I get why metal seems like the obvious answer, but I’m honestly not convinced it’s worth the extra cost for everyone. I’ve heard the noise thing too, and my cousin actually had some minor dents after a really bad hailstorm—so it’s not totally invincible. I went with a class 3 shingle, which was a bit cheaper than class 4, and so far it’s held up okay. Insurance did hike my premium a bit after the last claim, though, so that’s something I wish I’d factored in. Sometimes it feels like no matter what you pick, you’re just rolling the dice with Nebraska weather.
Metal gets a lot of hype, but honestly, I’m not convinced it’s the silver bullet for hail. My neighbor switched to standing seam metal after a bad storm, and yeah, it survived the next couple years, but there were still some dings after a softball-sized hail event. Plus, he swears the noise is worse than his old shingles—said he had to get used to it during heavy rain.
I went with impact-resistant asphalt shingles (class 4) on my last re-roof, mostly because I wanted something that could handle our wild swings in temperature. The initial cost was higher than standard shingles, but nothing like what metal would’ve run me. After two storms, I did find a few granule losses but no leaks or major issues. Insurance didn’t drop my premium like I hoped though... turns out they don’t always reward you for “upgrades,” which feels a bit unfair.
Honestly, Nebraska weather just laughs at warranties. Sometimes I think the best you can do is pick something sturdy, keep your expectations realistic, and budget for the occasional repair.