Minnesota and Wisconsin sit squarely in hail country, and insurers price roofs accordingly. A metal roof or an impact rated shingle can earn a premium discount with many carriers, but there is a catch worth understanding before you buy the upgrade for the discount alone.
Many insurers offer premium credits for roofs rated Class 4 under the UL 2218 impact standard, the highest rating for hail resistance. Standing seam metal roofs and certain premium shingles carry that rating. The discount varies by carrier and policy, commonly landing in the range of a few percent up to a meaningful double digit credit in hail prone areas, so the same roof can be worth different money depending on who insures you. The move: call your agent, ask specifically about Class 4 impact resistant roofing credits, and get the number before you decide.
Long lifespan, sheds snow well, and typically carries the impact rating insurers credit. Runs about $20,000 to $45,000 installed on an average home in our market.
Class 4 asphalt options deliver much of the insurance benefit at a lower cost than metal. A strong middle path in hail country.
The value baseline at about $8,000 to $18,000 installed. Often the right call when the insurance math does not move enough to justify the upgrade.
Here is the tradeoff agents do not always volunteer: when you take an impact resistant roof discount, some carriers attach a cosmetic damage exclusion. Metal resists punctures, but hail can still dent it, and under that exclusion dents that do not cause leaks are not covered. On a standard shingle roof the same storm might have bought a full insurance replacement. Neither answer is wrong, but you should choose it knowingly: ask your agent whether the discount comes with a cosmetic exclusion and decide with both numbers on the table.
A discount alone rarely pays for the jump from asphalt to metal on its own timeline. Metal earns its price through lifespan, snow shedding and low maintenance, and the insurance credit sweetens a decision the house already justifies. We install both metal and asphalt systems, so you get a straight comparison for your roof, your insurer and your plans, not a pitch for the expensive option. Typical local costs by material are on our 2026 cost index.
A free estimate gets you exact numbers, real samples and an honest recommendation from a veteran owned local contractor.
