Barns around the Wise County seat
Decatur is the Wise County seat, and it's growing fast: Census estimates put it at 6,554 residents in the 2020 base and about 9,029 in 2025. Step outside the new subdivisions, though, and you're in ranch and hay country. On land out toward Boyd, Alvord, Greenwood and Paradise, many properties have a house, a shop and at least one barn, and plenty of those barn roofs went on decades ago. That's the work this page is about: keeping working barns dry, and building new ones.
Which metal goes on which building
| Building | What we usually recommend | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hay barn, equipment barn, loafing shed | R-panel or PBR, 24 or 26 gauge | Tough, economical and made for open purlin framing |
| Pole barn or post-frame building | R-panel or PBR, with closures and trim sized to the panel | Fastener pattern at the eaves, rakes and ridge is what holds it in the wind |
| Horse barn, stable or arena | R-panel, PBR or standing seam, with condensation and ventilation planned | Animals put moisture in the air, and bare metal will sweat over it |
| Show barn, or a barn you see from the house | Standing seam | Hidden fasteners, clean lines and fewer screws to check over the years |
| Barndominium or barn with living space | Standing seam or R-panel over a planned insulation and vapor layer | See barndominium, shop and ag roofs |
| Small sheds and covers | Corrugated or R-panel | Matches older buildings; boat and RV covers too |
We form standing seam and R-panel on our own roll formers, in 24 or 26 gauge, and we also offer corrugated and PBR panels. Metal lead time is typically 1 to 2 weeks. We don't publish prices because building size, framing condition, tear-off and trim work move them too much; you get a written price for your building.
Re-screw, re-panel or re-roof?
Most old barn roofs don't need to come off. Here's how we decide, and we'll show you the photos behind the call:
- Re-screw: the panels are sound but washers have cracked in the sun or screws have backed out. New fasteners, one size up where the holes are wallowed out, can buy years.
- Partial re-panel: some panels are rusted through, punctured by hail or bent by wind, usually along the eaves, rakes or a poorly lapped addition. We replace those panels and fix the trim and closures around them.
- Full re-roof: rust is widespread, the panels are too thin to hold a screw, or the building is being enclosed or turned into living space and needs a vapor and insulation plan. See metal roof repair and restoration.
Whatever the answer, we check the purlins and framing first. A new roof on rotten or undersized framing is money spent twice.
Wind and hail around Decatur
For a barn, wind is the bigger everyday threat. NOAA's Storm Events Database describes the predawn storm of March 4, 2025, when a trained spotter estimated 80 mph winds at Decatur, a 70 mph gust was measured on the west side of town, and the National Weather Service found an EF1 tornado near Cottondale inside widespread straight-line wind damage across Wise County. On September 5, 2025, NOAA records damage to an outdoor metal building about six miles east-southeast of Decatur: some walls collapsed and portions of the roof were destroyed. A 67 mph gust was measured just west of Decatur on March 10, 2026.
NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 9 reports of hail 1.75 inches (golf-ball size) or larger within about 10 miles of Decatur from 2016 through the September 2026 update, including 2-inch hail at Decatur on March 26, 2017; the most recent was 1.75-inch hail near Paradise on April 28, 2026. Countywide, NOAA lists 40 reports of golf-ball-size or larger hail in Wise County over the same period, the largest 4.5-inch hail near Keeter on April 1, 2024, about 15 miles from Decatur, and 3-inch hail at Boyd a week later.
A barn with open sides or a big door catches wind from below, so the eaves, rakes and ridge take the load. Fastener spacing, trim attachment and purlin condition are what keep a barn roof on in a storm like March 2025. Hail can dent and puncture panels and crack old washers; our photo report shows what's storm damage and what's age, which is what an adjuster needs. If you file an insurance claim, we document the damage and meet your adjuster on the roof. Texas law requires you to pay your deductible, and a contractor may not waive, absorb or rebate it. We never will. In Texas you generally have 1 year from the date of loss to file; check your policy.
New barns, built by our own crews
We don't only roof barns, we build them. For a new barn, pole barn, horse barn or ag building, we can bring in an architect to spec the project, or we can build to your existing specs and plans. Our own crews do the building from start to finish, and the roof goes on in a color that matches the house and shop if you want the property to read as one place.
Permits in and around Decatur
Inside city limits, the City of Decatur's Development Services department requires permits for work regulated by its adopted building codes: the 2021 International codes with North Central Texas Council of Governments amendments, in effect since January 1, 2025. Contractors register and pull permits through the city's online system, and inspections are scheduled the same way. Many barns around Decatur sit outside city limits, where the city's building permits don't apply; we still build to code and confirm any requirements for your property before work starts.
Details that decide whether a barn roof lasts
- Edges first. Wind on open land works the eaves, rakes and ridge before anything else, so fastener spacing and trim there get the most attention.
- Closures and flashing at the ridge, at lean-tos and where the barn meets a shop wall or a porch.
- Condensation if the barn is enclosed, holds hay or animals, or has any conditioned space. See condensation control under metal.
- Gutters and drainage where water would otherwise sheet onto a pad, an arena entry or a doorway. See gutters.
- Color match across the house, barn and shop.
Who roofs and builds barns in Decatur?
Snow Roofing & Exteriors does. Here are the facts you can check before you call anyone:
- 75 years as a family roofing business, and 30 years in the business for owner Blake Snow, who is still on the roofs.
- Over $80 million in completed roofing projects, from small repairs to multi-million-dollar jobs.
- 5.0 stars on Google at all three offices: Bridgeport, Decatur and Rhome.
- Our own roll formers for standing seam and R-panel, in 24 or 26 gauge, with metal lead times that are typically 1 to 2 weeks.
- Our own crew, working out of our Decatur office.
- Snow Roofing & Exteriors is BBB A+ rated.
Photos
The barn image on this page is an illustration, not a photo of a real job. We don't have barn job photos on file to show here yet. The photos below are real Snow Roofing & Exteriors metal roofs on houses in Wise County, so you can see our panel and trim work up close. We never show a street or address.
We're certified with GAF, CertainTeed, Owens Corning, Atlas, Johns Manville, Carlisle, Tropical Roofing Products, Mule-Hide and Enviroshake, and many other roof manufacturers. More: our barn roofing page, metal roofing in Decatur, barn roofing in Bridgeport, pole barn and hay barn roofs in Wise County, standing seam vs. R-panel on a ranch house and our Decatur office page.
Product names, ratings and features are as published by the manufacturer and can change. We confirm the current rating and warranty of the exact product before we order it.
Residential warranty: a workmanship warranty from 10 years up to lifetime, depending on the job, with manufacturer warranties up to lifetime. Manufacturer coverage depends on the product and brand, and on the project qualifying for that manufacturer's program. We put the exact warranty for your roof in writing.
Certified, with 30 years installing every major roofing brand, a family roofing business going back 75 years, and over $80 million in completed roofing projects. 5.0 stars on Google at all three of our offices.
Request a free inspection or call (817) 733-9228. Small repairs are welcome too.
