For some mysterious reason, a Chevy Spark (MSRP, $15,495) costs a lot less than a Rolls-Royce Phantom (MSRP, $457,750). Such a price difference is almost as unknowable as the cost difference between metal roofing and shingles. Unknowable, that is, until you check the facts.
Custom
Rolls-Royce sold 100 Phantoms in 2017 when Chevy sold more than 22,000 Sparks. Metal roofing is also custom-made. It is cut to size and shape for your house alone. Shingles are unitized and sold in shrink-wrapped packages.
Suppose you pick a shingle color and decide you want a different color before it’s delivered. No problem! Shingle colors can be changed up to three business days before the project starts. Metal roofing cannot. It cannot be reused for a different client. Your metal roof is unique to your Florida home.
Labor
Rolls-Royce has only 1,300 employees, only a handful of whom build Phantoms. Chevy? Over 86,000 employees. Metal roofing crews are uncommon. Metal roofers come at a well-deserved, premium labor rate. Their work is also more challenging than shingle roof installation.
Metal roofing panels are raised by hand from ground to roof and custom-fitted. Shingles are routinely delivered by lift boom onto the roof.
Pitch
Your Florida home may have a low-pitched roof, meaning its angle is gentle and easy to walk upon. Your house may have a steep-pitched roof, harder to work on. Pitch, roof height above ground, and roof complexity add to metal roof installation costs.
To prevent dangerous falls from steep residential roofs, metal roofing crews must wear special fall protection. This protects workers but slows the pace of installation.
Popular
Demand exceeds supply; prices rise. Supply exceeds demand; prices fall. In Florida, the popular Key West home style means a lot of metal roofs, and a lot of demand for more metal roofs.
It’s no wonder, either, given metal roofing’s many advantages:
- High wind ratings — Shingles are wind-tested to 130 mph; metal roofs are tested to 150 mph.
- Energy efficiency — Metal’s natural reflectivity keeps your Florida home cool.
- Durability — Metal roofing is an ideal choice for your last roof; if you plan to move within 10 years, shingles are an economical alternative.
If your home is in the Tampa Bay or Sarasota area, please contact us today at Westfall Roofing. We can present you with options for your roof, including shingles, tile, or classic and beautiful metal roofing.
