Asphalt vs. metal roof: cost per year, not just cost per square

Last reviewed 2026-07-04 · pricing data as of 2026-06 · how we build these numbers

Compared on the day you write the check, asphalt wins easily. Compared over the decades you'll own the house, the answer flips more often than most homeowners expect. The only honest comparison divides installed cost by expected years of service — so let's do that math with real numbers, and then look at the factors the math leaves out.

The upfront gap

Using our seed pricing (as of 2026-06, installed, per 100-square-foot "square"): architectural asphalt shingles run roughly $425–700 per square, while standing-seam metal runs roughly $900–1,600. On a typical 20-square roof with tear-off, that's a total bill in the neighborhood of $12,000–17,000 for asphalt versus $22,000–36,000 for metal. The metal premium is real: commonly 2x and sometimes closer to 3x. If you may sell within five years, that gap is hard to justify — you'll pay for a lifespan the next owner enjoys.

The lifespan gap

Architectural asphalt shingles are typically warranted for 30 years but deliver a practical service life of 18–25 years depending on climate — sun, hail, and freeze-thaw cycles are the enemies. Standing-seam metal routinely serves 40–60 years, with the paint finish (not the panel) usually being the first thing to age. In hot-sun and hail-prone regions, asphalt's real-world lifespan sits at the low end of its range while metal's advantage widens.

The math that decides it

Take a 20-square roof at typical mid-band pricing: asphalt at about $13,700 installed lasting 22 years costs roughly $620 per year of roof. Metal at about $27,400 lasting 50 years costs roughly $550 per year. On pure cost-per-year, metal edges ahead — but notice how sensitive the result is. If your asphalt roof makes 25 years, asphalt wins. If you finance the job and carry interest on the larger metal bill, asphalt wins. If metal saves you one full asphalt replacement cycle (including a second tear-off and disposal), metal wins decisively. There is no universal answer; there is only your climate, your timeline, and your financing.

What the per-year math leaves out

In metal's favor

Insurance: some insurers discount premiums for impact-rated (Class 4) roofing in hail states — worth an actual phone call to your agent, since discounts of 5–20% on the dwelling portion compound over decades.
Energy: reflective metal finishes cut summer cooling loads, meaningfully in the Sun Belt, marginally in the North.
One fewer tear-off: every replacement cycle you skip is also a skipped disposal bill and a skipped week of crews on your lawn.

In asphalt's favor

Repairability: any roofer in your county can patch asphalt cheaply; standing-seam repairs need specialty crews and matching panels.
Installer availability: a mediocre metal install is worse than a good asphalt install, and good metal crews are scarcer and book out further.
Cash flow: $13,000 now versus $27,000 now is not an abstraction if it means borrowing.

A decision rule that holds up

If you expect to stay 15+ years, live in hail or wildfire country, and can pay without expensive financing — metal's total cost of ownership usually wins. If you may move within 5–10 years, or your market's buyers won't pay for a premium roof, architectural asphalt is the rational choice, not the cheap one. Either way, price your specific roof in the calculator with both materials and compare the bands side by side — the gap on your roof, not the national average, is what you're actually deciding about.