Metal is the roof more Plant City homeowners are asking us about than any other, and after Helene and Milton in 2024 the reason is obvious: it handles wind, it shrugs off the sun, and it lasts far longer in Florida than a shingle roof. Carapezza Construction & Roofing installs standing seam and exposed-fastener metal roofs on homes, barns, and outbuildings across Plant City, Lakeland, and eastern Hillsborough County from our shop at 1605 N Wheeler St. This page walks through the panel types, the metal-over-shingle question, what metal does and does not do, and how to think about insurance.
If you are still deciding between materials, our roof replacement page compares all the options. If you already know you want metal, read on.
Standing Seam vs. Exposed-Fastener Panels
There are two families of residential metal roofing, and the difference is how the panels attach.
Exposed-fastener panels (often sold as 5V crimp, R-panel, or ag panel) are screwed straight through the metal into the deck or purlins, with a rubber washer under each screw head. This is the traditional Florida metal roof; you see 5V on old farmhouses and packing sheds all over the county. It is the least expensive metal option and it goes on fast. The weakness is the fasteners. Every screw is a hole in the roof, the washers age in the sun, and the panels expand and contract around a fixed screw, so an exposed-fastener roof needs its screws checked and eventually replaced over its life.
Standing seam panels attach with concealed clips, and the panel edges lock together in a raised seam that sits above the water line. There are no screws through the surface of the roof, the panels can move with temperature changes, and the seams handle wind uplift well. It costs more than exposed-fastener and takes longer to install, but it is the roof we recommend when the budget allows, especially on a home you plan to keep.
Both come in a range of colors with baked-on finishes, and both are available in gauges and profiles that carry Florida product approvals for our wind zone.
Metal Over Shingles or Full Tear-Off?
You will hear that metal can go straight over an existing shingle roof, and sometimes it can. Here is how we decide.
A recover (metal over shingles) is possible when there is only one layer of shingles, the decking is sound, and the existing roof is lying flat. It saves the tear-off and disposal and gets the new roof on faster, and it is the metal version of the layover our re-roofing page describes. The downsides: we cannot inspect the deck we are not looking at, any soft spots or rot stay in the roof, and the old shingles keep holding heat under the new metal.
A tear-off removes everything to the deck, lets us replace any bad decking and re-nail the rest to the current schedule, and puts the underlayment directly on solid wood. This is what we recommend on any roof with a history of leaks, any roof with two layers, and any older Plant City home where we suspect the decking has seen water.
We will tell you which one your roof qualifies for after we look at it, and the answer is often "tear-off" on homes that have been through a couple of hurricane seasons with a leak or two along the way.
What Metal Does Well in Plant City
- Heat. Bare or light-colored metal reflects a large share of the sun's heat instead of absorbing it the way dark asphalt does, and most modern finishes are formulated to reflect more. A metal roof over a properly ventilated attic makes a real difference to how hard your air conditioning works from May through October.
- Wind. A correctly installed standing seam roof is one of the best wind performers available for a residential roof, and even exposed-fastener panels installed to the Florida fastening schedule hold up well. Hillsborough County is in Wind Zone 3 under the Florida Building Code 8th Edition (2023), and the panel, clip, and fastener spacing are chosen to meet that.
- Lifespan. Metal does not have oils for the sun to bake out. A metal roof installed properly in Plant City will outlast a shingle roof by decades.
- Fire and pests. Metal does not burn, and it gives squirrels and rats nothing to chew.
Noise, Hail, and Other Myths
"Metal roofs are loud in the rain." On a barn with no insulation, yes. On a house with a plywood deck, underlayment, and an insulated attic between the metal and your ceiling, the sound in a Plant City afternoon storm is about the same as a shingle roof. Most homeowners cannot tell the difference from inside.
"Hail will wreck it." Plant City hail in the summer thunderstorm cycle can dent an exposed panel, and a dent is cosmetic on most profiles. The same hail that dents metal knocks the granules off a shingle roof and shortens its life. Metal comes out ahead.
"Metal attracts lightning." It does not. Lightning goes to the tallest object around regardless of what it is made of, and a metal roof, being non-combustible, is safer than shingles if a strike does happen.
