Thank you meldy for you very helpful response. Just out of curiosity, what is the approximate cost comparison of concrete shingles to metal and asphalt? Any special underlayment materials or prep required?

Another "pro": a metal roof may qualify for Energy Star tax credits. The energy saving is dependent upon the emissivity/solar reflectance qualities of a given roof material and color. I LOVE my red metal roof, and the added bonus is its high solar reflective value for our hot summers. FWIW, our roof manufacturer is Englert.
We were also interested in collecting rain water into a cistern for our garden, and metal roofing is primo for that...asphalt shingles are ill-advised due to the petroleum base.

Here is a link that might be useful: Energy Star

I haven't compared the cost of concrete to the cost of metal (personal taste does not favor metal). BTW, the finish on a friend's metal roof was damaged during a storm last year; read your warranty carefully and allow for the inconvenience of possible replacements.

Depending on whose concrete shingles against whose asphalt shingles, 2005 cost for concrete ranges from only slightly more expensive than the best available asphalt (50 year warranty), to OMG-more expensive. Because of local availability, installation fees, and shipping costs, I would expect the actual total expense to vary considerably from one locale to another. [That's for the original outlay; double or treble the cost of the shingles for a truer comparison over the minimal life expectancy.]

We've been living with a metal roof for the last 4 years. One thing that we did not anticipate is the way snow and ice tends to come off in avalanche mode. There is a rumbling sound then a wall of ice and/or snow comes down. It can be controlled somewhat with by adding projections (not sure what they are called) to contain the ice. However, before I understood that I needed to have every vent and chimney braced we had one chimney and a couple of vents sheared off.

snow guards is the term for it

White metal roofs are good for hot climates as they don't absorb the heat like dark roofs do.
invest in higher gage (thickness) make sure that you have the proper overlap from sheet to sheet. ( unless standing seam...very costly) long life.
in about 10 years the gaskets on the screws will deteriorate..so factor in cost of changing screws.

all in all...I have a metal roof..heck its been on the house 40 years...only problmes were latest hurricane
that blew off the facia board and wind got under 2 sheets
& lifted them off.

go for it if you can afford it.
also look for metal roof mfgs in your area
they sell sections that are one or two shades different
for a lesser cost, and you just put these to the rear of the house where they won't show..

best of luck.

To followup to Blindstar, another problem we had with the snow issue was that it took off our newly installed gutters. Perhaps there is a way to have them specially installed?? Also, our house was not heated at the time, so I don't know if that had an impact. Thanks for the headsup about the vents being sheared off, blindstar, I'll look into those braces!

We don't hear the rain in the house.

I found that all of the building supply houses were willing to match each other's prices on metal roofing, so I was able to get the best deal possible. Ours is from a local manufacturer, which really affected the price (not so much shipping, etc).

Most of it was installed by DH (use a harness!!), but the skylights and the steeper pitch were done by an experienced contractor, who then double-checked DH's work. Best of both worlds. But check with them first, many contractors, for obvious reasons, won't do this. The only reason they do this for us is because DH is a GC.

Thanks everyone for the responses so far.

I talked with a person this week who is building a new house and said he also had considered metal roofing but in the end went with asphalt shingles. He said that his research on the same subject of metal vs. whatever is that the washers (neoprene? I don't know) located just under the head of the nail which secures the roof will only last about 15 years and eventually they will all fail requiring all new nails, washers, installation. That may not be a big expensive job but I'm not sure I want the 15 year clock to start ticking with the first panel of metal roofing I install. Installed correctly, I think any higher quality roofing material should be worry for at least 20-25 years. Any thoughts?

Here is a link that might be useful: My photo galleries

When you discuss metal roofing you must make a distinction between the different kinds available. The first distinction is the method of attachment. The basic types are concealed fasteners and exposed fasteners.

The neoprene washer you mention is used in less expensive exposed fastener systems. These systems not only rely on the longevity of the washers, the fasteners also constrain the panels from expanding and contracting which can eventually result in leaks at the fasteners.

Concealed fasteners involve standing and/or folded seams with various methods of sealing the seams. These systems are more expensive but will last considerably longer.

Comparing metal roofing to asphalt roofing without making distinctions about the systems is pointless. If longevity and low maintenance is important to you and you can't afford the better quality metal roofing systems I would recommend full coverage with Ice & Water Shield and good quality laminated asphalt shingles.

