What the Work Involves on a San Ramon Home
We strip the old asphalt shingle, architectural shingle, three-tab shingle, wood shake, or cedar shake down to the roof deck, then check every sheet of plywood or OSB sheathing for rot. Nothing new goes down until the substrate is sound and dry.
From there the roof rebuilds in layers. An ice-and-water shield runs along the eave and through every valley, synthetic underlayment covers the field, and the panel runs go down over that with clips or fasteners set to a fixed depth.
A standing-seam panel hides its fastener under the raised seam, so wind uplift has nothing to grab. Exposed-fastener panels and corrugated panel profiles cost less and install faster, with a rubber washer under every screw.
Materials We Install and Why They Fit Here
- Standing-seam steel rolled from 24-gauge coil, a concealed-fastener system for homeowners who plan to stay put.
- Exposed-fastener panels in lighter gauges, a sensible pick for a detached shop, carport, or simple gable end.
- Stone-coated steel from a maker like Decra, which reads like concrete tile or slate without the extra weight on your trusses.
- Aluminum panels that will not rust at cut edges, a real advantage where fog and coastal moisture sit on the roof most mornings.
- Panels from McElroy Metal or ATAS when you want a specific profile and the manufacturer's finish warranty registered in your name.
- Architectural copper or zinc for a small dormer, bay canopy, or awning, where patina is the whole point.
Flashing, Trim, and the Parts Underneath
Accessories fail long before panels do, so we handle them during the tear-off instead of coming back later. This is the cheapest hour of labor you will ever buy.
- Ridge cap covers the peak, and a matched metal cap keeps wind from working under the top course near the ridge line.
- Drip edge runs the eave and rake, throwing water past the fascia instead of letting it wick back into the decking.
- Step flashing and counter-flashing seal sidewalls, with chimney flashing reset at the masonry and a fresh cap over the chimney.
- Pipe flashing, a new pipe boot, and a vent boot for plumbing stacks and exhaust vents the old roof sealed with tar.
- Apron flashing, boot flashing, and valley metal where two roof planes drain into each other at a dormer or skylight.
- Roofing felt and tar paper are retired for synthetic underlayment, with ice-and-water shield at the eave against ice dam backup.
- A vapor barrier in the attic plus insulation kept clear of the deck, so condensation stops rotting the sheathing from below.
- Soffit and soffit vent airflow paired with an attic fan and ridge vent intake, because attic ventilation decides how long the deck lasts.
Tools, Framing, and What We Check Before We Quote
A metal panel system weighs less than tile, but it still loads the frame differently than asphalt did. We look at structure before we look at colors.
- Scaffold and ladder access, with a safety harness on every crew member working above the eave.
- Nail gun and air compressor for sheathing repair, plus a pry bar and roofing shovel for the tear-off.
- A roofing square to confirm pitch, and a torch, mastic, or roof cement only where a repair coat actually makes sense.
- A dumpster parked on the driveway for debris, with a magnetic sweep for nails at the end of each day.
- Truss, rafter, joist, and ridge beam condition, since a slate, clay tile, or concrete tile conversion can overload framing built for shingles.
- Purlin and batten or counterbatten runs on a mansard or gambrel, where a panel needs a flat plane to sit on.
- Hip, gable, ridge, verge, and overhang details, including the roofline around any skylight, dormer, or canopy.
- Gutter and downspout sizing, since a smooth panel sheds water faster than shingles ever did.
- Anchor points and snow guard placement on upper slopes, plus waterproofing and weatherproofing at every penetration.
Where Metal Is Not the Right Answer
Not every roof should be metal, and we will say so before you spend the money. A low-slope or flat section usually wants a membrane instead: TPO, EPDM, or a PVC membrane, sometimes a built-up roof or modified bitumen over a bitumen base.
Older roofs here often carry tar and gravel or a coating on a pitch that will not drain a standing-seam panel properly. On the flat sections behind a parapet, we price the scupper and coping as separate items, because those details drive the waterproofing.
Where metal is right, we follow building code on underlayment, fastening, and eave protection, and we pull the permit. We use sealant, caulk, and a polyurethane adhesive sparingly. Surface prep and the right substrate do more than any thick bead.
Our Process, Step by Step
- Free roof inspection with photos of the decking, flashing details, and granule loss on the old shingles.
- A written roof estimate separating panels, trim, labor, dump fees, and the permit, so nothing hides in a lump sum.
- Material order and a scheduled tear-off date, with the dumpster and scaffold delivered the day before.
