The peak of building season has arrived in Montana! In the Big Sky State, building season can start as early as March and end as late as November. However, the busiest time of the season happens between late July and early September. Right now, contractors across our great state are wading through a myriad of construction processes, facing long hours and tight deadlines. In the midst of the organized chaos, it can be easy for details to get forgotten on task lists—that includes all things related to metal roofing.
Precision and timing are key when ordering and installing metal roofing supplies, but both can get neglected with busy schedules and restrictive deadlines. Order too late, and your supplies might not arrive exactly when you need them, which pushes out your schedule even longer. Miss a measurement on your project’s roof, and you might end up with not enough metal panels to cover your commercial metal roofing project. At Great Northern Metal Company, we want our customers to thrive during the building season surge and not feel panicked about their metal roofing and siding orders. In this blog post, we’ll cover our top recommendations for how contractors can prepare for this busy building season and ensure their metal roofing and siding projects stay on-time, on-budget, and hassle-free.
5 Tips for Surviving Building Season: Metal Roofing & Siding Edition
1. Don’t Order Materials Off the Plans
This is the number one mistake we see at our shop, which can cost a pretty penny to fix. When you order off the plans or the eagle view without actually measuring the structure, you will always have inaccurate measurements. When you measure off of plans or eagle view, you are not taking into account the actual, built dimensions of the building. This can lead to over or under-ordering materials, which wastes your time, materials, and money.
If you make an error with your measurements, you might need to order smaller orders to make up for the mistake instead of getting the entire order ready to go when you need it. Unlike asphalt shingle roofing, metal panels cannot be easily cut or adjusted to fit a roof. Metal roofing panels are custom-made and cut for your project.
Simply, when you order your metal roofing materials, make sure to put in the dimensions that are actually built on the building, not in the plans. Check out our guide for how to measure a metal roof to get accurate dimensions and measurements for your metal roofing order.
2. Don’t Order Too Early or Too Late
While we generally applaud doing tasks ahead of time, we don’t recommend doing that when ordering metal roofing materials. If you order your materials too soon, you risk them sitting around on your job site for too long, where they can be damaged by subcontractors or harsh elements. On the other side of the spectrum, we don’t recommend ordering too late, either. Depending on when you order your materials and our lead times, you might not get your metal materials exactly when you need them. This can lead to hassles in scheduling and negotiating new deadlines for your project.
3. Pay Attention to Lead Times
Staying on top of our lead times is one of the best ways you get the edge on the building season surge. Lead times refer to the time it takes from placing an order with Great Northern Metal Company or the availability of roofing materials. Our lead times can be impacted by factors like the manufacturer’s production schedule, the quantity of metal roofing being ordered, customization, etc. In some cases, popular or specialized metal roofing options may have longer lead times. To ensure you get your metal roofing order when you need it, check our lead times, which are posted on our social media channels weekly.
4. Check Installation Guides
Metal panel installation guides are the equivalent of a holy writ for contractors. These guides are developed by manufacturers with extensive knowledge and expertise in metal roofing systems. By following these guidelines, contractors can ensure they are following proper installation techniques. This helps cut the risk of installation errors and long-term roofing issues, like leaks or structural damage. If panels are installed inaccurately, you may need to order more supplies and labor, spending more time and money on the project than you anticipated.
5. Get a Consultation & Provide as Much Information as You Can
As the saying goes, two heads are better than one, which also applies to ordering metal roofing panels. Before you order metal roofing supplies, schedule a consultation with our team. Consultations let our experts learn about the details of your project, so they can remind you of the steps needed to order your metal roofing and ensure you have the correct gear to complete your project. As a general rule, the more information you can provide our team during the consultation, the better. That way, we can tailor our services and insights to your needs.
When you partner with Great Northern Metal Company, you’re partnering with a small, dedicated team of industry experts who want to see you and your project succeed. Whether it’s a commercial or residential metal roofing project, our professionals can provide insights and helpful tips to ensure you are satisfied with your order. We’re here to support you during every season—from building surges to downtimes—so reach out to our team today for a consultation.
