Install prep guide

A great metal roof starts before install day.

For roofing companies, builders, GCs and restoration contractors. Your side of the job: the paperwork to have in hand, the conversations to have with your homeowner, what we need from you, and the oddball things worth flagging early. The better informed everyone is, the smoother the install.

At the sale Paperwork and files Homeowner talking points Homeowner prep Oddball items Vetting a metal sub

01 · At the sale

Set the job up when you sell it.

Most install-day problems start as a missing detail or an unset expectation at the kitchen table. Good measurements and photos let us plan the strategy and staging, so we know what we're up against before install morning.

Get accurate measurements

Order a Hover or EagleView report for the whole roof. Accurate squares, pitches and line lengths mean an accurate takeoff and the right materials on site.

Get elevation and property photos

Every side of the house, plus the driveway, yard and access. It shows us where the roll former, dumpster and materials can go.

Get aerial and roof photos

Overhead and close-up roof shots of chimneys, skylights, wall tie-ins and penetrations, so we know the details before we're on the roof.

Lock in the panel

Brand, gauge, panel width and color on the contract. We install mechanical-lock standing seam in 14″ or 20″, 24 or 26 ga, from McElroy Metal or Englert.

Confirm the slope

Note any low-slope sections, porches and tie-ins. We check every roof plane against the manufacturer's minimum slope in the takeoff before anything is ordered.

Say what's not included

Gutters, fascia, solar resets and chimney repairs are separate work. Say so up front, so nobody assumes they come with the roof.

Talk about the deck

Explain that rotted or damaged decking can only be seen after tear-off. We photograph it and get your approval before any added work.

Set the timeline

Your quote comes with a start window. Let your homeowner know weather can move it, and that we'll keep you updated.

Agree on communication

Decide whether your homeowner hears from you only, or gets our progress updates and photos too. Either way, it's in your company's name.

Get approvals early

Check HOA and historic-district rules, and whether a permit is needed, before you set a start date.

Talk about ventilation

Moving from box vents to a ridge vent, or adding intake, changes the roof. Decide it at the sale, not on the roof.

Put choices in writing

Have your homeowner sign off on the color, panel and any add-ons, so there's no "I thought it was bronze" on install day.

Helping your homeowner pick a color

Match the house and the setting.

The right color comes from the home's style and what surrounds it. Earth tones and darker finishes suit the wooded and mountain settings across our area, while historic and colonial homes look best in classic grays, bronzes and reds.

Tip: get a physical color chip in hand before the order. Screens and printed charts rarely match. Check HOA and historic-district rules too.

Colonial & Cape CodCharcoal, slate gray, dark bronze, colonial red

Farmhouse & modernMatte black, charcoal, bright white

CraftsmanDark bronze, ash gray, slate blue

RanchCharcoal, dove or ash gray, warm tan

VictorianForest or hemlock green, dove gray, medium bronze

Wooded & mountain lotsEvergreen, dark bronze, charcoal

02 · Paperwork and files

Three files. Plus a complete job file.

Upload the three files with every job and we build the takeoff and an exact quote from them. Have the rest of your job file ready too, and use the notes for anything from the oddball list below.

Required

Hover or EagleView reportMeasurements, pitches and line lengths for the takeoff.

Work order, scope of work or contractSo we price exactly what you sold.

Aerial and/or elevation photosPenetrations, chimneys, tie-ins and access.

Submit a project

Have it in hand before you send

Your job file checklist

✓Signed contract or work order with the full scope✓Photos of every elevation, plus close-ups of chimneys, skylights, wall tie-ins and penetrations✓Photos of any interior leak stains or soft spots the homeowner knows about✓Insurance scope and any supplements, if it's a claim✓Signed color, panel and add-on selections✓HOA or historic approval, if needed✓Permit status, and who's pulling it✓Homeowner contact info, and whether they get updates from us✓Gate codes, pets, parking limits and any no-go areas

03 · Homeowner talking points

An informed homeowner is a happy homeowner.

Go over these with your homeowner at the sale or at the pre-install call. When they know what's coming, there are fewer surprises, fewer calls to your office, and a better review for your company.

Before the install

✓How the start window works, and that weather can move it✓What a deck problem would look like, and that nothing gets added without photos and approval✓Which decisions change the price, and that those go through your company✓Who their one point of contact is, and how they'll get updates✓What to move and protect before day one (the prep list below)

During the install

✓It's loud, and the house may shake a little during tear-off✓A crew, a roll former and a dumpster will be on the property✓Panels are formed right in the driveway, one continuous length per run✓Stay clear of the drip line while the crew works overhead✓They don't need to watch the work. Questions go to one contact, not the crew

After the install

✓We do a magnet sweep and haul off everything, every day and at the end✓There's a final walkthrough, and they get a couple of days after it to point out anything they notice✓How the coil manufacturer's warranty is registered, and what it covers✓The 7-year workmanship warranty, and who to call if they ever have a concern✓How the final payment works with your company

Tell us anything your homeowner is worried about, and put it in your project notes. We'll plan around it, and your install manager will know before day one.