- Tear-off to the deck, then sheathing repair and any rafter or truss work the framing needs.
- Ice-and-water shield at the eave and valleys, then synthetic underlayment across the field.
- Panel layout and installation, with the starter strip, course, lap, and stagger set plumb to the ridge.
- Trim work: ridge cap, drip edge, step flashing, counter-flashing, and every penetration sealed and tested.
- Final walk, magnetic nail sweep, gutter clearing, and a signed warranty packet handed to you.
Cost Considerations in San Ramon
Painted steel costs more up front than asphalt and lasts far longer, so the honest comparison is cost per year of service rather than the number at the bottom of the bid. A simple gable with few penetrations is the cheapest metal roof you can buy.
- Standing-seam steel typically lands between $12 and $20 per square foot installed, depending on gauge and profile.
- Exposed-fastener panels run closer to $6 to $10 per square foot, which is why they show up on shops and outbuildings.
- Stone-coated steel and aluminum fall between those two ranges, and stone-coated often needs no framing changes at all.
- Two-layer tear-off, decking replacement, and steep-pitch labor add real money, as does any dormer or skylight.
- Permits, dump fees, and limited driveway parking are line items on every estimate, not padding we invent later.
Warranty and Insurance Claims
Panel makers warranty the finish and the steel, and we warranty our installation separately. That second warranty only holds if the details underneath were done right, which is why trim work gets its own line on the schedule.
- Finish warranties on a PVDF-coated panel commonly run 30 to 40 years and cover fading and chalking.
- Our workmanship coverage covers the flashing and fastening we control, not the manufacturer's paint.
- Storm damage repair through an insurance claim starts with documentation: storm date, photos, and a written scope.
- We meet the adjuster on the roof when the carrier sends one, and we file a supplemental claim if the scope misses decking.
- We watch the claim deadline with you and explain what the carrier pays for and what it does not.
Why Homeowners Around Here Call a Local Crew
A metal roof handles our weather pattern better than most systems. Hot, dry summers bake asphalt into granule loss and end-of-life wear, then heavy winter rain finds every gap that sealant was hiding.
Fog rolls in on many mornings and seeps into details that were rushed. Water wicks along a bad flashing line for months before you see a stain, and by then the fascia is usually soft.
Every job in Contra Costa County needs a permit, and we pull it. We are licensed and insured, and we put the panel gauge, the profile, and the warranty term in writing before the dumpster shows up.
Anyone hiring a San Ramon roofing contractor should ask for those three things. If a roofer or roofing contractor will not put them in the estimate, keep calling.
Signs You Need Metal Roofing
Oil Canning on the Flat of a Panel
Wavy, rippled panel flats usually mean the panels were stretched too tight or rolled from too light a gauge. It shows up worst on a west-facing slope after a summer of thermal cycling.
Rust Stains Around Fasteners and Flashing
Orange streaks trailing below a screw head point to a washer that failed or a cut edge left unsealed. Foggy mornings along the roofline keep that edge wet long enough to start corrosion.
Leaks at the Ridge or Valley Seams
Water at a ridge cap or valley seam shows up as a ceiling stain two rooms away from the actual gap. Winter rainstorms push enough volume that a small opening becomes a steady drip.
Loose or Missing Screws After Wind
Exposed-fastener panels can back out as the metal expands and contracts through hot days and cool nights. Missing fasteners along a gable end are the first thing we count after a wind event.
Galvanic Corrosion at Dissimilar Metal
Where steel meets aluminum or copper without a barrier, the contact point corrodes fast and eats the panel from the edge inward. We check every transition on the rooftop, not just the visible field.
Ponding Water or a Sagging Panel Line
Standing water that lingers after rain means the slope or the deflection is wrong, and no coating will fix it. A roofline that sags between supports needs framing attention before any new panel goes on.
What's Included
- ✓ Free roof inspection with photos of the decking, flashing, and any rust or oil canning on the panels.
- ✓ A written roof estimate priced line by line, covering panels, trim, labor, and dump fees.
- ✓ Permit pull and inspection scheduling with Contra Costa County.
- ✓ Manufacturer warranty registration for your panel system, filed in your name.
- ✓ Tear-off, dumpster placement, and a magnetic nail sweep around the driveway and lawn each day.
- ✓ A workmanship warranty on our installation, separate from the panel finish warranty.
- ✓ Final walkthrough with photos of the finished ridge, valley, and flashing details.
Related Services
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