A metal roof replacement costs $10,000 to $36,000 on a typical home. By panel type, installed prices run $4–$6 per square foot for corrugated or R-panel, $5–$8 for metal shingles, $8–$10 for standing-seam steel and $9–$12 for standing-seam aluminum. Architectural asphalt shingles cost $3.80–$9.00 per square foot of roof, about $5.60 typical.
Below: prices per square and for a real roof, cost per year of service, what replacing shingles with metal involves, and the situations where each material wins.
Installed prices for 2026, not a quote. Sources are listed at the end.
Price by roof type
| Roof covering | Per ft² installed | Per square | 23.2-square roof | Typical life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural asphalt | $3.80–$9.00 | $380–$900 | $8,816–$20,880 | 22–30 years |
| Corrugated / R-panel metal | $4–$6 | $400–$600 | $9,280–$13,920 | 25–40 years |
| Metal shingles | $5–$8 | $500–$800 | $11,600–$18,560 | 40–50 years |
| Standing-seam steel | $8–$10 | $800–$1,000 | $18,560–$23,200 | 40–60 years |
| Standing-seam aluminum | $9–$12 | $900–$1,200 | $20,880–$27,840 | 50–70 years |
| Copper | $15–$25 | $1,500–$2,500 | $34,800–$58,000 | 60–100 years |
SquareDash's metal prices include materials, labor, tear-off and cleanup. For a 2,000 ft² roof (20 squares), it puts standing seam at $16,000–$24,000 and metal shingles at $10,000–$16,000.
Other tables on this site use a wider $900–$1,600 per square for standing seam, which also covers steep, cut-up roofs and heavier-gauge panels. On a simple roof, expect bids closer to the SquareDash range.
"Tin roof" in most searches means steel roofing; true tin is rarely used on houses.
Cost per year of service
Divide a typical price per square by the years it lasts:
| Roof covering | Typical per square | Life | Cost per square per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural asphalt | $560 | 22–30 years | $19–$25 |
| Corrugated / R-panel | $500 | 25–40 years | $13–$20 |
| Standing-seam steel | $900 | 40–60 years | $15–$23 |
| Standing-seam aluminum | $1,050 | 50–70 years | $15–$21 |
Standing-seam steel costs about 1.6 times architectural shingles up front and comes out slightly cheaper per year, but only if the owner stays long enough to use the extra decades. The yearly figures overlap too much for cost per year alone to decide. Shingle grades are compared in asphalt shingle roof replacement cost.
Replacing shingles with metal
Three questions set the price of switching:
Tear-off or install over? Many jurisdictions allow metal panels over one layer of asphalt shingles, on purlins or a slip sheet. Skipping tear-off saves the $50–$150 per square a second layer would cost to remove, or $1,160–$3,480 on 23.2 squares. It also leaves the deck uninspected; see tear-off vs roofing over and roof decking replacement cost.
How complicated is the roof? Metal panels are fastest on long, simple planes. Each hip, valley, dormer and chimney means custom-cut trim and flashing, and metal labor climbs faster with complexity than shingle labor does.
What is the pitch? Standing-seam panels are rated for lower slopes than asphalt shingles, which need at least 2/12 with extra underlayment. On a low-slope section, metal may be the practical option rather than a preference. See minimum roof pitch for shingles.
Where each material wins
Architectural shingles make sense when:
- The owner expects to sell within about 15 years, before metal's longer life is used
- The roof has many valleys, dormers and penetrations
- The budget is fixed and metal would mean delaying a needed replacement
Standing-seam metal makes sense when:
- The house is a long-term home and one roof should last as long as the owner stays
- Roof sections are low-slope
- The roof is a simple gable or shed with long, uninterrupted planes
- A non-combustible roof matters, as in wildfire-prone areas
Corrugated or R-panel fits garages, sheds and outbuildings where exposed fasteners and a utilitarian look are acceptable; exposed fasteners need periodic checking.
Insurance and resale
In hail and wind regions, some insurers discount premiums for impact-rated roofs, and impact-rated products exist in both metal and asphalt. Ask the insurer for the actual discount before counting it.
At sale, metal is usually seen as an upgrade, but the price recovered is typically less than the extra cost of the roof. Treat resale as narrowing the gap, not closing it.
Noise
Residential metal roofs installed over solid decking and underlayment are far quieter in rain than metal on open framing, such as a barn roof. Sound depends on what is under the panels as much as on the metal.
The short version
- Metal roof on a typical home: $10,000–$36,000.
- Standing-seam steel $8–$10 per ft², aluminum $9–$12, corrugated $4–$6; architectural shingles $3.80–$9.00.
- Standing seam costs about 1.6 times shingles and lasts about twice as long, so cost per year is close.
- Installing over one layer of shingles, where allowed, saves $50–$150 per square of tear-off but hides the deck.
- Stay length, roof complexity and pitch decide it more than price per year.
Where these numbers come from
- Metal prices by type, lifespans, the $10,000–$36,000 range and the 2,000 ft² examples: SquareDash, metal roof cost, updated April 9, 2026.
- Architectural asphalt $380–$900 per square, $560 typical: the price basis used across this site; see roof replacement cost.
- $50–$150 per square tear-off: Fixr, asphalt shingle roof cost, updated January 21, 2026.
- Asphalt service life: typical US range for architectural shingles.
- Standing seam $900–$1,600 per square in other tables: typical US contractor pricing used on this site for steep and complex roofs.