Metal Roofing in New Orleans

Metal roofing in New Orleans has to hold on through hurricane-season wind and shed Gulf Coast rain year after year. TurnKey Roofers installs, replaces and repairs metal roofs on homes and commercial buildings across the city. Our own crews do the tear-off, the panel work and the cleanup.

To find out whether metal suits your house, book a free roof inspection. You can also call 504-732-0336. Either way, you get photos of your roof and a written estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.

Key Facts About Metal Roofing in New Orleans

TurnKey Roofers handles metal roof installation, repair and maintenance for residential and commercial properties.
Every job starts with a free inspection, photos and a written estimate.
IBHS, in its Roof 101 guide, names exposed fastener and concealed fastener panels as the two most common metal panel types. Standing seam is a concealed fastener panel.
The City of New Orleans requires a separate residential re-roofing permit for roof replacement work affecting 50 percent or more of the roof.
In local historic districts, the Historic District Landmarks Commission reviews roof materials that are visible from the street.
TurnKey Roofers lists a 50-year non-prorated roof warranty, a 10-year workmanship warranty, and a 15-year unlimited wind warranty, named storms included.

Metal Roofing Services We Offer in New Orleans

We install new metal roofs, replace worn-out roofs with metal, and repair and maintain the metal roofs already on New Orleans buildings. Our own crews handle the job from the inspection through the final walkthrough.

New metal roofs. We install metal roofing on homes and commercial properties.
Replacement with metal. We take off the old roof, repair the decking where it needs it, and put the new metal roof on. Our New Orleans roof replacement page covers the full process.
Metal roof repair. We fix leaks, replace damaged panels and reseal joints.
Inspections and upkeep. We check for rust, misalignment and sealant failures, and we recommend a check twice a year or after severe weather. See our roof maintenance for New Orleans homes.

Which Type of Metal Roof Is Right for Your Home?

Most metal roofs fall into three groups: standing seam panels, exposed fastener panels and stone-coated steel. They differ in how they attach to the roof, how they look from the street, and where the city’s historic guidelines allow them.

Type	How it attaches	How it looks	In New Orleans historic districts
Standing seam	Concealed fasteners. Clips hold the panel, so no screws pass through the weathering surface.	Panels long enough to run from eave to ridge	The HDLC roofing guidelines list it as “Approved for all building types,” subject to review
Exposed fastener (5-V crimp, rib panels)	Screws go through the face of the panel, and the panel edges overlap	Panels with visible fasteners	5-V crimp is listed as “Approved only for sheds, garages and some residential”
Stone-coated steel	Horizontal panels that overlap like shingles	Resembles tile or wood shake	Not listed in the HDLC’s metal panel chart. Ask HDLC staff before you choose it.

Standing seam

A standing seam metal roof hides its fasteners. The Metal Construction Association (MCA) explains that a properly executed clip attachment lets the panel expand and contract with temperature “while also eliminating fastener penetration of the weathering surfaces of the panel.” The MCA calls these systems premium technologies over face-fastened panels “from a weathering and durability standpoint at a modest increase in cost.”

The MCA also notes that panel temperatures can change by more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit within minutes when cloud cover moves in and a cool rain begins.

Exposed fastener panels

On exposed fastener panels, the screws go straight through the face of the panel. IBHS lists 5-V, rib and tile profile panels in this group and calls them lapped panels, because their sides overlap. Each screw passes through the weathering surface, so have the fasteners checked at every inspection.

Stone-coated steel

Stone-coated steel is metal roofing made to resemble tile or wood shake. The Metal Roofing Alliance describes how granular coated panels are made: an acrylic polymer adhesive bonds stone chips to a specially primed steel panel, and a clear coat sealer goes over the top.

We’ve written a separate post on stone-coated steel roofing and its durability if you want more detail.

If you’re still choosing between metal and shingles, our page on shingle roofing in New Orleans covers the other common option.

How Do Metal Roofs Handle Wind and Storms?

A metal roof’s wind resistance comes from the whole tested assembly and how it’s fastened to your house. Testing gives the roof system a design pressure rating, and that rating has to suit the site.

IBHS explains in its Roof 101 guide that metal roofs “are tested as an assembly, from the deck up,” using the wind loads in the ASCE 7 standard along with roof height, pitch and exposure. For wind resistance, metal roof assemblies are tested using UL 580 followed by UL 1897.

The UL 580 test has three classes. According to IBHS, the assembly must stay intact through an entire class to pass it:

Class 30: maximum static uplift pressure of 45 pounds per square foot
Class 60: maximum static uplift pressure of 75 pounds per square foot
Class 90: maximum static uplift pressure of 105 pounds per square foot

UL 1897 then pressurizes the assembly until it fails, which shows how much uplift the attachment holds. For standing seam systems, the MCA says the ASTM E1592 protocol is “the most recognized wind uplift assessment failure tool.”

