Standing Seam Metal Roofing Installation

A standing seam metal roof is a metal roof made of long vertical steel or aluminum panels joined by raised, interlocking seams that run from ridge to eave. The fasteners are hidden inside those seams, so there are no exposed screws or nail heads to leak, or cracks for embers to enter and cause a fire. It is the premium of all Class A fire roofs. Our metal roofs are built to last 50 years or more with little to no maintenance.

We form and install every panel on site, not in a factory. Our C-43 specialist (C-43 is the metal roof license) runs the job on the roof, meticulously forming each panel by hand to the exact length, as panel measurements can differ by as little as 1/8 inch, which is why panels cannot be ordered ahead and shipped (they also bend, dent, and get scratched). Each panel is locked to the deck with heavy-duty concealed clips, the seams are joined, and the flashings are formed and hemmed to match, all by a true sheet-metal specialist, not a general roofer.

Because the metal is the part you see, but the installation is what decides whether the roof lasts 50 years or leaks in 5, and whether it actually meets its Class A fire rating. Two roofs can use the same panels and perform completely differently depending on the clips, the flashing, the hemming, and who did the work. That is why we are the metal contractor other roofing companies hire.

A properly installed standing seam roof does not leak. Because its fasteners are concealed and its panels shed water off raised seams, it is the most leak-proof roof you can install. If a metal roof does leak, it is almost never the flat panel; it is typically the flashing at valleys, chimneys, skylights, and where the roof meets a wall. We form and hem those details on site instead of relying on flimsy caulk, so the weak points of an ordinary install are sealed for good.

The fasteners are hidden inside the seams, never exposed on the surface. Cheaper exposed-fastener metal roofs are screwed straight through the face of the panel, and every one of those rubber-washered screws is both a future leak as the washers dry out and a gap where wind-driven embers can get in during a fire. A standing seam roof has none of them on the surface, so it stays watertight and gives embers nothing to enter, a big reason it lasts decades longer and protects better in a wildfire.

Choose a true metal specialist, not a general roofer who also dabbles in metal. Ask a few questions: Do you hold the C-43 sheet metal license that most roofers lack? Do you form the panels on site or order them pre-cut? What clips, gauge, and flashing do you use? We hold the C-43 plus C-39 roofing, Class B building, and C-10 electrical licenses, form every panel on site, and are the contractor other roofing companies hire to install their metal roof jobs.

Yes, a properly installed standing seam roof is one of the best roofs for high wind. The concealed clips lock each panel to the deck, and there are no loose shingles or exposed edges for Santa Ana winds to catch and peel back. We use double clips and two screws in every clip, spaced even tighter at the eaves, rakes, and ridges where uplift is strongest.

Most homes take two to four days, depending on the size of the roof. The other factor is the inspection: the building inspector has to approve the condition of the roof deck after tear-off before we install the panels, so the inspector's schedule can affect the timeline.

No, it is not a good idea because a standing seam roof needs a solid, sound deck so the clips anchor the panels securely to the roof deck. Having to nail through existing tiles or asphalt compromises that secure connection.

A complete standing seam installation from us includes tearing off the old roof, inspecting and prepping the deck for inspection prior to install, installing fire-resistant underlayment, custom-forming and locking down every panel with concealed clips, installing ember-resistant Vulcan roof vents, and forming and hemming all the flashings on site. Because we are licensed for the whole system (Class B general contractor, C-39 roof, C-43 metal roof, C-10 electrical and solar), we can also handle the attic ventilation, insulation, and form the metal rain gutters that go with a new roof.