Interlocking vs exposed fastener metal roof at a glance
Interlocking here means four-way interlocking metal shingles: Metlok, Galvalume steel and one of our sponsors, and Interlock, aluminum. Exposed fastener means screw-down panels such as 5V crimp, Ultra Rib and PBR.
| Factor | Interlocking | Exposed fastener (5V, rib panel) |
|---|---|---|
| Fasteners | Hidden inside the locks, under the next shingle | Screws through the panel face, each sealed by a rubber washer |
| Look | Shingle or slate (Metlok); slate, cedar, shake or tile (Interlock) | Ribbed metal; Gravity Roofing pitches 5V for Cracker or Key West styles |
| Upkeep | No exposed screws or washers | Inspect at least yearly and after storms (McElroy Metal, MBCI) |
| Lowest slope in Florida's code | 3 inches of rise per foot | 3 inches, or 1/2 inch with applied lap sealant |
| Installed per 100 sq ft (HomeGuide, Nov 2025) | $600–$1,400 for metal shingles | $500–$1,200 |
| Expected life | 40+ years painted steel, 50+ aluminum (Interlock) | 25–40 years for Gravity's 26-gauge tier |
| Warranty examples | Metlok: 50-year limited lifetime, labor and materials | Gravity: 7-year workmanship on 26-gauge exposed fastener |
Hidden screws vs exposed screws
On an exposed-fastener roof, screws go straight through the face of each panel. Interlock describes each one as sealed by a rubber (EPDM) washer, with every head visible on the surface.
Interlocking shingles hide their fasteners inside the locks, under the next shingle. Interlock says that leaves nothing penetrating the weather surface and lets the metal expand and contract freely.
Direct Metal Roofing, which installs exposed-fastener panels, calls gasketed screws that age in the sun the most common long-term upkeep item on those roofs. When owners choose 5V, it says it specs the fasteners and closures for coastal exposure.
Screw and washer upkeep
The exposed-panel makers say inspect rather than replace on a calendar. McElroy Metal's owner manual calls for an inspection at least once a year, and after high winds, hail or abnormally heavy rain.
For a stripped-out screw, McElroy says to remove it, put butyl sealant in the hole and drive an oversize long-life fastener. MBCI also recommends a yearly inspection and replacing loose or rusty screws as needed.
Screw quality matters most. MBCI says a 10- to 15-year-old roof can have holes rusted through at the fasteners when ordinary screws were used. Ask for long-life fasteners at every exposed spot.
Interlock, which sells concealed-fastener roofs, says washers commonly need attention somewhere in the 10- to 20-year range. That's a competitor's estimate, so weigh it against the panel makers' inspect-yearly advice.
Look on an Orlando house
Gravity Roofing pitches 5V for a classic Florida, Cracker or Key West look, and calls Ultra Rib a popular residential choice. It frames PBR, with deeper ribs, as the pick where function comes first.
Interlocking shingles read as shingle or slate instead. Metlok sells Shingle and Slate now, with Shake and Barrel listed as coming soon. Interlock offers Slate, Cedar Shingle, Shake and Tile.
Our take: 5V suits a farmhouse or old-Florida cottage and looks out of place on a stucco Mediterranean. Interlocking fits streets where a metal look would stand out.
Wind and Florida slope rules
For metal shingles, Florida's residential code requires the product approval to state the allowable uplift resistance, at or above the roof's design pressure. Metal panels need their own Florida approvals too.
Interlock's approval FL7263-R7 lists -187.5 psf for shingle and slate and -110.5 psf for shake, tested to UL 580, UL 1897 and TAS 125. Gravity notes that no single wind rating applies to every metal roof. Panel, gauge, deck and fastening pattern all change it.
Slope can settle it. Metal shingles can't go below 3 inches of rise per foot. Lapped panels like 5V need 3 inches too, or just 1/2 inch with applied lap sealant.
Heat and rain noise
The EPA says a cool roof can cut peak cooling demand 11% to 27% in air-conditioned homes, and that solar reflectance matters most. Both systems come in painted colors, so ask for that number on yours.
Noise depends on what's underneath. Florida's code puts metal shingles on a solid or closely fitted deck. Metal panels can go on solid or spaced sheathing, or on spaced supports when the panel is designed for it.
McElroy Metal cites a Luleå University study: rain on metal measured about 52 dBA over a full roof assembly and 61 dBA over open framing. That open-framing number is the carport sound people remember.
Lifespan and warranties
Gravity Roofing rates its 26-gauge exposed-fastener tier at 25 to 40 years, with a 7-year workmanship warranty. HomeGuide says corrugated metal in humid climates typically lasts 30 to 50 years.
Metlok's warranty page describes a 50-year limited lifetime warranty on labor and materials, transferable subject to its requirements. Interlock's Guardian Limited Lifetime warranty covers the original owner and transfers once for $300.
Interlock says exposed-fastener roofs rarely carry lifetime warranties. Read any 5V quote for both the panel warranty and the installer's workmanship term.
