Shingles cost less upfront. Metal costs more but held up better in a recent Florida hurricane study. Near salt water, the type of metal matters most.

That's the short answer. The longer one depends on how close you live to the water and how long you plan to stay.

Most people comparing the two end up with a pile of brochures and estimates that don't line up. You shouldn't have to become a roofing expert to make this call. This guide covers what changes in Florida and the questions that sort a good quote from a vague one. It comes from the team at Superior Roofing & Restoration, a licensed Florida roofing contractor (CCC1325604) with offices in Tampa and DeLand and a Panhandle office in Miramar Beach.

The short version for a Florida house

  • Shingles make sense when the budget is tight or you may sell in the next few years. They're the cheaper roof to put on.
  • Metal makes sense if you plan to stay a long time and want the roof that fared better in a recent hurricane damage survey.
  • Near salt water, a metal roof is only as good as the metal and the fasteners. Ask about both before you sign.

How long each one lasts in Florida

Lifespan numbers you'll see online usually come from national averages. Florida is harder on a roof than most places.

InterNACHI, the home inspector association, publishes two charts. Its national chart lists 3-tab asphalt shingles at about 20 years, architectural shingles at about 30 and metal at 40 to 80. Its Florida chart is a lot less generous: 10 to 12 years for 3-tab, 15 to 20 for architectural, and 17 to 20 for metal. The Florida chart says items regularly exposed to saltwater, wind, sun and heat are especially prone to failing early. The national chart adds that hot climates drastically reduce asphalt shingle life.

Honestly, that Florida metal number surprised us. It's close to the shingle number, and plenty of people in the trade would argue with it. But it makes a fair point. Metal doesn't automatically outlast everything here. A metal roof near the coast with the wrong panel or the wrong screws can fail long before one built for that exposure. InterNACHI also says plainly that its figures are guidelines only.

So treat any lifespan number as a starting point. The install and how much salt and sun the roof sees decide the rest.

Which one handles hurricane wind better?

The most useful recent evidence comes from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), which surveyed thousands of homes in southwest Florida after Hurricane Ian in 2022. About half of the shingle roofs it looked at had some damage. Roofs 10 years or older were especially vulnerable. Metal roofs came in with damage rates around 12 percent, and most of that came from nearby structures failing, not the roof itself. IBHS also found metal systems held up well in winds below 130 mph.

So an old shingle roof is a weak spot. A newer one with a high wind rating, installed right, is a different story.

What the shingle wind ratings mean

Shingles are tested for wind in a lab and given a class. According to NRCA, the national roofing contractors' association, there are two tests. ASTM D3161 rates shingles Class A, D or F, with Class F tested at 110 mph. ASTM D7158 rates them Class D, G or H, with Class H the top of that scale. The two tests measure different things and use different wind-speed bases, so the numbers aren't directly comparable. The useful part for you is simple: ask which class the shingle on your quote carries.

Metal panels and Florida Product Approval

Florida law requires roofing products to be approved before they're used here. Under section 553.842 of the Florida Statutes, the Florida Building Commission can approve products for statewide use. Permit offices can ask for the approval number. The City of Winter Park's product approval sheet, for example, lists asphalt shingles and non-structural metal as separate roofing categories, and it puts the burden on the applicant to show the product was installed within its limitations and meets the design pressures the building needs.

In plain terms: whichever material you pick, the product on your quote should have a Florida approval, and it should be approved for the way it's going onto your house. You can look products up on the Florida Building Code Online product approval site.

Metal over old shingles

Some metal roofs go on right over the old shingles. After Hurricane Michael in 2018, engineers from RMS surveyed damage in the Florida Panhandle. They reported that most of the metal roof failures they saw were panels installed on top of old asphalt shingles, sometimes with wood strips in between. In one case a standing seam roof came through intact while the metal roof next door didn't, and the failed panels weren't crimped together the way standing seam panels are.

That's one survey. Still, if a quote is cheap because it skips the tear-off, ask why.

Standing seam or exposed fastener?

There are two broad kinds of residential metal roof. Exposed-fastener panels are screwed straight through the panel into the roof deck. Standing seam panels attach with concealed clips and fasteners, so the hardware stays hidden. Western States Metal Roofing, a panel maker, notes that metal expands and contracts as temperatures swing, and that the screws on an exposed-fastener roof need to be checked and possibly tightened during inspections. In Florida's daily heat cycle, that's worth thinking about.

Salt air: the question a lot of quotes skip

If you live near the bay or a saltwater canal, this section matters more than anything else here.

The Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (FRSA) reprinted an industry roundup on metal roofing by the sea. The advice from the manufacturers in it is pretty direct. On the coast, aluminum panels are typically the go-to. Galvanized steel should be avoided because it can corrode fast in a coastal environment. Galvalume, a coated steel, resists corrosion better than galvanized. The article also cites FEMA guidance for stainless steel fasteners on roofing within 3,000 feet of salt water, with one supplier specifying 300 series stainless for both exposed and concealed fasteners. Another recommends stainless clips with concealed stainless fasteners on standing seam.

Then there's the warranty paperwork. Englert's sample U.S. roof warranty offers no warranty at all on prepainted or mill finish Galvalume installed within half a mile of the seacoast, salt water or brackish water. Its prepainted aluminum is still covered inside that half mile, but the owner has to rinse the roof with fresh tap water once a year and keep records. Failing to produce those records voids the warranty.

Other manufacturers may draw the line somewhere else. Read the distance language on the warranty for the exact product before you sign, and measure your house against it. Close to salt water, a cheaper steel panel can come with no manufacturer coverage at all.

Heat and your cooling bill

Color matters more than people expect. In a study published in 2000, the Florida Solar Energy Center instrumented side-by-side homes in Fort Myers with identical floor plans and different roofs. The home with standard dark shingles was the baseline. A white metal roof cut cooling energy by about 23 percent. White shingles saved about 4 percent. In the dark-shingle house, the attic hit 40 degrees Fahrenheit above the outside air temperature at the peak summer hour. With the most reflective roofs, it stayed no warmer than outside.

It's an older study on small homes, so don't expect the same number on yours. But a light, reflective metal roof can keep a Florida attic a lot cooler than a dark shingle roof.

Is a metal roof noisy in the rain?

Not on a house built the normal way. The loud metal roof everybody remembers is on a barn, where the panels sit on open framing. McElroy Metal, a metal roofing manufacturer, puts it bluntly: a metal roof over a complete roof assembly isn't meaningfully noisier than asphalt shingles. The deck and underlayment help, but the attic insulation does most of the quieting. Its article cites measurements of about 61 dBA for metal over open framing in rain against 52 dBA over a complete assembly.

Do metal roofs affect Wi-Fi?

The Metal Roofing Alliance, an industry group, says any interference from a metal roof is negligible. Wi-Fi depends mostly on where your router sits and how old it is, and cell service mostly depends on your carrier's towers and bands. If your signal's bad now, the roof probably isn't why.

What about cost?

We don't publish prices in these posts, because every roof is different. Relative cost is easy to state, though. This Old House says metal roofing can cost twice as much as asphalt shingles, or more.

Whether that's worth it comes down to how long you'll own the house. If you're staying for decades near the water, a correctly specified metal roof can be the better buy. If you might sell in five years, a good shingle roof installed to code is often the smarter use of the money. Financing options are available for qualifying homeowners. Terms depend on the lender and your approval.

"I don't have time to deal with all of this"

Fair. Ask every roofer these same questions and compare the answers.

  • What's the Florida Product Approval number for the product you're quoting?
  • For shingles, which wind class does it carry?
  • For metal, is it aluminum or steel, and what are the screws and clips made of?
  • Is the old roof coming off, or going under?
  • How far is my house from salt or brackish water, and what does the manufacturer's warranty say about that distance?
  • Who pulls the permit?

If a roofer can't answer those without hedging, that tells you something too.

FAQ

Is metal or shingle better for hurricanes in Florida?

In IBHS's survey after Hurricane Ian, metal roofs had much lower damage rates than shingle roofs. Roofs 10 years or older were especially vulnerable. A newer shingle roof with a high wind class, installed right, is still a solid roof.

How long does a metal roof last in Florida?

InterNACHI's Florida chart lists metal at 17 to 20 years, against 40 to 80 on its national chart. The Florida chart points to salt water, wind, sun and heat. Getting the metal and fasteners right for your distance from the water makes a big difference.

Do metal roofs rust near the beach?

Some do. Galvanized steel can corrode fast on the coast, which is why aluminum panels and stainless fasteners are the usual coastal picks. Check the warranty's distance limits for the exact product.

Can a metal roof go over my old shingles?

It's sometimes done. After Hurricane Michael, engineers found most of the failed metal roofs they surveyed were panels installed over old shingles. Ask for a tear-off price and ask your building department what's allowed.

Book a roof inspection

If you're weighing metal against shingles, it helps to start from what's actually on your roof now. An inspection visit takes about 90 minutes: we walk the roof, take photos of what we find, show you a sample board, take measurements, and give you a firm written number. If your roof just needs a repair, we'll tell you. Pedro and Dylan cover Tampa. See our Tampa page, or the Emerald Coast page for the Panhandle, read about roof replacement, or book a roof inspection. You can also call 844-TARP-247 (Panhandle 850-987-0656). Florida roofing license CCC1325604.

Sources