Metal roofing · Metal shingles
Metal shingles and metal tiles
Metal shingles are small interlocking panels, usually stamped steel or aluminum, that hook into each other on every edge and fasten under the next course. They give you a metal roof in the shape of cedar shakes, slate or clay tile, which matters on a character house or in a neighbourhood where a standing seam roof would look out of place. On cut-up roofs with many hips, valleys and dormers, shingles also waste less material than long panels.
- Lifespan
- 40 to 60 years
- Material
- stamped steel or aluminum
- Finish
- PVDF, often with a stone-coated option
- Profiles
- shake, slate, tile, diamond
Panels from BC and Canadian manufacturers such as Westform Metals, Vicwest, Fraser Valley Metal Rolling, Agway Metals.
Strengths
What it does well
- Looks like shake, slate or tile from the street
- Interlocks on four sides: strong in wind, no exposed fasteners
- Handles complex roofs with less waste than long panels
- Light: a small fraction of the weight of concrete tile
- Some profiles can be installed over one layer of shingles
- Class A fire rating
Trade-offs
What to weigh up
- More pieces and more labour than panels on a simple roof
- Premium aluminum systems cost as much as standing seam
- Each manufacturer's profile is its own system, so repairs need matching stock
- Flashings at walls and chimneys are intricate
In our climate
Shakes without the shake problems
Thousands of Lower Mainland houses from the 1970s and 80s were roofed in cedar shakes, and most are on borrowed time: moss, split shakes and FireSmart's advice against untreated wood. A metal shake profile keeps the look, is a Class A roof, and does not feed moss. On the hilly lots of the North Shore, Mission and Maple Ridge, where cedar was common, it is the most requested swap we do.
Because shingles are small, they follow hips, valleys and dormers neatly, with less cutting than long panels. The trade is more pieces and more hours on a simple rectangular roof, where standing seam is usually the better value.
Price
Priced for your roof
Pitch, shape, what comes off and how we reach the roof all move the price, so every roof is measured before we quote. For a number now, outline yours on the satellite map.
Specification
- Steel
- 26 to 28 gauge, Galvalume, PVDF
- Aluminum
- interlocking, lifetime-class warranties
- Underlayment
- synthetic over the full deck
- Minimum slope
- 3:12 (1 in 4) under the BC code for sheet metal shingles
Questions
Metal shingles and tiles questions
Do metal shingles look like metal from the street?
Not usually. Shake and slate profiles have deep stamping and matte finishes, and from the sidewalk most people take them for the material they imitate. Up close the regular pattern is visible. We bring samples and can point you to local roofs to look at.
Can metal shingles be installed over my old roof?
Some interlocking systems are designed to go over one layer of asphalt shingles on a sound deck, with an underlayment between. It saves the tear-off cost. We confirm the deck condition and layer count first, and we never go over cedar or two layers.
Are metal shingles cheaper than standing seam?
On a cut-up roof with many hips, valleys and dormers, often yes, because shingles waste less material and need fewer long custom panels. On a simple gable roof standing seam is usually the better value. The price ranges overlap at $12 to $22 per square foot; the shape of your roof decides.
Compare
Other metal systems
Standing seam metal roofing
Lasts 40 to 70 years
See details →
Exposed-fastener and corrugated panels
Lasts 30 to 50 years, with fastener checks
See details →
Aluminum, copper and zinc roofing
Lasts 50 to 100+ years
See details →Related services
Replace shingles or cedar with metal
Tear-off, deck repairs, new underlayment, flashings and a metal roof system on a house that had shingles, cedar shakes or torch-on.
See details →
Metal roof repair
Leaks at flashings and penetrations, backed-out screws, failed sealant, storm damage and rust spots on existing metal roofs of any make.
See details →
Roof ventilation and condensation control
Ridge vents, vented soffit, vapour barriers and anti-condensation underlays, so a metal roof stays dry from below as well as above.
See details →Guides
How much does a metal roof cost in BC's Lower Mainland?
Metal roof prices in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley in 2026: standing seam, metal shingles and corrugated per sq ft, whole-roof budgets and extras.
Read →
Metal roof vs asphalt shingles in BC: cost, lifespan and what matters here
Metal roofing against architectural shingles for a Lower Mainland house: installed cost, lifespan in our rain, moss, fire rating and when shingles still win.
Read →
Can you install a metal roof over shingles in BC?
Installing metal over existing asphalt shingles in BC: what the code and manufacturers say, when one layer is fine, when to tear off, and what it saves.
Read →Thinking about metal shingles?
Free in-person measure, written quote, no pressure after.