Metal Roofing Installation

Four kinds of metal roof, compared

Metal roofing is a family of products, not one. They differ in how the panels are held down, what the roof looks like from the street, and what it costs. These are the four you will be offered in Ontario, with the prices and lifespans we publish. We price the two tile profiles on your roof rather than quoting a range here.

What we check before we quote a metal roof

A metal quote that skips the attic and the deck is a guess. On a free visit we look at the five things that move a metal roof's price and how well it performs:

• The roofline. We count the dormers, valleys, chimneys and skylights, because each one adds cut-and-flash labour to metal that a shingle crew simply works around. Our guide to metal roof vs asphalt shingles shows how far that moves the price.
• The deck and the layers already on it. Metal can usually go over one existing layer of shingles, which takes the tear-off out of the quote. Two layers come off, and so does any layer over a soft or rotten deck.
• The attic. Ice dams start with warm air leaking into a cold attic, and a new roof does not fix that on its own, so we check ventilation and insulation before we promise anything about ice.
• Where the snow will land. Doors, walkways, driveways and decks under a metal slope get snow guards, and they go in the quote from the start.
• The eavestroughs. Snow sliding off metal can tear a weak trough off the fascia, so we check how the troughs are fastened.

Built for an Ontario winter

A smooth metal surface sheds snow before it can melt and refreeze at the eaves, which cuts the snow load on the structure and lowers the risk of ice dams. It reduces ice dams without curing them. If you get them every year, the fix starts above your ceiling, and our guide to preventing ice damming works through it in order.

The Ontario Building Code sets a ground snow load for each area, and it is meaningfully higher in Barrie and the Kawarthas than in Toronto, so a roof we specify in Kawartha Lakes is not the roof we specify in Vaughan. On the Brechin job below you can see a row of snow guards along the front of the roof, above the porch and the steps.

Chimneys, skylights and walls are where metal roofs leak, so we fabricate the custom flashing for each one on site rather than relying on caulk.

What a metal roof costs in Ontario

Standing seam runs about $10 to $18 per square foot of roof surface installed, so a 2,000 square foot roof lands around $20,000 to $36,000. That is roof area, not floor area, and a cut-up roofline sits nearer the top of the range. Exposed-fastener ribbed metal runs about $6 to $9, against about $5.50 to $8.50 for architectural shingles.

Steel tile and stone-coated steel are priced on your roof. Our standing seam cost guide breaks down where the money goes, and whether the premium over shingles pays back depends mostly on how long you will own the house.

Metal roof repair

Metal roofs fail at the details rather than the panels: a seam opened by movement, a fastener backing out, a washer that has hardened, or flashing that was caulked instead of formed. A metal repair is not like swapping a shingle, because seams need the right tools and an older colour may need matching. If water is already coming in, our guide to roof leak repair covers the first steps, and our roof repair service handles emergencies.

How a metal roof job runs with Sherak

From the first call to the final payment:

• A free visit. We measure the roof, look in the attic and check the deck, then give you an itemised quote. Ask and we will price shingles beside it, because we install both.
• Tear-off where it is needed, or preparation over one sound layer of shingles.
• The metal roof, with flashing formed on site for every chimney, wall and skylight, and snow guards where the quote calls for them.
• 10 percent of the price is due only after you are satisfied with the finished roof.
• A 10 year workmanship warranty on the installation, and $5 million liability insurance throughout.

Where we install metal roofs

We work across York Region, Simcoe County and the Kawarthas, from Vaughan, Aurora and Newmarket to Barrie, Orillia, Lindsay and Peterborough. Call 905 490 8800 or get a free quote and tell us which profile you have in mind.

Our metal roof projects

Woodbridge

Stone-coated steel tile in terracotta, October 2024

See the project

Georgina

Dark brown steel tile, with new siding, soffit, fascia and 6 inch eavestroughs, December 2023

See the project

Brechin

Charcoal steel tile with snow guards, plus siding, soffit, fascia, seamless eavestroughs and insulation, October 2022

See the project

Frequently asked questions

How long does a metal roof last?

Standing seam lasts 40 to 70 years, about two to three times an asphalt roof's 15 to 30. Exposed-fastener ribbed metal lasts about 20 to 30, because the rubber washers on its screws harden. Steel tile and stone-coated steel depend on the product and its finish warranty.

How much does a metal roof cost in Ontario?

Standing seam runs about $10 to $18 per square foot of roof surface installed, roughly $20,000 to $36,000 on a 2,000 square foot roof. Exposed-fastener metal runs $6 to $9. Steel tile and stone-coated steel are priced on your roof after a free visit.

Can a metal roof go over my existing shingles?

Usually, if there is only one layer and the deck under it is sound. Two layers have to come off, and so does anything over a soft or rotten deck. We check before we promise it.

Will snow slide off a metal roof?

Yes, that is how metal sheds its load. Over doors, walkways, driveways and decks we add snow guards, so the snow holds on the roof and melts off instead of releasing as one slab.

Is a metal roof noisy in the rain?

Installed over solid decking and underlayment, a modern metal roof is no louder inside than a standard roof.

Which metal roof is best for my house?

Long, simple roof planes suit standing seam. Steel tile and stone-coated steel suit homes that want the look of tile or a matte, textured finish, like the three in our portfolio. Ribbed metal suits garages and outbuildings.