Last reviewed October 31, 2026.
The metal quote is more than double the shingle quote for the same roof, and the salesperson says it is the last roof you will ever buy. Whether that math works depends on which metal system is on the quote, how long you plan to stay, and how close you live to salt water.
Metal roof prices per square foot, source by source
Installed prices, as each Long Island company publishes them:
| Source | Published price per sq ft | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Expressway Roofing & Chimney (Sep 2026) | $10 to $16 | Metal roofing in Suffolk County |
| Ready Roof (Sep 2026) | $10 to $16 | Standing seam or metal panel |
| Valor Roofing (Sep 2026) | $10 to $16 | Metal roofs |
| Home Team Construction (Aug 2026) | $9 to $14 | Standing seam |
| Home Team Construction (Aug 2026) | $7 to $11 | Metal shingles |
| Smart Choice Roofing Huntington (Aug 2026) | $6 to $16 | Exposed-fastener panels at the low end, standing seam at the top |
| Long Island Exterior Co. (Jun 2026) | $12 to $18 | Metal shingles |
| Long Island Exterior Co. (Jun 2026) | $16 to $22 | Pre-formed standing seam |
| Long Island Exterior Co. (Jun 2026) | $22 to $30 | Field-formed standing seam |
| Alec’s Construction (May 2026) | $900 to $1,600 per square (100 sq ft) | Standing seam |
Three companies land on the same $10 to $16. Long Island Exterior Co. runs well above everyone else, and it is also the only one splitting standing seam into pre-formed and field-formed panels. When quotes differ by thousands, the system on the quote is usually why.
Whole-roof totals by house size
| Roof or house | Published total | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1,200 sq ft roof, Suffolk | $12,000 to $19,200 | Expressway Roofing & Chimney (Sep 2026) |
| 1,500 sq ft roof | $15,000 to $24,000 | Expressway Roofing & Chimney (Sep 2026) |
| 2,000 sq ft Suffolk home | $20,000 to $32,000 | Expressway Roofing & Chimney (Sep 2026) |
| 2,000 sq ft home, standing seam | $18,000 to $28,000 | Home Team Construction (Aug 2026) |
| 1,500 to 2,500 sq ft ranch, colonial or Cape | $18,000 to $35,000 | Long Island Exterior Co. (Jun 2026) |
| Average Huntington home | $17,000 to $30,000+ | Smart Choice Roofing Huntington (Aug 2026) |
For scale, Alec’s Construction says most Long Island homes have 20 to 35 squares of roof, or 2,000 to 3,500 square feet. Its own totals for a typical 2,000 square foot Long Island home run $10,000 to $16,000 for exposed-fastener panels, $14,000 to $22,000 for stamped metal shingles and $18,000 to $30,000 for standing seam steel.
Extras that show up on a metal quote
| Item | Published price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tear-off of existing multiple shingle layers | $1,500 to $3,500 | Long Island Exterior Co. |
| Disposal | $500 to $1,500 | Long Island Exterior Co. |
| Steep pitch, above 8:12 | adds $2 to $4 per sq ft | Long Island Exterior Co. |
| Flashing at a chimney, skylight or dormer | $300 to $800 each | Long Island Exterior Co. |
| Replacing rotted plywood decking | $80 to $120 per 4x8 sheet | Alec’s Construction |
| Permit, Suffolk County | $250 to $500 | Expressway Roofing & Chimney |
Expressway says labor is around 60 percent of a metal roof job, which is why a steep or cut-up roof moves the price so much. Two material choices also raise it: Long Island Exterior Co. says Galvalume steel is more hail-resistant and that thicker 24-gauge panels improve on 26-gauge, and calls PVDF (Kynar) paint finishes the benchmark when weighing steel against salt air corrosion. Ask which gauge and which finish are on your quote, by name.
Copper accents, bay windows and porch roofs
Plenty of Long Island houses use metal on one small section instead of the whole roof. Rapid Roofing says a copper bay window roof commonly costs $1,500 to $5,000 or more, and a 100 to 200 square foot copper standing seam accent can run from a few thousand dollars to about $8,000. For a full copper roof, Rapid puts it at $25 to $40 a square foot and Long Island Exterior Co. at $40 to $60 or more.
Long Island Exterior Co. also points out that many Nassau Capes and colonials have low-slope porch, dormer or garage roofs that are poor candidates for asphalt shingles, which is where a metal section often makes sense.
Aluminum near the water
Salt air changes the material. Long Island Exterior Co. says the industry rule of thumb is aluminum within one mile of salt water and quality steel beyond three miles, with aluminum running about 15 to 20 percent more than comparable Galvalume steel. It names South Shore communities from Long Beach to the East End as the places where aluminum with a Kynar finish is the standard spec. Expressway says aluminum is worth considering within a few miles of the water. Our metal roofing page covers the salt air question in more depth.
Does a metal roof pay for itself
Long Island Exterior Co. gives standing seam 50 to 70 years here and says asphalt on Long Island’s coast routinely needs replacing at 20 to 25, so you may replace shingles twice while a metal roof keeps going. Expressway is a little more cautious, at 40 to 70 years for metal against 20 to 30 for asphalt.
Resale is less certain. Expressway says homeowners recoup roughly 48 percent of a metal roof’s cost when they sell, while Long Island Exterior Co. says 60 to 85 percent. If you expect to move in a few years, the long life helps the next owner more than you.
On insurance, New York’s Department of Financial Services says a new roof might entitle you to a lower premium, and lists hail-resistant and high-wind-rated roof coverings among potential discounts. Insurers are not required to offer them, so ask yours for the number in writing.
