Metal roofing in The Villages to satisfy current insurance issues?

[PoolBrews]

I think it's time we started a movement to get The Villages to allow metal roofs along with asphalt shingled roofs. Metal roofs last a minimum of 3x longer, and the current issue with cancellations due to a roof being over 10 years old would be gone.

I think they look great (there are metal roof styles that look like shingles, look like tile, etc), and once installed are pretty much carefree for 40-50 years.

I had a metal roof in GA, and I was surprised that it was actually quieter than a shingle roof during rain and hail. I never had an issue with it.

Thoughts?

[Topspinmo]

Well, IMO you’re right, but I’m wondering if there roofer in the family? IMO absolutely NO reason homeowners can’t choose metal roof. But, here only the developers can have metal roofs.

[tophcfa]

FYI, I am a big fan of metal roofs and have been considering one for our Villages home. I called the ARC and inquired about being allowed to install one under the deed restrictions in CDD1. I was told approval is on a case by case basis and that specifying the roofs cosmetic style (color, faux shingle versus seamed) in the application would help in the approval process. I then called T&D (our turn key swimming pool installer) about removing our pools solar heating system and reinstalling it on a new metal roof. They said they do NOT install solar on metal roofs. I don’t think it is because solar can’t be put on metal, but rather because metal roofs are so rare in the Villages they aren’t trained for that application and don’t have the critical mass to make it worth the effort to learn.

[villagetinker]

I believe that you can get ARC approval for the metal roofs that look like shingles, however, the last time i checked these were 2 to 3 times more expensive. This was a quick check and NOT a detailed estimate. Here is my point, our roof is just over 9 years old, in theory, we will get 5 or 6 more years out of it before replacement. At that point a new shingle roof will probably outlive both of us. So, the investment in a metal roof goes to the future buyer or whomever inherits the house.
The metal roof would be a great option for the original roof, or if you are a younger buyer/owner. I will continue to follow this, to see the possible impact on insurance rates, and installation costs.

[vintageogauge]

Steel and aluminum prices are the highest they have ever been and I would hate to know what it would cost today to have them installed if they are even available. I've been in the steel business my entire adult life and have never seen anything like what is happening in the industry today. There were shortages in 1973/74 but nothing like today.

[DAVES]

Steel and aluminum prices are the highest they have ever been and I would hate to know what it would cost today to have them installed if they are even available. I've been in the steel business my entire adult life and have never seen anything like what is happening in the industry today. There were shortages in 1973/74 but nothing like today.

Far as cost, it is hard to understand INFLATION. Today compared to 1973-74 it takes roughly six dollars to buy what a dollar did then. Not just materials but labor is also way up. Of course the same is true of asphalt shingles. Underlayment. Our previous home had tongue and grove, selected rot resistant lumber. That material, you would need a second mortgage on the house to buy it. Someone who knows how to use it-a wooden boat builder place perhaps. Today they do not even use plywood they use chip board-glued together scraps of wood.

Also, hard to face. Average age in the villages is 70. A roof that will last 40-50 years?

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

We have a metal roof and we're very happy with it. Unfortunately, we're in a manufactured home and only 2 companies will insure them. High deductible, low payout for damage or destruction, and high premium.

[thevillages2013]

They do exist on homes in TV however there are very few. There is one in Bridgeport at Laurel Valley and I know I have seen more (just can’t remember where). The townhouses in Spanish Springs on Avenida de las Casas have a mix of metal and shingle roofs.

[noslices1]

I think it's time we started a movement to get The Villages to allow metal roofs along with asphalt shingled roofs. Metal roofs last a minimum of 3x longer, and the current issue with cancellations due to a roof being over 10 years old would be gone.

I think they look great (there are metal roof styles that look like shingles, look like tile, etc), and once installed are pretty much carefree for 40-50 years.

I had a metal roof in GA, and I was surprised that it was actually quieter than a shingle roof during rain and hail. I never had an issue with it.

Thoughts?

And they make excellent lightning rods too.

[Villages Kahuna]

Knowing that we’d need a new asphalt roof on our 15-year-old Mallory house fairly soon, I checked on a metal roof a year or so ago. The cost then was a multiple of an asphalt replacement. We had a solar heating system for our pool which was installed by Joe’s Solar when the house was new, which probably would have to also be replaced. I didn’t consider punching all the new nails thru a metal roof for the solar system, so I stopped my research. And now the cost of steel and probabably asphalt has probably multiplied, so I’ve stopped my research. At our age there may not be any sense in overspending for a roof for the next two owners of the house. We’re waiting for the leaks to guide us into a descision.

[me4vt]

Metal or not, Florida insurance makes you change out every 15 years.

[jebartle]

They do exist on homes in TV however there are very few. There is one in Bridgeport at Laurel Valley and I know I have seen more (just can’t remember where). The townhouses in Spanish Springs on Avenida de las Casas have a mix of metal and shingle roofs.

