A lot of the calls I get from Granbury and the neighborhoods around Lake Granbury start the same way: “I want metal, but I don’t want my house to look like a barn.” That’s a fair worry, and it’s exactly the job stone-coated steel was made for. From the street it looks like wood shake, clay tile or a heavy architectural shingle. Up close, it’s steel.
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. Here’s what I tell homeowners in Hood County who are weighing a stone-coated steel roof.
What stone-coated steel actually is
Each panel starts as steel. The steel gets a coating, then a layer of stone granules bonded to the surface, and the panel is pressed into a profile that mimics a traditional roof. The granules give it texture and color, so it doesn’t have the smooth, shiny look most people picture when they hear “metal roof.”
Most profiles go down on battens, which leaves an air space between the panels and the roof deck. And the panels are light. DECRA lists installed weights around 150 to 160 pounds per square, which is a fraction of what concrete or clay tile weighs. That matters if you love the look of tile but your house was never framed to carry it.
Shake, tile or shingle: picking the look
The nice part about stone-coated steel is that you’re choosing a look first and a material second.
- Shake profiles suit ranch homes, lake houses and anything with stone or timber on the outside. They give that rugged, layered texture without the rot, splitting and upkeep of real wood.
- Tile profiles, including low-profile tile and Spanish barrel shapes, suit Mediterranean and Spanish-style homes, which you see plenty of around the lake.
- Shingle profiles look like a thick architectural shingle and fit almost any traditional home.
If you want a smooth painted finish instead of granules, metal shingles and metal tile are the cousin to look at. And if you like the clean lines of long vertical panels, standing seam is still my favorite roof to put on a house. Our standard there is 26-gauge steel, and we form the panels on our own roll formers right on the jobsite.
DECRA vs. Tilcor
We install DECRA and Tilcor, among others. They’re both stone-coated steel with similar weight, so the choice usually comes down to profile and details.
DECRA is the best-known name in stone-coated steel. It’s now part of IKO, which makes metal roofing in Ennis, Texas. Its lineup covers Shake, Shake XD, Tile, Villa Tile and Shingle XD, and in September 2026 IKO launched DECRA by IKO Metals with Mediterranean Tile, Farmhouse Shake and Spanish Tile profiles.
Tilcor makes its panels from New Zealand steel. Its CF lines (CF Shake and CF Shingle) use a concealed fastening system, so the screws are hidden from view and from the weather. It also makes Antica, a Spanish tile look, and Craftsman Shake.
I’ll bring samples of both and tell you plainly which one I think fits your house and your roof pitch.
Pitch matters
Stone-coated steel isn’t for every roof. Most profiles need a moderate pitch. DECRA generally calls for 3:12 or more, and 4:12 for some profiles. A lot of lake homes have a low-slope porch or a nearly flat section tucked in somewhere, so we check every roof plane before recommending a product. When part of the roof is too flat, standing seam or a membrane over that section can tie in cleanly.
Hail and Hood County weather
Granbury sees real hail. NOAA’s Storm Events Database lists 17 reports of hail 1.75 inches (golf-ball size) or larger within about 10 miles of Granbury from 2016 through September 2026, and the largest was 4.5-inch hail on May 9, 2024, reported near Lake Granbury South.
Every metal roof we install is Class 4 impact rated under UL 2218, the highest rating there is. That’s a lab test, not a promise, and no roof is hail-proof. Ratings belong to a specific product, so we confirm the rating of the exact product on your quote. One thing I do like about stone-coated steel in hail country is that the textured stone surface hides minor marks better than smooth painted metal. Our page on Class 4 metal roofs and insurance covers the questions to ask your agent, including whether your policy has a cosmetic damage exclusion on metal.
HOAs and lake neighborhoods
In gated lake communities like DeCordova and Pecan Plantation, the architectural committee usually has the final say on your roof. Stone-coated steel is often an easier conversation than visible metal panels, because it reads as shake, tile or shingle from the street. Every HOA is different, though, so we help you pull together the product sheets, profile details and color samples they ask for before anything gets ordered.
Living with it
A few honest things to know:
- Walk on it carefully. Installers and other trades should step only where the manufacturer allows. If you’re having solar or satellite work done later, make sure that crew knows what’s on your roof.
- Keep a few spare pieces. Repairs are best done with matching panels from the same product line.
- Some loose granules are normal early on. The stone layer is bonded to the steel, and products are tested for long-term granule adhesion. Ask about the specific product warranty when you compare options.
- Cost. It usually costs more than shingles and is often close to standing seam. We’ll price the options side by side so you can see the difference for your house.
Nearby towns
We install and repair metal roofs all around Granbury, including Tolar, Cresson, Weatherford and Aledo. Granbury is inside the roughly 65-mile area we serve from our Bridgeport office, and we serve the entire DFW Metroplex too.
Let’s talk about your roof
Whether you’re ready for a full stone-coated steel roof or you just need a leak looked at, we’re glad to help, and no job is too small. Our workmanship warranty runs from 10 years up to lifetime, depending on the job. 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. Every inspection comes with a free digital photo report.
Call (817) 733-9228 or request an estimate, and I’ll bring samples out so you can see the profiles against your own house.
