Metal Roof Pros and Cons for Ontario, CA Homes

The Pros That Hold Up in Ontario

Some of the classic selling points of metal fit this town well. Others were written for snow country.

Long life. The InterNACHI life expectancy chart lists metal at 40 to 80 years. It puts a 3 tab asphalt shingle at about 20 and an architectural shingle at about 30.² The same chart warns that hot climates drastically cut asphalt shingle life. Ontario averages about 93 days a year at 90 degrees or more, by our math from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the airport.⁶ That heat is hard on shingles and a lot easier on painted steel.

Light weight. The Metal Roofing Alliance says metal weighs about half as much as asphalt.³ Standard concrete tile weighs about 9 1/2 to 12 pounds per square foot, while asphalt shingles weigh about 2 1/2 to 4.¹² So a tile house that goes to metal sheds a lot of load off its framing. A shingle house that goes to metal sheds a little.

Fire. State Farm notes that metal doesn't burn and carries a Class A fire rating.¹ In a Santa Ana wind with embers in the air, that matters. Just know that most roofs in town already clear that bar, which we cover below.

Low upkeep, if it's the right panel. A good standing seam roof has no exposed screws in the field. There's less to reseal and less to chase. That's the difference between a metal roof you forget about and one you climb up to check every few years.

The Cons Nobody Prices In

The price. The Metal Roofing Alliance says to expect roughly two to three times what an asphalt shingle roof costs.³ The 2025 Cost vs Value report shows it in real numbers for the Los Angeles area. A metal reroof costs $62,069 there, against $36,417 for asphalt shingles.⁴

That metal job is a big one. The report's project is 3,000 square feet of standing seam over a full tear off, with ice and water shield at the edges and valleys and a synthetic underlayment.⁵ A smaller ranch house would cost less. But the gap between metal and shingles is the part to look at.

The payback at resale. In that same Los Angeles data, asphalt shingles get back 73.6% of their cost in home value, and metal gets back 48.7%.⁴ Metal adds more dollars, $30,228 against $26,804, but you pay a lot more to get there.⁴ If you plan to sell in five years, that math matters more than a 60 year lifespan.

Oil canning. That's the wavy look you sometimes see in the flat part of a metal panel. The Metal Construction Association calls it elastic buckling and says no maker, fabricator or installer can promise to fully prevent it.⁷ The bulletin notes it can be hard to measure but may show up under certain light. Ask to see a finished roof in the same panel and color, in low sun, before you sign.

Dents and scratches. State Farm lists denting from big hail or falling branches as a con, mostly with softer metals like aluminum and copper.¹ Steel holds up better. A scratched finish should be touched up before it starts to rust.

The Biggest Problem Is Usually the Screws

Ask a roofer what goes wrong with metal and you'll hear about screws. There are two very different kinds of metal roof, and they fail in different ways.

Exposed fastener panels are screwed straight through the face of the metal. Each screw has a rubber washer that seals the hole. They're cheaper to buy and faster to put on. They're also the source of most metal roof leak complaints, because every screw is a small hole you're trusting a washer to seal.

Standing seam panels hide the fasteners under raised seams that lock together. The panels can move a little as they heat and cool. They cost more, which is a big part of why that Los Angeles job came in at $62,069.⁴⁵

Heat is why this matters so much here. State Farm says temperature swings can loosen fasteners over time.¹ Ontario's August averages a high of 94.9 and a low of 65.2, a swing of about 30 degrees on a normal day.⁶ A panel that grows and shrinks that much, day after day, works on every screw that pins it down.

California's code also sets rules for the fasteners. Steel roofs need galvanized fasteners unless the maker says otherwise, and stainless steel fasteners are allowed on metal roofs.⁸ Ask what screws and washers are going on, and what the panel maker calls for.

Rain Noise and Heat in a Dry, Hot Town

Rain noise is the con everyone asks about first. In Ontario it barely makes the list.

The Metal Roofing Alliance says there's little difference between metal and other roofs in rain or hail once the roof is put on right.³ State Farm adds that it can be louder without insulation.¹ Either way, it only matters when it rains. NOAA's normals for Ontario airport show about 20 days a year with a tenth of an inch of rain or more, and about 11.6 inches of rain in a normal year.⁶ Solid decking and a full attic of insulation take care of most of the rest.

