Commercial & Multi-Family Metal Roofing
Est. 1995
Family-Owned
BBB
Accredited Business
Licensed
& Fully Insured
James Hardie
Elite Preferred Contractor
300+
5-Star Reviews
Side-Pro Exteriors
Where Metal Belongs on a Commercial Roof
Metal is specified on commercial and multi-family work for reasons that have little to do with looks.
It is non-combustible, which matters when a code official or an insurer asks the question directly.
Properly installed, a metal roof runs 50 years and beyond. Across a twenty year hold that is one roof instead of two, and almost nothing asked of a maintenance budget in between.
The surface sheds fir needles and gives moss little to hold onto. Under Northwest trees that removes a cleaning cycle a composite roof would demand.
Snow slides, and wind ratings are excellent.
The honest trade-off is cost. Metal is more expensive upfront than composite, and installation quality matters more rather than less, because metal punishes sloppy flashing and fastening in ways composite forgives. Where metal is not the right answer for a building we will say so before the bid rather than after.
Metal roofing puts crews on slick panels at height, often over an occupied building and an active parking area, so fall protection, edge protection and a controlled drop zone are set before any panel moves — and the lot below stays usable while we work.
Our safety program has been recognized nationally by the NAHB, and our record with L&I is clean going back six years — no safety inspections, no license violations, no claims against our bond. You can check that yourself under contractor license SIDEPI*008N1. More on how we work safely.
How We Re-Roof an Occupied Building
Tenants stay in place. That governs the schedule more than anything else. We phase building by building, with dates issued in advance so managers can give notice and residents can plan around parking and entries. Each building is dried in before we open the next.
Tear-off, then a full deck inspection. Rot is documented at that point, with photographs, rather than appearing later as a change order.
High-temperature underlayment first. It goes down before any panel does.
Installed to the manufacturer’s system spec. Clip spacing, fastener schedule and expansion allowance are not details to improvise on metal. The material moves, and a roof fastened as though it does not will telegraph that within a few seasons.
Flashing detailed to the system. Every penetration and every wall transition — curbs, vent stacks, mechanical stands, and the junction where a pitched plane meets a parapet.
One contractor for the roof-to-wall joint. Where siding is in the same scope we sequence both trades so that joint is built once. It is where most callbacks live on multi-family work, and splitting it between two companies is how it becomes nobody’s responsibility.
Safety. On an occupied building it is not only our crews we are thinking about — it is the resident walking under the scaffolding to reach their own front door. Every crew lead is first aid and CPR certified. Crews meet weekly on safety. A superintendent checks each site daily against a written list. And twice a year we invite L&I onto our jobsites to find what we have missed. Our program carries national NAHB recognition and our L&I record is clean going back six years — check it yourself under contractor license SIDEPI*008N1. More on how we work safely.
Why Choose Side-Pro?
- Boards, managers and general contractors get a real schedule. Building by building, dated and issued in advance.
- Tenants stay in place. Notice goes out before each building starts, and parking and entries stay usable throughout.
- Pitched and low-slope under one contractor, so the transition between them is nobody else’s problem.
- Deck rot is documented at inspection with photographs, not added later as a change order.
What Drives the Cost of a Metal Re-Roof
System choice first. Standing-seam and metal shingle are different products with different labor, and the gap between them is usually wider than the gap between two shingle lines.
Then roof area and pitch. Steeper planes need more staging and slow a crew down.
Penetrations and transitions matter more on metal than on composite. A simple gable costs what you would expect. A roof carrying mechanical curbs, multiple vent stacks, dormers and parapet junctions carries real flashing labor, and that is where an estimate moves.
Deck condition is the variable nobody can price from the ground. We inspect at tear-off and document what we find, so the number changes for a reason you can see.
Phasing and access carry cost too. A building where crews can stage from a parking area prices differently from one where everything is carried through an occupied courtyard.
Where a building also carries low-slope areas we handle those in the same scope — see TPO and PVC and commercial roofing.
Metal costs more upfront and less per year of service. We will give you both numbers against composite so the comparison is an honest one.
Commercial & Multi-Family Metal Roofing Questions
Is metal noisy in the rain?
Over a solid deck and underlayment, no. The drum effect belongs to old barns with metal laid over open framing, not to a finished building.
How long does a metal roof last on a commercial building?
Properly installed, 50 years and beyond. Across a typical hold period that is one roof rather than two, which is usually the argument that decides it.
Standing-seam or metal shingle?
Standing-seam suits contemporary elevations and sheds better on lower pitches. Metal shingle and tile profiles sit more comfortably on traditional buildings. Cost and detailing differ between them, and we will price both where a building could take either.
Can metal go over the existing roof?
Sometimes, but we rarely recommend it on commercial work. Going over hides the deck, and the deck is where the expensive surprises are. Tear-off and a full inspection is the honest path.
What about snow and ice sliding off?
Snow does slide on metal, which is an advantage across most planes and a hazard over entries and walkways. Snow retention is designed in wherever people pass underneath, and it belongs in the drawing rather than as an afterthought.
Can the work be phased across several buildings?
Yes, and on multi-family that is usually how it goes. Each building is dried in before the next is opened, and the schedule is issued ahead so notice can go out to residents.
What Our Customers Are Saying...
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Please fill out our FREE ESTIMATE / INSPECTION form or call today to discuss your roofing or siding project with our friendly staff.
Office: 425-486-4777
Fax: 425-483-5727
Address:
17270 Woodinville-Redmond Road NE
Suite 700
Woodinville, WA 98072
Side Pro Exteriors is a locally owned and operated siding, roofing and exterior renovation company since 1995. We provide roofing and siding replacement to over half of Washington State including King Snohomish and Pierce counties.
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