Metal Roofing is Competitive Roofing
It often feels impossible to avoid comparing metal roofing to the elephant in the room, the ever-present asphalt shingle. While asphalt’s majority market share may feel untouchable, it’s important (for you and your prospects) to know that metal has made leaps and bounds in the market over the last few decades. What started as a few percent forty years ago has climbed to 13-15% and continues to grow as more homeowners realize the appeal of metal roofing.
Depending on your market, metal offers several unique competitive advantages you can leverage for your customers. If they live in a coastal area, aluminum roofing’s rustproof performance and high wind rating are excellent selling points. Or they might live in a colder climate with heavy snowfall and ice dams, where steel roofing’s strength and durability are a winning combination.
Regardless of your location, metal roofing appeals to a wide range of homeowners. We’ve worked with homeowners of all ages, climates, and home styles. Metal roofing is a remarkably adaptable roofing solution, from steep slopes to complex geometry to even simple ranch-style homes. Make sure to include a variety of homes in your marketing material if possible. Although visualizer software is popular, homeowners still need a good visual reference from your previously completed projects.
While the initial expense of choosing a metal roof may seem daunting for many homeowners, especially in a volatile market like today’s, we always stress the principle of “buy it once, buy it right.” If any homeowner plans to stick around for longer than an average asphalt reproofing cycle (12-15 years), then metal becomes an excellent return on their investment. Why go through the expense and trouble of replacing your roof multiple times if you can choose the premium product and avoid all that? To further aid financial concerns, many contractors offer financing. Several of our partner contractors have had great success offering it to their customer base.
We’ve dedicated many lines to the most common objection you’ll encounter: price. Our newest approach advises a transparent, open answer about the price difference between metal and asphalt, along with an explanation of the costs that go into each. Metal will always cost more upfront, but the return on investment flips it back in metal roofing’s favor over the long term. When you add in the energy savings, increased home value, and the option to completely avoid the reroofing cycle, these factors help ease price concerns.
While some prospects may write off metal roofing without taking the time to hear you out, others are drawn in by friends, family, or neighbors who have made the switch. It only takes one positive experience with a beautiful metal roof to grab their attention, giving you a great opportunity to demonstrate the value it brings. Your best tool for converting any homeowner is performance, backed by proof. A decades-old installation, still beautiful and standing tall despite years of storms, is hard to ignore. Compare that to any asphalt roof still standing after twenty years- it won’t be anywhere close.
Todd Miller has spent his entire career in the metal building products manufacturing industry. He is president of Isaiah Industries, an organization recognized as one of the world’s leading metal roofing manufacturers. Todd is currently Vice President of the MRA (Metal Roofing Association) and a Past Chair of MCA (Metal Construction Association). Through his website, he strives to raise the bar on standards and practices to provide property owners with the best possible products for successful roofing projects.
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