EDCO Metal Roofing: Is Steel Worth It for Your NH Home?
Stamped steel that looks like slate or cedar shake — and lasts 50 years. Here’s the honest breakdown on EDCO Arrowline and Generations HD from a Stratham crew that installs it.
Most folks hear “metal roof” and picture a corrugated barn or a tin-can sound during a rainstorm. EDCO metal roofing is nothing like that. It’s stamped steel shaped to look like real slate or hand-split cedar shake, locked together on four sides, and finished to last half a century. We’ve stood on plenty of them across the Seacoast and Lakes Region, and they don’t rattle, they don’t rust through, and they don’t end up in a dumpster 18 years later.
So is it worth the money? That’s the real question, because EDCO isn’t cheap. In this post we’ll walk through what EDCO actually makes, how the Arrowline and Generations HD lines hold up in New England, what one really costs installed, and the kind of homeowner it makes sense for. We install asphalt every day too, so we’ll tell you straight when steel is overkill. And further down you’ll see photos from a steel shake roof we just finished in Chester, NH — our own crew, our own work.
EDCO stamped steel roofing — Arrowline slate, Arrowline shake, and Generations HD — costs about 2–3x an asphalt roof but lasts 50+ years, carries a true lifetime non-prorated warranty (Generations covers labor too), and holds a UL Class 4 impact rating with wind resistance over 200 mph. It’s a “forever roof” for a forever home. If you’re selling in a few years, asphalt is the smarter spend.
What is EDCO metal roofing?
EDCO is a Minnesota manufacturer that’s built steel roofing and siding since 1946. Its residential roofing — Arrowline and Generations HD — is galvanized steel with a baked-on PVDF (Kynar-type) finish, stamped to look like slate or cedar shake and interlocked on all four sides for a UL Class 4 impact rating and 200+ mph wind resistance.
EDCO Products has been stamping steel in Hopkins, Minnesota since 1946 — this isn’t a fly-by-night import. Their residential roofing breaks down into a few profiles:
- Arrowline Slate — steel shingles stamped to mimic natural slate, in solid and “enhanced” multi-tone color blends. The enhanced colors have a hand-painted depth that reads remarkably like real stone from the street.
- Arrowline Shake — same steel construction, stamped to look like hand-split cedar shake without the rot, insects, or 10-year maintenance cycle real wood demands.
- Generations HD — EDCO’s high-definition steel shingle, Class 4 impact rated with a lifetime, non-prorated, transferable warranty that includes hail and impact protection.
All of it is steel with a PVDF coating — the same family of finish used on commercial architectural metal. That coating is what fights fading and corrosion, and it’s why these roofs still look sharp decades in.
How does EDCO steel hold up in New England weather?
Very well. Steel sheds snow instead of holding it, won’t crack or curl in freeze-thaw cycling the way aging asphalt does, carries a Class A fire rating, and resists the wind and hail that beat up New Hampshire roofs. The interlocking design and Class 4 impact rating are exactly what you want in a climate that swings from ice storms to summer hail.
This is where steel earns its keep up here. Snow slides off a metal roof far more readily than it clings to asphalt — which takes load off your structure and helps starve the conditions that feed ice dams (though ventilation and insulation still do the heavy lifting there). The steel doesn’t get brittle and crack at the edges after a decade of New Hampshire winters, which is the failure mode we see constantly on aging 3-tab and even tired architectural roofs.
The impact rating matters more than people think. A UL Class 4 rating is the highest there is — it means the shingle took a 2-inch steel ball dropped from 20 feet without cracking. When a summer hailstorm rolls through Belmont or Gilford, that’s the difference between a dented-but-fine roof and a claim. And EDCO rates Arrowline to resist wind over 200 mph, which is well past anything a Seacoast nor’easter has ever thrown at us.
Quick Tip
The roof system matters as much as the panel. A 50-year steel roof deserves 50-year underlayment, proper ice & water shield at the eaves and valleys, and clean flashing in matching coated metal — not leftover aluminum. We’ve seen beautiful steel roofs leak at a chimney because someone reused old flashing. When you’re buying a forever roof, don’t let anyone cut corners on the parts you can’t see.
How much does an EDCO metal roof cost in NH?
Most EDCO stamped steel roofs in New Hampshire run about $12 to $18+ per square foot installed — roughly $30,000 to $55,000 on an average home — depending on roof pitch, complexity, profile, and tear-off. That’s two to three times an architectural asphalt roof, but spread across a 50-plus year lifespan with no mid-life replacement, the cost per year is competitive.
Let’s not dance around it — EDCO is a premium product and the price reflects that. Here’s roughly how it stacks against the other options we quote:
| Roof Type | Installed Cost (per sq ft) | Lifespan | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural asphalt | ~$5.50–$8.50 | 25–30 yrs | Lifetime (ltd., prorated) |
| EDCO Arrowline / Generations | ~$12–$18+ | 50+ yrs | Lifetime, non-prorated |
| Standing seam metal | ~$14–$22+ | 50+ yrs | 30–50 yr finish |
| Natural slate | ~$25–$50+ | 75–100 yrs | Material only |
Do the math the way we would at your table. Say an asphalt roof is $20,000 and lasts 27 years — about $740 a year. An EDCO roof at $42,000 that lasts 50-plus years works out to around $840 a year, and you never tear it off and pay again. Factor in the labor-inclusive warranty on Generations HD and the fact that you’re done thinking about your roof for good, and the gap narrows a lot. The honest catch: you have to stay in the house long enough to bank that value.