04 · Homeowner prep

A prep list you can send as your own.

Forward this to your homeowner a week before the start. A prepared property means a faster, cleaner install and fewer calls to your office.

Around the house

✓Move cars, bikes and toys out of the driveway for the roll former and dumpster✓Move potted plants, grills and patio furniture away from the walls✓Take down wind chimes, birdbaths and yard decorations✓Close gates and tell us which doors to keep shut

Inside

✓Cover or move stored items in the attic, since tear-off shakes loose dust✓Take down pictures and shelf items on top-floor walls✓Keep windows closed during tear-off✓Confirm an exterior outlet we can use

People and pets

✓Plan for pets and small children, since it gets loud✓Give neighbors a heads-up about noise and the dumpster✓Keep everyone clear of the drip line while we work✓Know your one point of contact for questions

We tarp landscaping and the areas around the house, and clean up throughout every day, so homeowners don't need to protect plants themselves.

05 · Oddball items

The things that pop up on metal jobs.

None of these are rare. Spot them at the sale, put them in your notes, and they get priced and planned instead of discovered on the roof.

ItemWhy it mattersTell us

Extra layersTwo or three layers of shingles, or metal or wood shakes under shinglesHow many layers, and what's under them

Plank or board deckingGaps between boards need infill before underlaymentWhether the attic shows planks or plywood

Low-slope sectionsPorches, dormers and additions can fall below the panel's minimum slopePitch of every low section

ChimneysLoose bricks, failed mortar or a wide chimney that needs a cricketChimney condition, and who repairs it

SkylightsOld skylights often leak or don't fit new flashingKeep, replace, or remove and deck over

Solar, satellite and antennasThey have to come off before we start, and go back afterWho removes and resets them, and when

Electric masts and gas ventsThe service mast and gas flues need proper flashing and clearancesTheir locations in your photos

Gutters and guardsGutter guards, hangers under the drip edge, or gutters being replacedGutters stay, come off or get replaced

Wall transitionsSiding, stucco or stone where a roof meets a wall needs counterflashingWall material at every tie-in

Existing leaksInterior stains can mean rotted decking or raftersPhotos of any stains or soft spots

Rafter or structural issuesSagging ridges or rafters show through metalAnything you noticed in the attic

Access and stagingSteep lots, soft lawns, septic fields, tight driveways and three-story wallsWhere the roll former and dumpster can go

Trees and power linesOverhanging limbs and nearby lines slow panel handlingTrim plans and any line clearance

Snow guardsNeeded over doors, walkways and decks on steeper roofsWhether they're in the scope

06 · What happens nextOnce you send the job, your install manager takes it from there.From the takeoff and the day-before call to the final walkthrough and the closeout package.

See what your install manager does

07 · Vetting a metal sub

The questions to ask any metal sub. Our answers.

Your name is on the job, so vet your installer the way your homeowner vets you.

Are you insured?Yes. We carry general liability insurance, and a certificate of insurance is available on request.

Who actually installs the roof?ORA's specialized metal crews, managed by an ORA install manager on site every day.

Who is my point of contact?Your ORA install manager, from the day-before call to the final walkthrough. Your homeowner never has to chase anyone.

Do you follow manufacturer details?Yes, on every job. It's what keeps the McElroy and Englert warranties intact.

What warranties come with it?A 7-year ORA workmanship warranty, plus the coil manufacturer's paint, fade and perforation warranties.

How do you handle surprises?Photos first, your approval second, then the work, billed at the listed add-on rates. No surprise invoices.

How do you protect the property?Tarping around the house, landscaping protection and cleanup throughout every day.

Where do you work?Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC.

Can I see your work?Yes. See our recent installs, and every job you send us comes with a full photo set.

Why the cheapest metal bid costs more

The low bid gets paid for later.

A metal roof is all or nothing, and your company's name is on it. Here's where a cheap metal sub usually makes up the difference.

Missing materialsTrim, flashings or a whole roof plane left off the bid means reorders and delays mid-job.

Skipped detailsNo manufacturer details means voided coil warranties and leaks at the flashings.

No one managing the jobCrews without an install manager cut corners on clip spacing, hems and seams. Oil canning and callbacks follow.

No workmanship warrantyIf the sub won't stand behind the work, the callbacks land on you.

Surprise change ordersThe low number wins the job, then the extras show up on the final invoice. Your margin takes the hit, or your homeowner does.

Leaks and repairs laterFixing a bad install after the fact costs far more than doing it right once: return trips, interior damage and an unhappy customer.

Ready to send your next metal job? Upload the report, scope and photos. We'll email an exact price and a start window.

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