How much a metal roof costs and what cheap roofing sheets lack

The price of a metal roof is made up of six things: the type of roof covering, the thickness of the sheet, the zinc coating, the finish, the accessories with the gutter system, and the shape of the roof. The price per square metre of the sheets is only one part. Cheap roofing sheets are, as a rule, thinner, have less zinc and a shorter warranty. Below is each of the six, with the figures to ask any manufacturer for.

1. The type of roof covering

Metal roof tiles cover large areas quickly, in sheets more than a metre wide. Click roofing sheets and standing seam roofing are made in long, narrow panels, and metal shingles in small elements, laid row by row. The smaller the elements and the more details there are, the more the material and the labour go up. See the four types on the products page.

2. The thickness of the sheet

For metal roof tiles and for standing seam roofing, the usual thickness is between 0.45 and 0.6 mm. A thicker sheet is stiffer and deforms less easily, which matters in areas with strong wind or a lot of snow. BELPROFILE metal roof tiles and click roofing sheets are 0.50 mm thick. Ask for the thickness in writing: with cheap roofing sheets, this is usually where money is saved first.

3. The zinc coating

Zinc protects the steel from rust. Its quantity is written in grams per square metre: Z225 means 225 g/m², Z275 means 275 g/m². The difference between them, 50 g more zinc on every square metre, shows over time, especially at cut edges and at scratches. BELPROFILE metal roof tiles have 225 or 275 g/m², depending on the finish.

4. The finish and the warranty

The finish is the paint over the zinc. It gives the colour and it also decides the warranty. On BELPROFILE metal roof tiles and click roofing sheets, the PrinTech and BigStone finishes have a 40-year warranty, Matt has 30 years and SunClear has 20 years. On aluminium standing seam roofing, the warranty reaches 40 years. A finish with a longer warranty costs more to buy and less for each year of use.

5. The accessories and the gutter system

A roof is not made of sheets alone. It needs a ridge, valleys, flashings, trims, snow guards, an anti-condensation membrane, screws, gutters and downpipes. In a quote that looks cheap, these are often missing or listed separately. Ask for the price for the whole roof, not just for the sheets.

6. The shape of the roof

A roof with two slopes is covered with little waste. Dormers, many intersections and different volumes mean more cuts, more valleys and ridges, and more labour. That is why the right price is given from the roof plan, not from the area of the house.

What do cheap roofing sheets usually lack?

• thickness: a sheet thinner than the usual one, which bends during installation and under snow;
• zinc: a thinner coating, which runs out sooner at the edges;
• a written warranty for the finish and for the colour;
• the accessories made for the same profile, in the same colour.

Cheap roofing sheets can be a good choice for an outbuilding or for a temporary roof. For a house, the calculation is made in years: a correctly installed metal roof can last more than 40–50 years.

How do you find out the price for your roof?

BELPROFILE does not show a price per square metre, because it depends on all six. Send the dimensions or the plan of the roof and you receive the price for everything: roof covering, accessories and gutter system. Request a quote: it comes straight from the manufacturer, and the advice is free.