You’re ready to build or remodel your dream house and you’re trying to decide between asphalt shingles, corrugated metal roofing, or standing seam. At Western States Metal Roofing, one of the first questions we get is “How much does standing seam metal roofing cost?” The steel shortage and price increases throughout 2021 made that a more challenging question to answer as the pricing of steel was volatile and rapidly increasing. Now that the price of steel has started to stabilize, we can give you a more accurate range of what to expect for standing seam pricing in 2022.
The short answer is that the upfront cost of standing seam is about double the cost of an asphalt shingle or corrugated metal roof. Initially, you will pay more for a standing seam roof, but the overall long term cost of a standing seam roof will be less than an asphalt shingle roof. A standing seam roof becomes a good investment after about 15 years. That’s the average amount of time that it takes for the first asphalt shingle roof to be replaced with a second asphalt shingle roof.
This article discusses short term costs, but if you have further interest on the long term value then we suggest this video:
When you purchase a standing seam metal roof, you’re buying the most expensive and most weather-tight metal roofing system. Among other factors, it’s likely that you need to know the cost to determine if it’s the right fit for your house. Our goal in this article is to give you a ballpark cost of a standing seam roof.
There are a couple of categories that impact the price you can expect to pay: the cost of materials, and the total overall cost. We will go into each of these areas in detail and also discuss how the price of a standing seam roof compares to other roof systems.
When you purchase standing seam, you are buying a metal roofing system that’s designed to last 40 to 60+ years. All of the components are of the highest quality, so as a whole they can last you a lifetime.
Once you commit to purchasing a standing seam roof we strongly recommend avoiding a 26 or lighter gauge or an SMP paint system. The reason we don’t recommend those options is that the cost savings will be minimal. Those more affordable options create a roofing system that isn’t designed as a whole to last a long time.
In fact, there aren’t a lot of variables or options when you price standing seam roofing panels. Because the roofing panels need to be long lasting, they should always be a PVDF paint system in a minimum of 24 gauge steel.
Based on our recommendation to always use 24 gauge (or heavier) steel with a PVDF paint system, you can expect the below price range for standing seam panels.
| Galvalume/Galvanized (24 Gauge) | $2.50 to $3.50 Per Sq. Ft. |
| PVDF Painted Finish (24 Gauge) | $3.00 to $4.00 Per Sq. Ft. |
| Specialty Painted Finish (24 Gauge) | $4.00 to $5.00 Per Sq. Ft. |
The width of your metal panel has an effect on price. Standing seam panels come in a variety of widths with the most typical ranging from 12"-18". Wider panels provide a greater value with 18" panels being the most cost effective. For every 2" narrower that you go, there is an approximate 15% increase in cost. Therefore a 14" standing seam panel would be 30% more than a 18" standing seam panel.
Not all standing seam jobs are the same. Some metal roofs are easy while others are extremely difficult and time consuming. As a rule of thumb, the labor cost for a standing roof will range between 60% to 70% of the overall roof costs. This is why it’s important to get more than one bid.
Every roof and climate is different, but for this example we will use the most common standing seam profile and assume that you have a pitch that is 3” in 12” or greater.
In this example, our Western Lock panel which is a Snap-Lock system, would be a perfect product.
2,000 square feet @ $12 per square foot = $24,000
When you look at the cost of standing seam it’s likely being compared to asphalt shingles or an exposed fastener metal roofing system. Standing seam will cost about twice as much as both of these options. In the short term it’s absolutely more expensive, but in the long term it’s actually a better value.
When you are comparing these two products the most important factor is, do you plan on living in your house for 15 years or longer? That is the average amount of time it will take before you have to install a second asphalt shingle roof.
If you plan on moving before your asphalt shingle roof needs to be replaced, then a standing seam roof would be a more expensive option. However, the cost of two shingle roofs is greater than the cost of one standing seam roof. So, if you plan on living at your residence for more than 15 years a standing seam roof will actually cost you less in the long term.
This is the cliff notes version of this comparison. If you would like to see real numbers that show product lifespans and cost we recommend that you read:
Metal Roofs Or Asphalt Shingles: Which Offers A Better ROI?
The average installed cost of an exposed fastener panel is $7.00 to $12.00 per square foot versus $10.00 to $16.00 per square foot for standing seam. Standing seam will cost you somewhere between 50% more and up to 2.5 times what a corrugated metal roofing will cost.
Clearly standing seam is an expensive metal roofing system, but is it worth it?
You are buying a panel that is the heaviest thickness, has the best paint system, requires the least amount of maintenance, and is the most weather-tight system. It’s also the hardest panel to install and isn’t recommended as a DIY friendly roofing panel. In the end, it comes down to your budget and what’s most important for your specific needs.
Here’s another article that explains the differences between the two metal roofing systems.
Corrugated Metal Roofing v. Standing Seam (Advantages & Disadvantages)
There are lots of factors that go into the cost of a standing seam metal roof. The pricing in this article should give you enough information to determine if it’s within your budget. If you decide to purchase a standing seam roof the next two steps are:
We recommend that you pick the color of your roof before hiring a contractor. You may want a color that your roofing contractor cannot supply. If this happens it’s not a problem, instruct your roofing contractor to buy the material from the vendor of your choosing. This will ensure that you will get to choose between the standing seam metal roofing colors that you want versus the colors that they offer.
At Western States Metal Roofing, we have hundreds of colors including colors and finishes that you won’t see anywhere else. Check out our designer colors and specialty paint prints or our full line of matte finishes.
If you have additional questions check out our Metal Roofing Learning Center or our YouTube channel.