Locke & Ladder / Metal roofing
The look. The material. The work behind it.
Explore the details that shape a metal roof, and see what they mean for its price.
01 / Start wherever you are
A material is only part of the answer. The panel system, finish, proportions and installation all influence the roof you see, and the price you pay.
New to the terminology? Read the illustrated basics.
The video includes historical project prices and Jon’s product preferences. The estimator below has its own dated assumptions. Use the chapter links to jump to a question, or keep reading for the illustrated explanation.
02 / Put a number to the idea
Already have your roof area? Enter it below. Just exploring? Start with one of our five examples.
Choose an example, adjust the roof area, and compare metal options. See the estimate without entering your contact details.
Illustrative prices, dated September 23, 2026. Final rates are pending approval. These totals are modeled examples, not the photographed homeowners’ bills. The comparisons change several specifications; they do not isolate the premium for gauge or finish alone.
Loading the estimator. Talk with us about your roof.
Roof surface area includes the sloping roof planes. It is different from home floor area. These example sizes are approximate. If you do not know yours, explore an example without treating it as your roof measurement.
LOCKE & LADDER
ROOFING ESTIMATE
Materials + installation
ESTIMATED TOTAL
COMPARE / SAME ROOF SIZE
Changing the estimate keeps the original project photo.
Roofing materials and installation on a simple roof: removal of one asphalt layer, high-temperature underlayment, standard trim, installation and cleanup. The model assumes sound decking. No discounts or financing charges are applied.
These are illustrative roof prices, not what the photographed homeowners paid and not prices for the entire house, porch or pool house. Your written quote establishes the price for your home.
More valleys, dormers and roof-to-wall transitions add fabrication and labor. Extra tear-off layers, damaged decking, difficult access, specialty trim and snow retention can add cost.
We price those items separately for your home.
The 26-gauge standing-seam and exposed-fastener prices use our existing sample models. The unpainted option adjusts the standing-seam model using the pavilion's March 2026 supplier invoices, with panel coverage and trim accounted for.
The SMP option uses published WeatherXL panel pricing, checked September 23, 2026. Its 14-inch clip panel differs from the reference MP150 system. Installation, trim and delivery allowances stay fixed for this sample comparison.
Kynar/PVDF uses the separate Terra Cotta model based on a December 19, 2025 supplier quote that expired January 18, 2026. These are sample installed prices, not current supplier offers. The 26-gauge reference does not identify its coating chemistry.
The receipt shows when the pricing models were last updated. We can update these examples as material and installation prices change. For a current price on your home, request a quote.
03 / A useful distinction
Both can be made of steel. The visible seams and the way the panels attach are different. A price comparison should identify which system it describes.
Standing seam
The vertical seams give the roof its rhythm and shadow lines. Clips or concealed fastening flanges secure the panels, depending on the system. Trim and transitions still need their own attachment details.
Exposed fasteners
Common on agricultural buildings, these panels use exposed screws and sealing washers. Their detailing and maintenance needs differ from standing seam. The barn in our estimator is labeled separately for that reason.
Attachment illustrations are conceptual, not installation drawings. Profiles, fastening locations and tested assemblies vary by manufacturer.
04 / Where the price changes
Two metal roofs can look similar from the street and differ in material, finish and the work needed to install them.
01 / THE METAL
Gauge describes thickness. The profile, supports and attachments determine how that panel works as a roof.
Conceptual illustration. Layers are separated for explanation.
01 / GAUGE & PANEL PROFILE
For steel, 24 gauge is generally thicker than 26 gauge. Thickness can affect price, handling and visible panel waviness. It does not, by itself, tell you how the roof will perform in wind, snow or hail.
The panel profile, its supports, attachments and tested assembly also matter. Nominal gauge is a starting point; the specified decimal thickness is more precise.
02 / COATING, COLOR & WIDTH
SMP and PVDF describe different coating families. A product’s resistance to fading, chalking and scratching, and the warranty covering those changes, deserve separate attention.
Standard colors, specialty finishes and panel widths can carry different prices. A narrower panel changes the rhythm of the roof and requires more panels and seams across the same area.
03 / WHAT SITS UNDERNEATH
The metal sheds water. Underlayment adds a layer beneath it. The deck supports the assembly. Insulation, air sealing and the ventilation design influence how heat and moisture behave.
Some assemblies use additional separation or ventilation products. Their usefulness depends on the roof and the specified system. An upgrade should have an identifiable purpose, not just a premium label.
04 / GEOMETRY, TRIM & CRAFT
A simple gable and a roof with dormers, valleys and multiple intersections can have the same area. They do not require the same cutting, flashing, fabrication or installation time.
