Metal shingle and shake roofing
Metal Shingles and Shakes for New Jersey Homes
Metal shingles in NJ give a house the look of cedar shake, slate or a standard shingle, made from interlocking pieces of painted steel, aluminum or stone-coated steel. They suit homes where a traditional roofline matters, from older neighborhoods to HOA communities.
- 5 on Google (12 reviews)
- Lifetime workmanship warranty for as long as you own the home
- Free written estimates
The basics
What are metal shingles?
Metal shingles are formed metal pieces, much smaller than a standing seam panel, pressed to look like shake, slate or an asphalt shingle. Each piece locks into its neighbors, so the finished roof works as one interlocked surface.
They come in three main material families:
- Painted steel, with a metallic coating under PVDF or SMP paint
- Aluminum, which does not rust and suits homes near salt water
- Stone-coated steel, a steel shingle with stone granules bonded to its face for a matte, textured look
Shape and finish are where products differ most. Some profiles are deep and rough like hand-split shake; others are thin and crisp like slate. Look at a sample piece in daylight before you choose a color, because metal finishes change a lot between shade and full sun.
Profiles
Which look fits your house: shake, slate or shingle?
Pick the profile that suits the age and style of the house and what the street already has. A Cape Cod reads naturally under shake, an older stone or Victorian house under slate, and a ranch or split-level under a shingle profile.
| Profile | Looks like from the street | Often fits |
|---|---|---|
| Shake | Split cedar shakes with deep shadow lines | Cape Cods, colonials and wooded lots |
| Slate | Thin, flat natural slate | Victorians, stone houses and older neighborhoods |
| Shingle | Dimensional asphalt shingles | Ranches and split-levels on all-shingle streets |
| Stone-coated | A granular, low-sheen version of any of the above | Owners who want metal that does not look like metal |
Want a barrel or Spanish tile look instead? See metal tile roofs.
Choosing between metal systems
When do metal shingles beat standing seam?
When the view from the street matters more than long, clean lines. Metal shingles tend to win in three situations.
Historic districts
The Municipal Land Use Law gives towns the power to form historic preservation commissions. In most towns the local ordinance then puts major exterior changes in a district through review, as a New Jersey Historic Trust guide explains. A shake or slate profile can be easier to fit to a district’s character than vertical panels. Princeton’s Historic Preservation Commission, for example, weighs applications in 21 overlay zoning districts and put updated Historic Design Guidelines in place in September 2026. Skipping a roof permit does not skip that review.
HOA rules
Some associations limit roof color or profile in their architectural rules. A shingle or shake profile in a muted color can be the path to metal where vertical seams are not allowed. Bring the rules to the estimate visit so we price what your association will accept.
Complex roofs
Small interlocking pieces work around dormers, turrets, hips and short valleys without long panels to cut and fold at every turn. A cut-up roof with many planes can look busy under standing seam and calmer under shingles.
Standing seam still wins on simple roofs, low slopes and solar. The model code minimum for metal roof shingles is 3:12, against 1/4 inch per foot for standing seam (2024 IRC text, R905.4 and R905.10). See standing seam metal roofs for that system.
Installation
How are metal shingles installed?
Course by course from the eaves up, with each piece hooked into the one below and locked to the one beside it. On interlocking systems the fasteners sit in the interlock, covered by the next course.
- Tear-off to the deck, or preparation of the existing roof where a recover is allowed
- Self-adhered eave membrane at the edges and underlayment across the deck
- Drip edge and a starter strip at the eave
- Locked courses up the roof, with flashing at walls, chimneys and skylights
- Valley metal, hip and ridge caps, and ridge ventilation
- Snow guards wherever a sliding sheet of snow could injure a person or break something below
The eave membrane is our standard on every metal roof, even though the state makes an ice barrier mandatory in Sussex County alone (DCA Bulletin 07-3). Ice dams start with attic heat, per University of Minnesota Extension, so ventilation and air sealing deserve a look before the new metal is fastened down. Blocked soffits can be fixed with our soffit and fascia work.
