Equipment sheds
Equipment sheds are often a simple frame with metal panels and a low pitch. They are checked for open laps and loose trim, and repairs are usually fasteners, trim and a few panels.
Serving Cleveland County
Barn and Outbuilding Roof Repair in Lawndale, NC
Metal and shingle roof repair for barns, sheds and poultry houses on farm property, with the work set out in writing first.
- Repairs and full replacements
- Storm, wind and hail damage
- Metal, asphalt and farm-building roofs
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (833) 751-2102. Or send this and we call you back.
Barns
Barn and Outbuilding Roofing: what it covers
Quick answer
Barn, shed and poultry house roofs are usually metal panels over a long span of framing, often on farm land out on the county roads. Repairs focus on fasteners, panel laps, ridge and eave trim, and the framing under the panels. A technician checks for loose screws, bent panels and rust, and sets the work out in writing before anything starts.
A barn or outbuilding roof is a different job from a house roof, even when the material is the same. Equipment sheds, hay barns and poultry houses are built to cover a large open floor with as few supports as possible, so the roof is a long run of metal panels fixed to purlins or framing. Water and wind find the weak points in the fasteners and the laps, and a roof that looks sound from the road can have a loose line of screws along a whole eave.
Out in the farm country of Cleveland County, a building stands with nothing to slow the wind. Open fields let straight-line gusts reach the roof without a line of trees to break them, and storm warnings for this county have cited 60 mph gusts. In April 2011 a tornado in a rural part of the county north of Shelby overturned mobile homes and took the roof off a shed. Sheds and barns on open ground tend to be among the first buildings to lose panels in a storm like that.
This page covers how a technician checks an outbuilding roof, what a repair usually involves, and how a metal barn roof differs from one on a house. Phones are answered around the clock, and the price is explained and approved before work starts. For metal on a house, see metal roofing, and for the choice between the two, see the metal or shingle guide.
- Service area
- Lawndale & Cleveland County
- Availability
- Call to reach a local roofer
- Phone
- (833) 751-2102
Why do metal barn roofs fail at the fasteners first?
Metal panels move with heat and cold, and the screws that hold them move less. Over time the fastener works loose, and water finds the gap it leaves.
Each screw passes through a washer that is meant to seal around it. Sun and temperature swings dry out and crack the washer, and wind works the screw back and forth until it loosens. The panel then lifts a little at each fastener, and rain gets under the edge.
A single loose screw is easy to miss from the ground. A technician walks the fastener lines because a failure along one row often means the rest of that row is not far behind.
What does a typical outbuilding repair involve?
A typical repair is a set of fasteners, a few panels and the trim along the edges. The work is small, but it has to be done in the right order.
A typical job is a shed roof with loose screws along one eave and a panel lifted at the ridge. The technician resets the loose fasteners with new washers, straightens or replaces the lifted panel, and refastens the ridge trim so the wind has nothing to catch.
Each piece is checked against the framing under it. If a purlin is soft, that comes first, because a new panel fixed to a soft purlin will fail again in the next storm.
Should a damaged barn panel be repaired or replaced?
A panel is repaired when it is only bent or lifted and the metal is still sound. It is replaced when it is torn, badly rusted or cannot be brought back flat.
A dent that has not split the metal can often be worked out and refastened. A creased panel with a split along the crease usually cannot be restored, and a rusted-through panel has lost the strength it needs to hold a fastener.
Matching the profile of the existing panel matters, because a new panel that does not fit the old run leaves a gap at the lap. The technician checks the profile before the old panel is taken off.
What moves the price of barn and shed roof work?
The price depends on the length and span of the roof, the number of panels, the height and access, and the condition of the framing. It is explained and approved before work starts, and no figure is given on this page.
A long roof with many panels takes more time than a small shed with a few. A high eave, a steep pitch or a rural lot where a ladder or lift is hard to set all add time. Trim, vent caps and fan housings are priced as separate pieces, so the homeowner can see what each one costs to fix.
If the framing underneath needs carpentry, that work is described on its own line, and it is done before the panels are reset. Whether the entire run needs new fasteners changes the scope too, and the technician will say so in writing.
Does a farm building roof need a permit?
Whether a roof repair or replacement needs a permit depends on the address, the building and the scope of the work. The county or town inspections office confirms it for the property.
Some repairs are small enough that no permit question comes up at all, and some re-roofs involve enough structure that the office will want to see the plan. This page does not say which applies, because the answer depends on the specific property.
The homeowner should ask the inspections office before work begins. The technician can explain the scope in writing so the office has a clear description to answer from.
Warning signs
Signs you need barn and outbuilding roofing
A metal roof is slippery when wet, and the edges of new panels are sharp, so wear gloves and stay off the panels except where the framing carries you. Do not climb a barn roof in high wind, in rain or after a storm when limbs may still be hanging. Keep well clear of overhead power lines when working near a building. Leave the climbing to a technician rather than doing it yourself.
- Screws with rubber washers that have cracked, backed out or spun loose on the panel.
- Panels lifted at the ends, bent at the eave, or creased along a line of framing.
- Rust at the laps, screw heads and cut edges, with a rust-colored stain running down the panel.
- Daylight showing through the roof where two panels overlap, or at the ridge cap.
- Trim at the ridge or eave that is bent, missing or hanging loose after a wind.
