I get where you’re coming from with metal roofs—my neighbor swears by his, especially after last winter’s storms. But honestly, I went with architectural shingles last year and haven’t had regrets (yet). What made the biggest difference for me was making sure the attic was actually vented right—turns out, my soffits were totally blocked by old insulation. Once I fixed that and added a ridge vent, ice dams pretty much disappeared. Shingles might not be perfect, but if you sort out the airflow and insulation, they can hold up okay even in Midwest snow. Metal looks cool, but I just couldn’t swing the price this time around.
That’s pretty much my experience too—couldn’t justify the metal price tag, even though it’s tempting. I did shingles a couple years back, and honestly, fixing the attic venting made way more difference than I expected. Midwest winters are brutal, but so far, no regrets.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve seen some folks regret skipping metal—especially after a couple windstorms tear through. Had a client last year with shingles less than 5 years old, and a big chunk peeled right off. Midwest winds just don’t play nice sometimes. Metal’s pricey upfront, yeah, but after patching shingle roofs every spring, it starts to look less crazy. Just depends if you’re planning to stick around long-term, I guess.
Metal roofs do have that “set it and forget it” vibe, but man, the sticker shock is real. I had to sit down when I got my first quote. Ended up going with architectural shingles last year because my wallet just wasn’t ready for metal, and honestly, I don’t regret it—yet. But I’m in a spot that doesn’t get those wild Midwest gusts. If I was out in tornado alley, I’d probably be singing a different tune.
Here’s how I looked at it:
Step 1: Figure out how long you’re sticking around. If you’re planning to move in five years, shingles might make more sense.
Step 2: Check your insurance. Mine actually covered a chunk of my last shingle replacement after a hailstorm, so that helped soften the blow.
Step 3: Think about noise. My neighbor has a metal roof and says rain sounds like a drum solo at 2am. He loves it, but his wife’s not a fan.
Step 4: Maintenance. Shingles need patching here and there, but I can do most of it myself with a ladder and some YouTube courage. Metal’s less hassle, but if something goes wrong, it’s usually a bigger fix.
I get the appeal of metal—no more chasing shingles across the yard every spring—but for me, the upfront cost just didn’t add up. If you’re handy and don’t mind the occasional patch job, shingles aren’t the worst thing in the world. Just keep an eye on them after storms and maybe invest in a good pair of binoculars for roof inspections.
Whatever you pick, there’s always going to be some trade-off. Just gotta figure out which headaches you’re willing to deal with. And hey, at least you’re not dealing with cedar shakes... my cousin’s still picking splinters out of his hands from last summer’s “quick repair.”
“If you’re handy and don’t mind the occasional patch job, shingles aren’t the worst thing in the world.”
Couldn’t agree more—shingles are kind of the “old reliable” for a reason. I’ve managed a bunch of properties with both, and honestly, unless you’re in a spot that gets hammered by hail or wild winds, shingles usually pull their weight. Metal’s great, but that up-front cost is no joke. And yeah, the rain-on-metal noise is real... one tenant called it “nature’s alarm clock.”
