Metal Roof Installation Cost for Standing Seam and Exposed Fastener
Metal roof installation cost on this sheet is a range, not one number. Standing seam stores at $1,800–$2,450 per square ($18.00 – $24.50 per sq ft). Exposed-fastener metal stores at $550–$1,200 per square ($5.50 – $12.00 per sq ft). On a clean 2,000 sq ft gable at 6/12 with tear-off, those rows read $41,100 – $57,000 and $13,600 – $29,500 at national average rates (rounded). Compiled September 2026. It is a budget estimate, not a bid.
2,000 sq ft, standing seam metal, 6/12, national average rates
| Total, rounded | $41,100 – $57,000 |
|---|---|
| Exact total | $41,100 – $56,970 |
| Per sq ft of roof | $20.55 – $28.49 / sq ft |
| Total divided by the roof area you entered, not by billable squares. | |
| Material (allocated) | $21,780 – $29,645 |
| Labor (allocated) | $17,820 – $24,255 |
| Material and labor split is an allocation of the installed cost, not separate quoted figures. | |
| Tear-off and haul-off | $1,100 – $1,870 |
| $50–$85 / square per layer. Source: Industry-typical, 2026. Not dual-sourced; not copied from the asphalt tear-off row | |
| Dumpster and permit allowance | $400 – $1,200 |
| A placeholder. Your city permit and dumpster ticket will differ. | |
| Labor region | national average rates × 1.00 |
| Architectural asphalt, same inputs | $10,300 – $17,000 |
| Same area, pitch, waste, tear-off, and region. Architectural asphalt exact total $10,300 – $17,018, $5.15 – $8.51 / sq ft. Tear-off on that row is $39–$53 / square, not the metal tear-off row. | |
How this number is built
Roof area 2,000 sq ft Squares 2,000 ÷ 100 = 20 Waste 10% (gable, 6/12) Billable squares 20 × 1.10 = 22 Installed range $1,800–$2,450 / square (standing seam metal) Installed subtotal 22 × $1,800 – 22 × $2,450 = $39,600 – $53,900 Tear-off $1,100 – $1,870 Dumpster / permit $400 – $1,200 Region national average rates × 1.00 on labor and tear-off Replacement total $41,100 – $56,970 Per sq ft total ÷ 2,000 sq ft = $20.55 – $28.49 Quoted on this page (rounded to $100) $41,100 – $57,000
Rate table updated September 2026. Previous: initial release.
This is a budget estimate, not a bid. Estimates were compiled in September 2026 from published U.S. cost guides. Final price depends on deck condition, penetrations, access, local code, and a contractor's on-site inspection.
Metal roof installation cost per square foot
Installed, before waste, standing seam is $18.00 – $24.50 per sq ft and exposed-fastener metal is $5.50 – $12.00 per sq ft. Those are the stored per-square rows divided by 100. 1 square = 100 sq ft of roof surface. Standing seam stores $1,800–$2,450 per square. Exposed-fastener metal stores $550–$1,200 per square. Those two rows are the ends of what this table covers. The spread is the content.
All-in per sq ft is higher. Waste, tear-off, and a $400–$1,200 dumpster and permit allowance sit on the installed band, then the total is divided by the roof area you typed. On the default 2,000 sq ft job that is $20.55 – $28.49 per sq ft for standing seam and $6.80 – $14.74 for exposed-fastener, national average rates. Total divided by the roof area you entered, not by billable squares.
Standing seam source: U.S. roofing cost calculator tables (peer set), 2026. Exposed-fastener source: U.S. roofing cost calculator tables (peer set), 2026. The sheet multiplies the stored dollars, not a figure that appears only in a source note. If the number you have is heated living area, convert it on the roof square footage calculator before you trust a per-sq-ft row.
Whole-roof price by area
The table in this section prices 1,000, 1,200, 1,500, and 2,000 sq ft of roof surface. Each cell is gable waste, 6/12, one layer, tear-off on, national average rates, rounded to the nearest $100. Architectural asphalt is the third column, same engine.
1,000 sq ft of roof is not a 1,000 sq ft house. A two-story house can put about half the living area under one lid. Enter roof surface. Change pitch, ZIP, or tear-off in the sheet above and the live total moves. The table does not. Open the roof cost calculator when you want every covering on one compare. This page prints only the two metal rows the rate table has.
