Serving Salt Lake City, UT & Nearby Areas
(385) 438-3591
Serving Salt Lake City, UT & Nearby Areas
(385) 438-3591
For a lot of Utah homes, yes: metal runs about two to two and a half asphalt lifespans and it installs year-round. What should actually decide it are the realities nobody mentions. Snow slides off it, it stops being walkable around a 5/12 pitch. Some colors fade badly here. Red does not do well in Utah.
Decide on pitch, snow path, and how long you are staying, not on the look.
Metal's advantages are long-term, and its complications are all about slope and sliding snow.
Ask any bidder to show you metal roofs they installed here, several years old.
Metal earns its money on a Utah house you plan to keep. Just know snow slides off it, and it stops being walkable around a 5/12 pitch.
Mattie Tueller, Master Roofing
The case for metal in this climate is strong. It is worth being specific about why rather than settling for "it lasts longer."
Metal also runs cooler than people expect thanks to how it releases absorbed heat. That surprises homeowners who assume a metal roof bakes the house. That deserves its own explanation, and it lives on the metal roofing cluster.
These are the things that determine whether you are happy with a metal roof in year six. They rarely come up during the sale.
Being honest about this is faster than talking you into it. There are real cases where metal is not the answer.
Budget belongs on this list too, but as a timing question rather than a yes-or-no. Metal usually runs about 1.75 to 2 times the cost of asphalt, and whether that math works is its own decision, laid out in the metal roofing cluster.
Metal is a different trade from shingles. Same industry, different skills, different failure modes. The gap shows up years later rather than on installation day.
Ask these, and listen for specifics:
As a contractor, one of the few rules I hold without exception is that we do not touch anything we are not 90 percent good on. That rule has cost us work. It is exactly why I am comfortable telling you when metal is not the right answer for your house.
Metal is a really different trade from shingles. Different tools, different detailing, different failure modes. The panels are long, thermal movement is real. The details at the edges and penetrations either account for that movement or they eventually open up.
Here is the fair part: a shingle company bidding your metal roof is not being reckless. It is a growing category, customers are asking for it. This trade has always learned on the job. The uncomfortable part is only that someone's house ends up being the classroom.
So Master Roofing says yes to metal only where we can show you the work. And before you get near a bid, most of this decision is yours to make from the driveway: how long am I staying, where would the snow land if it all released at once. How steep is that slope. Those three answers fit your house to metal better than any brochure will.
This article is general information about Utah roofs, not an assessment of yours. Every roof is different, and no article can tell you what is actually happening on your specific house. Have a licensed roofing contractor look at it in person before you act on anything here.
Far less than the reputation suggests. That's because a residential metal roof is installed over decking and underlayment with insulation and an attic beneath it, not over open framing like a barn. Most homeowners report no meaningful difference from shingles. The sound people remember comes from uninsulated structures, which is a different assembly entirely.
No. Metal does not increase the likelihood of a strike, and if a strike does occur, metal is non-combustible and distributes the energy rather than igniting. On the fire question generally, metal is an advantage rather than a risk. That's part of why it comes up so often in wildland urban interface areas.
It is sometimes physically possible and it is usually a bad idea. Going over the top means nobody inspects the decking, the old roof continues to bake underneath. Many insurers count your roof's age as the layer underneath rather than treating it as a new roof. Skipping the tear-off also saves less than people expect. That's because material and skilled labor are the expensive parts.
It can, especially for fire and wind exposure. It is worth asking your carrier directly before you decide. The discount varies significantly between insurers and by location. Treat any premium savings as a bonus rather than as part of the core financial case. That's because the durable argument for metal is lifespan.
Hail can dent metal. That's largely cosmetic on most panel systems but can be visually significant depending on the profile and finish. Stone-coated steel handles it differently than standing seam does. If you are in a hail-prone pocket, ask specifically about impact ratings and about how your carrier treats cosmetic denting in a claim.
We're here to see what's going on with your roof. A real assessment starts with your history and your attic, not a number from the driveway. You'll get a straight answer about what's up there, what it needs, and what it costs. Sometimes the honest answer is: your roof looks great.