Metal roofing in Oklahoma City
Standing seam, metal shingle and corrugated systems for homes, outbuildings and commercial properties. The detailing is what decides whether a metal roof lasts, so that is where the work goes.
Three metal systems, three different jobs
Which one suits your building depends on its slope, its complexity and what it is for.
Standing seam
Concealed fastener panels with raised seams at the joints. The system most people picture when they think of a modern metal roof, and the one that handles thermal movement best.
Metal shingle
Metal formed to read like shingle, tile or shake from the ground while behaving like metal. Useful where an appearance needs to match a neighbourhood but the performance of metal is wanted.
Corrugated
Exposed fastener panels, most common on agricultural, industrial and outbuilding applications. Straightforward, economical, and appropriate where appearance is secondary.
Metal roofs fail at the details, not in the middle of a panel
A metal panel in the open field of a roof will outlast most of the things around it. What fails is the transitions: the ridges, the valleys, the eaves, the places where a panel meets a wall or a chimney, and every penetration through the surface.
Metal also moves. It expands and contracts through Oklahoma's temperature range considerably more than an asphalt shingle does, and a system that does not allow for that movement will work its fasteners loose or oil can across the panels.
That is why panel layout, fastening method and flashing get planned before anything is ordered rather than resolved on the roof. It is slower up front and it is the entire difference in outcome.
- Panel layout planned first. Before material is ordered, not once it is on site.
- Thermal movement allowed for. Metal moves a lot more than shingle through an Oklahoma year.
- Penetrations detailed properly. Every pipe, vent and unit that comes through the plane.
- Transitions in metal, not sealant. Sealant is a supplement, never the primary defence.
Choosing metal roofing for an Oklahoma property
Metal is a genuinely good answer for a lot of buildings in this state, and a poor answer for some. It is worth being clear about which is which before you spend the money.
Where metal makes sense
Long uninterrupted runs. A simple gable roof with few penetrations is close to the ideal metal application.
Buildings taking direct weather. Metal sheds water fast and handles wind well when the fastening is correct.
Outbuildings, shops and agricultural structures. Corrugated systems are economical and appropriate here.
Modern and traditional elevations alike. Standing seam suits contemporary architecture; metal shingle covers more traditional appearances.
Where it needs more thought
Complex roofs. Many hips, valleys, dormers and penetrations mean substantially more custom flashing work, and the cost and risk both rise with complexity.
Hail exposure. Metal can dent. Whether a dent matters is partly functional and largely aesthetic, and it is a conversation worth having before rather than after.
Neighbourhood context. On some streets around the metro a metal roof will look out of place, and on some it will look exactly right.
Metal on low slope commercial roofs
Metal is common on industrial and agricultural buildings around Oklahoma City, and it appears on plenty of commercial properties with steeper roof sections. For genuinely low slope commercial roofs, a membrane system is usually the better answer, and TPO is what we most often recommend. That is covered in detail on our TPO roofing page.
What we will tell you
If metal is not the right system for your building, we will say so. That happens, and it is a better outcome than selling you something expensive that will need attention in five years. The company has been here since 2004 and intends to be here in another twenty, which is a strong incentive to give you a straight answer now.
Metal roof questions
Including the honest answer about hail.
What metal roofing systems do you install?
Standing seam, metal shingle and corrugated metal systems, on both residential and commercial buildings.
Standing seam is the concealed fastener system most people picture when they think of a modern metal roof. Metal shingle mimics the appearance of other materials while behaving like metal. Corrugated is the exposed fastener system more common on agricultural and industrial buildings.
Is a metal roof a good idea in Oklahoma?
It suits a lot of Oklahoma buildings, particularly ones taking direct weather with long uninterrupted roof runs. Metal handles wind well and sheds water quickly.
Where it needs thought is complexity. A roof with a lot of hips, valleys, dormers and penetrations demands considerably more detailing in metal than in shingle, and that detailing is where metal roofs succeed or fail.
Does hail damage metal roofing?
Hail can dent metal panels. Whether that matters depends on the system, the gauge and how you feel about the appearance, because a dented panel is frequently still perfectly functional.
This is worth discussing honestly before you commit, and it is a conversation about your specific building and your insurance carrier rather than a general claim about the material.
Are metal roofs noisy in rain?
Considerably less than people expect. A metal roof over decking and underlayment on a house with an insulated attic behaves very differently from a metal panel over open framing on a barn, which is where the reputation comes from.
Can you install metal on a commercial building?
Yes. Metal is common on industrial, agricultural and some commercial buildings around the metro, particularly where the roof has long straightforward runs.
For low slope commercial roofs, a membrane system is usually the better answer. See our commercial roofing page for that.
Thinking about a metal roof?
We will look at the building and tell you honestly whether metal is the right system for it.