The cost difference may not factor in as some had mentioned. We had originally planned to have 30 year dimensional asphalt shingles on our main roof and to do snap-lock metal on our two small porches. When shopping for the metal, we decided to have the job bid to compare cost vs. our time. The company gave us a bid for the entire house which came about $500 over the original asphalt bid - from September of 2008, with a different company. We told the first company to match the price or we wouldn't use them - they matched w/a better product, traditional standing seam metal and custom flashing for our skylights and are one of the more reputable roofers in our area.
So shop around. As far as longevity, my parents live in a 120 year old house w/the original roof. It gets painted about every 8-10 years for about $2000, depending on how badly it needs painting (if the paint starts to flake and peel it requires more prep work). Surrounded by several large oaks it has had many (large) branches fall on it with out a leak. Ever. No gutters to get ripped off by snow either!
Our standing seam has a 25year paint warranty and the seams should be water tight as it is bent in the field. For me, cost was a deterrent in the beginning, but I love the look and sound of a metal roof. It looks like home to me! Good luck!

Just met with a roofing contractor last evening....

Now I installed my current asphalt shingle roof (one story with 6/12 pitch, about 15 squares) 25 years ago, and it's time for a new one. I won't be doing it again.

The contractor showed a new-to-me product: metal shingles, as opposed to the standing-seam metal roof. It has the look of 'dimensional' asphalt shingles, but many times the life expectancy. It's guaranteed for 50 years with a probable life of 70. Not bad.... Plus, it has been tested to withstand 120 mph winds. It screws down rather than being nailed down. Plus, it's about as resistant to external fires as a roof can be.

However, the cost.... The contractor quoted a price of about $12,000 - that's $800 a square! - whereas another roofer quoted a mere $3000 for an architectural-grade asphalt shingle roof. That's only $200 a square.

I guess it all comes down to how long you plan to own the house. For me, my house is probably a tear-down if sold. (Small house, big lot in an expensive neighborhood) So despite the benefits and durability of the metal roofing, I probably go with the asphalt....

If you do choose to do that as well, check the materials/construction of the shingles closely. About 15 years ago, the asphalt content of shingles was reduced dramatically, shortening their life....

Cheers

I must have missed the dramatic reduction in asphalt content of shingles 15 years ago. How do these shingles meet ASTM D-3462 and/or D-225?

If you are referring to manufacturers starting to make asphalt shingles with fiberglass mats (in addition to making shingles with organic felt mats) and the resulting lesser requirement for asphalt content, that happened 40 years ago and you can still select a heavy organic felt shingle if you really want one. Both types have their advantages and disadvantages and you should specify and/or look for the UL symbol or other quality assurances to protect yourself.

Karl Cash says in his book, "Roofing Failures", that the biggest problem with metal roofs is "points of fixity" such as fasteners, clips, and penetrations because of the thermal movement of metal roofing that must be accommodated (it cannot be stopped). Intricate flashing details and neoprene washers exposed to the weather have limited success.

He recommends avoiding face fasteners, using single metal sheets from ridge to eave, installing a watertight, flexible expansion joint at the ridge, severely limiting the number of deck penetrations keeping them small and flexible, and to not use sealants to solve waterproofing detail problems that should have longer-term mechanical solutions.

In general, metal roofing requires a far higher level of installation expertise than asphalt shingle roofing so choose the installer carefully and specify the work properly.

We put a bright galvalume metal roof on our old house. I estimate it saved us $50 a month in the summer in cooling costs here in cent fl. It was a simple gable roof structure...very easy to do. Would have liked to have used metal on our new home but it's lots of hips...very costly with all the waste of cutting. Used plywood roof decking with radiant barrier and I think it's close to the savings I'd have gotten with a metal roof. I really like metal, though.

Also, be mindful where your house will be sited as when we had our "little house in the woods" every Spring the tree pollen would cover the metal roof in kind of a haze. We had a steep pitch metal roof and it was hazardous to go up there and clean! Overall, I think they are good but I don't like them on some houses; just a style factor. When we built our new house we decided metal would not "suit" the style of the home so we chose asphalt. Good Luck!

We love ours - 4 years now. In Texas you get a yearly 20-25% reduction in your homeowner's policy for a metal roof IF IT IS installed by a certified installer. We get 24% from our ins. company. That's a significant yearly payback.

It also offloads the daytime heat buildup many times faster at night than asphalt does, resulting in greatly reduced cooling loads overnight.

We are about to have metal roofing put on our house. Can anyone tell me about noise from the rain. I like the sound, but how loud can it get? Any regrets?

thanks