Metal Roofing vs. Asphalt Shingles: Which one is best for your needs?

If you’re in the process of building a business or need a new roof put on your current business, both metal roofing and asphalt shingles are good options. However, both options don’t work well for everyone. Because people have different needs and budgets, while metal roofing may be the best option for some, asphalt shingles would be the better option for others. There are different costs, warranties and energy efficiency levels associated with both metal roofing and asphalt shingles. If you’re stuck between metal roofing and asphalt shingles, unable to decide which to use, here is handy guide to help you make your decision:

Material
Metal roofing is known as the more lightweight of the two roofing options, which makes it easier to install and cause less stress from weight to your building. However, shingles have their benefits, too. Because they are heavier, they can withstand stronger winds and can even be walked on without causing damage to the roofing.

Costs
Cost is one of the most important determining factors when it comes to making the decision between metal roofing and asphalt shingles. In terms of upfront costs, metal roofs are much more expensive. Metal roofing can cost anywhere from $265-$600 per roofing square. However, the long term costs are nearly non-existence. There are very low maintenance costs because a metal roof can last anywhere from 50-100 years.

Asphalt shingles, on the other hand, have lower upfront costs but higher long term costs. Asphalt shingles can cost between $60 and $90 per roofing square, but only last 15-20 years. This means that you will have much higher maintenance costs.

Over the course of 60 years, a mid-range metal roof for a 1600 square foot building will cost you an average of $17,457 while a mid-range shingle roof for the same size building will cost you $26,211.

Energy efficiency
In terms of energy efficiency, metal roofs are the clear winners. During the hottest months of the year when you’ll be blasting the air conditioning, you could save 20-30% on your electricity bill just by having a metal roof. The darker your roof, the hotter your roof will be and the more heat will be retained in your building. This means more energy will be used. Traditionally, asphalt roofs aren’t very energy efficient at all for this reason.

Warranty
A clear benefit of asphalt shingles is that they typically have a longer-lasting and more inclusive warranty policy. Both manufacturers and contractors usually offer warranties on asphalt shingles because, while they’re more protective, they are also more susceptible to things like algae growth.

Resale value
If you’re concerned about your business’ resale value, then you should likely opt for metal roofing. Due to the facts that metal roofing is lightweight and energy efficient, it could increase your business’ resale value by 1-6% more than asphalt roofing could.

Both metal roofing and asphalt roofing have their respective pros and cons, so the decision you make would depend on both upfront and long term costs, durability and energy efficiency. Hopefully this guide to metal roofing vs asphalt roofing has made you more knowledgeable about roofing materials and will enable you to make a well-informed decision about your building.