Metal Roofing

Standing seam, specifically

Standing-seam metal uses vertical panels with raised, interlocking seams that conceal the fasteners underneath — no exposed screw heads for water to work its way past over time. It's the metal roofing style we install on houses; corrugated exposed-fastener panels are more common on outbuildings and are not what's covered here.

How it holds up against this climate

Standing-seam panels are typically rated for 140–180 mph wind, well above what architectural asphalt shingle achieves, and the concealed-fastener design has fewer penetration points for water to find during freeze-thaw cycling. Metal also sheds snow and ice more completely than asphalt, which reduces (though doesn't eliminate) ice dam formation at the eaves — ice-and-water shield still goes down underneath as a second line of defense.

What it costs, relative to asphalt

Standing-seam metal typically runs meaningfully more than architectural asphalt shingle for the same roof, material and labor combined. The tradeoff is service life: where an asphalt roof in this climate realistically runs 18–22 years before replacement, a properly installed standing-seam metal roof commonly reaches 40–60 years. Whether that math works depends on how long you plan to own the house.

Things to know before choosing metal

• Noise — with proper solid-deck installation and underlayment, rain noise is not meaningfully louder than asphalt. It's exposed-fastener panels over open framing (common on barns, not houses) that create the "loud in the rain" reputation.
• Dent resistance varies by gauge and finish — heavier-gauge panels resist hail bruising better than thin, budget-grade panels. This is a case where the cheapest metal option can underperform a good architectural shingle.
• Color retention — quality paint finishes (Kynar-based) hold color for decades; cheaper finishes chalk and fade faster than shingles would in the same span.

For the asphalt comparison, see Asphalt Shingle Roofing, or start with the roof replacement overview.