Hurricane-Grade Roofing: Best Options for Homes in High-Wind Zones

Living in the hurricane-prone areas like coastal Florida, Georgia, Carolinas, and Gulf states like Texas and Louisiana, means your roof needs to withstand extreme weather—high winds, heavy rain, and flying debris. Choosing the right hurricane-grade roofing system is critical for safeguarding your home and family during hurricane season.

Let’s explore the most durable roofing systems, focusing on wind resistance, durability, and cost, so you can make an informed decision.

Why Hurricane-Grade Roofing Matters

Hurricanes can produce winds of over 150 mph, which can easily tear off a poorly installed or low-quality roof. A hurricane-resistant roof provides wind resistance, waterproofing, and impact protection, ensuring your home can withstand the elements and minimize damage.

Best Roofing Systems for Hurricane Zones

1. Metal Roofing

Standing seam metal roof on a single-story home

Durability and Longevity: 35+ years
Wind Resistance: Up to 160 mph
Cost: $11.50 – $20.50 per square foot installed

Average Roof Replacement Cost:

Low End

$7,500

Mid-Range

$10,500

High End

$14,500

See costs in your area Enter Your Zip Code

 

Metal roofing is one of the most wind-resistant roofing systems available, with interlocking panels and shingles that offer superior protection against wind uplift. Not only are they lightweight and durable, but they also reflect heat, reducing home energy costs.

Types of Metal Roofing:

  • Standing Seam: Vertical panels interlock to form a strong barrier against wind and water.
  • Stone-Coated Steel Roofing Shingles and Tiles: These mimic the appearance of traditional materials like clay or slate, while offering the durability and wind resistance of steel. The stone coating adds extra protection against corrosion and provides an aesthetic appeal.

Standing Seam Data: According to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), metal roofing can withstand wind speeds up to 160 mph, making it suitable for areas facing Category 5 hurricanes.

In hurricane-prone regions or areas with severe wind events like tornadoes, standing seam metal roofs can be designed to handle extreme wind speeds, often surpassing 160 mph. Some advanced metal roofing systems are even rated to withstand winds of 180 mph or more, offering top-tier protection.

Stone Coated Steel Data: Thanks to its modular design, batten substructure, and secure fastening patterns, stone-coated steel has proven its resilience in severe wind events, including hurricanes and tropical storms. It comes with warranty coverage for wind speeds up to 120 mph and meets the strictest building codes for high-wind areas, such as Miami-Dade County, Florida, where standards reach up to 180 mph.

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Stone Coated Steel Roof Cost: Gerard, DECRA, Metro, Boral Steel

Stone coated steel roofing is generating a lot of buzz (and sales) with homeowners that want a roof with staying power — one that combines good looks with outstanding protection against the elements including fire, wind, and hail.

Boral Steel (previously Gerard USA) stone coated steel tile roof – Barrel Vault Profile. Source: BoralSteel.com (previously gerardusa.com)

It’s certainly a strong plus that stone-coated metal roofing is energy-efficient, uses recycled materials and is recyclable, unlike straight-to-landfill asphalt shingles.

Here’s your complete guide for comparing products, costs, pros and cons, and other options:

What to Expect in Terms of Costs

Total cost to install the product is the first factor many homeowners consider, so let’s see if stone coated steel roofing is in the budget for your home.

Note that 1 square = 100 square feet.

  • Material Costs: $450-$650 per square for stone coated steel shingles, shakes, and tiles, plus the underlayment, fasteners, ridge cap, trim and other accessories required
  • Installation Costs: $550-$1,000 per square depending on various factors affecting cost, which are listed below

Total Installed Cost: $1,000-$1,650 per square.
That seems like a broad price range, but the range for asphalt shingles can be even broader. The best asphalt shingles can cost 3-4 times the cost of the cheapest option.

New Shingle Roof

$7,500
Average price
New Metal Roof

$14,500
Average price
New Flat Roof

$8,225
Average price

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Metal Roofing Buying Guide: Facts, Myths, Installed Prices, FAQs

If you are looking to replace that old asphalt roof on your home with a metal roof this Spring, Summer or Fall, but still have a few lingering questions or concerns, then here are the top 70 metal roofing facts, myth-busters, FAQ, plus an overview of costs and pros and cons to consider before making your buying decision.

A Rustic House with a Multi-Level Standing Seam Metal Roof Designed to Shed Ice and Snow Build-up

via Birdseye Design

Did you know? A metal roof can be a sensible way to protect your home, especially if you happen to live in an area that experiences a lot of storms, rapid temperature changes, beaming sun that melts asphalt, large hail, or heavy snowfall. — Just ask any homeowner in Florida, Oklahoma, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, upstate New York, Northern New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and they will readily attest to this! 😉

New Shingle Roof

$7,500
Average price
New Metal Roof

$14,500
Average price
New Flat Roof

$8,225
Average price

See costs in your area Enter Your Zip Code

To help you navigate this long list, we broke it down into the following categories:

Materials Pros & Cons Standing Seam Metal Roof Galvalume Color

Cost of Materials
Installation
Cost of Installation
Colors & Styles
Longevity
Weather Protection
Durability
Maintenance
Energy Efficiency
Environmental Impact
ROI
10 Bonus Facts

Metal Roofing Materials Pros & Cons:

  • standing-seam Metal roofs can be made from a variety of metals and alloys including
    — Galvanized G-90 steel (hot-dip zinc galvanized high-end steel), and G-60 steel (a less expensive, thinner-gauge steel, often used in low-end, lower-cost corrugated and ribbed metal panels)
    Galvalume steel (zinc and aluminum coated steel) has a more expensive and longer-lasting coating compared to G-90 galvanized steel.
    — stone-coated steel (G-90 galvanized steel), aluminum, copper, zinc, terne (zinc-tin alloy), and stainless steel.
  • The downside of galvanized steel (G-90, and especially G-60) is that it can corrode, eventually, especially when exposed to moist, salt-spray environment such as when your home is situated near the ocean or near the coastal areas.
  • Steel is the most frequently used material in both residential and commercial applications, mainly due to its lower cost.
  • Aluminum is the second most popular material. It is more durable and longer lasting than steel, but only costs a fraction of the price of premium metals, such as copper or zinc.
  • Aluminum is also one of the best metals to use for roofs located in coastal areas (think those beach homes), where there is a heavy presence of salt spray in the environment.
  • Copper roofs are the most durable and can last for hundreds of years. However, due to prohibitively high cost, few people choose to install an entire roof made from copper. Instead, home and business-owners choose copper for architectural details/accents on the roof (bay windows, towers, porches, low slope roof sections, Etc.).

copper standing seam bay windows

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