Textured metal shingles tend to hold snow longer than smooth panels, but snow can still let go in a slide. Snow guards over doors and walkways make sense in the northern counties, where the state’s fallback ground snow load reaches 50 psf in Sussex (DCA Bulletin 19-1).
Recovering a roof
Can metal shingles go over your existing shingles?
Sometimes. A few metal shingle systems are marketed for going over an existing roof. Whether that works on your house depends on the layers already there, the condition of the deck, the product’s instructions and the code.
A recover is a poor idea where the deck is soft, the old shingles hold moisture, or ice dams have already caused leaks; those roofs should come off. On a freestanding one- or two-family house, replacing the roof covering is permit-free ordinary maintenance (the ordinary-maintenance rule), but that alone does not settle whether a recover is allowed. Our page on metal roofs over shingles explains the trade-offs.
Cost and warranty
What do metal shingles cost in New Jersey?
Nationally, HomeGuide puts installed metal shingles between $6 and $14 a square foot, roughly $9,000 to $35,000 for an average house, while HomeAdvisor shows $7 to $22 a square foot. Treat those as countrywide guides, not local quotes; a free measurement sets your real number.
Material, profile, pitch, dormers and the layers to remove all move the number. A full new roof is exempt from New Jersey sales tax once you sign Form ST-8 and give it to the contractor, per the Division of Taxation. Our metal roof cost guide goes deeper.
Near salt water, check the substrate warranty. Metal Sales leaves Galvalume roofs closer than 1,500 feet to salt water out of its warranty, one reason aluminum is the usual pick on shore and bay lots. Our Jersey Shore guide has more.
Warranty
You get our written workmanship warranty plus the manufacturer’s warranties on the metal and finish. Read the finish terms closely: Sheffield Metals reports that chalk and fade coverage often runs shorter than film coverage.
Our workmanship warranty is a lifetime warranty: it covers our installation work for as long as you, the homeowner who signs the contract, own the home. It does not transfer to a later owner. Materials and paint finishes carry their manufacturers' own warranties, and the full written warranty comes with every estimate so you can read it before you sign.
Our warranty page explains both kinds of coverage and how to make a claim.
Get a free estimate
Or call (732) 231-5327.
Metal shingle questions from New Jersey homeowners
Are metal shingles as durable as standing seam?
Both are metal roofs built to last decades with the right paint and installation. With fewer joints, standing seam does better on low slopes and with solar; metal shingles give up a little of that for a traditional look.
Do metal shingles look like real slate or cedar from the street?
Good profiles read convincingly from the curb, especially in muted colors or stone-coated finishes. Up close you can tell they are metal, so look at a sample before you decide.
How steep must a roof be for metal shingles?
The model code text sets 3:12 for metal roof shingles, and the product’s instructions may require more. Flatter roofs, such as many porch roofs, are better suited to standing seam.
Will my HOA or historic commission allow metal shingles?
It depends on the rules where you live. Commissions and associations set their own standards, and approval comes from them, not from us. Bring the rules to the estimate visit, and we can help choose a profile and color to submit.
Can metal shingles be installed over my current shingles?
Sometimes, if the deck is sound, the existing layers allow it and the product is made for it. See metal roof over shingles for the trade-offs.
Do metal shingles need snow guards?
Yes, over doors, paths, decks and lower roofs. Textured profiles hold snow longer than smooth panels, but snow can still slide off in a sheet.
What do metal shingles cost in New Jersey?
National guides list $6 to $14 a square foot installed (HomeGuide) and $7 to $22 (HomeAdvisor). A free measurement sets your actual number.
Free estimate
See metal shingles priced for your roof
After measuring the roof, we go over which profiles suit your house and street, then hand you a written price.
Call (732) 231-5327 or send the form. We serve ten counties in central and northern New Jersey; see our service areas.