How to Vet a Metal Roofing Contractor: 7 Questions to Ask

Any licensed roofer can order metal panels. That doesn't mean they should install them on your house. A metal roof is a system — panels, clips, underlayment, trims, flashings — and each piece has to be spec'd for your roof, your climate, and the panel profile. Here are the seven questions that quickly tell you whether you're talking to a specialist or a shingle contractor trying something new.

1. What percentage of your work is metal?

You want a number, and you want it high. A crew that installs shingles fifty weeks a year and metal for two is going to learn on your roof.

2. Can I see photos of your trim and flashing details — not just finished panels?

Anyone can post a photo of a shiny finished roof. Ask to see close-ups of ridge caps, valleys, sidewall flashings, and pipe penetrations. That's where the craft lives, and specialists will have those photos ready.

3. What's the clip and fastener schedule for my roof?

A real answer references panel gauge, span, and your wind zone. "Whatever comes with the panel" is not an answer.

4. What underlayment are you specifying, and how much ice-and-water shield?

You want a high-temperature synthetic underlayment across the field and ice-and-water membrane at eaves, valleys, and around every penetration. If the answer is "15-pound felt," walk away.

5. What's your policy on dissimilar metals?

Copper flashing next to steel panels, lead pipe boots, steel screws through aluminum trim — those create galvanic corrosion. A specialist will explain their metal-compatibility rules without being prompted.

6. What's the workmanship warranty, separate from the material warranty?

Panel manufacturers warranty the paint and the substrate. That doesn't help you if the installer botched a valley. Ask for the installer's own workmanship warranty in writing, and how long it runs.

7. Can I have references from metal jobs specifically — not shingle jobs?

A metal-specific reference list is the fastest way to separate a specialist from a generalist who's done one or two.

If a contractor gets impatient with these questions, that's your answer. The people who install metal roofs for a living love talking about this stuff — it's the whole reason they specialized.