Whole-roof metal install at 1,000, 1,200, 1,500, and 2,000 sq ft
| Roof surface | Standing seam | Exposed-fastener | Architectural asphalt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft | $20,800 – $29,100 | $7,000 – $15,300 | $5,400 – $9,100 |
| 1,200 sq ft | $24,800 – $34,700 | $8,300 – $18,200 | $6,300 – $10,700 |
| 1,500 sq ft | $30,900 – $43,000 | $10,300 – $22,400 | $7,800 – $13,100 |
| 2,000 sq ft | $41,100 – $57,000 | $13,600 – $29,500 | $10,300 – $17,000 |
Same estimateCost run as the sheet above. Gable, 6/12, one layer, tear-off on, national average rates. Rounded to $100. Roof surface, not living area. Purlin and deck reinforcement are not in these totals.
Labor cost and the material split
Material and labor split is an allocation of the installed cost, not separate quoted figures. Standing seam stores a 55% material share and a 45% labor share of the installed band. Exposed-fastener metal stores 50% / 50%.
On 22 billable squares at 6/12 and national rates, standing seam material is $21,780 – $29,645 and labor is $17,820 – $24,255. Exposed-fastener material is $6,050 – $13,200 and labor is $6,050 – $13,200. Pitch other than 4/12–6/12 multiplies labor only. Material stays on the national table.
Tear-off is a separate line. Both metal rows store $50 – $85 per square. On those 22 squares that is $1,100 – $1,870 for standing seam and $1,100 – $1,870 for exposed-fastener. Source: Industry-typical, 2026. Not dual-sourced; not copied from the asphalt tear-off row A ZIP that maps to a state scales labor and tear-off. It is not the crew’s hourly bill. An unrecognized ZIP stays at ×1.00.
Standing seam and exposed-fastener bands
This version prices two panels. Standing seam, field-seamed with concealed fasteners: $1,800–$2,450 per square installed, tear-off $50 – $85 per square. Houses and longer commercial runs can share the panel name. The sheet does not switch to a commercial unit price. Maintenance is the seam, the clips, and the penetrations.
Exposed-fastener metal, corrugated and screw-down: $550–$1,200 per square installed, tear-off $50 – $85 per square. Use it on a simple residential field, an outbuilding, or a screw-down spec. Face fasteners are the maintenance point.
Maker sheets state a minimum slope. This rate table does not store that slope, so this page does not print one. Pitch here only changes waste at 9/12 and steeper, and the labor multiplier. Measure rise and run on the roof pitch calculator if the x/12 is still a guess.
Metal shingles and stone-coated steel are not priced in this section. The rate table does not cover them.
What changes the installed range
Pitch changes labor, not the material dollars. 4/12 to 6/12 is the 1.00 labor row. From 2/12 up to 4/12, labor is 10% above that row. 7/12 to 9/12 uses 1.15–1.25. 10/12 and steeper uses 1.40–1.80 for staging.
Assumes a clean rectangle: no deck repair, one layer of penetrations, ground access. Dormers, skylights, chimneys, and a cut-up plan are the gap between this sheet and a bid. The table does not add a dollar for them.
Tear-off and haul-off are on when Tear-off is Yes, at $50 – $85 per square per layer on both metal rows. Off drops that line to $0. The dumpster and permit allowance of $400–$1,200 stays. A placeholder. Your city permit and dumpster ticket will differ.
Purlins or a new deck come up when the existing covering is light, the sheathing is too thin for the new fasteners, or local code calls for it. This sheet does not include purlin or deck reinforcement. The rate table does not cover that line. A contractor prices it separately.
Region is the ZIP-to-state wage ratio on labor and tear-off only. Material stays national. Season is not a row. Winter staging and a storm-week schedule show up on a bid, not as a multiplier here.
Residential metal roofs
This page is a house ticket: gable waste at 10% on the default, one layer, the two residential metal rows. A commercial roof is often a large low-slope field, different access, and a spec this table does not store. Standing seam on a house and standing seam on a store can share a name and not share a unit price. Use these bands for a residence.
Hip waste is 15% on this engine. Shed is 9%. Steep pitch adds about 4 points of waste at 9/12 and up. Run those traits in the sheet, not off the 6/12 gable table. For a shingle replacement on the same house, use the roof replacement cost page.
