Standing seam or exposed fastener—calculate the complete cost to install a metal roof including panels, underlayment, trim, fasteners, and labor so you quote the job right before you order the first panel and the customer starts comparing you to the asphalt bid.
Exposed fastener panels (corrugated, R-panel) have screws that penetrate the metal surface and seal with a neoprene washer. Those washers have a 15–20 year service life and require periodic re-fastening and washer replacement — or they leak. Standing seam panels have no exposed fasteners; the panels clip to a hidden fastener beneath the seam. This allows the metal to expand and contract freely through temperature cycles without fastener hole stress cracking. Standing seam systems have a 40–70 year service life with no ongoing fastener maintenance. This is the key selling point to a homeowner comparing exposed fastener at $6/sqft vs. standing seam at $12/sqft — the cost difference largely disappears when factoring in the maintenance and replacement cycle.
Metal expands and contracts significantly with temperature. A 100-foot run of steel panel can move ½″ to 1″ between summer and winter temperatures. Standing seam floating clips accommodate this movement. Exposed fastener systems handle it through the panel profile (corrugations). What doesn't handle it well: metal installed too tight at the ridge, panels screwed into wood purlins at every rib with no expansion allowance, or transitions to other roofing materials without proper expansion joints. Metal roofs that are installed without thermal movement consideration buckle, oil-can (the wavy distortion you see on some metal roofs), and develop fastener leaks within 5–10 years.
Metal roofing generates condensation on the underside when the attic air temperature fluctuates — this is especially pronounced in cold climates. Standard felt paper (15 lb) deteriorates when exposed to the condensation and off-gassing from metal panels. Synthetic non-condensing underlayments designed for metal roofing are the correct specification. In cold climates, a vented or breathable underlayment that allows moisture to escape is the professional standard. Ice-and-water shield over the full deck is appropriate in high-snow or ice-dam-prone regions. Specifying the wrong underlayment won't cause an immediate failure — it causes a 10-year failure that the homeowner attributes to the roof, not the underlayment.
The Roofer's Business Starter Kit includes a flat-rate price book for 30 common repair and installation jobs, metal roof installation checklist, and service agreement template. Guide from $19 — Complete Kit with all 19 templates, $49.
Get the Roofer's Kit →Metal roofing is a premium product with complex installation — panels, clips, ridge cap, trim, underlayment, and fasteners all add up to a cost that's very different from shingles. This calculator builds a complete metal roof installation quote from material cost by square, panel type, trim linear footage, and labor at the appropriate skill rate. Use it to price metal roofing jobs accurately and confidently.