an occasional look: sealant at penetrations, a lifted shingle, a backed-out screw. Shingle generally needs more of it. You enter a yearly allowance for each, or leave them blank.
Insurance and energy — yours to enter
We don't invent these. Ask your agent what a wind-mitigation report on each roof would do to your premium, and estimate your own cooling saving. The tool only does the arithmetic.
Want the full replacement picture with tear-off and decking? Build the roof replacement scope, or read about our metal and shingle roofing.
Metal vs. shingle questions
- Is a metal roof worth the extra cost?
- Over a long enough time, often yes — the comparison turns mostly on how many shingle roofs you would buy in the same period. Over 10 years, shingle usually wins on cash. Over 30, metal frequently does. If you plan to sell in a few years, the calculation is different again. The tool shows the shape of it on your numbers.
- How long does each roof last in Florida?
- Shorter than national figures. Typically 15 to 20 years for architectural shingle and 40 to 60 for a properly installed metal roof, with fasteners, washers and flashings needing attention sooner than the panels. Ventilation, salt air, storms and installation quality all move those ranges.
- Will metal lower my insurance?
- We can't promise that — it is your carrier's decision. What the carrier looks at is the wind-mitigation inspection: roof covering, deck attachment, roof-to-wall connection, secondary water barrier. A new roof of either type usually improves that report. Ask your agent what a metal roof specifically would do for your policy, and enter that number.
- Does a metal roof really save on cooling?
- A light-colored, reflective metal roof absorbs less heat than a dark shingle roof, which lowers the attic temperature. How much that shows on the bill depends on the attic insulation, the ventilation and the equipment — which is why the tool asks you for a percentage rather than assuming one.
- Why 'today's dollars'?
- Because nobody knows what shingles will cost in 2045. The tool prices every replacement at the per-square figure you typed and ignores inflation and financing. That keeps the comparison honest about what it is: the shape of the decision, not a forecast.
- Is a metal roof loud or does it attract lightning?
- No to both. A residential metal roof sits over solid decking and underlayment with an insulated attic beneath it, so rain is only a little more noticeable. Metal doesn't make a lightning strike more likely, and because it is non-combustible it generally handles one better than other coverings.
Get both prices in writing, free
Tell us about the house. We measure the roof and quote shingle and metal as flat rate prices, so you can compare on real numbers.