What color metal roof is best in Florida?

Solar reflectance and emittance in plain terms

Two numbers decide how hot a roof gets in the sun. Solar reflectance is the share of sunlight the surface bounces away, on a scale of 0 to 1. Thermal emittance is how well the surface sheds the heat it does absorb.

The EPA calls solar reflectance the most important of the two, and says emittance matters most in warm, sunny climates. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Heat Island Group says a cool roof should score high on both.

Berkeley Lab also puts numbers on the difference. A white roof reflecting 80% of sunlight stays about 55°F cooler than a gray roof reflecting 20%. A cool-colored roof reflecting 35% stays about 22°F cooler than a traditional one reflecting 10%.

Solar reflectance of real metal roof colors

Any answer to what color metal roof is best in Florida should start with measured numbers. These values come from United Steel Supply's 2025 chart of Sherwin-Williams PVDF colors. SRI, the solar reflectance index, rolls reflectance and emittance into one score under ASTM E1980.

Two things jump out. Matte Black reflects more sunlight than Slate Gray, and Charcoal Gray scores almost the same as Ash Gray. The name and the shade don't predict the number.

The same chart notes that LEED counts a steep-slope roof as cool at an SRI of 29 or higher. The Cool Roof Rating Council, a nonprofit, evaluates and labels these properties for roof products and keeps a rated products directory. Ask your roofer for the rated values of the exact color you like.

Why reflectance matters in Orlando heat

Orlando International Airport averages a 92.0°F high in July (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). The EPA says a cool roof can cut peak cooling demand in air-conditioned homes by 11 to 27%. Your result depends on the color, the attic and the ventilation, so treat that as a range, not a promise.

So what color metal roof is best in Florida for keeping cool? On the numbers, white and the light neutrals: Regal White, Snow White, Almond and Sandstone on the chart above.

If you want a dark metal roof

Dark doesn't have to mean hot. Berkeley Lab says cool-colored dark roofs look like traditional dark roofs but reflect more near-infrared light, the part of sunlight you can't see. That's how a black can outscore a gray, as it does on the chart above.

Bare metal is its own case. Oak Ridge National Laboratory notes that a metal's emittance depends on its surface and rises as unpainted metal oxidizes over time. Pre-Weathered Galvalume on the chart reflects 27% of sunlight, with an SRI of 24.

Finish type and fading in Florida sun

For Florida sun, ask for a PVDF finish, the paint family that includes Kynar 500. Metal Sales warrants its PVDF colors for 35 years against chalking and fading, with no more than 5 Hunter units of color change. It bases that limit on south Florida exposure data.

United Steel Supply offers a 40-year limited paint warranty on its chart colors on written request. Ask for the paint warranty by name and term, separate from the roofer's labor warranty.

Reflectance holds up as well. In field tests summarized by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PVDF-painted metal roofs lost less than 5% of their original solar reflectance after 3½ years outdoors. The same report found cool pigments kept their reflectance as well as conventional ones.

HOA color rules for metal roofs in Florida

Florida Statute 720.3035(6) requires every HOA board, or its architectural committee, to adopt hurricane protection specifications, which can cover color and style. Hurricane protection includes roof systems recognized by the Florida Building Code that meet ASCE 7-22 standards.

The board can't deny an application that conforms to those specifications, but it can require you to follow the community's existing look. Get your HOA's approved roof colors in writing first, then pick the most reflective option on that list.

Metlok's seven colors as an example palette

Metlok, a sponsor of this site, makes pressed Galvalume steel shingles in seven colors. They are Black Summit, Carbon Gray, Coastal Drift, Heritage Brown, Linen Stone, Tuscan Clay and Weathered Ridge. Shingle and Slate are available now, and Metlok lists Shake and Barrel as coming soon.

Metlok's homepage doesn't list reflectance values, so ask for them on the colors you're weighing. As the chart above shows, names alone won't tell you. More on the product is on our Metlok roofing page.

Choosing a metal roof color for your house

Here's our take on what color metal roof is best in Florida. Choose the most reflective color your HOA approves, in a PVDF finish, with its reflectance number in writing. Color choices work the same on metal shingles and standing seam in Orlando.

For how long that finish and the roof under it should last, read how long a metal roof lasts in Florida. Then compare installers on the list of metal roofers in Orlando.

Sources: EPA, Using Cool Roofs to Reduce Heat Islands; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Heat Island Group, Cool Roofs; United Steel Supply, PVDF Standard Color Offerings (2025, Sherwin-Williams coil coatings); Cool Roof Rating Council; NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals, Orlando International Airport; Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Natural Exposure Testing in California (Miller et al.); Metal Sales, PVDF Paint Finish brochure; Florida Statutes 720.3035 (2025); Metlok.