Alberta · Metal vs asphalt
Metal roof vs asphalt shingles
Asphalt costs less today and lasts about 20 years on published averages, less when hail finds it; an Interlock® aluminum roof costs more today and is built to be the last roof you buy. For a house you'll keep, compare both written prices over the years you'll own it, counting the next asphalt replacement.
Reviewed by Scott Plumptree, Director of Marketing, The Interlock Group · Updated October 8, 2026
Asphalt
About 20 years
NAHB / Bank of America study, 2007.
Aluminum
Known to last over 100 years
A property of the metal, not a promise.
Alberta
3,542 Interlock roofs since 1999
Recorded town by town in our job book.
Side by side
| Asphalt shingles | Interlock® aluminum roof | |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | About 20 years (NAHB / Bank of America, 2007) | Aluminum has been known to last over 100 years; a property of the metal, not a promise |
| Material warranty | Varies by brand and line; read who the warrantor is | Guardian Lifetime Limited Material Warranty: material and finish, original purchaser, transferable once |
| Hail | Hail bruises shingles and knocks granules loose, shortening their life even when nothing leaks yet | Slate, Cedar Shingle, Shake and Mediterranean Tile rated UL 2218 Class 4 (Intertek, Delta Building Products listing); large hail can still dent |
| Chinooks and freeze-thaw | Granules loosen and shingles curl and crack as they age | Absorbs no water; nothing for freeze-thaw to open up |
| Wind | Tabs can lift and blow off in storms | Panels lock on four sides; wind warranted to 193 km/h (120 mph) installed to manufacturer specification |
| Snow | Holds snow | Sheds snow; snow guards planned where slides would land |
| At the end | Torn off and sent to landfill, then replaced | Aluminum is recyclable |
| Up-front price | Lower | Higher |
Asphalt life expectancy: National Association of Home Builders and Bank of America Home Equity, Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components, February 2007 (a US study; local weather, design, material quality and maintenance all move it). Hail rating: Intertek listing under Delta Building Products.
Alberta homes that replaced asphalt with aluminum
Recent Interlock® roofs installed in Alberta by our own company. Tap a roof to see all of its photos.
Is a metal roof worth it in Alberta?
The honest answer depends on how long you'll own the house, and in Alberta on how often hail finds it. An asphalt roof costs less today and will be torn off and replaced, likely more than once, while you live there. An Interlock® aluminum roof costs more today and is built to be the last roof you buy.
The way to decide is with real numbers for your house: get a written asphalt price and a written Interlock® price, then compare them over the years you expect to stay, counting the next asphalt tear-off and replacement. Our metal roof cost page shows what Alberta homeowners have actually paid us recently.
When asphalt is the better choice
- You plan to sell within a few years and the buyer won't pay for the roof.
- The roof's slope is below 3/12 (every Interlock profile needs at least 3/12).
- The budget today simply doesn't allow it, and the current roof can't wait.
If you're replacing asphalt now
Whatever is on the roof now, the inspection decides what comes off. A single layer of asphalt can be roofed over only if our inspection finds it suitable; otherwise it comes off. Ice dams are a separate question from the roof covering: they come from heat loss and ventilation, and ice damming is a stated exclusion of the material warranty, so we look at your attic with you.
After a hailstorm: replacing asphalt
If hail has damaged your asphalt roof, the Insurance Bureau of Canada's advice is to photograph and list the damage once it's safe, keep your cleanup receipts, and report the claim to your insurer as soon as possible. Your insurer's adjuster decides what the claim covers.
We are a roofing contractor, not an adjuster: we don't negotiate claims or tell you what a claim is worth. What we can do is give you a written price for an Interlock® roof, so you can decide whether to put the claim toward a roof that is built not to need replacing again. Some homeowners pay the difference themselves; that is your decision and your insurer's terms.
Questions, answered
Is a metal roof better than asphalt shingles?
For a house you plan to keep, usually yes: a metal roof sheds snow, absorbs no water for freeze-thaw to work on, and outlasts asphalt, which a 2007 NAHB / Bank of America study put at about 20 years. Asphalt costs less up front.
How long do asphalt shingles last in Alberta?
Published averages put asphalt shingles at about 20 years (NAHB / Bank of America, 2007), and local weather, design, material quality and maintenance all move that. In Alberta, hail, chinook freeze-thaw and wind work on asphalt every year, and one bad hailstorm can end a roof early.
Does a metal roof hold up to hail better than asphalt?
Interlock's Slate, Cedar Shingle, Shake and Mediterranean Tile aluminum panels carry a UL 2218 Class 4 impact rating, listed by Intertek under Delta Building Products. Asphalt shingles come in impact-rated lines too, but hail still loosens granules. No roof is immune: large hail can dent aluminum, and the Guardian warranty excludes hail larger than 38 mm (1.5 in).
Should I use my hail claim to upgrade to metal?
That is between you and your insurer. Your adjuster decides what the claim covers; we give you a written price for an Interlock® roof so you can decide. We don't negotiate claims or promise insurance outcomes.
Is a metal roof louder than shingles?
Installed over a solid deck and underlayment, as residential Interlock® roofs are, it isn't the drumming of bare metal on an open-framed barn.
Can a metal roof go over asphalt shingles?
Sometimes: a single layer of asphalt can be roofed over only if an inspection finds it suitable. Otherwise it comes off first.
How do I compare the cost of metal and asphalt?
Get both prices in writing and compare them over the years you'll own the home, including the next asphalt replacement. For an Interlock® roof, book a free visit or call (587) 317-6517.
Sources
- National Association of Home Builders / Bank of America Home Equity: Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components (February 2007)
- Insurance Bureau of Canada: hail and insurance
- Insurance Bureau of Canada: cost of historic Calgary hailstorm continues to rise
- Guardian Lifetime Limited Material Warranty (full terms)
- Interlock Roofing: aluminum shingles, technical specifications
Product specifications are the manufacturer's (Interlock Roofing). Install counts are from our own job book. Reviewed by Scott Plumptree, October 8, 2026.
Get a written price to compare.
A fixed price in writing after one visit, at your home or on Zoom. Interlock Metal Roofing (Alberta) Ltd. · 210, 3750 46 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2B 0L1