Also, Village of Caroline

[Nucky]

We have a Manufacturer Home with a Membrane, Metal Roof Mix. We have a great Insurance Company with a $500 Hurricane Deductible at a reasonable rate. After all as much as I love living here and love my neighborhood and our home we did buy a tin can in the area where a hurricane is much more likely than it was in the Tri-State area that we come from. I made the decision to buy what I bought and don’t have any regret or concern at all.

We had planned to keep this home and move into a Patio Or CYV between the Morse Gate and 466 last year but medical circumstances prevented that from happening. That’s just life. Every house we had looked at was coming close to having the roof at its serviceable end. Frank D'Angelo tipped me off about the roofs in Florida as a major issue and warned me to pull a permit for any and all work we were going to do. Up north because of the terrible property taxes we routinely did not pull permits because the township would raise your taxes even higher.

My best bet is the OP will be granted the “Metal” roof approval that they seek and I think it’s a wonderful idea to do so. Thanks for a great thread OP!

[merrymini]

I wonder if these rules that apply to metal roofs apply to Tesla roofs too. Also very expensive but looks great and powers a battery pack in the garage.

[Lindaws]

You can get a metal roof. Clear it with ARC. There is one in Hemingway.

[Guitarman1951]

We have houses here in the village of Caroline that have metal roofs so I would assume that they are allowed. As soon as our regular roof hits 10 or 12 years old (8 yrs old from when Corning replaced our roof due to defective shingles), and the insurance company wants to cancel me, I definitely am pursuing the metal roof option.

[diva1]

There is a home with a metal roof on Prado Dr. in CDD 1. Had it for years. It is blue.

[Joe C.]

Metal roofs are not "lightning rods" ...... perhaps if the roof was grounded it might be, but otherwise, no.

[Boston1945]

Metal or not, Florida insurance makes you change out every 15 years.

NOT true. Today the insurance company gives you a discount on your policy for installing metal roofs.

[MandoMan]

I think it's time we started a movement to get The Villages to allow metal roofs along with asphalt shingled roofs. Metal roofs last a minimum of 3x longer, and the current issue with cancellations due to a roof being over 10 years old would be gone.

I think they look great (there are metal roof styles that look like shingles, look like tile, etc), and once installed are pretty much carefree for 40-50 years.

I had a metal roof in GA, and I was surprised that it was actually quieter than a shingle roof during rain and hail. I never had an issue with it.

Thoughts?

Asphalt shingles last much longer than ten years. If they are the stronger, more expensive architectural shingles, they last five years longer than regular shingles. Ten year life is about right for asphalt roll roofing, which is not acceptable here. Fiberglass shingles last even longer. Asphalt and fiberglass shingles are all acceptable in The Villages. The threat of insurance cancellations for roofs over ten years old is NOT because the shingles are unsafe or likely to leak. It’s simply because roofers and shady lawyers have a scheme to get lots of extra work by getting “free roofs” for homeowners for what in Florida is generally normal wear and tear. (Of course shingles wear a bit with age—so do we.) The insurance companies pay up when the letter arrives from the lawyer, rather than face the cost of lawsuits. The ten year thing is the insurance company’s self preservation measure.

“Vented properly and installed correctly, you should get around 80-85% of the life span out of an asphalt roof. That means you can expect to get about 20-22 years out of your 3-tab shingle roof and 25-28 years out of your dimensional shingles.” That’s about right.

I had high-quality metal roofs on two homes in Pennsylvania for thirty years, and I loved them. (Not the shingle-shaped ones—I don’t like those at all, and I consider them more of a problem in Florida. They are also easy to damage when you walk on them.) Mine were supposed to be good for fifty years, but the warrantee was prorated and for the original owner. I didn’t even bother to send in the paperwork. There were also metal roofs that looked similar in the beginning, but were thinner, with finishes that faded more or peeled. They are all more expensive than shingles. I’d guess my roof was twice what I would have paid for architectural shingles, but my home’s roof pitch was 1.5 in 12, and shingles wouldn’t have been ideal there.

One thing about metal roofing worth keeping in mind is that if your home is hit with ice cube-size hail, which is certainly possible here, the hail can do the same to the roof that it does to a car. I had a car habit by a hail like that, and the metal looked a bit like a giant golf ball. The insurance company would have totaled it, but I drove it with no trouble for another seven years. The roof still works just fine with hail damage, but if roofers and lawyers and homeowners collude again to get new roofs from the insurance companies, we’ll have the same problem we have now.

By the way, a metal roof is louder than a shingle roof if you are in the attic during a heavy rain. Utterly deafening. The drywall and fiberglass cut out most of that. In one home I had a cathedral ceiling throughout and solid 8” foam insulating panels. It was much louder during a rain than when I had an attic and 16” of blown virgin fiberglass.

[Gunny2403]

I will say this, my company in Pittsburgh installs metal roof. 4-5 times more expensive to install. Many competitors sell a metal roof at prices that are exorbitant and predatory. A metal roof sticks out among asphalt roofs. The entire neighborhood would need to have metal roofs to keep a consistent look.

