Metal & Copper Roofing Blog

When to Get the Best Price on Metal Roofing

how to save money?The off-season is a great time to buy metal roofing if you are trying to get the lowest price. Manufacturers and distributors are always ready to move inventory in the winter when most roofing being done is repair work. Not nearly as many full metal roof jobs are being delivered in the middle of winter, but ordering a job in January for delivery in March and installation in April can be a great way to save money (and get a lower price on your metal roof) compared to ordering the same job in the spring or the fall - which are the peak seasons.

Metal roofing isn't the same as boxes of screws sitting on the shelf at Home Depot. Most manufacturers make products to order, and only inventory a few popular colors and styles. They project demand based on trends they've observed in the past, but it's not an exact science. I've personally been in situations where for a long time one of our products is flying off the shelf (and causing the problem of keeping sufficient inventory to meet demand) for a while and then for no apparent reason, it just sits there (causing the exact opposite problem!). As I speak to manufacturers of metal roof products all the time, I know it's not uncommon for inventory to collect dust because someone thought it would move and it didn't. That means, however, that the metal roof material find at a discount price may not be the latest fashion - if it ever was - but that doesn't mean it won't perform.

Plan ahead to make sure that you're ready with the best priced material when you have to get your roof done. While some of the big, national companies rarely reduce their prices, there are plenty of smaller manufacturers (like us!) who can work with clients to make sure they have the material a client wants on a date that they want it - and at the right price! By getting a few months out in front of a job, it's possible to manipulate the timing of an order so that it gets made with other orders of the same metal and profile. By manufacturing a large order (yours with five or ten others of the same type and color) instead of a few smaller orders, there's some economy of scale that can be passed on. And you don't have to be a year out in front - even four or five months (order in January for a May delivery) can make a significant difference in the final price of your metal roof material. 

porcelain coated steel diamonds | Metal Roof NetworkJust like ordering to be included in a future, larger manufacturing run can save money on a metal roof purchase, so can ordering early material that is being discounted now for a job in a few months or even a year or more out. There's rarely a "shelf life" for properly stored metal roof materials.szefbc If the material is kept in a dry place, it can last indefinitely and so buying material before you're ready isn't going to pose a problem for most types of metal roofing. Also, metal roofing can be very compact to store, especially many of the tile, shake, and shingle profiles. If you find inventory that you like a discount, then you can not only save money today but at the same time insulate yourself from any upcoming price increases by buying now and storing the metal roof until you're ready.

To sum up, here are our tips for picking the best time to buy a metal roof:

  • Buy old inventory if you can find what you like at a discount
  • Shop in the off-season if you can
  • Plan ahead if you know what you want and then order in advance to get included in a large production run
  • Don't worry about storing the material for up to a year or more in advance, if you find what you want at the right price
  • Ask for the best price on standing inventory (Use our free estimate form and ask specifically in the comment section about our current inventory)

Keep these ideas in mind when you shop for a metal roof and you'll go a long way toward ensuring you get the best possible price!

Topics: best prices for metal roofing