HomeMetal Roofing in Sioux Falls
Metal roofing in Sioux Falls
Metal roofing in Sioux Falls costs well above asphalt, sheds snow fast and can take a hail dent without leaking. The dent is the catch. Here is what each panel type needs, what the regional cost figures say, and how insurers in South Dakota treat a dented metal roof.
What kinds of metal roof go on Sioux Falls homes?
Four, mostly: standing seam panels, exposed-fastener panels with the screws through the face, metal shingles, and stone-coated steel.
Steel thickness is sold by gauge, and a lower number is thicker. Sellers name 24 gauge as the usual standing seam choice, while exposed-fastener panels come in 29, 26 or 24. One maker gives 0.0187 inches as the minimum for 26 gauge and 0.0142 inches for 29 gauge.
On an exposed-fastener roof, the screws hold it down in a storm. Wind resistance depends on how well they resist pulling out.
What paint finish should I ask for?
Ask which coating the panel has and what its warranty covers. The two common ones are PVDF (sold as Kynar) and SMP. Everything published on them comes from sellers: one PVDF maker’s standard terms are 40 years against peeling and 30 years against fade and chalk, and one contractor reports SMP starting to fade after 10 to 12 years. That contractor adds that 40-year SMP warranties usually cover only the paint staying stuck to the panel.
How flat can a metal roof be?
Standing seam can go lowest. Model code wording, read from a 2024 IRC-based state code (section R905.10.2), sets these minimum slopes:
| Metal roof type | Minimum slope |
|---|---|
| Standing seam panels | 1/4 inch per foot (1/4:12) |
| Lapped, unsoldered seams with lap sealant | 1/2:12 |
| Lapped, unsoldered seams without sealant | 3:12 |
| Metal roof shingles (R905.4.2) | 3:12 |
We could not confirm the same wording in the 2021 edition, and which edition covers a Sioux Falls permit today is unconfirmed. Ask Sioux Falls Building Services (605-367-8670) before you plan a low-slope metal roof.
Metal roof shingles are on the model code’s list of coverings that need an ice barrier at the eaves, and the city’s code table marks Sioux Falls as a place where one is required.
How much does a metal roof cost compared with shingles?
About $20,000 more in the region’s most recent survey. The 2025 Cost vs Value report puts a metal roof replacement at $50,520 in the West North Central region, against $30,693 for asphalt shingles.
| 2025 Cost vs Value | Job cost | Added resale value | Share recouped |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal, West North Central | $50,520 | $22,527 | 44.6% |
| Asphalt, West North Central | $30,693 | $16,650 | 54.2% |
| Metal, national | $51,865 | 50.1% | |
| Asphalt, national | $31,871 | 67.5% |
Sioux Falls is not one of the report’s listed cities. Rapid City is, and we did not capture the roof size the report prices, so use these to compare the two materials, not to budget your own roof.
The other figures point the same way. The Metal Roofing Alliance, a trade group, puts metal at roughly two to three times the cost of asphalt. A national cost guide’s South Dakota figures are $20,160 for metal and $6,763 for asphalt. A lead-generation site lists $7 to $13 a square foot for metal and $3 to $7 for asphalt, nationally, on a 2025 page.
No Sioux Falls price for metal was found. For asphalt, see what a shingle replacement costs here, and compare it with Class 4 impact resistant shingles.
Will snow slide off a metal roof?
Yes, and in a city that averages 45.3 inches of snow a year, that matters. The Metal Roofing Alliance says smooth metal profiles encourage snow to shed.
Picture what sits under the eaves: the front step, the driveway, a deck.
Snow guards hold it on the roof. The Metal Roofing Alliance says guards fit every metal roof style and can clip onto standing seams without drilling through. The Metal Construction Association says snow retention should be engineered for the roof, load-tested and built to last as long as the roof does. Ask the contractor where the guards go and who sized them.
Metal sheds snow, but ice dams start in the attic. Read about ice dams and winter roof leaks.
Will insurance pay if hail dents my metal roof?
Maybe not, if the roof still keeps water out. Some homeowner policies carry a cosmetic damage exclusion, and metal is where it bites.
Metal holds up well against hail. The Metal Roofing Alliance says most metal roofing earns a UL 2218 Class 4 rating. Field investigations summarized by the Metal Construction Association found panels dent but keep shedding water up to about 2.5 inch hail in most cases. DECRA, a stone-coated steel maker, warrants against hail punching through up to 2.5 inches.
The dents stay, though. Western National revised its South Dakota homeowner forms so its cosmetic roof exclusion covers “all metal components of a roof”, effective 1 April 2024 for new policies and 15 April 2024 for renewals. The same change pays wind and hail roof losses at actual cash value once the roof is 10 or more years old.
A federal appeals court has weighed in. In July 2026 the Eighth Circuit, which covers the federal courts in South Dakota, decided a case over hail-dented metal roofs on Minnesota school buildings with no leaks, under Minnesota law. The policy called cosmetic damage marring, pitting or other superficial damage that leaves the roof working as a barrier as well as before. The court said a dented roof that can no longer carry the same snow or wind load is more than cosmetic, and set aside the insurer’s win. A shorter roof life alone did not get the school around the exclusion.
That is one case on one policy, and this is general information, not legal advice. Before you buy a metal roof, ask your agent whether your policy has a cosmetic exclusion and get the endorsement in writing. Then read how roof claims work in South Dakota.
Can a metal roof go over my old shingles?
Sometimes. The Metal Roofing Alliance says metal “can often be installed over an existing roof”, and the model code allows metal panels as a recover in some cases.
The model code bars any recover where the old roof is water-soaked or worn out, where it already has two or more layers, over wood shake, slate or tile, or where the maker’s instructions forbid it. Sioux Falls Building Services can confirm the rule for your permit.
Check with your insurer first too. State Farm gives no impact-resistant roof discount on a roof laid over an old one, except certain qualifying metal roofs.
Questions about metal roofing in Sioux Falls
How long does a metal roof last?
The Metal Roofing Alliance, a trade group, says 30 to 50 years or more. An inspectors’ life chart gives metal 40 to 80 years. Neither figure comes from a Sioux Falls study.
Is a metal roof loud in the rain or hail?
The Metal Roofing Alliance says there is little difference in rain or hail noise between metal and other roofing. That is the trade group’s claim, and we found no independent test.
What gauge metal roof should I get?
Sellers name 24 gauge as the usual choice for standing seam. Exposed-fastener panels come in 29, 26 or 24 gauge, and the lower number is thicker steel.
Is metal or asphalt better for hail?
Most metal roofing carries a Class 4 rating and keeps out water after most hail, but it dents. Some South Dakota policies exclude cosmetic damage to metal, so check yours before you choose.
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