Our Metal Roof Installation Process, Step by Step

What Happens at Each Installation Step?

Each step below explains what the crew does and why it matters on a Texas roof. The details apply to standing seam; notes for exposed-fastener panels follow later.

1. Tear-Off and Disposal

The crew strips everything down to bare decking, including the old underlayment, drip edge and worn flashing. Debris goes straight into a dumpster or trailer instead of onto the lawn, and loose nails are picked up as we go.

Can metal go over shingles instead? Sometimes, but in Texas we usually recommend a tear-off. It exposes rot, lets us re-fasten the deck and avoids trapping heat under the new roof. Our guide on metal roofs over shingles covers the tradeoffs.

2. Deck Inspection and Repair

With the deck bare, we walk every sheet. Soft spots, delaminated plywood, rotted edges and loose sheathing get replaced or re-fastened, and damaged areas are photographed for your records.

Standing seam needs a flat deck. Humps and dips telegraph through the flat pans as oil canning, so this step protects the finished look as well as the structure.

3. High-Temperature Underlayment

Metal roofs in Texas run hot, so the underlayment must be rated for it. Many ordinary synthetics and self-stick membranes are rated only to about 180 to 240 degrees F; we use high-temperature products rated roughly 240 to 265 degrees F.

Self-adhered high-temp membrane goes wherever water concentrates: eaves, valleys, penetrations and low-slope areas. The field gets high-temp synthetic or full membrane, depending on slope, and mechanically seamed roofs at 3/12 and under get Pro HT underlayment, as the panel data calls for.

4. Eave and Rake Trim

Edge metal goes on before any panel. Eave trim throws water clear of the fascia and gives each panel a hem to lock onto, while rake trim closes the gable edges and holds the outer panels.

Both come from our shop, bent to the roof’s pitch and fascia depth. Our eave flashing page shows the profiles.

5. Valley and Wall Flashing

Valleys carry more water than any other part of a roof. We set a full-width metal valley over self-adhered membrane, and panel ends are hemmed and cleated so water cannot creep back.

Where the roof meets a wall, sidewall and headwall flashing go in, with counterflashing or a reglet cut into masonry, so water runs over the trim and never behind it. See our metal flashing work for the full range.

6. Clip Layout and Expansion

Standing seam panels are held by concealed clips, not screws through the panel. Clip spacing comes from the engineering or the panel tables, and it tightens near eaves, rakes and ridges where uplift peaks.

Steel panels grow and shrink with temperature, and a DFW roof swings from freezing mornings to blazing afternoons. On long runs, panels are pinned at one point and ride on floating clips elsewhere, so they slide instead of buckling. On longer panels we also recommend stiffening ribs to minimize oil canning.

7. Panel Installation and Seaming

Panels are formed to the exact run length, either in Mesquite or right at your house on our mobile roll former, so most slopes need no end laps at all. The crew squares the first panel to the eave, then locks each panel over its clips.

Snap lock seams close by pressing them together along their length. Mechanical lock seams are folded to 90 or 180 degrees with a motorized seamer, which is why mechanical lock is rated down to 1/2:12. Seaming to specification is also what qualifies a roof for the optional third-party weather-tightness warranty an owner can purchase.

8. Ridge and Hip Caps

At the top, panel ends are closed with profile-matched closures and sealant, then capped. A vented ridge is available where the attic needs exhaust, and it pairs with intake at the soffits.

Hip caps follow the same approach along each hip, bent in our shop to the exact angle where two slopes meet. The Z-closure details are on our flashing page.

9. Penetrations and Pipe Boots

Vent pipes, exhaust stacks and skylights are where many metal roof leaks begin. Round pipes get a flexible boot that conforms to the panel, set in sealant and fastened, and larger penetrations get a fabricated curb or cricket so water flows around them instead of pooling.

Chimneys receive step and counterflashing, a cricket when they are wide, and, if you want one, a custom cap built while the crew is on the roof.

10. Cleanup and Final Inspection

Every day ends with debris picked up and open areas dried in. At the end, we clean the yard and driveway, check every seam, fastener line and flashing, and touch up scratches with matched paint.

Then we walk the finished roof with you. That walkthrough opens the final stages of our customer process.

What Changes for Installs in Dallas-Fort Worth?

Heat, hail and spring storms shape how we detail every DFW roof, and local permits matter too.

• Heat: North Texas sees roughly twenty 100-degree days in a typical year, so clips and underlayment are chosen for big temperature swings.
• Storms: in spring we plan tear-off so each section can be dried in before the crew leaves, which keeps an afternoon storm off the bare deck.
• Hail: thicker 24-gauge steel dents less, and Class 4 ratings belong to specific tested assemblies.
• Permits: Dallas issues re-roof permits for whole-roof replacements, Fort Worth wants a building permit, and each suburb sets its own rules.

Insurance adds paperwork. If you want an impact-resistance credit, keep the product labels and our installation documentation; each carrier sets its own credit, as our Class 4 metal roofing page explains.

Free Estimate

Tell us about your roof and we will measure it, explain the installation plan and send a written, itemized estimate.