Steepness, access, tear-off, trim profiles and snow-retention requirements can also change the work. These are reasons an area-based model can differ from a written proposal.
| Question | SMP | PVDF |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Silicone-modified polyester coating. | Polyvinylidene fluoride resin coating. Kynar is a resin brand associated with this family. |
| What matters? | The specific product’s chalk, fade, hardness and flexibility performance. | The same product-specific factors, including how the finish is formulated and applied. |
| What does Jon prefer? | He discusses SMP as an option and asks buyers to examine chalking coverage. | He describes a preference for PVDF finishes for chalk resistance. That preference is not a universal warranty claim. |
| What should I request? | The coating name, color sample, and actual written warranty. Compare color change, chalking and film integrity separately. | |
Technical comparison: Sherwin-Williams metal coating guide ↗. Use the warranty for the product being proposed.
05 / Our work, in context
Metal can define the house or give one part of it a distinct character. These are completed Locke & Ladder installations.
06 / The questions worth asking
A useful comparison includes the compromises. Appearance, maintenance and installation requirements deserve as much attention as the finished photographs.
Oil canning is visible waviness in the flat areas of a panel. Lighting and viewing angle can make it more noticeable. Panel choices and installation can reduce its appearance, but no general promise eliminates it.
Ask to see the proposed panel profile on a finished roof in daylight. Discuss flat pans, striations, width, thickness and the manufacturer’s appearance guidance.
Finish coverage can distinguish fading, chalking and film integrity. The panel, coating and installation can have different warranties and exclusions. A large year count does not explain all of them.
Request the written coverage for the specified panel and finish. Identify who provides each warranty and what the document says about appearance, installation and maintenance.
Recover systems exist, but that does not make every roof a candidate. The existing assembly, deck, attachment, moisture design, manufacturer instructions and local requirements all matter.
Ask which tested or specified recover system is proposed and why it fits the building. A purpose-designed example is McElroy’s 138T shingle-recover system; its details are not permission to improvise another assembly.
Exposed fasteners, sealants, flashings and roof penetrations each have maintenance considerations. Standing seam conceals panel attachments; it does not turn a roof into a maintenance-free or leak-proof object.
Ask for the manufacturer’s maintenance guidance and the installation details at walls, chimneys, valleys and penetrations. Those are part of the roof you are buying.
07 / Price, over time
Steel prices affect the material supply chain. Coatings, fabrication, trim, delivery and installation also contribute to a finished roof’s price.
This chart follows prices received by U.S. steel mills. It provides industry context. It does not measure Locke & Ladder’s prices or predict what your roof will cost.
The estimator retains its own September 23, 2026 model date. Updating this chart does not update those assumptions.
U.S. steel mill product prices
October 2025 to September 2026 · Index, 1982 = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, via FRED · WPU1017 ↗
Monthly, not seasonally adjusted. Updated October 15, 2026; retrieved October 26, 2026. Figures may be revised.
Steel input prices. Not installed roof prices.
| Month | Price index |
|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 300.665 |
| Nov 2025 | 291.556 |
| Dec 2025 | 312.410 |
| Jan 2026 | 315.369 |
| Feb 2026 | 325.105 |
| Mar 2026 | 331.357 |
| Apr 2026 | 341.570 |
| May 2026 | 349.997 |
| Jun 2026 | 359.958 |
| Jul 2026 | 374.462 |
| Aug 2026 | 380.348 |
| Sep 2026 | 388.580 |
08 / Bring it all together
Material, panel profile and how it attaches to the roof.
Width, color, finish, trim and how metal meets the other materials.
Roof layers, moisture control, intersections and the craft behind the details.
The measured area, what is included, and the date and assumptions behind the number.
A few more questions
No. Its initial cost, appearance and installation requirements may not suit the project. A small accent roof and a whole-house replacement also involve different decisions. Compare metal with the materials you actually like, using the proposed assembly, price and maintenance expectations rather than a universal ranking.
No. Our documented work includes metal porches and pool houses alongside other roofing materials. The Zionsville project combines Brava composite cedar with standing-seam metal. The Meridian Hills project uses Terra Cotta metal on the porch and a small rear section.
The complete assembly matters. A bare panel over an open structure is different from metal installed over a deck with underlayment, insulation and an interior ceiling. Ask about the actual assembly and its sound-control details rather than assuming all metal roofs sound the same.
There is no single defensible lifespan for every metal roof. Material, finish, exposure, installation and maintenance differ. Warranty length is also different from service life. Ask for the manufacturer’s documentation for the particular system and the maintenance it requires.
Use roof surface area. Floor area does not account for roof slope, multiple stories, overhangs or separate roof sections. If you do not know the measured area, use the five examples to explore price differences without treating the result as a measurement of your home.
No. Jon discusses copper and zinc in the video, but this estimator models the listed steel options. The materials have different costs and fabrication requirements. Request a project-specific proposal for a specialty metal rather than applying a steel rate to it.
Page prepared October 26, 2026. Jon Strand’s video provides the company’s perspective. Technical explanations draw on the sources below. Project photographs link to their records. The estimator is a dated illustrative model, not a current quote or a history of what the pictured clients paid.
Manufacturer references explain particular products or systems. Their inclusion is not a claim that those products were installed on every photographed project.