Standing seam and exposed-fastener versus architectural asphalt
Architectural asphalt stores at $411–$666 per square ($4.11 – $6.66 per sq ft), tear-off $39 – $53 per square. On the same 2,000 sq ft gable, 6/12, tear-off on, national rates, the rounded totals are standing seam $41,100 – $57,000, exposed-fastener $13,600 – $29,500, and architectural asphalt $10,300 – $17,000. All-in per sq ft is $20.55 – $28.49, $6.80 – $14.74, and $5.15 – $8.51. That first-cost gap is the three stored rows.
Service life is not a field on the rate table. The years belong on the manufacturer warranty. Read that warranty. Annual cost depends on climate, panel gauge, and the warranty terms. This site does not publish a single annual figure, because the rate table has no service-life field. Better to omit the figure than invent one.
Run the same area on the roof replacement cost calculator for the asphalt ticket, then come back here for the metal rows.
Questions to take to the inspection
Take the printed range to the inspection. Ask the panel gauge and the coating warranty. The rate table does not store gauge, and it does not store years.
Ask whether tear-off, haul-off, disposal, and the permit sit inside the proposal. This sheet prices metal tear-off only when Tear-off is Yes, and keeps a flat dumpster and permit allowance.
Ask whether purlin or deck reinforcement is a separate line. It is not on this sheet. It is a budget estimate, not a bid. Compiled September 2026. Final price depends on deck condition, penetrations, access, local code, and the inspection.
Metal roof installation cost FAQ
How much does metal roof installation cost?
$41,100 – $57,000 for standing seam and $13,600 – $29,500 for exposed-fastener metal on a clean 2,000 sq ft gable at 6/12 with tear-off, national average rates, rounded. It is a budget estimate, not a bid.
How much does a metal roof cost per square foot?
Installed, before waste and tear-off: standing seam $18.00 – $24.50 per sq ft ($1,800–$2,450 per square), exposed-fastener $5.50 – $12.00 per sq ft ($550–$1,200 per square). All-in on the default 2,000 sq ft sheet is about $20.55 – $28.49 and $6.80 – $14.74 per sq ft of roof entered.
How much does a metal roof cost for a 2,000 sq ft house?
Only if the roof surface is about 2,000 sq ft. Then standing seam is $41,100 – $57,000 and exposed-fastener is $13,600 – $29,500 with tear-off, 6/12, national rates, rounded. A 2,000 sq ft house is living area until you convert it.
How much does a 1,500 sq ft metal roof cost?
At 1,500 sq ft of roof surface, 6/12 gable, tear-off on, national rates, standing seam is $30,900 – $43,000 and exposed-fastener is $10,300 – $22,400, rounded.
How much does a 1,000 sq ft metal roof cost to install?
At 1,000 sq ft of roof surface on the same assumptions, standing seam is $20,800 – $29,100 and exposed-fastener is $7,000 – $15,300, rounded.
Does metal roof installation cost include tear-off?
Only when Tear-off is Yes. Metal tear-off is $50 – $85 per square on both standing seam and exposed-fastener. Source: Industry-typical, 2026. Not dual-sourced; not copied from the asphalt tear-off row That is not the asphalt strip price of $39 – $53 per square.
Why is standing seam so far above exposed-fastener metal?
The stored installed bands are $1,800–$2,450 per square versus $550–$1,200. On 22 billable squares that difference is the job, before you talk about coating or gauge.
How does metal roof installation cost compare with asphalt shingles?
On the default 2,000 sq ft tear-off job, architectural asphalt is $10,300 – $17,000 ($5.15 – $8.51 per sq ft). Standing seam is $41,100 – $57,000. Exposed-fastener is $13,600 – $29,500. Same engine, same waste, same dumpster allowance.
How much do metal shingles or stone-coated steel cost?
Prices for metal shingles and stone-coated steel usually sit between standing seam and exposed-fastener on contractor lists. This page’s rate table does not cover those panels, so it does not print a band. Ask the contractor for a quote on the specific panel.
Does my ZIP code change metal roof installation cost?
Labor and tear-off move with the state wage ratio. Material stays on the national table. A blank or unrecognized ZIP uses national average rates × 1.00. The ratio is not a street price and not the amount a homeowner is billed per hour.