Metal roofing

[Balraj Appadu]

Just trying to figure out the costs of metal roofing today as the quotes I have are very different from each other

i want a roof in Greencoat PLX to cover main roof 104m2, central raised area 28 m2, dormer roof 27m2 and entrance roof 13 m2 together with flashings for 4 Rooflights. Eaves apron, verge, abutment flashings to top and ridge flashings together with linlab RWG half round gutters 125mm 50m in total and 9nr 87mm round down pipes

Fascia covering 250mm and soffits 250mm returns
quotes are in excess of £28000!

From what I know Greencoat PLX is about £13 for 0.6m2(linear metre 600mm width)

can someone help me to unravel these costs?

thank you

[Russell griffiths]

Is that fitted. 

[Balraj Appadu]

Yes fitted on a membrane

[Makeitstop]

Have to admit, I've found the whole business of dealing with metals for cladding or roofing a bit cloak and dagger and difficult.

 

I know that on the material side, that plx works out at approx half the cost of zinc, so on a larger project, it adds up.

 

Zincs range from maybe £5/£6 a kilo, with a typical roll being 100kg. 30 sq metres would require a bit over 2.25 rolls approx for standing seam work.

Edited February 11, 2021 by Makeitstop

[Russell griffiths]

 

@Balraj Appadu TBH it sounds like a pain, so priced accordingly. 

 

Why not get a price in slate and you and you might start to see the work involved. 

Edited February 11, 2021 by Russell griffiths

[Trw144]

On 11/02/2021 at 18:20, Balraj Appadu said:

Just trying to figure out the costs of metal roofing today as the quotes I have are very different from each other

i want a roof in Greencoat PLX to cover main roof 104m2, central raised area 28 m2, dormer roof 27m2 and entrance roof 13 m2 together with flashings for 4 Rooflights. Eaves apron, verge, abutment flashings to top and ridge flashings together with linlab RWG half round gutters 125mm 50m in total and 9nr 87mm round down pipes

Fascia covering 250mm and soffits 250mm returns
quotes are in excess of £28000!

From what I know Greencoat PLX is about £13 for 0.6m2(linear metre 600mm width)

can someone help me to unravel these costs?

thank you

I m just looking at the Plx myself - did you get any further with your quotes? 

[SimonD]

I think unravelling quotes for supply and fit metal roofing is a bit like doing the same for windows. You need to understand what they're quoting for.

 

For example, are the roofers expecting you to fit the roof boarding or will they do it? If so what are they proposing? 18mm plywood or timber/sarking board? What membrane are they proposing? Plywood is faster and cheaper whereas timber board is preferred but more expensive.

 

There are also different methods of joining lengths of fascia and soffits, for instance. The simplest and probably most common is a basic lap joint but it's nicer to use a welted joint which can be matched with the main roof seams, but this takes a lot more work.

 

You've got a fair few changes in your roof slope due to both dormer roof and rooflights but without seeing drawings it's difficult to know how many upstands need to be formed, which also play into the labour cost as does the need for valley gutters. Internal and external corners also have an impact on this.

 

Additionally, there's the quesion of pitch as this plays into the material requirements as the girth for flashings depends on roof pitch.

 

There's also the question as to whether they will be buying pre-formed materials or whether they have, or need to hire, forming machinery for on-site installation.

 

So, in short, can you break down the quotations you've received and post them up here?

 

The other things is that a 600mm coil will only cover 530mm after it's been formed with upstands and some flashing girths can be more expensive due to wastage.

 

I guess they've all quoted for gutter installation as the guttering needs to be installed before the roof as the eaves flashing should be tucked over the gutter.

 

I've done a video as a guide to installing a standing seam roof. As a caveat I'm not a pro, I've done it all myself and it's the first time I've installed such a roof, but it should give you an idea of what's involved as I've followed the Federation of Traditional Metal Roofing Contractor's UK Guide to Good Practice.

 

 

[Tosh]

We had a quote for PLX which overall worked out about £65/sqm IIRC. This was about 2/3 the price of zinc with aluminium slightly cheaper than the zinc again. As others have said does your quote  include substrate? Not sure what the requirements are for warranty on PLX. PLX is coated steel therefore not immune to rust if you undertake any drilling etc and the exposed steel is not properly treated. The thing with metal quotes from my own experience is that typically the contractor looks at the overall square meterage and works out a price for that. Then they look at the linear items such as verge, soffit, valley, gulley etc etc. and add a price for that on top of the overall square meterage rate and add them all together. There's more work, skill, waste etc on the linear items hence I guess why they price them separately. And whilst all will quote I did have one contractor who would work on a remeasure from their quote at the end of the job so you pay for what they actually built but at the rates submitted at quote. Make no bones about it though - metal roofing can be an expensive job unless you're using off the shelf formats in nothing other than steel. I notice that SIG zinc and copper are now offering fabrication in the UK. I guess that will bring benefits for contractors but whether those benefits translate to cost savings for the end customer will remain to be seen. Hopefully so.

[Kevin J]

On 11/02/2021 at 18:43, Balraj Appadu said:

Yes fitted on a membrane

Really!?

[Kevin J]

On 10/03/2021 at 18:12, Tosh said:

We had a quote for PLX which overall worked out about £65/sqm IIRC. This was about 2/3 the price of zinc with aluminium slightly cheaper than the zinc again. As others have said does your quote  include substrate? Not sure what the requirements are for warranty on PLX. PLX is coated steel therefore not immune to rust if you undertake any drilling etc and the exposed steel is not properly treated. The thing with metal quotes from my own experience is that typically the contractor looks at the overall square meterage and works out a price for that. Then they look at the linear items such as verge, soffit, valley, gulley etc etc. and add a price for that on top of the overall square meterage rate and add them all together. There's more work, skill, waste etc on the linear items hence I guess why they price them separately. And whilst all will quote I did have one contractor who would work on a remeasure from their quote at the end of the job so you pay for what they actually built but at the rates submitted at quote. Make no bones about it though - metal roofing can be an expensive job unless you're using off the shelf formats in nothing other than steel. I notice that SIG zinc and copper are now offering fabrication in the UK. I guess that will bring benefits for contractors but whether those benefits translate to cost savings for the end customer will remain to be seen. Hopefully so.

Off the shelf items only fit an off the shelf building. 
A tailored solution is available for self build enthusiasts search SNAPLOCK in PLX or visit NSBRC, Swindon to see in the flesh.

if the installation needs a professional seek advice from the official distributor of the selected metal.

[Tosh]

On 23/10/2021 at 08:54, Kevin J said:

Off the shelf items only fit an off the shelf building.

Not sure about that. What I'm saying is that you can purchase metal off the shelf zinc or aluminum tiles or sheets for example hence a DIYer could purchase these without all the specialist equipment needed for SS. You would still need to cut these components at junctions just like any other finishes but they're still made in the factory at predefined sizes. I know there are some products like Tata/PLX etc that offer this but I was referring to non steel based products.

[Kevin J]

Yes there are pre-pressed sheet effect products, often as lightweight products offering the appearance of slates or tiles. I agree the complication of cutting and forming complex weatherproof junctions such as Hips and Valleys can be problematic. 
several companies for instance offer metal pressed sheets as replacement for conservatory roofs. Some are now exploring SS including Snaplock. 
In essence the detailing is key in either option