Metal roofing in Fort Wayne

Standing seam or screw-down?

Standing seam is a steel panel with raised edges that lock together over hidden clips, so no screws go through the face of the roof. Screw-down panels (also called exposed-fastener or ribbed panels) are fastened straight through the steel with screws that carry a rubber washer. Both are steel; the difference is how they're held on and how much upkeep they need.

Type	Installed, per sq ft	Good fit
Standing seam	$7 to $30	Houses, low slopes, homes you plan to keep a long time
Screw-down (exposed fastener)	$3.50 to $15	Barns, pole buildings, garages, porches and tighter budgets
Metal shingles	$7 to $22	Houses where you want the look of shingles or shakes

The washers on screw-down panels age in the sun, and the screws can back out as the steel moves. Plan on checking them every several years. Standing seam skips that step, which is a big part of why it costs more.

Metal in a Fort Wayne winter

Snow slides off a metal roof in sheets once the sun warms it. That keeps weight off the roof, but it can bury a walkway or a car. We put snow guards over doors, steps and driveways where a slide would land. Steel also grows and shrinks with the temperature, and Fort Wayne swings from below zero to the 90s, so standing-seam clips let each panel move without tearing at its fasteners.

Can metal go over my shingles?

Sometimes. Indiana's code lets a standing-seam system that carries its own load go over old shingles without a tear-off, as long as the old roof is dry and sound. We'd still rather tear off, so we can see the deck and replace rotten boards before the steel goes on.

What metal roofing costs in Fort Wayne

A new metal roof costs $6,043 to $18,341 installed for most houses, with about $11,766 the national average. Small roofs can come in near $1,500 and large standing-seam roofs past $30,000.

Job	Typical cost
New metal roof, installed	$6,043 to $18,341
Tearing off and hauling away the old roof	$1,000 to $5,000
Metal roof repair	$640 to $3,196
Repainting a metal roof	$1,181 to $3,636, about $2 a sq ft

Repairs and repainting on older metal roofs

Most leaks on an older metal roof come from screws that backed out, washers that cracked, or sealant that dried up where panels overlap. Those are fixable without new panels. A roof that has faded or started to show surface rust can be cleaned, primed and repainted, which costs a fraction of new steel. Roofs steeper than 6:12 cost more to paint, because they aren't safe to walk and need more rigging.

Metal roofing questions