If you’re replacing your roof in Minnesota, you’re eventually going to face this decision: metal roofing vs asphalt shingles? Both are legitimate options. Both have real advantages. And depending on your situation, either one could be the right call.
What we want to do here is give you an honest comparison — not a sales pitch — so you can make the decision that actually fits your home, your budget, and how long you plan to stay.
Table of Contents:
- The (Really Quick) Summary
- Metal Roofing vs. Asphalt Shingles Cost: What You’re Actually Paying
- Lifespan: How Long Each One Lasts
- Minnesota Weather Performance
- Maintenance: How Much Attention Each One Needs
- Appearance: What Each One Looks Like
- Home Value: What Each One Does for Resale
- So Which One Is Right for Your Home?
The (Really Quick) Summary
Before diving deep, here’s the short version:
Asphalt shingles are the most popular roofing material in the country for good reason. They’re affordable upfront, widely available, and work well for homeowners who want a reliable roof without the higher initial investment.
Metal roofing costs more upfront but lasts significantly longer, handles Minnesota winters better, and almost always makes more financial sense over a longer timeline.
If you’re thinking short-term or working with a tight budget right now — asphalt is a reasonable choice. If you’re thinking long-term and want the last roof you’ll ever install on this home — metal is the stronger investment.
Now let’s get into the details.
Metal Roofing vs. Asphalt Shingles Cost: What You’re Actually Paying
Asphalt shingles are the more affordable starting point. In Minnesota, a standard architectural shingle roof typically runs $8,000–$15,000 for an average-sized home depending on roof complexity and material grade.
Metal roofing costs more upfront. Depending on the product — ArrowLine shingles, stone coated steel, or standing seam panels — you’re looking at $15,000–$35,000+ for a typical Minnesota home.
That’s a meaningful difference. But the comparison doesn’t end at today’s number.
An asphalt roof in Minnesota typically lasts 20–25 years — sometimes less given the state’s harsh winters, freeze-thaw cycles, and hail seasons. A metal roof lasts 40–70 years. Over a 50-year window, most homeowners with asphalt will replace their roof twice. Add those two replacement costs together — plus the maintenance and repairs that accumulate over time — and metal often comes out ahead on total spend.
The honest take: Asphalt wins on upfront cost. Metal wins on lifetime cost. Which one matters more depends on how long you plan to live in your home and financial situation.
Lifespan: How Long Each One Lasts
This is where metal roofing’s advantage becomes impossible to ignore.
Asphalt shingles are rated for 25–30 years nationally. In Minnesota? Realistically plan for 20–25. The combination of brutal winters, significant UV exposure in summer, and the repeated freeze-thaw cycles that work shingles loose year after year shortens the lifespan compared to milder climates.
Metal roofing lasts 40 to 70 years — and in many cases, significantly longer. That’s not a marketing claim. It’s why metal roofs frequently outlast the homeowners who install them.
What this means practically: install a metal roof today and there’s a good chance your kids inherit this roof before it needs replacing.
The honest take: If you plan to stay in your home for 15 years or less, asphalt gets the job done. If you’re staying longer — or want to remove roof replacement from your list of future home expenses — metal is a different category of investment.
Minnesota Weather Performance
This is the most important comparison for homeowners in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas — because Minnesota weather is genuinely hard on roofs.
Asphalt shingles handle moderate weather well. The problems come with the extremes — and Minnesota delivers those regularly. Ice dams, which form when snow melts and refreezes at the roof edge, can work their way under shingles and cause significant damage over time. Hail events — increasingly common across the metro — create granule loss and impact damage that accelerates wear. High winds lift shingles that are already brittle from cold.
Metal roofing is built for exactly these conditions. The interlocking panel systems used in products like ArrowLine and standing seam don’t give ice dams the same entry points that shingle seams do. Class 4 impact-rated metal products — the highest rating available — shrug off hail events that would require an asphalt shingle replacement. And properly fastened metal roofing holds in wind events that send asphalt shingles into neighbors’ yards.
Minnesota’s climate is essentially an argument for metal roofing all by itself.
The honest take: Asphalt is adequate in normal conditions. Metal is built for Minnesota’s abnormal ones.
Maintenance: How Much Attention Each One Needs
Asphalt shingles require ongoing attention. Granule loss, cracked or lifted shingles after storms, re-caulking around flashing and penetrations, moss and algae growth — these are recurring maintenance realities for asphalt homeowners in Minnesota. None of them are catastrophic individually, but they add up in time and money over the roof’s life.
Metal roofing requires very little. Periodic inspection, keeping gutters clear, and the occasional check on fasteners and seams cover most of what a metal roof needs. It doesn’t shed granules, doesn’t crack under UV exposure, and doesn’t lift as easily in wind. Once it’s installed correctly, it largely takes care of itself.
The honest take: If you want a set-it-and-forget-it roof, metal is the clear winner. Asphalt is manageable but requires regular attention — especially in Minnesota’s demanding climate.
Appearance: What Each One Looks Like
Both materials have evolved significantly in terms of aesthetics — and both can look genuinely great on a Minnesota home.
Asphalt shingles have a familiar, traditional look that blends naturally into most neighborhoods. Architectural shingles have a layered, dimensional profile that provides real visual depth. They come in a wide range of colors — from classic charcoal and weathered brown to warmer earth tones. In most Minnesota neighborhoods, asphalt is the baseline expectation and looks right at home.
Metal roofing offers more variety than most people realize. Standing seam has a clean, modern profile with vertical seams that read as sleek and architectural. ArrowLine and stone coated steel profiles mimic the look of traditional shingles, shake, or slate — so at street level, many metal roofs are nearly indistinguishable from asphalt. The color holds longer too, metal finishes are resistant to fading and chalking in ways that asphalt granule colors simply aren’t.
The honest take: Both look great. Asphalt is familiar and blends in naturally. Metal offers more longevity in appearance and more profile variety if you want something distinctive.
Home Value: What Each One Does for Resale
Both materials add value when installed — buyers notice new roofs and factor them into offers.
Asphalt shingles have a higher short-term ROI on resale. Buyers expect asphalt, appraisers know how to value it, and a new asphalt roof signals move-in readiness. You’ll typically recoup 60–70% of the replacement cost in added home value.
Metal roofing adds more value over time. A 10-year-old metal roof is still essentially new — with 30+ years of life remaining. A 10-year-old asphalt roof is halfway through its lifespan. That difference shows up during home inspections and in buyer negotiations. Buyers who understand roofing recognize that a metal roof means one fewer major expense in their near future — and they factor that in.
The honest take: Planning to sell soon? Asphalt may recoup more immediately. Planning to sell in 10–15 years? A metal roof becomes a genuine selling asset that a similarly-aged asphalt roof can’t match.
So Which One Is Right for Your Home?
Choose asphalt shingles if:
- Upfront budget is your primary concern right now
- You’re planning to sell within the next 5–8 years
- You want the most familiar, widely-accepted roofing option
- You’re comfortable with periodic maintenance every few years
Choose metal roofing if:
- You want the last roof you’ll ever install on this home
- You’re tired of dealing with Minnesota winters and what they do to asphalt
- You want maximum hail, wind, and ice dam resistance
- You’re thinking about long-term cost rather than upfront cost
- You want a roof that holds its look and performance for decades
Both are valid options. The right answer depends on your situation — and the best way to figure that out is to talk it through with someone who knows Minnesota roofs.
New Century Exteriors has been installing metal roofing across Minnesota since 2001. We offer free estimates and will give you a straight, honest answer about which option makes the most sense for your home — not just the one that generates the bigger job.