If you’ve gotten a couple of metal roof quotes around Bridgeport, you’ve probably seen a number like 26 or 29 next to the word “gauge.” Most folks skim right past it. I’d ask you not to, because that one number tells you a lot about the roof you’re actually buying.
I’m Blake Snow. I’ve been roofing for 30 years, I’m the third generation in a family roofing business that goes back 75 years, and our crews have completed over $80 million in roofing projects. Our home office is right here in Bridgeport. Here’s what gauge means in plain words, and why every metal roof panel we form and install is 26 gauge.
Gauge is thickness, and it runs backwards
Gauge is just a way of saying how thick the steel is. The tricky part is that the scale runs backwards: the lower the number, the thicker the metal. So 26-gauge steel is thicker than 29-gauge steel, and 24 gauge is thicker still.
It sounds like a small difference on paper. You notice it when you pick up a panel. A 26-gauge panel is stiffer and holds its shape, while a 29-gauge panel flexes more in your hands. That stiffness is what you’re paying for once it’s on the roof.
Why thickness matters on a North Texas roof
Hail
We get hail here, and that’s not news to anybody in Wise County. Thicker steel dents less easily than thinner steel. Every metal roof we install is Class 4 impact rated under UL 2218, the highest impact rating, and that can matter when you talk to your insurance company. Our Class 4 metal and insurance page explains how that works.
Waviness in the flat part of the panel
On a standing seam roof, the flat part between the seams is wide and smooth. Thin metal can show a wavy look there, which roofers call oil-canning. A stiffer panel shows it less, and the roof looks cleaner from the street. On a high-end home where the roof is a big part of the curb appeal, that’s worth caring about.
Wind and foot traffic
Out on open ranch land and lake lots, wind has a long run at your roof. Stiffer panels hold up better against it. They also handle being walked on better when somebody has to get up there to service an AC unit, clean a gutter, or inspect after a storm.
Where 29 gauge shows up
Thinner 29-gauge panels are common on low-cost sheds and some exposed-fastener barns. They do a job, and I’m not here to bad-mouth anybody’s barn. But when you’re putting metal on your house, your shop, or a building you plan to keep for a long time, the thicker steel is the better buy in my opinion.
Here’s the part I really want you to take away: when you compare metal roof quotes, check the gauge on every one. Two quotes can look alike on the first page and be for different thicknesses of steel. It’s one of the first things I’d look at.
What we install: 26 gauge, every time
Every standing seam and R-panel roof we install is 26-gauge steel. We don’t keep a thinner panel on the side to knock a bid down.
We also run our own roll formers and a standing seam machine, so we form our standing seam panels in-house, cut to the length of each slope, and our own crew installs them. If you want the full story on that, read why we form our own metal panels. And if you’re still deciding which system fits your place, our standing seam vs. R-panel comparison walks through looks, fasteners and upkeep.
The photo at the top of this post is from our standing seam job on a brick ranch near Rhome. You can see the seams running straight down to the eave on 26-gauge panels.
For a deeper side-by-side, see our 26 vs. 29 gauge page.
Metal roofing around Bridgeport and Wise County
Bridgeport sits in the middle of a lot of metal roof country, and we work all over it:
- Lake homes around Lake Bridgeport and Runaway Bay, where wind exposure makes stiffer panels and solid clips matter.
- Ranch homes and acreage out toward Chico, Paradise and Jacksboro, where long, simple roof lines suit full-length standing seam.
- Homes in town in Bridgeport and Decatur, where a lot of folks are switching from shingles to metal.
- Shops, barns and barndominiums, which we cover on our barndominium, shop and ag roofing page.
You can see more on our metal roofing in Wise County page.
Questions to ask about any metal roof quote
- What gauge is the steel?
- Is it standing seam with hidden fasteners, or exposed screws?
- Is the roof Class 4 impact rated?
- Will the panels run one piece from ridge to eave?
- Is your own crew installing it?
Let’s take a look at your roof
Big metal job or a small repair, we’d be glad to come out. We’ll check the decking, the pitch and the ventilation, and every inspection comes with a free digital photo report so you can see what we saw. Then I’ll tell you plainly which metal roofing system fits your house and why.
We’re A+ rated on the BBB, and our Google ratings are 5.0 at all three offices: 86 reviews in Bridgeport, 13 in Decatur and 3 in Rhome. We serve the entire DFW Metroplex and towns within about 65 miles of Bridgeport.
Call (817) 733-9228 or request an estimate, and we’ll set up a time to come out.