The cost gap
Price is the main reason to choose 5V in the interlocking vs exposed fastener metal roof decision. HomeGuide's national guide, dated November 21, 2025, puts exposed-fastener roofing at $500 to $1,200 per 100 square feet installed. It puts metal shingles at $600 to $1,400.
Angi, updated September 25, 2026, says exposed fasteners run 30% to 50% less than hidden fasteners. On a 20-square roof, HomeGuide's ranges work out to $10,000 to $24,000 for exposed fastener and $12,000 to $28,000 for metal shingles.
JA Edwards, an Orlando roofer, publishes $12,000 to $22,000 for metal shingle or stone-coated roofs. Gravity and Direct Metal both describe exposed fastener as their lower-cost option but publish no dollar figures. Direct Metal offers written standing seam and 5V quotes side by side.
Metlok doesn't publish prices; its November offer takes $3,500 off a roof signed by November 30, 2026. More local ranges are on our Orlando metal roof cost page.
When 5V is the smart budget pick
We'd pick exposed fastener for a porch, carport, shed or workshop, where looks matter less and the roof is easy to reach. It also fits a Cracker or farmhouse-style house that wants the 5V look anyway.
It makes sense when the budget won't reach hidden fasteners and you'll actually book the yearly screw check. Gravity calls its exposed-fastener tier its best-value metal option.
Skip it if nobody will check the screws, or if you want the look of shingles or slate. Panel profiles and gauges are in our exposed fastener metal roof guide.
Repairs
Many exposed-fastener repairs are screw work: McElroy's fix for a stripped screw is butyl sealant and an oversize long-life fastener.
Interlock says a trained installer can release one damaged interlocking shingle and swap it without disturbing the roof around it. The catch is the crew, since Interlock says many general roofers have never laid interlocking shingles.
Who installs each around Orlando
Metlok, one of our sponsors, makes its panels in its own Florida factory and installs them with its own crews; it says it never subcontracts. Interlock's aluminum goes through certified independent installers via Metal Roofing Florida.
Sponsored
Metlok
Best for: A metal roof that looks like shingle, slate, shake or tile
- Metal system
- 26-ga Galvalume steel shingles
- Profiles
- Shingle, Slate; Shake and Barrel coming
- Warranty
- 50-yr limited lifetime, labor + materials
Metlok makes its own steel shingles in its own factory, and its own crews install them, so one company answers for both. Each panel locks to its neighbors on all four sides, so no screws show on the finished roof. Its Shingle and Slate panels carry Florida Product Approval FL47482.
Shingle and Slate profiles are available now, with Shake and Barrel listed as coming soon, in colors such as Carbon Gray, Coastal Drift and Tuscan Clay. November offer: $3,500 off a new Metlok roof signed by Nov 30.
Watch for: Only 6 Google reviews so far, and it's one product line. For standing seam, see the next pick.
Source: metlokroofing.com (products, warranty), Metlok's Google profile and November offer terms, checked Nov 8, 2026
Exposed-fastener panels are easy to find. Four installers on our list:
- Mid Florida Exteriors: 26- and 29-gauge rib panel and 5V.
- Gravity Roofing: Ultra Rib, 5V and PBR, with a 7-year workmanship warranty on its 26-gauge tier.
- T Mark Metal Roofing: Ultra Rib, 26-gauge Galvalume 5V crimp, and PBR for low slopes.
- Direct Metal Roofing: 5V crimp and R-panel, quoted next to standing seam.
Which fits an Orlando house
Pick interlocking if it's your main house, you want a traditional look, and you'd rather never think about screws. Our interlocking metal roofing guide covers both brands.
Pick exposed fastener for outbuildings, porches, old-Florida styles and tight budgets, and book the yearly inspection. If you want hidden fasteners in long panels instead, see standing seam vs exposed fastener.
Whichever way the interlocking vs exposed fastener metal roof choice goes, get two written quotes. Compare installers on our list of Orlando metal roofers.
Sources: Interlock, Aluminum Roofing Fasteners: Concealed vs Exposed; Interlock, Interlocking Aluminum Shingles Explained; Interlock, Metal Shingles; Interlock, Florida Product Approval FL7263; Interlock, Florida installers; Metlok, Products and FAQ; Metlok, 50-Year Limited Lifetime Warranty; Metlok, Orlando November offer; McElroy Metal, Operation and Maintenance Manual; MBCI, Preventing Roof Damage from Rusted Fasteners; McElroy Metal, Are Metal Roofs Noisy When It Rains? (Mar 24, 2026); Direct Metal Roofing, Metal Roofing; Gravity Roofing, Metal Roofing in Central Florida; Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), Chapter 9; EPA, Using Cool Roofs to Reduce Heat Islands; HomeGuide, How Much Does a Metal Roof Cost? (Nov 21, 2025); Angi, How Much Does a Metal Roof Cost? (updated Sep 25, 2026); JA Edwards of America, Metal Roofing Orlando; Mid Florida Exteriors, Metal Roofing; T Mark Metal Roofing, Roof Systems. Checked Nov 8, 2026.
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