Shifting from asphalt to metal – A worthwhile investment

By Anna Lockhart.  

For homeowners in areas with more temperamental climates and those looking for a sustainable option, metal panels have become more appealing. Now is the time to make the shift to offering metal roofing!

In the first-ever Metal Coffee Conversations, host Heidi J. Ellsworth sat down with guests Todd Miller, Mitch Heitsch, James Develder and Travis Sliger, all members of the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA). This panel of industry experts discussed the emerging trend of asphalt contractors adding metal panels into their offering lineups. Todd Miller, president of Isaiah Industries, Mitch Heitsch, regional sales manager at Westlake Royal Roofing Solutions, James Develder, central territory manager at Vicwest and Travis Sliger, owner of 4Ever Metal Roofing, impart their wisdom on the advantages of offering metal roofing and how asphalt contractors can achieve success with this new venture.  

Todd, who currently serves as chair of MCA, provided context into the recent boom in metal roofing interest among homeowners and what recent events incited such interest. “Hurricane Ian kind of became a tipping point where so many roofs had to be redone, and a good share of those people have gone with metal. So, that just makes more people see metal and think about metal,” he shared. “And, again, another tragedy, but here we are now with the wildfires in Southern California, and I think we're going to see something similar out there as well as people start to rebuild thinking about steel and aluminum and copper for their roofs and walls as ways to help fire-safe their homes.”

With extreme weather conditions driving consumer interest in adding metal materials to their homes, now is a great time for contractors to consider the investment of adding such materials to their offering lineups. Mitch added, “Contractors have to be the one driving this narrative to protect people and to give them that best option for their home because you're seeing these major weather events that have hit. Yes, there's a side of it that the homeowners are looking at it saying, ‘I need to be better protected,’ but I think that really the roofing industry is being driven primarily by the insurance and contractor messaging.”  

For the average homeowner, roof installations and fixes are not a major part of their day-to-day concerns, making the topic one not often considered in conversations. Which is why Mitch emphasized, “Without the homeowners thinking about what it is that they need, we as an industry, both from the manufacturing and the contracting side, have to be driving this narrative to the homeowners on education and awareness on what products are out there for them.”

For the average homeowner outside of areas with volatile weather, metal is still being considered as a legitimate option. James, who serves the Northern U.S. and Canada, shared, “[Homeowners] don't want to have to reroof the house two, three times, so they're looking for something that they could be one and done with, and a metal roof is perfect for that... It's something different, something cool. And it not only looks good, but it also performs well and it's going to last you forever.”

With the aesthetic and durability appeal of metal, it’s easy to see how asphalt can quickly become the lesser of the two among those weighing their options on a worthwhile investment. Travis shared, “Asphalt over the years has become less reliable as they've put in less asphalt and more filler materials. I think homeowners have gone through a roof cycle or two to understand that the promises from the asphalt shingle warranties don't necessarily hold up, so they're ready for something that's a little bit more permanent.”

Read the transcript, Listen to the conversation or Watch the webinar to learn more about the advice metal experts have to share about diving into metal roofing offerings to expand your business!