Metal roofs are light, and their finish does a lot of the work in the sun. That makes the details around the panel more important than the panel: the deck beneath it, the underlayment, the fasteners and the edges. A change to metal can also trigger a planning step in County jurisdiction.
What kind of metal roof
Standing seam panels hide their fasteners and lock together along raised seams. Exposed-fastener panels are screwed through the face. Stone-coated steel and metal shingles borrow the look of tile or shake. Steel, aluminum, copper and zinc are the base metals, each with its own price and weight.
Which system fits depends on the roof's slope, its shape and what the neighborhood expects to see. We show you samples on the actual roof lines, not as flat swatches.
Finish, heat and fire
A metal finish can be cool rated. Check the product in the CRRC directory for its aged reflectance and emittance, and compare them with the values for your slope. For a steep reroof in zone 4 or zones 8 through 15 those values are 0.20 and 0.75, with SRI 16 as the alternative, when the job replaces over 50 percent (California Energy Commission, 2022).
Metal reaches a Class A fire rating as part of a tested assembly, so the underlayment and deck count along with the panel. We name the assembly in the scope.
What a metal roof installation includes
- Deck inspected and repaired before panels go on
- Underlayment chosen for the metal and the slope
- Panels fastened to the maker's instructions
- Seams, ridge and edge metal formed to fit the roof
- Flashing at walls, vents and chimneys
- CRRC listing and fire assembly named in the scope
Reasons homeowners choose metal
- A lighter covering is needed on the framing
- A cool rated finish for a hot slope
- A fire class that suits the address
- A roof line that tile or shingle does not suit
County planning step when switching to metal
Department of Regional Planning approval comes first when a County-jurisdiction roof changes to metal (Los Angeles County Public Works, 2025). That step comes before the building permit, and it can add time. If your address is in a city, the city's planning rules apply, and we ask early.
A reroof to metal also needs the permit appropriate to the office, which for a City of Los Angeles address is the express permit from LADBS for a Class A or B covering on solid sheathing at under 6 lb per square foot (LADBS, 2026).
Rain noise and cost
Rain sounds different on metal when the deck is thin or the underlayment is missing. Over a solid deck with proper underlayment, the sound is softer. We name both in the scope.
Aluminum resists corrosion better than bare steel, and coated steel depends on the coating. On Angi's 2026 Los Angeles pages, metal costs about $12 per square foot installed, and a metal roof averages $22,169 (Angi, 2026). Those are third-party figures, not a quote.
Metal roof questions
How does a metal roof earn its fire class?
Fire class belongs to the assembly, not the sheet of metal. A metal covering reaches Class A when tested over a stated deck and underlayment. The scope names the tested assembly so the inspector can match it.
Do cool rated metal finishes exist?
Yes. Many metal finishes are listed in the CRRC directory with aged reflectance and emittance. Read the aged values, then compare them with the numbers for your slope and climate zone.
What are the pros and cons of metal roofing?
On the plus side, metal is light, offers cool rated finishes and can be built to Class A assemblies. On the cost side, Angi's 2026 Los Angeles page shows metal at about $12 per square foot against about $8.50 for asphalt. A switch to metal in County jurisdiction needs Regional Planning approval, which is one more step.
Will a metal roof sound loud in the rain?
Over a solid deck and good underlayment the sound is softer. A bare, thin deck makes more noise. Ask which deck and underlayment the scope uses.
Is aluminum the better pick near the coast?
Aluminum resists salt corrosion better than bare steel, which is why it comes up for coastal houses. Coated steel can also perform if the coating is sound. Tell us how close the house is to the water.