Composite roof tiles or metal tiles: which to choose

The price difference per square metre is three to four times. We go point by point through what exactly you overpay for and when you don’t need to.

5 September 2026 · 6 min read

The facts side by side

Metal tile prices are the average of open supplier price lists in Almaty for September 2026. Composite prices are the KAZROOF range from our calculator. Both change — see the calculation for current figures.

Why the price gap is so big

Both materials have almost the same base — a steel sheet about half a millimetre thick. The difference is in how that steel is protected.

Metal tiles have a polymer coating on top, most often polyester. It is cheap and looks good for the first years, but it fades in the sun and wears thin. Southern Kazakhstan, with its UV and temperature swings, is a hard environment for polyester.

In composite tiles the steel is first coated with an aluminium-zinc alloy, and natural stone chips are baked on top. Stone does not fade: it is not painted on the surface but coloured through. Hence a factory warranty two to four times longer.

So the extra cost is not for looks, but for the years during which you won’t have to touch the roof.

Price per m² matters less than it seems

The most common mistake is to compare materials by the price per square metre. In a roofing estimate that metre is only part of the total. On top of it come:

• cutting waste — from 7% on a simple gable roof to 13% on a complex one;
• accessories — ridges, eave and verge flashings, fasteners: from 18% to 38% of the tile cost depending on the shape;
• installation, if you order it.

On a complex roof with bay windows, accessories and waste add up to half the amount on top of the material — and that percentage hits both options equally. So you should compare not price lists, but two finished calculations for your particular roof.

Noise, weight and other things people remember later

Rain noise. A smooth metal sheet acts like a membrane — rain drums on it. Composite manufacturers claim that the stone chips dampen the impact of a drop; we found no independent measurements of this. What affects noise more than the material is the base under the sheet — see the article “Are metal tiles noisy in the rain”. If a bedroom or attic is directly under the roof, ask the contractor what will be under the sheet.

Weight. Both materials are light, and neither requires reinforcing the rafters in an ordinary private house. Composite is slightly heavier because of the chip layer, but still many times lighter than natural ceramic tiles.

The look from the ground. Metal tiles glare, and on a large area they immediately read as metal. The matt granular surface of composite looks like natural tile from a distance. For some this is decisive, for others a minor detail.

Repairability. Metal tiles are sold in any building store, and replacing a sheet is easy. Composite has to be ordered from a supplier — but the need for replacement arises less often.

When metal tiles are the right choice

We calculate both materials and won’t try to convince you the cheap option is bad. Metal tiles are a sensible choice if:

• the roof is a simple gable roof without complex junctions;
• it is a country house, garage, outbuilding or a house you don’t plan to keep for decades;
• the budget is limited and the difference is better spent on insulation — it will affect your heating bill more than the roofing material;
• there are no living rooms under the roof, and noise doesn’t matter.

When it makes sense to pay more for composite

• the house is a home built “for good” — a horizon of 20–40 years, not 10;
• the roof has a complex shape: the more cuts and joints, the more expensive later repairs are, and the more a material that needs no intervention for longer pays off;
• the attic is lived in, and rain noise overhead will be an everyday factor;
• appearance matters: the house is in plain view, and metal glare bothers you.

How to decide in five minutes

Calculate your roof in both options and divide the price difference by the number of warranty years. If the extra cost per year looks acceptable — take composite. If not — metal tiles will honestly earn their money.

It’s not a universal answer, but it rests on your numbers, not on someone else’s opinion.

Frequently asked questions

This article is for reference. The exact bill of materials for your project is confirmed by an engineer from the drawing: a calculation by area does not account for individual junctions, valleys and abutments.