- Dents on the panels on the side the storm came from, or a dented vent or fan cap.
- Dust or feed in a dry line on the floor under a leak, showing where water has been coming in.
Our process
How our barn and outbuilding roofing visit works
Walk the building first
The technician walks the outside to see the roof line, the eave and the ridge from the ground before anything goes up a ladder. A bent line along an eave or a sag in the ridge is often visible from the drive.
Check the fasteners
Every fastener line is checked for loose, cracked or missing screws. On a long roof, one bad line of fasteners can let water in along a whole run, so the technician checks the rows rather than single screws.
Look at the panels and laps
Panels are checked for bends, creases, rust and separation at the laps. The technician notes where wind has pulled a panel up and whether it can be pulled back down or needs replacing.
Check the framing underneath
The purlins or framing under the panels are checked for rot, rust and sag where they can be safely seen, from inside the building or from the eave. A panel can only be fixed if what it sits on is sound.
Set out the work in writing
The homeowner gets a written list of what needs doing now and what can wait. The price is explained and approved before work begins.
Options
Types and options for barn and outbuilding roofing
Hay barns
Hay and feed barns carry longer spans and heavier loads inside. The framing matters more here, so the technician checks for sag and rust in the purlins as well as in the panels.
Poultry houses
Poultry houses are built long and low, often with vent openings along the roof. Their ridge and vent details are where water and dust get in, and where repairs need the most care in the detailing.
Small outbuildings with shingles
Some small outbuildings and sheds carry shingles rather than metal. These are checked the way a house roof is, with the decking and the flashing at the wall as the main points.
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If it's an emergency, call now. For non-urgent barn and outbuilding roofing, send the form and we'll call you back.
Cleveland County
Why barn and outbuilding roofing is different in Cleveland County and the Carolina foothills
Metal has long been standard on barns, sheds and poultry houses across the county's farm land, and it is increasingly going onto houses here too. Out on the county roads a metal roof is often the one part of a property that has been left to weather the storms alone.
The April 2011 tornado north of Shelby overturned mobile homes and took the roof off a shed in the same rural stretch. Hurricane Hugo in September 1989 produced hurricane-force gusts far into western North Carolina, which is the kind of wind that finds an open panel on a barn.
Winter here brings freezing rain more than snow. Ice builds at the eaves of a metal roof and weighs down limbs that can fall onto a building, so the trim and the eave line are checked after each ice event.
Related
Related services
Metal Roofing
Metal roof installation and repair for houses, barns, sheds and poultry houses across Cleveland County.
Roof Inspection
A written look at a roof's condition after a hail or wind warning, or before buying an older house or farm building.
Wind Damage Roof Repair
Repair for shingles, ridge caps and flashing that straight-line wind lifts, creases or tears away in Lawndale and across Cleveland County.
Mobile and Manufactured Home Roofing
Roof repair for manufactured and mobile homes, focused on seams, edge trim and the vent and pipe penetrations.
Where we work
Barn and Outbuilding Roofing across Cleveland County
- Barns in Fallston
- Barns in Polkville
- Barns in Vale
- Barns in Casar
- Barns in Waco
- Barns in Lattimore
- Barns in Shelby
- Barns in Cherryville
- Barns in Crouse
- Barns in Boiling Springs
- Barns in Ellenboro
- Barns in Bostic
- Barns in Kings Mountain
- Barns in Earl
- Barns in Bessemer City
- Barns in Grover
- Barns in Caroleen
- Barns in High Shoals
- Barns in Mooresboro
- Barns in Forest City
- Barns in Cliffside
- Barns in Henrietta
- Barns in Lincolnton
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Guides
Read before you book
Choosing Between Metal and Asphalt Shingle on a Foothills Property
Metal has long covered barns, sheds and poultry houses on the county roads, and it is increasingly going onto houses.
FAQ
Barn and Outbuilding Roofing FAQs
Can one panel be fixed without replacing the whole roof?
Usually, yes. A single bent or lifted panel can be straightened, refastened or replaced if the rest of the run is sound. The technician checks the profile and the framing under it first, so the new panel lines up with the old run.
Why does my barn only leak at one spot?
A single leak often comes from one failed fastener, a split lap or a lifted trim piece right above the drip. Water runs along the panel or the framing before it shows, so the stain can be some distance from the source. The technician traces the water path to the exact point.
Is a metal barn roof better than a shingle roof on a shed?
The right covering depends on the building's use, its slope and its exposure. Metal is common on barns and sheds because of how it handles long spans. The guide on metal or shingle choices sets out the trade-offs, and the technician can explain what fits the building in front of them.
What should I have ready before the technician comes out?
Clear access to the building, the way the storm came through, and any photographs of the damage from the ground. Tell the technician what the building is used for, since that affects the detailing. Ask for the findings and proposed work in writing before anything is approved.
Is it safe for me to walk on a barn roof to look?
It is not safe to walk on a barn roof to check it. Panels can bend or break under weight, and the framing underneath may not be visible. Look from the ground and the eave, and let the technician go up if the roof needs a closer look.
Will insurance cover a barn roof blown off in a storm?
That depends on the policy and the insurer's adjuster, and this page does not predict the outcome. Photograph the damage and the building from the ground, contact the insurer, and do not sign anything before the scope and price are written out.