We must receive an inquiry at least once a day that goes something like this: "We have an ordinary, 1500 square foot house. What might a new metal roof cost?" To the uninitiated, that seems like a natural question and expecting a concise answer would appear to be perfectly reasonable. Actually, that's not the case.

To illustrate this, we grabbed some random photos off an image search for "1500 square foot homes" (and if we happen to be infringing on anyone's rights in using them, please let us know!).

Both homes measure 1500 square feet, but the cost of a new metal roof for the one story (pictured at left) with the breezeway and attached garage will be three times the price of the two-story house (pictured below) with the same interior square footage! Which one is "normal" or "ordinary" is an almost entirely regional judgment.

Here's a rule of thumb that you can use for calculating the amount of material your roof will require: area of the main floor (including attached structures with a common roof) x 1.4 = guesstimate of roof material required. This VERY ROUGH formula takes into account overhangs, slope and waste for cuts. Using this formula for the single story home above with the attached double garage, we would guess that the owner would need about 2800 square feet of roof material, PLUS the hips, ridges, valleys and other accessories. The two-story home to the right would need about 1100 square feet. It's a very big difference.

Add to this widely varying material requirement the following variables: metal choice (steel, aluminum, copper, zinc, etc.), profile (standing seam, shingles, tiles, custom profiles, etc.), roof pitch (anywhere from 1 inch in 12 inches, which is almost flat, to 18 inches in 12 inches, which is very, very steep), preparation (removal of existing roof, repairs to existing roof deck, special underlayment requirements, skylights, vents, cupolas, etc.) and you can see that even the most experienced metal roof insider can only offer the wildest guess of the cost of an "average" metal roof installation for a 1500 square foot home.

The answer to the question of a metal roof installation budget for a given residential home is a tough call, but a lot of our clients end up in the $5-$10 a square foot range, with some being much less (our most economical options) and some being much more (our premium options). If you use the formula and then the 5 to 10 multiplier, you should at least be in the ballpark. From there, you can fine-tune your choices to make sure you're getting the style and type you want for the budget you have.

I hope this is some help. If you need more accurate numbers for an upcoming project, we would be grateful for a chance at your metal roof business, so send us your questions and we'll help you cut through the haze of options! Our Resources page is a great place to start - you can download comparison sheets, our handy re-roofing guide, or just give us a call.