Kew Gardens, Queens’s Preferred Metal Roof Installers

Last April, my neighbor Rita on Lefferts Boulevard called me at 7 a.m., nearly in tears. Her twenty-year-old asphalt shingle roof had sprung three leaks during an overnight storm, and water was dripping onto her dining room table. She’d ignored the curling shingles for two seasons, thinking she could squeeze out another year. When I climbed up there that afternoon, I found what I see too often in Kew Gardens-a patchwork of quick fixes from installers who didn’t know what they were doing, deteriorated underlayment, and ice dam damage from our brutal winters that nobody had addressed properly.

Six weeks later, Rita had a standing seam metal roof that’ll outlast both of us. No more leaks. No more worrying every time dark clouds roll in from LaGuardia’s direction.

That’s the thing about choosing the wrong metal roof installers: you don’t just waste money-you inherit years of problems that proper installation would have prevented entirely.

What Happens When Metal Roof Installation Goes Wrong

The Goldstein family on Austin Street learned this the expensive way. They hired a crew advertising “metal roofing” who’d actually spent their careers doing shingle work. The guys showed up, seemed competent enough, quoted $14,800 for a standing seam system. Three months after installation, Mrs. Goldstein noticed water stains on her upstairs ceiling.

When I inspected it, the problems were textbook amateur mistakes. The installers had used exposed fasteners on a low-slope section where water pools-those screws were already backing out from thermal expansion. They’d overlapped panels incorrectly at the valley, creating a dam where leaves collected. Worst of all? They’d installed the underlayment backward, so moisture was getting trapped instead of draining away.

Fixing someone else’s metal roof mistakes typically costs 60-70% of what proper installation would have cost initially. The Goldsteins paid $9,200 to have sections removed and reinstalled correctly. That’s on top of the original $14,800.

Here’s what separates qualified metal roof installers from contractors who just dabble in it:

• Specialized training in metal panel systems-standing seam, snap-lock, and mechanical seam installations each require different techniques
• Understanding thermal movement-metal expands and contracts with temperature changes, and fasteners must allow for this or you’ll get oil-canning and leaks
• Proper flashing expertise-chimneys, skylights, and dormers need custom metalwork, not generic aluminum flashing bent with pliers
• Knowledge of substrate requirements-metal roofing needs solid decking or proper strapping, and many older Kew Gardens homes need reinforcement first

Metal Roofing Installation Costs in Kew Gardens

Let me give you actual numbers from jobs we completed this past year in the neighborhood. Metal roof installation in Kew Gardens typically runs between $12,800 and $28,500 for most single-family homes, depending on several critical factors.

These prices include complete tear-off of existing roofing, new synthetic underlayment, ice and water shield in valleys and eaves, all flashing, ridge caps, and proper ventilation installation. What they don’t include: structural repairs if your decking is compromised, which happens in about 30% of Kew Gardens homes built before 1960.

The Chen family on Beverly Road thought they were getting a deal at $8,900 for their 2,100 square foot roof. The contractor used the thinnest gauge metal available, skimped on underlayment, and installed it directly over two layers of old shingles. Within eighteen months, you could see waviness in the panels from underneath where the old roofing was settling unevenly. They called us for an estimate to redo it-properly this time-and the quote was $23,700 because we first had to remove everything down to the decking, repair damaged boards, and then install a quality system that would actually last.

Why Metal Roofing Makes Sense for Kew Gardens Homes

I grew up in this neighborhood. My mom installed her first metal roof on a Tudor-style home on Grenfell Street back in 1987-that roof is still performing beautifully, by the way. I’ve watched Kew Gardens weather patterns my entire life, and I can tell you exactly why metal roofing has become our most-requested installation.

Our winters bring heavy snow loads, ice damming along north-facing eaves, and those freeze-thaw cycles that destroy asphalt shingles. February 2021, we got seventeen inches in thirty-six hours. I spent that week fielding calls from homeowners with collapsed sections and ice dam leaks. None of them were metal roof owners.