"It will rust." Modern residential panels are galvanized or galvalume-coated steel, or aluminum, with a factory finish. Rust shows up when panels are cut on site without the edges being sealed, or when the wrong fasteners are used. That is an installation issue, and it is one of the things a good crew takes care of.
Insurance and a Metal Roof
Florida's wind and hurricane insurance market pays attention to the roof. Impact-resistant materials and a roof installed to the current Florida Building Code affect both whether a carrier will write the policy and what it charges. A new metal roof with a closed permit is usually a plus on a wind mitigation inspection, which many insurers use when setting premiums; our article on Florida roof inspections and wind mitigation explains how that inspection works.
Two cautions. Every carrier treats roofs differently, so ask your agent what credits your policy actually gives before deciding based on insurance alone. And if your metal roof is replacing a storm-damaged roof through a claim, we document the damage and provide the estimate your adjuster needs, but we cannot handle or negotiate the claim for you. Florida does not allow contractors to act as public adjusters. Our storm damage page covers that process.
Is the up-front cost worth it? We wrote up the trade-offs in are metal roofs worth it in Florida.
How We Install a Metal Roof
- Inspection and proposal. We measure the roof, check the deck and attic, and confirm whether a recover is an option. You get a written proposal that names the panel profile, gauge, finish, underlayment, and flashing.
- Permit. We pull the Hillsborough County (or Polk or Pasco) permit with the product approvals for the panel and fastening system.
- Tear-off or prep. Full tear-off and deck repair, or, on a recover, cleanup and preparation of the existing surface.
- Underlayment. A high-temperature synthetic or self-adhered underlayment rated for use under metal, which runs hotter than shingles. Using the wrong underlayment under metal is a common mistake.
- Panels, trim, and flashing. Panels laid to the manufacturer's Florida clip and fastener spacing, with new drip edge, eave and rake trim, ridge cap, and flashing at every wall, chimney, and pipe. Cut edges are sealed.
- Ventilation. Metal roofs can take a vented ridge like any other roof, and a hot attic still shortens the life of everything under it. See roof ventilation and ridge vent installation.
- Inspection and cleanup. County inspections passed, metal offcuts and packaging hauled off, magnet sweep for fasteners.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the biggest problem with metal roofs?
Installation. A metal roof done right lasts decades; a metal roof with the wrong underlayment, unsealed cut edges, mismatched fasteners, or panels that cannot move with the heat will leak or corrode early. The second most common problem is exposed-fastener washers aging out, which is why we steer long-term owners toward standing seam.
How much does a metal roof cost in Plant City?
It depends on the panel type (standing seam costs more than exposed-fastener), the gauge and finish, the roof's size and complexity, and whether it is a recover or a tear-off. We do not publish prices because the spread is wide. We give an itemized written proposal after seeing the roof so you can compare it with any other quote line by line.
Can I put a metal roof over my shingles?
Sometimes. It needs a single existing layer, sound decking, and a flat surface, and it means we are not inspecting the deck underneath. We recommend a tear-off on any roof with leak history or two layers. We tell you which your roof qualifies for after the inspection.
Is a metal roof loud when it rains?
Not on a house. With decking, underlayment, and an insulated attic between the panels and your ceiling, rain on a metal roof sounds about like rain on a shingle roof.
Will a metal roof lower my insurance?
It can, through a wind mitigation inspection, but every carrier is different. Ask your agent what credits your policy gives for roof covering and attachment before assuming a discount.
How long does a metal roof last in Florida?
Far longer than shingles. The exact lifespan depends on the panel material, finish, and installation quality, but a properly installed metal roof in Plant City is a roof most homeowners will not replace again.
Talk to Us About a Metal Roof
We will come out, look at your roof and attic, tell you whether a recover is on the table, and give you a written proposal for the panel and system that fits your house and your budget. Call Carapezza Construction & Roofing at (813) 707-0235 or fill in our contact form for metal roof installation in Plant City, Lakeland, Brandon, Valrico, Zephyrhills, and the surrounding area.