Metal is the long-term answer. It costs more than asphalt at installation and it lasts several times as long, so the question is usually how long you plan to be in the house and how much you value not thinking about the roof again.
Standing seam versus exposed fastener
Standing seam panels lock together with raised, concealed seams and no exposed screws through the face of the panel. Nothing penetrates the water plane, which is why it is the better system and the more expensive one. It is also what most people picture when they picture a modern metal roof.
Exposed fastener panels screw down through the face with gasketed washers. Less expensive, faster to install, and perfectly serviceable, but the gaskets are a maintenance item that will eventually need attention.
Why metal does well in Oklahoma
Wind. A properly installed standing seam roof has excellent uplift resistance, which matters on the open ground west and south of the metro.
Heat. Metal reflects a substantial portion of solar radiant heat rather than absorbing it, which shows up in summer cooling costs.
Service life. Decades beyond what an asphalt roof will give you, with far less to go wrong in between.
The honest limitation: hail
Metal does not fail structurally from hail the way asphalt does, but large hail will dent it, and dents on a standing seam roof are cosmetic damage you can see from the street. Some homeowners do not care. Some care a great deal. Ask us to show you what hail damage looks like on metal before you decide, and check how your insurance policy treats cosmetic damage, because some policies exclude it.
We would rather tell you this before the install than have you discover it after the first storm.
Common questions
Is a metal roof noisy when it rains?+
Not in a normal installation. Over solid decking with underlayment, and with an insulated attic underneath, a metal roof is not meaningfully louder than asphalt. The noise reputation comes from bare metal over open framing, like a barn.
Will a metal roof make my house hotter?+
The opposite. Metal reflects radiant heat rather than absorbing it the way asphalt does, and most homeowners see lower summer cooling costs.
Does hail damage a metal roof?+
It can dent it. Metal does not fail structurally from hail the way asphalt shingles do, but large hail leaves cosmetic dents. Check whether your insurance policy covers cosmetic damage, because some exclude it.
How much more does metal cost than shingles?+
Meaningfully more up front, and it varies with the system, the panel, and the complexity of the roof. The comparison worth doing is cost per year of service life rather than cost at installation.