Metal Roof vs Shingle in Florida

Metal roof vs shingle in Florida at a glance

The JA Edwards prices are for a one-story Orlando home of 1,600 to 2,200 sq ft. The rest of this page takes each row in turn.

Lifespan of metal and shingle roofs in Florida

The National Association of Home Builders' study of home component life puts asphalt shingle roofs at about 20 years. HomeGuide gives metal 30 to 80+ years and says it lasts two to three times as long as asphalt.

Humidity pulls metal toward the low end of that range. HomeGuide says corrugated metal in humid climates typically lasts 30 to 50 years, with standing seam lasting longer.

Orlando is humid and wet. Orlando International Airport averages 51.45 inches of rain a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals), and more than half of it falls from June through September.

Cost of a metal roof vs shingles in Orlando

On install-day price, metal roof vs shingle in Florida isn't close. JA Edwards' 2026 Orlando cost guide prices architectural shingles at $9,000 to $14,000 and standing seam at $18,000 to $30,000. Its metal page puts metal shingle and stone-coated steel at $12,000 to $22,000, which narrows the gap.

Metal's case rests on cost per year of service. A $14,000 shingle roof that lasts NAHB's 20 years costs $700 a year. A $30,000 standing seam roof matches that at about 43 years and costs less per year after that.

At the low end, a $9,000 shingle roof works out to $450 a year, and an $18,000 standing seam roof matches it at 40 years. So metal only wins on cost per year if it lasts 40 years or more. Prices by system are on our Orlando metal roof cost page.

Wind and hurricane damage: metal vs shingles

After Hurricane Ian in 2022, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) surveyed roofs on 3,646 single-family homes in southwest Florida. About half of the shingle roofs had problems, and shingle roofs 10 or more years old were the most vulnerable.

Metal roofs had damage around 12% of the time. IBHS traced most of those cases to failures of nearby structures, not the metal roof itself.

Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 every year (NOAA National Hurricane Center). For many Orlando owners, storms settle the metal roof vs shingle in Florida question.

Heat and cooling

Orlando International Airport averages a 92°F high in July (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). The EPA says a cool roof can cut peak cooling demand 11% to 27% in air-conditioned homes.

Both materials come in cool versions. The EPA lists metal shingles or tiles with reflective paint, and asphalt shingles with light or cool-colored granules, as cool-roof options for sloped roofs.

The EPA calls solar reflectance the most important property, so ask for that number on the exact color you pick. Compare a light metal finish with a light shingle, not with a dark one.

Lightning and rain noise

Florida led every state in lightning density in 2025, at 305 events per square mile, according to Vaisala Xweather. The National Weather Service says metal makes no difference to where lightning strikes, so a metal roof does not raise the odds of a hit.

Rain noise is the other worry people bring up. HomeGuide says metal roofs are not noisy when they are installed and insulated correctly. Universal Roof & Contracting, one of our sponsors, credits the solid deck, underlayment and attic insulation under a house roof. Bare metal over open rafters is the loud kind.

Resale value of a metal vs shingle roof

The 2025 Cost vs. Value report puts a metal roof replacement in the South Atlantic region, which includes Florida, at $50,181, with $28,374 recouped at sale. That is 56.5% of the cost.

An asphalt shingle replacement in the same region costs $32,253 and recoups $22,535, or 69.9%. So metal adds more dollars at resale but returns a smaller share of what you spent.

If you expect to sell within a few years, shingles are the cheaper way to hand a buyer a new roof. Metal makes more sense the longer you stay.

Insurance and the wind mitigation form

Florida insurers record a home's wind features on the state's Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, OIR-B1-1802. Roof covering is one of the items it checks, and a revised version took effect April 1, 2026, per Citizens Property Insurance.

How your insurer treats any roof covering depends on your policy and carrier. That question belongs with your insurance agent, not your roofer.

Choosing metal over shingles

Metal roof vs shingle in Florida comes down to how long you'll stay. If you plan to stay long enough for metal's lifespan to count, it is the better buy. If you like the shingle look, you don't have to give it up: metal shingles are steel pressed into shingle and slate shapes.

Metlok, one of our sponsors, makes and installs pressed steel shingles in Slate and Shingle profiles. For standing seam or stone-coated steel, compare installers on our list of Orlando metal roofers.

Weighing tile too? See how a metal roof compares with tile in Florida on weight, storms and cost.

Sources: JA Edwards of America, Roof Replacement Cost in Orlando, FL (2026); JA Edwards of America, Metal Roofing Orlando; HomeGuide, How much does a metal roof cost? (Nov 21, 2025); NAHB/Bank of America, Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components (Feb 2007); IBHS, Building Performance in SW Florida During Hurricane Ian, Part 1: Roof Cover Assessment (2023); NOAA, 1991–2020 Climate Normals, Orlando International Airport; NOAA National Hurricane Center; EPA, Using Cool Roofs to Reduce Heat Islands; Vaisala Xweather, Annual Lightning Report 2025; National Weather Service, Lightning Myths; Cost vs. Value 2025, South Atlantic region; Citizens Property Insurance, Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form Changes (Mar 19, 2026); Metlok, Products; Universal Roof & Contracting, Metal Roof Installation in Orlando.