Metal roofing cost

Charlie · July 22, 2006, 08:01:35 PM

Well, I am done with the framing and sheathing on the Victoria's Cottage (see http://www.countryplans.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1146630679). Now on to the roof. I planned on using corrugated painted galvalume which I really like but it looks like it may be cost prohibitive.

I made a lot of calls and had trouble finding a roofer that would even call back. The one roofer that has been responsive and is with a well regarded legit firm quoted $3,000 for the 10 squares (I did not build the attached bedroom) plus about $6,000 labor. That's quite a bit more labor than I expected but the roof is steep and there are five skylights. They want $6,000 installed for 50 year composition roof. I can't do the roof myself as I have only two hands and need both of them to hang on when I'm off the ground a ways!

I'm wondering if folks that have completed metal roofs on the Victoria Cottage find this to be excessive. The project is in Mendocino County, CA. $9,000 for a metal roof means I'm not getting a metal roof!

Thanks for any feedback on this,
Charlie Judson

glenn kangiser · July 22, 2006, 10:05:33 PM

Seems excessive to me Charlie but kind of the way it goes here. That is $3.00 per square foot for the steel - Trim probably brings the cost up and steel prices are rising but not too long ago it was around $.60 per square foot.

If you are unable to do it yourself then you are at the mercy of whoever you contract with - they have to cover liability - workers comp at the highest rates in the state -etc. They will also make a profit on the materials. That's part of being a Californian.

The contractor is probably not getting rich even at the high rate. California cost of doing business is high.

Doing it yourself could save you about 2/3 or more but doesn't help if you fall off the roof. You would also be responsible for your own leaks and water damage so there are tradeoffs.

July 22, 2006, 10:15:03 PM

check lowes or home depot. its only 3 ft wide and so long. you can do it yourself. wear gloves! thin metal is allows sharp. The ridges in the metal panel provide air flow between the metal and the roof underlayment. your house will stay cooler and you do not have to vent your attic so insulation can go all the way to the roof deck. A metal roof vents itself.

scottb · July 22, 2006, 10:27:47 PM

In michigan we have Menards, (I prefer over lowes), a square of metal roofing costs 129.99

n74tg · July 22, 2006, 10:39:03 PM

Build yourself something that will allow you to stay on that roof comfortably without feeling like you have to hold on with both hands. Then get started.

Last summer I put some replacement metal roofing on a woman's floating dock. Pieces were 3' wide by about 15' long. Floating docks rock big when big boats come by. First day I spent half my energy holding on and trying to work with one hand. Next morning I built myself a wooden scaffold that hung off the side of the dock. I secured it with twice as much rope as I thought necessary. Then I could work safely and comfortably knowing an errant wake wouldn't send me swimming.

July 22, 2006, 10:55:22 PM

Rumor hath it that metal roofing is one place where the local lumber/hardware/dedicated roofing store can beat the big box guys. It's usually delivered as part of the cost. and often it comes in banded together on a pallet or blocks from the manufacturer, so it's pretty unlikely to bend.

Where the big box guys get in tons of the stuff, and it sits around outside, or worse, loose and upright inside where it all bends, and the polycarbonate breaks. Have to sort through the Ondura as well.

The sheet stuff will probably be cheaper than the metal shingles. Either will be better than the asphalt-based jobs if you end up doing water harvesting. Asphalt-based = standard 3-tab shingles or the Ondura, which I've used, fairly successfully, but it does have its problems--the really good thing is, it's light weight with no sharp edges, is easy to cut.

At least one person (Jimmy Cason??) has posted pictures of working in a harness doing roof. I' thinking there may be two.

Billy Bob · July 23, 2006, 03:24:41 PM

I found what Amanda said to be true regarding price on metal roofing from "the little guys", vs. the BB stores. Also it was delivered in a nifty crate, made with some very usable lumber.

I am thinking about using purlins, instead of a solid deck. That way I can do most of the roof from inside; I don't care for heights so much anymore, myself! [smiley=shocked.gif] My thought is to sheathe most of the house before installing the rafters, so the birdsmouths will "lock" over the sheathing, but leaving the gable sheathing until after the roof is on. That way I can build scaffolding out from the framing to do those last pesky panels.

Okie_Bob · July 24, 2006, 04:57:01 PM

Down here in Tx we have a metal distributor called Metal Mart...all they sell is material for metal roofs, barns, etc. Just last Saturday a friend was quoted $1.55 sf including tax, delievery, etc. Not bad in my opinion.
Metal roofs are not difficult to install if you are not afraid of heights. But, with a 12:12 pitch roof, you better not have any fear of heights even if it's an A frame! Everything in CA seems so high compared to here.
Okie Bob

JRR · July 24, 2006, 08:04:51 PM

I special-ordered 26 ga corrugated Gavalume from Home Depot (Hixson, Ga). Even installed at the double-ridge overlap as recommended by manfgr, it was less than $1.30 /sf installed ... unless I blew the math! I did my own delivery. The $1.30 doesn't include taxes, screws, trim pieces, etc ... or labor, which was "free".

July 25, 2006, 05:59:43 AM

You might consider putting on engineered asphalt shingles for now. Upgrade later. Nowdays they look quite attactive. It will save you some $$. Then upgrade by appliing steel over the top of them before they are worn out. I think most are rated for 30-50 years.

Amanda_931 · July 25, 2006, 09:45:57 AM

Skylights may be a big part of that cost.

The man who built my barn refused to put one in there, and it was just one of those little round jobs. Kept telling me how ugly the part on the up-side of the roof would look, and so on.

and that was a 4-in-12 roof.

Charlie · July 30, 2006, 08:13:53 PM

Thanks all.

The metal roof price is not looking so bad... I priced out the material, Galvalume, at a locally owned big box, the local distributor for Metal Sales in California. Their quote was about the same as the quoted by the contractor although the contractor included delivery.

Glenn is right about the Workers Comp cost here. It turns out a roofing contractor with a perfect safety record pays in the neighborhood of 33% of payroll. A less than perfect record can apparently result in premiums nearly 3 times that.

Again, thanks for the comments and ideas.