Standing seam · Steel shingles · Snow-ready
Close to fifty inches of snow lands on Madison in a normal winter. We lay out steel roofs so it slides off where nobody is standing, and so the eaves stay dry when it melts.
A standing seam roof is like a waxed toboggan on a sledding hill: give it a sunny February morning and the whole load lets go at once. That's the good news and the problem. We install standing seam and stamped steel roofs across Dane County with both halves in mind, which is why the snow guard layout over your front steps gets drawn before a single 24 gauge panel is ordered.
The decision usually gets made in March. An asphalt roof that came through November looking fine has lost a few tabs, the ice dam over the kitchen came back for the third year, and somebody in the house says they never want to think about the roof again. Fair enough. You get a measured quote on paper, finish chips held against your own siding, and the same crew from tear-off to the magnet sweep of the driveway.
Written, measured quote
Squares, flashing and underlayment listed line by line.
Snow guards planned in
Placed with the panel layout, not added after the first slide.
24 and 26 gauge steel
Galvalume and painted finishes for homes and outbuildings.
Color samples at the house
Chips held against your siding and trim, in daylight.
Workmanship warranty
In writing, with the paint warranty from the panel maker.
Photos from Madison, Sun Prairie, Middleton and the towns around them.
A 40-foot panel can grow almost half an inch between a minus-ten January night and a July afternoon in full sun. Concealed clips let it slide instead of tearing at screws, which is the whole reason standing seam outlives screw-down panels here. Seams run 1 to 1.5 inches tall. In our opinion 24 gauge is the right weight for a Madison house; 26 saves a little money and dents sooner under hail.
Some blocks near downtown would notice a ribbed roof on a 1920s house, and the neighbors would say so. Stamped steel shingles, slate and cedar-shake profiles fix that. They lock on all four sides, carry a Class A fire rating and weigh roughly a third of the asphalt they replace. Bring the profile samples up a ladder before you choose; the shadow lines read differently on an 8/12 pitch than on a 4/12.
Stone granules fused to steel tiles do two things on the open ground east toward Sun Prairie: they quiet sleet, and they hide the small scuffs hail leaves. Most stone-coated systems test at UL 2218 Class 4. Pricier than plain steel shingles, and quieter than any other metal roof we put on.
A tear-off here usually turns up one or two soft deck boards along the eaves, the spot where twenty winters of ice dams sat. We replace them, run ice and water barrier along every eave and valley, and only then start panels. The old shingles leave in a roll-off the same day. Where the town wants a permit for a reroof, it gets pulled before the dumpster arrives.
One layer of asphalt on a sound deck? Metal can go over it on 1x4 furring or a slip sheet, and you skip roughly a day of labor and the dumpster. Two layers, a spongy deck, or a leak you can already see from the attic, and the quote says tear-off. We would rather lose the job than bury a rotten deck under a 50-year roof.
Screw-down ribbed steel, 26 or 29 gauge, is what most Dane County farm buildings wear, and plenty of people still call it a tin roof. It costs about half of standing seam. The catch is the rubber washer under each of a few thousand screws: after 15 to 20 summers they harden and some need replacing. Fine on a garage. We think twice before putting it on the house.
Bungalows, Foursquares and Cape Cods built before 1940 come with dormers, steep pitches, brick chimneys and porch roofs that meet the main roof at odd angles. Each of those joints gets trim bent on site for that spot. Done right, the roof still looks like it was meant for a hundred-year-old house.
Most metal roof leaks start at a backed-out screw, a cracked washer, a split pipe boot or an open ridge seam. Fix is usually an oversize screw, fresh butyl at the laps and a new boot. If the panels themselves are rusting through, we say so instead of selling a patch.
Charcoal and black shed snow a little sooner on a sunny morning; light gray and tan keep the attic cooler in August. Kynar 500 holds its color longest; SMP costs less and fades sooner. Our advice: look at the chips against your siding at noon and again at four o'clock before you decide.
Snow, ice and freeze-thaw cycles decide how a roof ages here. These are the parts of the job that answer to them.
Snow slides off metal in sheets. Guards above doors, walks, decks and lower roofs hold it until it melts in place. On standing seam we use clamp-on guards that grip the seam with no holes in the panel.
Ice dams form when attic heat melts snow that refreezes at the cold eave. A smooth metal eave sheds that ice better than shingles, and ice and water barrier underneath keeps any backed-up water out of the house.
Steel panels weigh far less than asphalt, so the roof itself adds little load. On older homes and long-span outbuildings we look at the framing before a heavy winter and tell you if anything needs attention.