Heat is the bigger story. The Metal Roofing Alliance says metal can save 10 to 40% on energy costs, with cool metal coatings doing the best.³ That claim leans on the finish. A dark, plain finish can soak up sun.

California has a rule for that. Every Ontario ZIP code is in Energy Code climate zone 10.^10] Under the 2025 Energy Code, which took effect January 1, 2026, a new pitched roof on a house in zones 4 and 8 through 15 needs an aged solar reflectance of at least 0.20 and a thermal emittance of at least 0.75, or a Solar Reflectance Index of at least 16.9 There are exceptions. Among them are a ceiling with at least R-38 insulation, an attic radiant barrier, or, in zone 10, a house with no ducts in the attic.⁹ So pick a color with a cool roof rating, or know which exception your house meets, before you fall for a black panel. Our post on [roof colors and home value goes deeper on the color side.

Tile, Shingle or Metal on an Ontario House

Most Ontario homes aren't choosing metal against nothing. They're choosing it against the concrete tile or shingles already on the house.

Coming off concrete tile. California's residential code says a new roof can't be laid over an existing roof of slate, clay, cement or asbestos cement tile.^8] So tile to metal means a full tear off of the tile and paper, then new underlayment and panels. Compare that with keeping the tile. Clay and concrete tile is rated for 100 years or more,2 and on a lot of tile homes the tile is fine and only the paper under it is worn out. That's a [tile underlayment replacement, and it often keeps the look your street already has. Our tile roofing page covers both paths.

Coming off shingles. The Metal Roofing Alliance says metal can often go over an existing roof.^3] The code still says no to a recover where the old roof is water soaked or worn out, or where there are already two or more layers.8 Plenty of older shingle roofs in town fail one of those tests. Then it's a tear off either way, and the price gap between metal and new [shingle roofing is the real choice.

Low slope sections. Standing seam metal can go as low as a quarter inch of rise per foot. Lapped panels with no sealant need a 3 in 12 slope, and metal shingles need 3 in 12 too.⁸ Patio covers and low additions are where that matters. A low slope roof also faces a much tougher cool roof bar in zone 10, an aged reflectance of 0.63.⁹

HOA rules. A lot of newer Ontario tracts have an HOA with an architectural review. Read your CC&Rs before you sign anything. A metal roof that the board turns down is an expensive mistake.

The Insurance Discount Myth in California

National articles love to say a metal roof cuts your home insurance. In California the fire part of that story is weaker than it sounds.

The state's Safer from Wildfires program counts a Class A fire rated roof as one of its steps toward an insurance discount.¹¹ But the Department of Insurance says most roofs qualify, including asphalt shingles, concrete tile and metal. Only wood shake shingles don't.¹¹ So if you already have tile or shingles, switching to metal doesn't earn you a fire roof step you didn't already have.

The code says the same thing from the other side. In fire hazard severity zones, when more than half the roof is replaced in a year, the whole roof covering has to be at least Class A.⁸ Metal meets it. So do the roofs on most Ontario homes.

If an insurer offers a discount just for metal, get it in writing with the dollar amount. Then weigh it against the extra $25,652 the Los Angeles data shows metal costing over shingles.⁴

When a Metal Roof Makes Sense Here

Metal earns its price in Ontario when a few things line up.

You'll stay a long time. A roof rated for 40 to 80 years² pays off over decades, not over a five year stay. At 48.7% cost recouped at resale,⁴ a quick sale leaves money on the table.

You're tearing off anyway. If the old roof has to come off, the gap between the options shrinks to the material and labor alone.

You want standing seam, not screw down panels. On a house, the hidden fastener system is the one that matches the long life numbers. A cheap exposed fastener roof brings back the screw problem.

The color passes the cool roof rule, or your house meets an exception.⁹

If you're weighing a full roof replacement in Ontario or the west Inland Empire, call Ontario Roofing at (909) 404-9464 for a free written estimate, with photos of what we find.