A metal roof is the closest thing to a lifetime roof. Steel and aluminum panels shed snow instead of holding it, their smooth surface resists the ice dams that wreck shingle roofs, and a quality metal roof lasts 40 to 50 years or more – often the last roof a house ever needs. It costs more up front than asphalt, but on a home you plan to keep, it is frequently the better long-run spend. Fewer Ottawa roofers install metal well, and we do.
Two to three times the lifespan of asphalt – often the last roof you will buy.
Snow slides off a smooth metal roof instead of building up and loading the structure.
The slick surface and shed design fight the ice dams that back water under shingles.
Non-combustible, rust-protected finishes, and almost nothing to maintain year to year.
Concealed-fastener vertical panels – the premium, clean-lined metal roof with no exposed screws to fail.
Metal panels stamped to look like shingle, slate, or tile – the metal lifespan with a traditional look.
A cost-effective ribbed steel roof, well suited to garages, outbuildings, and rural properties.
Galvanized/galvalume steel for value and strength, or aluminum where corrosion resistance matters most.
Baked-on architectural finishes that hold their colour for decades in Ottawa sun and snow.
Fitted over doors, walkways, and driveways so shed snow comes off where you want it.
We assess the deck, pitch, and the right profile for your home.
Standing seam or metal shingle, in a long-life PVDF finish.
Strip to the deck and lay high-temp underlayment for a quiet, dry base.
Panels fastened, trims and snow guards fitted, site cleaned.
Ottawa is exactly the climate metal roofing was made for. Heavy snow slides off instead of loading the roof, the smooth sealed surface gives ice dams almost nothing to grab, and the finish shrugs off the freeze-thaw cycle that cracks and curls lesser roofs. Add a 40-to-50-year lifespan and near-zero maintenance, and for a lot of homeowners a metal roof is the one they never have to think about again.
Metal is not one product. Standing seam is the premium choice – vertical panels with hidden fasteners and clean lines, and no exposed screws to back out over time. Metal shingles and slate-look panels give you the metal lifespan with the look of a traditional roof, which suits heritage and estate homes. Ribbed exposed-fastener steel is the value option, ideal for garages, outbuildings, and rural properties. We walk you through which fits your home, your look, and your budget.
There is no getting around it: metal costs more up front than asphalt – roughly two to three times as much. The honest way to compare them is over time. A shingle roof you replace every 25 years; a metal roof you install once and keep for 40 to 50+. On a home you plan to stay in, that math often favours metal, and it adds resale appeal and energy performance along the way. We will lay out both options side by side so you can decide with real numbers.
Metal is less forgiving than shingle – the fastening, the panel expansion, the flashing, and the underlayment all have to be right, which is why not every roofer does it well. Our certified metal roofing installers work over solid decking with high-temperature underlayment for a quiet, dry roof, detail the trims and valleys properly, and fit snow guards so shed snow comes off where you want it. Done right, it is the last roof your house needs.
Metal runs roughly $9 to $16+ per sq ft installed depending on the profile and finish – about two to three times an asphalt roof, so many Ottawa homes land in the $18,000 to $40,000+ range. The trade-off is lifespan: a metal roof lasts 40 to 50+ years versus 25 for shingle, so on a long-term home the yearly cost is often lower. The estimator on our services page gives a ballpark.
No – that is a myth from bare metal over open barn framing. On a house, metal is installed over solid decking and underlayment, so rain and hail sound about the same inside as a shingle roof.
A quality steel or aluminum roof lasts 40 to 50 years or more, and the PVDF finish holds its colour for decades. For most homeowners it is genuinely the last roof they will ever install.
Sometimes, using furring strips and underlayment – but we usually recommend a tear-off so we can inspect and correct the deck first. We will look at your roof and tell you honestly which approach is right.
Yes. Snow slides off a smooth metal roof instead of piling up, and the slick, sealed surface gives ice dams far less to grip – a real advantage in Ottawa winters. We add snow guards so the shed snow comes off away from doors and walkways.