# Metal Roof Cost Calculator

Created by Maria Kluziak
Reviewed by Bogna Szyk and Jack Bowater
Last updated: Nov 22, 2022

If you're wondering how to calculate metal roof cost, this metal roof cost calculator is the right tool for you. Use it to find the area of your roof, determine how many metal panels you will need, and estimate how much does a metal roof cost. Plan your work in advance and enjoy having your time saved by this handy calculator.

## How to use the metal roof cost calculator?

1. Start by answering whether or not you can safely access your roof to take precise measurements.

• if you answer "YES", input the roof's length and width. The metal roof cost calculator will return its total area.
• if you answer "NO", you will have to base your calculations on the roof's footprint (which is essentially the area of the roof if it wasn't sloped). Input it's length, width, and pitch. You can refer to our roof pitch calculator if you don't know the pitch's value.
• NOTE: If your roof has a more elaborate shape, with many sections, calculate the square footages of each of them separately (you can do it with Omni's square footage calculator), and then add them up.

2. The next step is to calculate the measurements of a single roof panel.

• Input a single panel's length and width to get its area. The calculator will then find the total number of metal panels you will need to buy for your roof.
• Please note that it is always advised to buy an additional 10% of construction materials for such projects, to account for mistakes and unexpected repairs. You can use our percentage calculator to get this estimated quickly.

3. All that's left is calculating the total costs of the metal panels. Put in the cost of one panel, and the calculator will find your total expense.

## How to calculate metal roof cost? Metal roof formulas

Although our metal roof calculator will do all the work for you, we understand that you may feel more confident if you know how to carry out the calculations yourself. Here are detailed instructions on how to calculate metal roof cost on your own.

• calculating roof area based on roof measurements: roof length * roof width = roof area
• calculating roof area based on footprint measurements: footprint length * footprint width * roof pitch multiplier = roof area
• calculating panel area: panel length * panel width = single panel area
• calculating number of panels to buy: roof area / panel area = panels needed (rounded up)
• calculating the cost of buying the panels: cost of a single panel * number of panels = total expenses

## Metal roof calculator - example of calculations

Let's go through an example to illustrate how our calculator works. In this example, let's assume that we have a roof we cannot access safely, so we're going to have to base our calculations on the footprint. The roof's measurements are:

• The roof's footprint length is $100\ \mathrm{ft}$;
• The roof's footprint width is $120\ \mathrm{ft}$; and
• The roof has a pitch of $9:12$, which has a multiplier of $1.25$

With those numbers, the calculation is as follows:

$\footnotesize \begin{split} A_{\mathrm{roof}} &= (100\ \mathrm{ft}\times 120\ \mathrm{ft})\times 1.25\\ & = 15,\!000\ \mathrm{ft^2} \end{split}$

Let's say we want to buy $16\ \mathrm{in} \times 16\ \mathrm{in}$ panels. The area of such a panel is $16\ \mathrm{in} \times 16\ \mathrm{in}= 256\ \mathrm{in^2}$. By dividing the roof's area by a panel's area and rounding up, we find out that:

If we buy metal panels at $3 a pop, the total cost will be 3$ * 8,438 = 25,314$. $\frac{15,\!000\ \mathrm{ft^2}}{256\ \mathrm{in^2}} = 8,438$ so we need to buy at least $8,438$ metal panels. 🙋 Square feet, square inches, meters, and so on... Confused? Use Omni's area conversion tool to find your way among surface measurement units! ## Common metal roofing types Metal roofing has many advantages, which is why people often choose it over other materials. It is durable, and can resist pretty much any kind of unpleasant weather, such as rain or snow. The quality and specific characteristics vary depending on the metal. Here are some metals most commonly used for roofing: 1. Copper - long-lasting and eco-friendly (copper roofs are 100% recyclable!), copper has been the go-to roofing material for centuries. It's very soft for a metal, which places copper roofs among the quietest. 2. Zinc - durable and great for forming into different shapes, it's also the most eco-friendly, as its low melting point means that its processing requires as little as ¼ of the energy needed to process other materials. 3. Aluminum - recommended for coastal climates due to its resistance to salt corrosion. 4. Steel - most common in commercial buildings, it's becoming more and more popular among private housing as well. Steel is generally the least expensive, and among the most flexible to use. If you want to find the price of your roof, visit our roofing calculator! Maria Kluziak Can you access your roof and measure it precisely? Yes Roof measurements Length ft Width ft Area ft² Panel measurements Length in Width in Area in² Number of panels needed Expenses Cost of one panel$
Total expense
\$
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