A consistent trend emerging in recent RC State of the Industry reports is the continued growth of metal roofing in both the resident and commercial sectors. Roof replacements remained the main source of revenue for residential roofing contractors at 33%, RC’s survey data showed. While steep-slope asphalt shingles continue to dominate the residential space, about 77%, a closer look into product involvement data this year showed metal roofing slightly exceeded it for the first time (78%) in our survey.

That said, metal roofing only accounted for roughly 18% of residential contractors’ share of overall sales. Industry proponents believe that leaves the marketplace ripe with opportunity, despite lingering questions about raw materials, economic stability and supply chain.

The team at Guardian Roofing took a different, opportunistic look at metal this year, and intends to build on it. The Auburn, Wash.-based company added two gutter divisions in the spring, and has a third gutter machine on the way. They also hired a second sales manager to provide more training and hands-on coaching in the new sales space.  

“We are consistently looking at our workflow to determine how we can improve our client and team experience and efficiencies,” Owner Lori Swanson said. “We also plan to expand our metal roofing sales with an exclusive product offering.”   

The value proposition of putting on a roof meant to last twice as long — or longer — than a traditional asphalt roof may be too good for more homeowners to pass up. Industry advocates said that more than 2 billion square feet of metal roofing was installed over the past four decades in the United States, and that number continues to grow faster than any other roof type except asphalt shingles.

The growth is also happening in the commercial sector. Survey data indicated that the top products commercial roofers expect to sell this year are single-ply (90%), followed by metal (81%). Low-slope asphalt (65%), coatings (60%), and steep-slope asphalt shingles (58%) rounded out the top five. About 47% of respondents indicated that metal roofing sales increased this year; 39% said sales held steady; and roughly 13% said they dropped.

In this year’s Metal Special Section, you’ll see the latest metal-related news and products influencing the market, learn more about modern metal roofing’s origins, explore some of the best metal roofing projects around the country, and get a feel for why metal is emerging in roofing at just the right time.