[nob77@comcast.net]

I think it's time we started a movement to get The Villages to allow metal roofs along with asphalt shingled roofs. Metal roofs last a minimum of 3x longer, and the current issue with cancellations due to a roof being over 10 years old would be gone.

I think they look great (there are metal roof styles that look like shingles, look like tile, etc), and once installed are pretty much carefree for 40-50 years.

I had a metal roof in GA, and I was surprised that it was actually quieter than a shingle roof during rain and hail. I never had an issue with it.

Thoughts?

There is a home around the block from me that was recently replaced with a metal roof.

[Alana33]

We have houses here in the village of Caroline that have metal roofs so I would assume that they are allowed. As soon as our regular roof hits 10 or 12 years old (8 yrs old from when Corning replaced our roof due to defective shingles), and the insurance company wants to cancel me, I definitely am pursuing the metal roof option.

Why use metal or shingles at all?

I lived in the Virgin Islands and no one has these shingles on their roofs.
My home there was built in 1963 and has a wooden roof which is covered by a paint membrane conducive to water collection into our cisterns for drinking water.
It's been thru numerous tropical storms and hurricanes and luckily has remained intact.
You only have to pressure wash and re-coat the roof every 5-6 years depending on the product you use.

There are many clay tile roofs, metal roofs but not a single shingled roof that is so prevalent here in Florida.
Nor are any insurance companies breathing down your neck to replace a roof due to age. Ditto for HOA's.I

Is there a law against having a simple wooden, membrane coated roof in FL?

[DCTheVillages]

They do exist on homes in TV however there are very few. There is one in Bridgeport at Laurel Valley and I know I have seen more (just can’t remember where). The townhouses in Spanish Springs on Avenida de las Casas have a mix of metal and shingle roofs.

How do you delete a post?

[ProfessorDave]

Metal Roofs - in actuality - typically do not last longer than asphalt roofing. It is a perception - not faulting anybody for believing it - but - I was in the industry - nationally.

Reality about Metal Roofs...

a) Shed Weather... not weatherproofing material. The weatherproofing material is underneath. Since most people never see it - roofing contractors very often cheat - and put cheap material there. Cheap material (like felt) deteriorate from both heat and moisture.

b) They Dent... from hail. Then they look ugly. Most insurance has an exclusion for simply cosmetic.

c) Fire... if the fire is from within the house - metal roofs act like an oven. Fire spreads quickly - and very hot.

If you look at manufacturer warranties - metal and asphalt roofing is about the same: "LIFETIME"

Therefore - the issue isn't that asphalt shingle.
The issue is "public adjusters" sometimes working together with "pro roofers" - and getting insurance claims for wind and hail damage that is questionable - at best. There is a big potential liability for insurance companies questioning public adjusters. It's really a mess.

Hope this helps!

[retiredguy123]

I would stay with the asphalt shingles because they are the norm in The Villages. If you have roof damage, almost any roofer can repair it and match the shingles, even the color. But, if you need to repair a metal roof, you may have trouble finding a roofer and/or replacement shingles. Also, there is no guarantee that you will be able to insure a metal roof for a longer time period than an asphalt shingle roof. Insurance companies and their rules come and go. I would also be concerned with resale value. Some buyers are skeptical of different products. I would be. And, if you spend half as much for an asphalt shingle roof, you will save enough money to buy another roof. So, what is the point?

[DaleDivine]

I believe that you can get ARC approval for the metal roofs that look like shingles, however, the last time i checked these were 2 to 3 times more expensive. This was a quick check and NOT a detailed estimate. Here is my point, our roof is just over 9 years old, in theory, we will get 5 or 6 more years out of it before replacement. At that point a new shingle roof will probably outlive both of us. So, the investment in a metal roof goes to the future buyer or whomever inherits the house.
The metal roof would be a great option for the original roof, or if you are a younger buyer/owner. I will continue to follow this, to see the possible impact on insurance rates, and installation costs.

Best point made so far...
:bigbow::bigbow:

[Nighmom]

I totally agree. We replaced our roof here in TV. We have a metal roof on our home in Wisconsin, and wanted to have one put on here. It is lovely, and looks like a tiled roof. We were very disappointed that we couldn't do that here.

Leslie Nigh
Allhambra Village

I think it's time we started a movement to get The Villages to allow metal roofs along with asphalt shingled roofs. Metal roofs last a minimum of 3x longer, and the current issue with cancellations due to a roof being over 10 years old would be gone.

I think they look great (there are metal roof styles that look like shingles, look like tile, etc), and once installed are pretty much carefree for 40-50 years.

I had a metal roof in GA, and I was surprised that it was actually quieter than a shingle roof during rain and hail. I never had an issue with it.

Thoughts?

[Villages Kahuna]

At my age I’m not willing to pay a big premium price for a roof that will outlive me by 30+ years.

[davem4616]

There seems to be quite a few metal roofs in that upscale village between Morse Blvd and Sumter Landing town square......