Further Reading

A recent trend of home DIY installations have seen a lot of people trying to install their own metal roofing rather than pay the prohibitively high cost for a metal roofing contractor. Basically, these home improvement enthusiasts are looking to save on both ends: the reason they want the roofs they're building is because of their energy efficiency and long-term durability.

Now, sure, the mindset is one a lot of people can identify with right now - the economy's as low as can be and many people have found themselves the victims of retrenchments or big wage cuts. And there are a number of companies that make metal roofing shingles for just this purpose - for the amateur, DIY metal roofing contractor. These panels, as they're advertised, clip together easily, either by hand or with a minimal number of tools. The problem that you're likely to run into when trying to use such products is that they're uniform, designed for a uniform roof-shape.

And uniform is not how you'd describe the roofs of most residential buildings. With only an inadequate mix of personal DIY tools not even resembling the specialized efficacy of a metal roofing contractor's arsenal, you're going to leave weak spots around irregularities like chimneys, skylights, sidewalls, gables, dormers and unusual angles. Any of these weak spots could be what lets the intrusion of rain, frost and snow into your home, with the long term damage that accompanies them. And so, instead of coming into possession of the roof that could have outlasted your earthly existence, you'll find yourself in the unfortunate position of needing to either stage another attempt, or swallowing your pride and calling on the services of, you guessed it, a trained, professional metal roofing contractor.

Unless you live in an A-frame or some kind of featureless box of a home, getting a metal roofing contractor in on the action is often the best thing to do. Since installing a metal roof is relatively easy (the panels are so lightweight and require so little work to fit together) your contractor is probably not going to need as much time as he would take on an ordinary, clay and fiberglass job, and thus, since most contractors charge by the day, will most likely charge you much less.

If not, you should get at least three metal roofing contractors to quote you for the job. Alternatively, call on your friends and family - you'd be surprised how well the concept of 'six degrees of separation' applies when it comes to finding anyone in the building, carpentry or plumbing industries. It's the way the average contractor gets the majority of his work, work he'll tend to want to do as well as possible if you're referred by a family member, as he'll know he's leaving an impression not just on one person, but on an entire network of potential customers.

If your contractor does try to charge you the same rate, you should probably seek quotes from numerous metal roofing contractors, or better yet, ask around amongst your friends and family for referrals. This is how most contractors get business, and knowing that you're tied to a network of past and potentially future clients will make that contractor much more eager to please with quick service delivery.

Read more advice about Installing a Metal Roof and Metal Roofing Contractors at DurableMetalRoofs.com.