Metal roofing sheds snow naturally. The smooth surface and slight warmth from your home’s heat loss causes snow to slide off in sheets before it can build up to dangerous levels. Ice dams can’t form because there’s no granular surface for ice to grip. When we get those surprise summer thunderstorms that roll through-the kind that drop two inches in an hour-standing seam metal with its interlocking panels creates a watertight barrier that lets everything drain immediately.

Energy efficiency matters too, especially with our humid summers. A properly installed metal roof with adequate ventilation and a reflective coating can cut your cooling costs by 20-25%. The Patels on Abingdon Road saw their July electric bill drop from $340 to $265 after we installed a light gray standing seam system with ridge venting. Metal reflects solar heat instead of absorbing it like dark asphalt shingles.

The Installation Process: What Actually Happens

Mrs. Rodriguez asked me this last month: “Shelly, what are your crews actually doing up there all week?” Fair question. Metal roof installation is methodical, and shortcuts in any phase create problems years later.

Day One: Tear-off and Inspection. We remove your existing roofing down to the decking. This is where we discover problems-rot around chimneys, compromised plywood near valleys, inadequate ventilation. On older Kew Gardens homes, we often find original 1950s decking that’s still solid as a rock. Sometimes we find disaster. Better to know now. We photograph everything and discuss any necessary repairs before proceeding.

Days Two-Three: Preparation and Underlayment. We replace any damaged decking, then install high-quality synthetic underlayment across the entire roof surface. This isn’t the tar paper your grandfather used-modern synthetics are UV-resistant, won’t tear in wind, and provide a complete secondary water barrier. We add ice and water shield along eaves, valleys, and around all penetrations. This phase determines whether your metal roof will be bulletproof or merely good.

Days Three-Five: Panel Installation. Metal roofing goes on in precise sequences, starting from the eave and working upward. Standing seam panels interlock along their edges-when done correctly, the seams are mechanically crimped to create a weathertight connection that still allows for thermal movement. We use hidden fasteners that attach to the deck through clips, so there are no exposed screws to work loose or leak. Every panel must be perfectly aligned or the entire roof looks wavy and unprofessional.

Final Day: Flashing, Trim, and Details. This is where craftsmanship shows. Custom flashing around chimneys, proper valleys, ridge caps that match your panel profile, end walls, sidewalls-it’s all custom-bent metalwork that requires skill and the right tools. We fabricate most flashing on-site to ensure exact fits. A gap of even an eighth-inch around a chimney will channel water into your attic eventually.

Questions Kew Gardens Homeowners Ask About Metal Roof Installation

Will a metal roof be too loud when it rains? This myth comes from old barns with metal roofing installed directly on rafters. Modern residential metal roofs have solid decking, underlayment, and often attic insulation between you and the metal. You’ll hear rain about as much as you do with shingles-which is to say, barely. The Tangs on Talbot Street were worried about this. After installation, Mrs. Tang told me she was actually disappointed she couldn’t hear the rain better because she finds it soothing.

What about hail damage? Quality metal roofing-especially steel with a Kynar 500 coating-is remarkably hail-resistant. We’ve seen golf ball-sized hail dent cars and destroy shingle roofs while standing seam metal on the same street just shrugged it off. Yes, extremely large hail can dent metal, but it won’t compromise the roof’s integrity like it does with shingles that lose granules and crack.

Can you walk on a metal roof for maintenance? Absolutely, with proper techniques. We show homeowners where to step-generally along the panels’ flat sections or directly over purlins. Metal roofing is actually more walkable than aged asphalt shingles, which crack under foot traffic. That said, most metal roofs need virtually no maintenance beyond occasional gutter cleaning.

How long does installation take? For a typical Kew Gardens home between 1,600-2,200 square feet, plan on five to seven working days with a full crew. Weather delays happen-we won’t install metal roofing in rain or high winds because proper alignment requires stable conditions. Complex roofs with multiple dormers, steep pitches, or unusual architecture may take longer.

Choosing the Right Metal and Color for Your Home

Standing seam steel remains our most popular choice because it offers the best balance of cost, durability, and aesthetics. We typically recommend 24-gauge or 26-gauge steel with a Kynar 500 or similar PVDF coating that resists fading and chalking.

