Metal Roofers Orlando

Exposed Fastener Metal Roof Guide for Orlando Homes

An exposed fastener metal roof is held on by screws driven through the face of each panel, each one sealed with a washer. It is the lowest-cost metal roof, at $5 to $12 a square foot installed per HomeGuide.

How exposed-fastener roofs work

Exposed-fastener panels are wide ribbed sheets, usually 24 or 36 inches of coverage, laid side by side with overlapping edges. Screws go through the face of the panel into the deck or wood purlins. A sealing washer under each screw head keeps water out.

Florida's code treats these as lapped panels and wants a steeper roof for them. The minimum is 3 inches of rise per foot, or 1/2 inch if the laps get sealant. Gulf Coast Supply lists 3:12 as the minimum slope for its 5V, PBR and GulfRib panels.

5V crimp, the old Florida panel

5V crimp is the screw-down panel most tied to Florida. Gulf Coast Supply, a Florida panel maker, calls it the "old Florida" look and says it is most common on homes. Gravity Roofing pitches it for a Cracker or Key West style.

Gulf Coast says the double ribs at each panel edge create the 5V look. They also hide an anti-siphon channel, a groove meant to stop water from wicking into the lap.

Gulf Coast makes 5V in 26 and 24 gauge steel and .032-inch aluminum.

Tri County Metals' 2023 Florida approval lists its 5V with 3/8-inch ribs on 12-inch centers, 24 inches of coverage and 26-gauge minimum steel. In our eyes, that low-rib face is why it reads as a house roof rather than a barn.

R-panel and PBR

R-panel has taller ribs than 5V and covers 36 inches. Gulf Coast sells its version as GulfPBR. It says the taller rib stiffens the panel for open spans up to 5 feet and resists water flooding over the rib.

Tri County's approval lists its PBR with 1¼-inch ribs on 12-inch centers, 36 inches of coverage and 26-gauge minimum steel. In Orlando, T Mark uses PBR on low-slope roofs, and HD Roofing and Direct Metal list PBR or R-panel too.

Our view: the deep ribs look more like a barn than a house. On a home we'd lean toward 5V or Ultra Rib, and save PBR for workshops, carports and low-slope add-ons.

Ultra Rib and corrugated

Ultra Rib is a 36-inch panel with low ribs, and Gravity Roofing calls it a popular residential choice. Tri County's approval lists 3/4-inch ribs on 9-inch centers, in 29 gauge or 26 gauge.

Gulf Coast's GulfRib started on farm buildings and has moved onto homes, and it comes in 29 gauge for the lowest cost. Corrugated, the wavy profile, appears in Gulf Coast's line as a 3/4-inch rolling rib panel.

ProfileRibsCoverageMinimum metal
5V crimp3/8 in. on 12 in. centers24 in.26 ga steel
PBR (R-panel)1¼ in. on 12 in. centers36 in.26 ga steel
Ultra Rib3/4 in. on 9 in. centers36 in.29 ga (high-strength) or 26 ga steel

Figures are from Tri County Metals' Florida Building Code approval, report FL36904. Other makers' versions differ slightly, so check the approval for the panel on your quote.

Screw inspection and replacement

On an exposed-fastener metal roof, every screw is a hole sealed by a washer, so the screws are the upkeep. McElroy Metal's owner manual says to inspect at least once a year. It adds checks after high winds, hail, heavy rain or other trades working on the roof.

When a screw has stripped out, McElroy says to remove it, put butyl sealant in the hole and drive an oversize long-life screw. MBCI, another panel maker, also recommends a yearly inspection and replacing loose or rusty screws as needed.

The screw itself matters more than any schedule. MBCI says that where ordinary screws were used, a roof 10 to 15 years old can have holes rusted through at the screws. Ask your roofer which screw they use and whether it is a long-life fastener.

We did not find a panel maker or the Metal Construction Association that publishes a fixed screw or washer replacement interval. Treat any "re-screw every X years" rule as one contractor's estimate, and inspect instead.

When an exposed fastener metal roof makes sense

On price it wins. HomeGuide, dated November 21, 2025, puts exposed-fastener roofing at $500 to $1,200 per 100 square feet installed, against $900 to $1,600 for hidden-fastener standing seam.

It fits porches, garages, sheds and outbuildings, and houses where 5V suits the style. It also fits when the budget won't stretch to standing seam.

It fits less well on a low-slope roof, where code may rule it out, or for an owner who won't have the screws checked. The warranty gap is real, too: Gravity Roofing gives 7 years of workmanship on its 26-gauge exposed-fastener tier and 10 on 24-gauge standing seam.

If you plan to stay 25 years, price both. Our standing seam metal roof guide covers the upgrade, and metal roof cost in Orlando has local numbers.

Orlando roofers that install exposed-fastener panels

Ten of the 18 roofers on our Orlando list install exposed-fastener metal roofs, per their own websites.

Compare all metal roof types side by side, or see the full list of the best metal roofers in Orlando.

Exposed-fastener panels compared

Sources: HomeGuide, Metal Roof Cost (Nov 21, 2025); Florida Building Code 2023, Chapter 15; Tri County Metals, FL36904 evaluation report (2023 FBC); Gulf Coast Supply, 5V Crimp; Gulf Coast Supply, GulfPBR; Gulf Coast Supply, GulfRib; Gulf Coast Supply, Exposed Fastener Panels; McElroy Metal, Operation and Maintenance Manual; MBCI, Preventing Roof Damage from Rusted Fasteners; Gravity Roofing, Metal Roofing in Central Florida; Mid Florida Exteriors; Roof Bear; T Mark Metal Roofing; HD Roofing and Solar; Direct Metal Roofing; HomeShield Roofing; Panther Roof; TC Metal Roofing; Thomas Roofing & Repair

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