Warm, moist attic air meets cold steel and can drip. Synthetic or high-temperature underlayment, a vented ridge and proper intake at the soffits keep that moisture where it belongs.
Metal can go on through much of the winter. Sealants and some membranes have temperature limits, so we plan those steps for milder days and book spring work early to beat the backlog.
Many steel roofs carry a Class 4 impact rating. Some insurers lower the premium for it and some policies exclude cosmetic dents, so ask your own insurer before you choose a panel.
Long spans, purlin spacing and ventilation over livestock. Panel lengths are ordered to the building so there are as few end laps as possible.
New ribbed or standing seam roofs, and retrofits over old metal on purlins, with insulation upgrades where the budget allows.
Steep main roofs, bell towers and entries, with work scheduled around services and events.
Multi-building scopes, tenant notice and phased work so units stay dry and occupied.
Parapet caps, canopies, mansard fronts and rooftop-unit curbs flashed to the panel.
When the steel is sound but the paint is tired, a cleaned and primed recoat can add years for less than new panels.
Custom-bent flashing and crickets at the spots where most metal roof leaks begin.
The trim you see from the street, and the ventilation working behind it.
Larger gutters and downspouts, with guards that survive sliding snow.
Clamp-on mounts that grip the seam, so the panels go up with no holes in the roof.
A written condition report with photos for a listing or an offer.
Typical installed ranges for a one or two-story house. Your written quote replaces these with measured numbers for your roof.
| System | Installed, per square foot | 2,000 sq ft roof | Good fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exposed-fastener ribbed steel | $5 to $9 | $10,000 to $18,000 | Garages, porches, outbuildings |
| Steel shingle or shake | $9 to $14 | $18,000 to $28,000 | Older houses, shingle-look streets |
| Stone-coated steel | $10 to $15 | $20,000 to $30,000 | Quiet roof, hail exposure |
| Standing seam, 24 gauge | $11 to $18 | $22,000 to $36,000 | Snow shedding, longest life |
What moves the number: tear-off versus going over one layer, roof pitch and height, dormers and valleys, chimney and skylight count, snow guard runs, and deck repair found after tear-off.
Around Madison you will see three kinds of metal roof price. They are not quoting the same job, so line them up by what is included.
Full-service installer
Crew-only or labor quote
DIY panel kit
24 gauge for standing seam on the house, 26 for most steel shingles and outbuildings, Galvalume substrate under the paint. The paint warranty comes from the panel maker; the workmanship warranty comes from us, in writing.
We tear off only what we can dry in the same day, so an open roof never sits overnight. Panels and trim follow, then a magnet sweep of the lawn and driveway for stray screws and nails.
Roof squares, linear feet of flashing and trim, underlayment type, snow guard runs, a deck repair allowance, disposal and the permit. Nothing on the final bill that is not on that page.
| What matters in winter | Steel roof | Asphalt shingles |
|---|---|---|
| Snow on the roof | Slides off in sheets; guards control where | Holds snow until it melts |
| Ice dams | Smooth eave sheds ice; barrier underneath | Ice lifts shingle edges; barrier underneath |
| Freeze-thaw cycles | Panels move on clips; no granule loss | Granules wear; shingles crack with age |
| Hail | Many panels rated Class 4; dents possible | Bruising and granule loss |
| Expected life | 40 to 70 years | 15 to 30 years |
| Up-front cost | About two to three times shingles | Lowest |
We install and repair metal roofs on homes, farms and businesses across the Madison area, from the isthmus out to the towns along the beltline and beyond.
Most houses land between $18,000 and $36,000 depending on the system, the size and how complex the roof is. The written quote gives your number.
Insurance pays for storm damage, not upgrades by choice. Some insurers discount Class 4 roofs; ask yours before you choose.
Over any door, walk, deck, driveway or lower roof, yes. Snow comes off a metal roof all at once.
It sheds them far better than shingles. Attic insulation and ventilation stop them forming in the first place.
On solid decking with underlayment it sounds close to a shingle roof. Stone-coated steel is the quietest.
Over one layer on a sound deck, yes, on furring strips or a slip sheet. Two layers means a tear-off.
Much of the work, yes. Steps with temperature limits are planned for milder days.
Yes. Stamped steel shingles and stone-coated steel both read as a traditional roof from the street.
24 gauge for standing seam on a house; 26 is common for steel shingles and outbuildings.
Often, on outbuildings with sound purlins. We check the old panels and framing first.
Most houses take two to five working days once the panels arrive.
Financing options are available. Ask when we send the quote.
Madison, Sun Prairie, Fitchburg, Middleton, Verona, Waunakee and the rest of Dane County.
Call for a measured, written metal roof quote anywhere in Madison and Dane County.