When does EDCO make sense — and when is it overkill?
EDCO makes sense for homeowners staying put long term, anyone who wants a true once-and-done roof, homes where slate or shake curb appeal matters, and properties exposed to heavy snow, wind, or hail. It’s overkill if you’re selling within a few years, on a tight budget, or roofing a low-visibility outbuilding — asphalt is the better spend there.
We’re not going to upsell you into steel you don’t need. If you’re planning to list the house in three years, you won’t recover an EDCO roof in the sale price — buyers around here don’t pay a $25,000 premium for it, fair or not. A quality architectural asphalt roof is the smarter move in that case.
But if this is your forever home — the lakefront place in Wolfeboro, the family house in Exeter you’re not leaving — steel changes the equation. You install it once, it outlives every asphalt roof your neighbors cycle through, and you stop thinking about it entirely. For the right homeowner, that peace of mind is the whole point. We’ll lay out both options with real numbers and let you decide which one fits your plans, not ours.
EDCO Steel by Region
Why a coated steel roof earns its premium across our service area.
Seacoast NH
Salt air punishes ordinary metal, but EDCO’s galvanized steel and PVDF finish are built to resist corrosion, and the warranty covers rust perforation. We pay extra attention to fasteners, cut edges, and coated flashing on coastal homes where the salt load is highest.
Lakes Region NH
Heavy snow load and brutal freeze-thaw swings are exactly where steel shines. Snow sheds instead of sitting, and the panels won’t crack the way aging asphalt does. Lakefront homes also get the Class 4 hail protection that summer storms off the water make worthwhile.
Northern MA
North Shore and Merrimack Valley homes deal with coastal storms and a lot of older housing with steep, visible roofs. The Arrowline slate profile gives historic-looking homes the stone roof look without the structural weight real slate demands.
Southern ME
York County’s mix of coastal exposure and shaded, damp lots rewards a finish that resists corrosion and won’t host moss the way asphalt granules do. For a coastal Maine home you’re keeping for generations, a steel roof is a one-time decision.
A Real EDCO Job: Chester, NH
Not a stock photo or a render — here’s an EDCO steel shake roof our crew installed in Chester, NH.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is EDCO metal roofing worth the cost in New Hampshire?
For a home you plan to stay in long term, yes. EDCO stamped steel roofing costs roughly two to three times an asphalt roof up front, but it routinely lasts 50 years or more, carries a true lifetime non-prorated warranty that includes labor, and shrugs off the snow, ice, and wind that wear out shingles. If you’re selling soon, the payback window is too short to justify it.
What is EDCO Arrowline roofing made of?
EDCO Arrowline is stamped steel — galvanized steel coated with a baked-on PVDF (Kynar-type) finish — formed to look like natural slate or hand-split cedar shake. It locks together on four sides, carries a UL Class 4 impact rating, and is rated to resist wind speeds over 200 mph. EDCO has manufactured steel roofing and siding in Minnesota since 1946.
How long does an EDCO steel roof last in New England?
A properly installed EDCO steel roof commonly lasts 50 years or more in New Hampshire — often outliving the homeowner who installs it. The PVDF finish resists fading and the steel won’t crack in freeze-thaw cycling the way aging asphalt does. EDCO backs both Arrowline and Generations HD with a lifetime, non-prorated limited warranty.
Can EDCO metal shingles be installed over an existing roof?
Sometimes, but we usually don’t recommend it. Steel is light enough that a layover is structurally possible, yet it hides whatever is wrong with the deck underneath. We prefer a full tear-off so we can inspect the sheathing, replace bad wood, and install proper underlayment and ice & water shield — which matters a lot on a roof meant to last 50 years.
Does EDCO steel roofing rust on the NH Seacoast?
The galvanized steel and baked-on PVDF finish are built to resist corrosion, and EDCO’s warranty specifically covers perforation from rust. On the salt-heavy Seacoast we still pay close attention to fasteners, flashing metal, and cut edges, because that’s where any metal roof is most vulnerable. Done right, a coated steel roof holds up well in coastal NH and southern Maine.
Is metal roofing loud when it rains?
No — that’s the barn myth. EDCO stamped steel shingles install over solid decking and underlayment, not open purlins, so rain and hail sound about the same as they do under an asphalt roof. The exposed-fastener metal on an old pole barn is a completely different system from a residential steel shingle roof.
How much does an EDCO metal roof cost in NH?
Most EDCO stamped steel roofs in New Hampshire run about $12 to $18+ per square foot installed, or roughly $30,000 to $55,000 for an average home, depending on roof complexity, profile, and tear-off. That’s two to three times an architectural asphalt roof, but spread over a 50-plus year lifespan with no mid-life replacement, the cost per year is competitive.
Thinking about a roof that lasts a lifetime?
We’ll come out, get on the roof in person — no drones, no drive-by guesses — and walk you through whether EDCO steel or a quality Owens Corning asphalt roof is the right call for your home and how long you’re staying.