Metlok vs Standing Seam Metal Roofs

Metlok vs standing seam side by side

What Metlok is

Metlok, one of our sponsors, makes flat panels of 26-gauge Galvalume steel pressed into the shape of slate or shingles and laid in offset courses. Metlok says the steel is AZ50 Galvalume and that every panel locks to its neighbors on all four sides.

It goes on over synthetic underlayment on a plywood deck, with the fastening hidden at each panel's top edge. Metlok makes the panels in its own Florida factory and installs them with its own crews, and says it never subcontracts.

More on the product, colors and the November offer is on our Metlok roofing page.

What a standing seam roof is

Standing seam uses long metal panels joined at raised seams, with the fasteners hidden under the panels. HomeGuide says that concealed fastening makes it more watertight and lower-upkeep than exposed-fastener roofing.

Angi calls 24-gauge the most common standing seam panel. On our list, Mid Florida Exteriors sells 24- and 26-gauge standing seam, and TC Metal and T Mark install snap-lock panels.

Some roofers make the panels themselves. T Mark roll-forms standing seam on the job site with its own panel machine, and HD Roofing makes its panels in-house.

Look, and which house each fits

For most buyers, Metlok vs standing seam gets settled by the look. Standing seam reads as metal from the street, with clean vertical lines. In our view it suits modern and farmhouse-style houses best.

Metlok reads as a slate or shingle roof, so it fits houses and streets where a metal look would stand out. If your HOA has to approve the roof, bring the profile and color names; Metlok's offer terms note that HOA approval comes before installation.

How each one fastens and locks

Both systems hide their fasteners. That is a big reason both cost more than exposed-fastener 5V, which Angi prices 30% to 50% lower than hidden-fastener roofing.

Standing seam fastens under the panels and joins at the raised seam. Metlok locks each panel to the next on all four sides and fastens at the top edge, under the course above. Metlok describes its four-way interlock as patented.

One line on Metlok's products page describes the Slate profile as a "snap-lock standing seam design." Metlok's Orlando offer page calls Slate pressed steel, and its FAQ treats Metlok as a different system from standing seam.

Profiles, colors and gauges

Metlok lists four profiles: Slate and Shingle now, Shake and Barrel coming soon. On Nov 8, 2026, its site listed Slate and Shingle as Ready Now and Shake and Barrel as Coming Soon.

Metlok's seven colors are Black Summit, Carbon Gray, Coastal Drift, Heritage Brown, Linen Stone, Tuscan Clay and Weathered Ridge.

Standing seam color and gauge depend on the panel supplier your roofer buys from. J&M Roofing, for example, lists 8 metal profiles in more than 40 colors.

Warranty: Metlok's wording vs standing seam

Metlok's warranty page calls its coverage a "50-year limited lifetime warranty" covering labor and materials from the date of installation. Its other pages describe it as a lifetime product and workmanship warranty, transferable subject to Metlok's transfer requirements.

Standing seam usually comes with two warranties: one from the panel or paint maker, and one from the installer for workmanship. Gravity Roofing gives 10 years of workmanship on its 24-gauge standing seam, and Thomas installs Tri County Metals panels with 25- to 40-year finish warranties.

Whichever you pick, get the full warranty document before you sign. Metlok says its warranty page is a summary of the official Metlok Limited Warranty.

Who installs each on our list

Only Metlok installs Metlok. A Metlok Design Specialist quotes it at a free in-home consultation; call (321) 220-9935 or start at metlokroofing.com.

Standing seam has plenty of installers. Universal Roof & Contracting, one of our sponsors, installs it in Orlando.

The rest of our list installs it too: Mid Florida Exteriors, TC Metal, Roof Bear, Gravity, T Mark, Thomas, JA Edwards and HD Roofing. So do Gold Key, J&M, Fiddler's, HomeShield, Panther, GMR and Direct Metal. Compare them on our list of Orlando metal roofers.

Metlok vs standing seam: which to choose

Pick standing seam if you want the roof to look like metal or want several installers bidding. It also lets you pick your own gauge and panel brand. More detail is on our standing seam in Orlando page.

Pick Metlok if you want a slate or shingle look in steel and one company answering for both the product and the install. Its November offer takes $3,500 off a new Metlok roof signed by November 30, 2026.

Standing seam prices by source are on our Orlando metal roof cost page. Metlok quotes are by appointment only.

Sources: Metlok, Products and FAQ; Metlok, 50-Year Limited Lifetime Warranty; Metlok, home page; Metlok, Orlando November offer; HomeGuide, How much does a metal roof cost? (Nov 21, 2025); Angi, How Much Does a Metal Roof Cost? (updated Sep 25, 2026); Angi, Standing Seam Metal Roof Installation Cost (updated Oct 20, 2026); JA Edwards of America, Metal Roofing Orlando; Gravity Roofing, Metal Roofing in Central Florida; Thomas Roofing & Repair, Metal Roofing; J&M Roofing, Residential Metal Roofing Systems; Mid Florida Exteriors, Metal Roofing; T Mark Roofing, FAQ; HD Roofing and Solar, Metal Roofing; TC Metal Roofing, Snap Lock project; Universal Roof & Contracting, Metal Roof Installation in Orlando; each listed roofer's metal roofing page (checked Nov 8, 2026).