Asphalt vs Metal Roofing in Iowa: Homeowner's Comparison Guide (2026)
You've heard the neighbor with the metal roof say he'll never replace it again. You've also heard that metal runs $20,000. Both are close enough to true, and neither answers your question. Metal costs more up front and lasts longer. Whether that trade works for you comes down to how long you'll be in the house and what your insurer will do about it, so ask them. We install asphalt and metal roofing, and here's the honest comparison.
Three options to compare
Architectural asphalt
Most Iowa roofs are asphalt and that's usually the right call. Skip three-tab shingles though. They're a waste of money here and the gap up to architectural is small.
Ask which shingle is in the quote, whether it carries an impact rating, and what the written warranty covers. Architectural does not automatically mean Class 4. GAF's Timberline AS II specifications list a UL 2218 Class 4 rating, and GAF also states the shingles aren't warranted against hail damage. Read both lines. A lab rating is a way to compare products, not a promise about your roof after a storm.
A 1,600 square foot Des Moines ranch with a single pitch runs $8,000 to $12,000 in Owens Corning Duration. A full replacement in premium architectural shingles runs $8,000 to $20,000 depending on size and how cut up the roof is.
Standing seam metal
Standing seam is panel roofing with the fasteners hidden under the seam. Figure $12,000 to $22,000 on an average home.
Compare the panel system, the attachment, the finish, the flashing, and the warranty. Ask how the installer handles penetrations and allows for panel movement, because that detail is where a cheap metal job shows up three winters later. Check the system's impact rating and how a damaged panel gets repaired. The Metal Roofing Alliance's hail guidance covers tested systems and cosmetic damage. The word metal by itself tells you almost nothing.
Stone-coated steel
Stone-coated steel is a steel panel with a textured surface, the middle ground for people who want metal without the standing seam look. Our metal roofing page covers both. Get samples in your hand outside in daylight, because these never look the same on a website. If your neighborhood requires architectural approval, get it for the specific product before anyone orders.
What to ask about hail and insurance
Get three things from your contractor: the exact product name, the impact classification, and the installation documentation. Then call your insurer and ask whether that product earns a discount on your policy and what paperwork they need.
State Farm's roofing-discount guidance ties eligibility and savings to the product, the state, and the policy terms. That's why we won't quote a percentage. Your agent can, and that number is the one that reaches your bill.
Ask about coverage, not just the premium. State Farm's impact-resistant roofing explanation notes exclusions for certain damage to qualifying metal products. Cosmetic damage exclusions surprise people, and they matter more on metal than on asphalt. Have your insurer walk you through the exclusion, the deductible, and how a settlement gets paid.
When we document storm damage we take photos and measurements, write a construction scope, and attend the adjuster inspection if you want us there. What gets covered is between you and your insurer. Claim deadlines vary by policy and insurer, so ask yours early.
Snow shedding is only part of winter performance
Metal sheds snow. That part is real. It's not a cure for ice dams. Ice dams come from a warm roof deck, and that comes from air leaking out of the house and insulation that isn't doing its job. Change the material, leave the attic alone, and you still get ice. University of Minnesota Extension puts air leakage and insulation first, which matches what we find up in attics.
Sliding snow needs planning too. Look at what sits under your eaves: the front door, the sidewalk, where you park. The Metal Roofing Alliance's snow and ice guidance covers insulation, ventilation, and snow-retention accessories. Ask whether your system needs engineered snow retention and what it adds to the scope, because it isn't free. And if ice and leaks keep coming back in the same spot, start with a roof inspection and tell us where.
Compare costs using the same assumptions
Get itemized proposals for the same measured roof area. Your floor area is not your roof area, and a bid built off it is a guess. Both should spell out tear-off, underlayment, flashing, ventilation, disposal, and an allowance for bad decking. The metal proposal should include snow retention if the roof calls for it.
Then write down five things:
- The installed price of each option.
- The same ownership period for both.
- Maintenance and repair allowances, labeled as assumptions.
- Any insurance savings your insurer has confirmed.
- Replacement timing and resale, with a second version if those change.
Two rules keep that honest. Don't count a replacement that lands after your ownership window as if it happened inside it, and don't hand one roof zero repairs while the other gets guaranteed hail damage. These are planning scenarios, not measured Bakeris outcomes, and they won't produce a universal payback date. If you're moving in five years, the cheaper install is the cheaper roof, and that's asphalt.
Our roof replacement cost guide for Des Moines walks through what drives a replacement number. The written proposal is the price that counts.
Energy savings depend on the roof and the building
Look at the proposed finish and its reflectance instead of assuming every metal roof is the same. The U.S. Department of Energy's cool-roof guidance says results depend on climate, insulation, the roof itself, and your heating and cooling equipment. In Iowa that cuts both ways, since less heat coming in during July means less free heat in January. We don't have an Iowa utility bill figure for you and we're not going to make one up, so if energy cost is carrying weight in your decision, get an estimate built on your building.
Before you choose
Ask for samples, the written warranty, and a plain answer about how a repair works after a storm. Then set the proposals next to your budget and your plans for the house.
Bakeris Roofing has been family owned since 1990, and Jeff Bakeris still runs it. Call (515) 967-8199 or contact us and we'll look at your roof, tell you which of these three fits it, and put the work in writing. Full replacement estimates are free.