October 26, 2026 · 10 min read · Costs
The short answer
A metal roof costs more per square foot than shingles, and standing seam costs more per square foot than metal shingle or exposed-fastener panels. Where your roof lands depends on the panel system, the metal (steel or aluminum near salt water), the condition of the deck once the old roof is off, your wind band and the City's review steps. Those are the lines this guide walks through. The only honest per-square-foot number is the one written on your scope after someone has measured and inspected your roof.
How metal roofs are priced per square foot
Roofers measure in "squares." One square is 100 square feet of roof surface, not floor space. A house with 2,000 square feet of living area often has more roof than that once you add the overhangs, the pitch and any porches or garage.
So when you compare quotes, check three things:
- Is the price for roof area or floor area? It should be roof area, measured on the roof or from aerial measurements.
- What is included? Tear-off, disposal, underlayment, secondary water barrier, flashing, trim, permit and inspections should all be on the page.
- How is deck repair priced? It should be a unit rate, because nobody can see the whole deck until the old roof is off.
A low per-square-foot number that leaves out the tear-off, the trim or the permit is not a lower price. It is a smaller scope.
What raises or lowers the per-square-foot cost?
| Driver | Pushes the cost up | Keeps the cost down |
|---|---|---|
| Panel system | Standing seam with concealed clips | Metal shingle or exposed-fastener panels |
| Metal | Aluminum or heavier coated steel near the lagoon | Standard coated steel inland |
| Roof shape | Many hips, valleys, dormers and walls | Simple gable or hip roof |
| Deck | Rotted or board decking to replace | Sound plywood deck |
| Wind band | 170 mph waterfront fastening | 160 mph mainland fastening |
| Review | Historic district change of material | No design review |
What sets the price of a metal roof in West Palm Beach
A metal roof in West Palm Beach is priced from the house up, not from a chart. Two homes with the same square footage can land far apart once you account for the panel system, the metal chosen for salt exposure, the condition of the deck under the old roof and the City's review and inspection steps. This guide walks through each of those drivers and shows how they end up as lines on a written scope.
Molsbee Roofing has roofed Palm Beach County homes since 1975, working from our shop in Lake Worth Beach. We install standing seam and metal shingle systems across West Palm Beach, from Northwood Hills to Grandview Heights.
Which metal roof system are you pricing?
Standing seam. Continuous panels run from ridge to eave with raised seams and concealed clips. The attachment is hidden, which is why standing seam sits at the upper range of metal pricing: more fabrication, more trim work and more careful detailing at every wall and penetration.
Metal shingle or metal tile profiles. Formed panels that read as shingle or tile from the street. They cost less than standing seam in most layouts and suit neighborhoods where a traditional look matters.
Exposed-fastener panels. Screw-down ribbed panels. They cost less up front, but the screws and their washers become inspection points for the life of the roof, and we explain that trade plainly before anyone chooses them.
Why does the metal itself change the number?
Near the Lake Worth Lagoon, metal choice is not cosmetic. Downtown and the historic districts face the lagoon directly across from the Palm Beach island, and salt reaches Flagler Drive and the streets behind it. On those roofs we specify coated steel or aluminum, edge metal and fasteners for salt, and we keep incompatible metals apart at every joint. Heavier gauge and higher-grade coatings cost more, and each choice is named on the scope so you can see what you are paying for.
What does the tear-off add?
On a tear-off, the deck is where the scope is decided. Once the old covering is off, the roof we specify puts a secondary water barrier on the deck before the new roof goes on, and the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition allows more than one compliant way to build that layer. On older West Palm Beach homes we often find board decking rather than plywood, and gapped or soft boards have to be re-nailed or replaced. We cannot see the deck from the attic or the roof surface with full certainty, so the scope lists deck repair as a unit-priced line: you know the rate before work starts, and every board we replace is photographed before it is covered.
How do wind bands affect the fastening?
The West Palm Beach mainland is in the 160 mph design wind band; the Flagler Drive waterfront is in the 170 mph band. The higher the band, the tighter the clip and fastener spacing, especially at corners and edges where uplift is strongest. That means more clips, more fasteners and more labor on a waterfront roof than on the same roof a mile inland.
Does historic review change the cost?
It can. West Palm Beach has eighteen locally designated historic districts under the Historic Preservation Board. In El Cid, Flamingo Park or Old Northwood, an exterior roof change needs historic review before the permit, and the city favors in-kind replacement. Moving a tile or shingle house to standing seam there is a change of material, and the level of review depends on the change and is set by the City, not by the roofer. We tell you early whether metal is a realistic path for your house and what the review adds to the schedule, before you commit to a design that may not be approved.
What about the City's inspections?
West Palm Beach issues roof permits through Civic Access, and the City inspects as it requires for the job; its list of possible roof inspections includes roof framing, roof metal or tin tag, sheathing, roofing in progress and final. In some cases the City may accept inspector-approved affidavits or photographs, so we confirm what your permit calls for and keep the roof dried in between stages. Permit fees and inspections are built into the price rather than added later.
How is the written scope built?
The process is the same on every metal roof we quote:
- Free roof inspection. We check the existing covering, the flashing at walls and penetrations, the edge metal and whatever deck and framing we can reach from the attic.
- Photos of the findings. You get pictures of what we saw, so the scope matches the roof you actually have.
- A written scope with the price before any work starts. The panel system, metal and coating, underlayment and secondary water barrier, fastening for your wind band, flashing and trim, tear-off, permit and the unit rate for any deck repair, all in writing.
Where a number moves after tear-off, it moves only on a line you already agreed to, and you see the photos first.
Who stands behind the roof?
Molsbee Roofing holds Florida certified roofing contractor license CCC1327429 and has been roofing in this county since 1975. Every metal roof we install carries the manufacturers' product warranties. We are an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor.
If you want to compare metal against tile for your house, see our metal roofing page, and our roof replacement cost guide covers the other systems.
Get a written metal roof price for your home
Call (561) 318-8624 or request a free roof inspection. We will photograph your roof, walk you through the findings and put the scope and price in writing before anything starts.
