Here's a great question a reader recently sent in.

"I need to know how to select a good quality, reasonably priced metal roof for a small (1008 sq Ft), home."

We receive a consistent number of questions that are some variation of, “How do I choose a metal roof,” or, “How do I know what to pay for a metal roof,” or, “Prices for metal roofs are all over the place. How do I decide which one to buy?” Because this kind of question comes up so often, we already have multiple blogs on these topics, including Choosing a Metal Roof: Five Mistakes You MUST Avoid.

What I’d like to add today in response to the most recent question is about metal gauges. Depending on what part of the world your job is located, you’ll find that the local suppliers and contractors tend to what they can obtain easily. This means that terms like “lightweight,” or “heavyweight” tend to mean different things in different areas.

For example, you’ll rarely see 29 gauge steel sold in the Northeast or Western United States, but it’s not at all uncommon in the Southeast. For locations in which snow or high winds are expected, it’s just not a choice that an experienced roofer is likely to make. Roofers who specialize in metal in these regions usually use 24 gauge (about 50% more metal than 29 gauge) or maybe 26 gauge if they’re working on a lower-end residential project.

I could write many, many pages of notes on metal gauges and their applications but my advice to shoppers is usually the same: Buy the best (thickest) metal with the best finish you can afford. Metal roofing is just like everything else you’ll shop: the general rule is that you get what you pay for, and there’s usually a good reason that one choice costs more than the next.

Send us your questions - we're happy to help!