Exposed-fastener panels — often called screw-down or ag panels — cost less and install faster, and they suit outbuildings, barns and budget-conscious projects around West Cobb. The trade-off is written into the design: thousands of gasketed screws penetrate the panels, and those rubber washers age, crack and need eventual renewal to prevent leaks. We install these systems where they fit, and we tell owners plainly that the lower price buys a maintenance obligation that standing seam avoids.
Metal punishes sloppy detailing. Panels need correct underlayment rated for high temperatures, because dark metal in Georgia sun gets genuinely hot; flashing around chimneys, valleys and wall junctions is custom-bent for your roof, not generic trim bent to fit approximately; and panel layout must anticipate thermal movement at eaves and penetrations. We also verify attic ventilation against the 1/150 baseline, since a hot, unvented attic under metal stresses the whole assembly. These are the line items that separate a forty-year roof from a fifteen-year disappointment.
At October 2026 prices — metal $10–$16 per square foot against architectural shingle at $4.50–$7.00, typical shingle jobs $12,000–$22,000 — metal's premium is real. It pencils out when you plan to stay in the home long enough to avoid a second shingle replacement, when wind exposure is high, or when the look itself is the point, such as porch and accent roofs paired with shingle fields. If you expect to sell within a decade, we will tell you shingles are usually the smarter spend. That honesty is the whole business model.