Aluminum works beautifully for homes near salt exposure-though we’re not coastal, the road salt our streets get all winter can affect metal over decades. Aluminum won’t rust, period. It’s lighter than steel, which matters on older homes where roof structure might be marginal. The trade-off? It dents more easily and costs about 20% more.

Copper is the forever roof. I installed copper standing seam on a Beverley Road Victorian three years ago, and it’s already developing that gorgeous patina. In fifty years, it’ll be that iconic green-blue that makes historic buildings so striking. The homeowners paid $47,300 for 1,900 square feet-serious money-but their great-grandchildren will inherit that roof in perfect condition.

Color selection matters more than people think. Dark colors (charcoal, forest green, dark bronze) absorb heat and can reach 180°F on summer afternoons. That’s fine if you have proper ventilation, but it works against your air conditioning. Light colors-especially whites, tans, and light grays-reflect solar heat and keep attics significantly cooler. Our Energy Star rated light gray panels stay 30-40 degrees cooler than dark shingles on identical days.

I always drive clients around Kew Gardens to look at metal roofs in different lights and on various architectural styles. What looks perfect in a sample might not suit your Tudor or Colonial when it’s actually up there. The Margolises thought they wanted red-until we showed them three red metal roofs in the neighborhood and they realized it was too bold for their taste. They chose a medium bronze that complements their brick beautifully.

The Ventilation Factor Nobody Talks About

Here’s something I learned from my uncle after he dealt with a condensation disaster: metal roofing amplifies ventilation problems. Metal is impermeable-no vapor passes through it like it slowly does through shingles. That means any moisture in your attic from bathrooms, kitchens, or just humid air has to escape through proper ventilation or it’ll condense on the underside of your metal roof.

I’ve torn off metal roofs where the decking underneath was black with mold because the previous installer didn’t address ventilation. The homeowners thought their metal roof was defective. The roof was fine-the lack of ridge vents and inadequate soffit intake was the problem.

We calculate ventilation requirements using the 1:150 rule-one square foot of net free ventilation area for every 150 square feet of attic space. Most Kew Gardens homes need continuous ridge venting combined with soffit vents along every eave. If your soffits are enclosed (common in older homes), we install proper vented soffit material. Some homes need powered attic fans to create positive air movement.

Don’t let an installer skip this step to save a few hundred dollars. Proper ventilation adds $800-$1,400 to your project but prevents thousands in future moisture damage.

Why Local Experience Matters for Metal Roof Installation

A crew from Pennsylvania installed a metal roof on Metropolitan Avenue two years ago. Beautiful work from a distance-crisp lines, good color match to the home. But they didn’t know New York City requires specific fire ratings for roofs in our density classification. The homeowner discovered this during a refinancing when their insurance company flagged the non-compliant installation. Cost to fix? $6,800 to add the proper underlayment and fire barrier that should have been there originally.

Kew Gardens has its quirks. We have homes from six different decades, each with different structural standards. The 1950s ranches have different load requirements than the 1920s Tudors. Our historic district has aesthetic guidelines for metal roofing-not all colors and styles are permitted. I know which products the landmarks committee approves because I’ve worked with them for years.

We know that the northeast corners of roofs here take the worst weather beating from our prevailing winter winds. We reinforce those sections and use extra ice and water shield in areas where we’ve seen problems develop over time. We know local building inspectors and what they want to see for approvals. We know which suppliers deliver quality materials and which cut corners.

An out-of-area crew might install a technically correct metal roof that doesn’t perform well in our specific conditions. They’re gone before problems emerge. We’re still here, and we stand behind every installation because our reputation in this neighborhood is everything.

When you’re ready to discuss metal roofing for your Kew Gardens home, you want installers who’ve done this specific work, in this specific area, for years. You want someone who’ll return your calls in year five when you have a question. You want a crew that takes pride in their work because they’ll drive past your house for the next twenty years.

That April morning when Rita called about her leaking roof, I didn’t just see a problem-I saw an opportunity to do something right. Her standing seam metal roof is now one of the examples I show new clients. It looks beautiful, performs flawlessly, and will protect her home longer than either of us will be around to appreciate it. That’s what proper metal roof installation delivers, and that’s what every Kew Gardens homeowner deserves.