What to ask a metal roofing contractor about wind

Before you sign with any metal roofing contractor, ask for three things:

The design pressure rating of the roof system, and the test report that documents it.
Confirmation that the fastening pattern on your roof matches the pattern in that tested assembly.
A description of what happens to the roof deck before the panels go on.

The third item matters if a storm does pull the roof covering off. The FORTIFIED Roof standard, a voluntary program, requires metal roof panels to “be tested for site specific design pressures.” It also requires a sealed roof deck and ring-shank nails in the decking.

The city’s historic roofing guidelines add this: “Use appropriate fasteners for New Orleans’ hurricane-strength winds.”

Bring these questions to your inspection. Request your free metal roof estimate or call 504-732-0336 to set a time.

Metal Near the Coast: Corrosion and Material Choice

Steel is the most common metal roofing material, and aluminum resists corrosion better. IBHS says aluminum “offers increased corrosion resistance which is an important consideration for roofs in marine and coastal environments.”

Here’s how IBHS describes the common metals:

Steel. High strength and low weight. Steel roofing generally gets a metallic coating, galvanized or Galvalume, on both sides to help prevent corrosion.
Aluminum. Lighter than steel, with increased corrosion resistance.
Copper and zinc. IBHS calls these natural metals. Both offer high corrosion resistance and develop a protective layer, or patina.

One panel manufacturer, Metal Sales, states in its Galvalume warranty document that the warranty does not apply to “areas within 1500 feet of salt water, marine atmospheres or salt spray.” Warranty terms differ between manufacturers, so read the exclusions for the exact product you’re considering.

The same warranty also excludes areas “subject to water runoff from lead or copper flashings.” The city’s roofing guidelines describe the cause as galvanic action, which “occurs when dissimilar metals chemically react against each other and corrode.” Fasteners and flashing need to be compatible with the panel metal for that reason.

The Metal Roofing Alliance notes that paint adds a protective layer that can help prevent rust, corrosion and UV damage.

Does a Metal Roof Keep a New Orleans Home Cooler?

It can, if you choose a reflective finish. The U.S. Department of Energy says cool roofs “help lower indoor air temperatures by reflecting sunlight and decreasing heat absorption,” and it lists metal among the cool products available for steep roofs.

Two properties decide how cool a roof stays, and both are measured on a scale of 0 to 1:

Solar reflectance: the share of sunlight the roof reflects.
Thermal emittance: how well the roof lets go of the heat it has absorbed.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Consumer Guide to Cool Roofs says a cool color roof on a home “can shave at least 5 to 20% from the cooling costs of your energy bill,” and that savings vary and are greatest in hot and warm climates. ENERGY STAR adds that cool roofs work best “in hot sunny climates, like the Southern U.S., on buildings with low levels of roof insulation.”

You can compare products before you choose. The Cool Roof Rating Council measures both properties for roofing products and publishes the results in its Rated Roof Products Directory.

Historic Districts and Permit Rules for Metal Roofs in New Orleans

Two city rules can apply to a metal roof project here. A replacement covering half the roof or more needs a re-roofing permit, and a home in a local historic district needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before work starts.

The re-roofing permit

The City’s re-roofing permit page states that Ordinance 30,235 MCS “now requires a separate residential re-roofing permit for any roof replacement work affecting 50 percent or more.” The permit is for single and two-family homes. The City lists these requirements:

A signed estimate or contract, with homeowner and contractor signatures
A geotagged photo of the exterior of the house
Sixteen geotagged inspection photos during the job, four at each of four stages
A base fee of $60, plus $30 in historic districts, as the City’s page lists it as of October 2026

The fourth photo stage is “Installation of shingles or metal panels.” Commercial properties, which the City defines as three or more family units and business uses, apply for a renovation permit instead.

Historic districts

The City says properties in an HDLC or Vieux Carré Commission district “will require additional review before issuance” of the permit. The HDLC’s Guidelines for Roofing state that all applicants “must obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness (CofA) as well as all necessary permits prior to proceeding with any work.”

The guidelines note that metal became popular for roofing after sheet metal production expanded following the mid 19th century, and that it appears on residences and outbuildings as well as commercial buildings. They also set limits on metal:

Metal roofs “are typically not appropriate for highly visible roof slopes or where the historic roofing material would have been slate, especially on high-style buildings.”
Replacing a metal roof in kind, with the same material and design, goes to HDLC staff review.
Colors “tend to be natural metal or natural copper,” or painted colors similar to metal, “such as silver to grey or muted green.”
Red metal roofs “are generally not appropriate within the City,” and HDLC staff give final approval on color.

