Metal Roofing in Anchorage & the Mat-Su Valley
Metal is our specialty: stone-coated steel and standing seam, installed for Southcentral snow and wind. It costs more than asphalt up front and usually outlasts two asphalt roofs.
A metal roof costs more to install than asphalt. The steel costs more, and every eave, valley, and wall gets metal trim and new flashing. Judge it over forty years, not one: a metal roof usually outlasts two asphalt roofs up here, with fewer repairs along the way. We price yours after a free inspection, in writing. Metal roof cost →
Why metal works on an Alaska roof
A roof up here carries snow all winter, takes the Chugach wind on the Hillside or the Matanuska wind around Palmer, and freezes and thaws through breakup. That’s where metal earns its price.
- Snow. Stone-coated steel holds snow in place much like a shingle roof and usually lets go in smaller slides, not a whole slope at once. Standing seam lets go faster, so it gets snow guards where slides would land, and stone-coated steel still gets them over doors, decks, and walkways.
- Wind. Stone-coated steel panels lock together and are built to resist uplift in winds up to 120 mph.
- Hail and fire. Stone-coated steel carries a Class 4 impact rating, the top rating, and a Class A fire rating.
- Lifespan. Somewhere past forty years. Asphalt up here gets fifteen to twenty-five, depending on the shingle.
Stone-coated steel vs standing seam
We install two metal systems on homes. Both are steel, and they suit different houses.
Stone-coated steel
Steel panels with stone granules bonded on top, in shingle, shake, and slate profiles. The textured surface holds snow more like shingles do, so slides are smaller. Metal shingles → Metal shake →
Standing seam
Painted steel panels run from eave to ridge, with raised seams and the fasteners hidden underneath on clips. Snow lets go faster than on anything else we install, so plan on snow guards. Standing seam →
The choice comes down to the look, where the snow will land, and the budget.
Can a metal roof go over shingles?
Often, yes. If there’s one sound layer of asphalt and the decking checks out from the attic, metal can go over it. Code generally allows one roof-over. Two layers, a failing roof, or eaves we need to open up to fix an ice dam problem mean a tear-off. Decking is included in the price either way. Roof replacement →
Thinking about metal?
Text a photo of the house and we’ll tell you what we see.
What a metal roof install looks like
- Free inspection, on the roof and in the attic, with a photo report and a written price within 24 hours.
- The deck. Rotten or delaminated sheets get replaced and photographed. Decking is in the price.
- Membrane and flashing. Ice and water membrane at the eaves, valleys, and penetrations, underlayment, and new flashing at every wall, chimney, and pipe.
- Ventilation. Ridge and intake sized to the attic. A new roof alone doesn’t stop ice dams. Air sealing and insulation do most of the work, and attic ventilation cuts down on the rest.
- Panels and snow guards, with guards where a slide would land on a door, a deck, or a meter.
- Cleanup, with a magnetic sweep of the yard and driveway.
Most homes take two to four days, and full replacements run roughly May through October.
Snow guards, colors, and metal roof repair
- Snow guards. Standing seam can drop a whole slope at once. Guards hold it over entries, decks, and gutters. Snow guards →
- Colors. Granule blends or smooth painted finishes, best picked from full-size samples outside in daylight. Colors and finishes →
- Repair. Screws, seams, trim, and flashing, on metal roofs we didn’t install too. Metal roof repair →
- Shops and hangars. Standing seam and exposed-fastener panels. Commercial metal roofing →
Are metal roofs loud? Do they rust?
The loud metal roof people remember is bare panels on open framing over a shop. On a house, metal goes over a solid deck and underlayment, and stone-coated steel is about as quiet in the rain as shingles.
Rust usually starts at cut edges and exposed screws, like on an old shop roof. Stone-coated steel has a protective metallic coating under the stone, and standing seam hides its fasteners.
We install metal roofs in Anchorage, from Turnagain to the Hillside, and in Eagle River, Palmer, and Wasilla, out to Big Lake and Girdwood.
What a metal roof costs
Size, pitch, and how many valleys, dormers, and pipes the roof has. Tear-off or re-roof. The system, snow guards, and access. We won’t guess over the phone: the written estimate breaks it out line by line, decking included. Metal roof cost →
Every metal roof starts with a free inspection.
Photo report and a written price within 24 hours, and no pressure after it.
Metal roofing questions
The questions we get most often about metal roofs in Anchorage and the Valley. Don’t see yours? Text us and a roofer answers.
Text my rooferMore than asphalt up front. The real number depends on your roof: size, pitch, valleys and dormers, tear-off or re-roof, and the system you choose. A phone quote is a guess. After a free inspection you get a written price, line by line, within 24 hours.
For a house you plan to keep, usually yes. Metal lasts somewhere past forty years, usually outlasts two asphalt roofs, and needs fewer repairs along the way. If you’re selling soon or the budget is tight, architectural asphalt can be the better spend, and we’ll tell you so.
Neither wins on every house. Standing seam has clean lines, but snow slides off it fastest, so it needs snow guards wherever a slide would land. Stone-coated steel looks like shingles or shake and holds snow in place much like a shingle roof. We’ll tell you which one we’d put on yours and why.
Not by itself. Ice dams start with heat escaping into the attic, and that happens under any roofing, metal included. It gets fixed with ventilation, air sealing and insulation, and membrane at the eaves.
Full replacements run roughly May through October. Membranes and sealants need warmth to bond, and nobody should have a roof open in a February wind. Repairs happen year-round. The season fills from the front, so book the inspection in winter or early spring.
Yes, on standing seam, stone-coated steel, and exposed-fastener roofs: backed-out screws, failed seams, bent trim, torn-off snow guards, and leaks at pipes and chimneys. Text us photos and we’ll tell you what we see, then find the source on the roof.
Let’s see what metal would take on your roof
Text a photo or book an inspection. You get a photo report and a written price within 24 hours, and no pressure after it.