Key numbers
77 verified hail storms with stones of 1.75 inches or larger reached Travis County, which includes Austin, from 1984 to 2025 in the storm records we keep; the largest measured 5 inches (softball size) on May 20, 2011 (NOAA NCEI).
| Hail storms by decade, 1984 to 2025 | 1980s: 8, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 24, 2010s: 13, 2020s: 16 Source: NOAA NCEI |
|---|---|
| Largest hail | 5 in. (softball), May 20, 2011 Source: NOAA NCEI |
| Costliest hail storm | $160 million insured losses (2006 dollars), April 20, 2006 Source: Insurance Journal |
| 9.69 million | Metal was the main roofing material on 9.69 million U.S. homes in 2020. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 2020 |
| 49% | Replacement projects such as roofing, windows and HVAC accounted for 49% of U.S. homeowner improvement spending in 2023. Source: Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, 2023 |
| 67.5% | According to Remodeling's 2025 Cost vs. Value Report, the national average asphalt shingle roof replacement cost $31,871 and recouped 67.5% at resale. Source: Remodeling / JLC (Zonda), 2025 |
A storm counts when NOAA lists a report in Travis County. Each hail size is the storm's largest report in the seven Austin-area counties, which may have fallen in a neighboring county, and insured losses cover every area the storm hit.
A new metal roof on an Austin home typically costs $9,000 to $60,000, and most homeowners land near $16,000. Coated steel and aluminum run roughly $6 to $17 per square foot installed, and copper roughly $20 to $40. Those are planning ranges from our past Austin projects, not a quote: the metal, the panel style, the size and shape of your roof, and two Austin-specific rules (the Wildland-Urban Interface code and Texas sales tax) decide where your bid falls.
What a typical Austin home pays
Roofs are measured in squares, and one square is 100 square feet. A one-story ranch with a 2,000 square foot roof (20 squares) in coated steel works out to about $12,000 to $34,000 at $6 to $17 a square foot. The same roof in copper would be several times that. The table shows how the main choices move the price.
| Choice | Lower cost | Higher cost |
|---|---|---|
| Metal | Coated steel | Aluminum, then copper |
| Panel style | Exposed-fastener (screw-down) panels | Standing seam or stamped metal shingles |
| Roof shape | Simple gable, low pitch | Hips, valleys, dormers, steep pitch, two stories |
| What comes off | One layer of shingles | Several layers, or decking that needs replacing |
The panel style matters as much as the metal
- Exposed-fastener panels are screwed straight through the face. They cost the least, but each screw has a rubber washer that ages in the sun, so they need checking.
- Standing seam locks or clips the panels together over hidden fasteners. It costs more and is the style most Austin homeowners pick for a long-term house.
- Metal shingles and stone-coated steel imitate shingle, shake or tile looks. They sit between the two on price and suit HOAs that want a traditional look.
See the styles and colors we install on our Austin metal roofing page.
Austin rules that can change the price
- Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). Much of western Austin sits in the city’s WUI. In those zones the city requires a Class A roof assembly, and replacing 50 percent or more of a roof means the whole roof has to be replaced to the code. Use the city’s WUI map, or ask us to check your address, before you compare bids.
- Permits. Replacing a covering that does not affect the roof structure is exempt from a City of Austin building permit, but more than 128 square feet of new decking is not. If old decking is soft, that permit and the plywood are part of the price.
- Sales tax. Texas does not tax labor on residential repair and remodeling. Materials are taxed, and how they show up on your bid depends on whether the contract is lump-sum or separated.
- Deductibles. If insurance is paying for part of the roof, Texas law forbids any contractor from waiving, rebating or absorbing your deductible. A bid that “covers” it is a red flag, not a discount.
Is metal worth it over shingles in Austin?
Metal costs more on day one, but it usually outlasts two or more asphalt roofs, sheds heat better in a light color (compare finishes by their rated reflectance; see cool roofs in Austin), and handles wind well when installed right. If you will sell within a few years, a quality shingle roof may make more sense. Compare it with the cost of a roof replacement in Austin, or look at tile and slate if you want a heavier, longer-lived roof. Pair new metal with properly sized gutters, since metal sheds rain fast.
More for Austin homeowners is in our Austin roofing guides; our metal roofing guides cover lifespan and hail, and our roofing cost guides compare metal with other roofs.
Get a real number for your roof
Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor with 650+ Google reviews. Our Austin office is at 13341 W US Hwy 290. We measure the roof, check WUI and permit status, and give you Good, Better and Best options in writing, with financing available if you want it. Call (512) 610-5897 or book a free roof inspection in Austin; we reply the same business day. Before you sign anything, read what goes into a residential roofing estimate.
Sources: City of Austin, Work Exempt from Building Permits; City of Austin, Wildland-Urban Interface Code; Texas Comptroller, Real Property Repair and Remodeling (Pub. 94-116); Texas Department of Insurance, Roofing and insurance: know the law. Price ranges are planning figures, not a quote.