Our post on roofing for historic homes in New Orleans goes further into matching a new roof to an old house.

What Does Metal Roof Installation Involve?

A metal roof goes on in layers: deck, underlayment, edge metal and flashing, then panels. The City’s permit photos follow the same order, so they document each stage. Here are the steps on a typical replacement:

Free inspection. We check the roof and the attic and photograph what we find.
Written estimate. You get an estimate that covers materials, labor, tear-off, disposal and any decking that needs replacing. No work starts until you approve it.
Permit and historic review. The City’s application needs the signed estimate or contract, so this step follows your approval.
Tear-off and deck repair. We remove the old roofing and repair the decking where it needs it.
Underlayment. A water-resistant layer covers the deck before any metal goes down.
Drip edge and flashing. The drip edge and flashing go on next.
Panels. The panels go on last. IBHS notes that the deck material, roof height, pitch and location all determine fastener patterns.
Cleanup and walkthrough. We clean up and walk the finished roof with you.

If you’re wondering about rain noise, read our article on how roofing types affect noise inside your home.

Should You Repair or Replace a Metal Roof?

Repair a metal roof when the problem is local, and replace it when the damage is spread across the roof. An inspection tells you which one you have before you spend anything.

The city’s roofing guidelines list typical local problems and their fixes:

Worn paint, galvanizing or coating: repaint
A slipping panel or an open seam: refasten it
Isolated rusting or holes: replace the section to match the original

The same guidelines say replacement “might be warranted” when the roof is “generally rusting, splitting, pitted, severely buckled or warped, or many of the seams or edges are open or disfigured.”

If your roof has years left in it, we’ll tell you. Our roof repair service in New Orleans covers leaks, flashing and storm damage.

Warranties on a TurnKey Metal Roof

Our metal roof page lists three warranties:

50-year non-prorated roof warranty
10-year workmanship warranty
15-year unlimited wind warranty, named storms included

Non-prorated means the coverage stays the same as the roof ages. The workmanship warranty covers how we install the roof, which a materials warranty leaves out. You can read more on our unlimited wind warranty page.

A panel manufacturer’s warranty is a separate document and can carry exclusions like the salt water one quoted above. Ask us to show you the full wording of each warranty before you sign.

Metal Roofing FAQs

How long does a metal roof last?

The Metal Roofing Alliance, a trade group, says to count on a metal roof lasting 30 to 50+ years. That is the Alliance’s general figure. How long your roof lasts depends on the metal, the coating, how close you are to salt water and how well the roof is maintained.

Can a metal roof stand up to a hurricane?

It depends on the tested assembly and the installation. Metal roof systems carry a design pressure rating from tests such as UL 580 and UL 1897, and that rating has to suit your site. Our 15-year unlimited wind warranty includes named storms.

Is a metal roof loud when it rains?

The Metal Roofing Alliance, a trade group, says there is little difference between metal and other roofing materials in the noise they make in rain or hail. Ask about noise at your inspection if it’s a concern for your home.

Do I need a permit to put a metal roof on my house in New Orleans?

Yes, if the work replaces 50 percent or more of the roof. The City of New Orleans requires a separate residential re-roofing permit for that work on single and two-family homes. Smaller jobs are exempt unless they need a permit for another reason.

Can I install a metal roof in a New Orleans historic district?

It’s possible with approval. The Historic District Landmarks Commission reviews roof materials visible from the street, and its guidelines list standing seam as approved for all building types where it suits the building. Metal is typically not appropriate on highly visible slopes or where the historic roof would have been slate.

Is aluminum or steel better for a roof near salt water?

Aluminum resists corrosion better, and IBHS calls that an important consideration in marine and coastal environments. Steel is the most common metal roofing material. Check the steel panel’s warranty for a salt water distance exclusion before you choose it.

How much does a metal roof cost in New Orleans?

Metal often costs more up front than asphalt shingles. The price for your home depends on the size and pitch of the roof, the metal and panel type, and how much decking or flashing needs replacing. We give you a written estimate after a free inspection.

Book a Free Metal Roof Inspection in New Orleans

You’ll find out what your roof needs and whether metal suits it. We inspect the roof, photograph what we find and give you a written estimate, with no obligation to book the work.

TurnKey Roofers is GAF Master Elite and FORTIFIED certified. We hold Louisiana residential license #890459 and commercial license #3667.

Get your free roof inspection and written estimate, or call 504-732-0336 Monday to Saturday, 8am to 8pm. Our office is at 625 Celeste St in New Orleans.