Skip to content
Granite State Metal Roofing is a free matching service, not a contractor. We connect New Hampshire homeowners with independent local metal roofing professionals.
Granite State METAL ROOFING

The whole-house project

Metal roof replacement in New Hampshire

Most standing seam projects in New Hampshire start as an asphalt roof on its second or third round of trouble. Replacing it with metal is a different project than another shingle job, with its own sequence, decisions, and honest tradeoffs. Granite State Metal Roofing matches homeowners statewide with independent local professionals who do this conversion; here is what the project actually looks like.

Tear-off or overlay: the first real decision

Tear-off is the default for a reason. Stripping the old shingles exposes the deck, so rot, delaminated sheathing, and past leak damage get fixed instead of buried, and the new ice and water barrier plus synthetic underlayment start on clean wood. It costs more and adds disposal, and it is the version most manufacturers assume in their warranty terms.

An overlay, installing panels over one existing asphalt layer on furring strips or a slip sheet, is legitimate in narrower conditions: a verifiably sound deck, a single flat shingle layer, a panel manufacturer that permits it, and a building department that signs off. It saves tear-off and disposal money and buries whatever the old roof was hiding. A bidder who recommends an overlay without probing the deck is answering the price question, not the roof question.

How the project runs

  1. Measurement and a written, itemized estimate naming the panel system, gauge, finish, and a per-sheet decking price.
  2. Contract signing. On jobs over $5,000, New Hampshire's RSA 359-G notice belongs in it.
  3. Panel fabrication lead time; many installers roll-form panels to length for your roof.
  4. Tear-off (or overlay prep), deck repairs, ice and water barrier at eaves and valleys, underlayment.
  5. Panel installation, flashing, ridge venting, and trim; snow retention goes on last.
  6. Final walkthrough, warranty registration, and paid-invoice paperwork you keep with the house.

What the conversion costs

Standing seam installs at roughly $10 to $18 per square foot, and whole-house New Hampshire projects commonly land between $20,000 and $34,000, about twice an architectural asphalt replacement. Tear-off, deck repair, pitch, and trim complexity move the number; so does the panel system itself. The line-by-line version with a worked example is the NH metal roof cost guide, and the system choices behind the quote are explained under standing seam metal roofing.

One flag worth repeating: no tax credit or rebate applies to a New Hampshire metal roof. The federal 25C credit expired at the end of 2025, and NHSaves has no roofing rebate. A pitch that leans on either is out of date at best.

Replace or repair?

Not every failing roof needs the full conversion. An asphalt roof losing granules everywhere is done, but an existing metal roof with a leak, a flashing gap, or fastener back-out usually wants a repair visit first; see metal roof repair. The decision framework, snow loads, and vetting checklist all live in the New Hampshire Metal Roofing Guide.

Where we match replacement projects

Statewide, with the deepest demand in the shingle-heavy suburbs: Manchester and Nashua, Salem and Derry, and the Concord area, where thousands of 1980s and 1990s asphalt roofs are aging out at the same time.

How to Vet a Roofer in New Hampshire (There Is No License to Check)

New Hampshire issues no state contractor or roofing license and no contractor registration of any kind. The Office of Professional Licensure and Certification licenses electricians, plumbers, gas fitters, fuel oil, and mechanical trades only. That puts the checking on you, and these five checks do the job a license would:

A written contract, every time

Get the full scope, price, and schedule in writing before work starts. On residential jobs over $5,000, New Hampshire law (RSA 359-G) requires contract language about the state dispute-resolution process for construction defects. A roofer who knows that statute works here for real.

A certificate of insurance, from the insurer

Ask for a certificate of general liability insurance sent directly from the insurance agent or carrier, not a photocopy. Uninsured roof work puts the claim on your homeowner policy.

Manufacturer system certification

Standing seam panel manufacturers train and certify installers on their systems, and their strongest warranties often depend on certified installation. Ask which system is being quoted and who holds the certification.

Lien awareness

Under New Hampshire law, subcontractors and suppliers can place a mechanics lien on your property if the contractor does not pay them. Ask for lien waivers or proof of payment on larger jobs.

References from standing seam jobs

Not roofing references, standing seam references. Ask for two or three past customers with the same panel system, and call at least one.

Three questions worth asking

  • Which panel system are you quoting, and are you certified on it?
  • Will your insurance agent send me a certificate of insurance directly?
  • Does the contract include the RSA 359-G notice this job size requires?

Replacement questions

Can metal be installed over my existing shingles?

Sometimes. An overlay on one flat asphalt layer, usually over furring or a slip sheet, is a legitimate approach where the deck is sound, the panel manufacturer allows it, and your town approves it. Tear-off remains the default recommendation because it exposes deck rot and lets the underlayment start fresh.

How long does a replacement take?

The installation itself commonly runs several days to about a week for a typical house once materials arrive, but panel fabrication lead time comes first. Complexity, pitch, and weather move the schedule, so treat any exact promise made before measurement with caution.

Who does the work?

An independent local metal roofing professional. Granite State Metal Roofing is a free matching service; we introduce you, and the estimate, contract, schedule, and installation belong to you and the professional.

What happens if the crew finds rotten decking?

It gets replaced before panels go on, priced per sheet in a good contract. Ask every bidder to put a per-sheet decking price in the written estimate up front, so a discovery on day two is a line item instead of a renegotiation.

Price your asphalt-to-metal conversion

One form, one independent local professional, one written quote. Free for homeowners, everywhere in New Hampshire.

Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM Eastern

Call Now Free Match