Realtors Rate New Roofing a Perfect 10
When NAR surveyed realtors for their 2025 Remodeling Impact Report, they asked which home projects actually make homeowners happy and move buyers. New roofing came back with a perfect Joy Score of 10, tied with a primary bedroom suite and a full kitchen remodel. Realtors also reported a real jump in buyer demand tied directly to a new roof, and it’s one of the top projects they recommend before a home even hits the market.
That’s a strong signal, and understanding why it’s true is important because the reason has everything to do with what kind of roof you put on.
Why Buyers Respond to a New Roof
A roof isn’t a style choice the way a kitchen backsplash is. It’s a pass-fail item. Inspectors flag it, agents use it as leverage, and buyers mentally subtract a replacement cost the moment they see shingles that look tired. A new roof removes that conversation entirely, and that’s exactly why realtors see the demand spike NAR’s report describes.
Here’s where the roof material actually matters. An asphalt shingle roof buys you maybe 20 to 25 years before that conversation comes back around. A standing seam metal roof buys you 40 to 70. Same objection removed, but removed for the rest of most people’s time in the home instead of just the next couple decades.
A Quick Word on the Numbers
If you go looking, you’ll find a resale-recoup percentage attached to every remodeling project, roofing included. While no exterior project fully pays for itself in a straight dollar-for-dollar sense; the Cost vs. Value Report shows that’s true across the board, from kitchens to windows to roofing. Roofing’s percentage sits in that same normal range, and it’s not the number that predicts whether buyers respond to your home. The Joy Score and the demand data are the numbers that actually track buyer behavior, and both point the same direction: a new roof helps, and a roof that doesn’t need replacing again for decades helps more.
What This Looks Like in the Indiana Market
Everybody from these parts know, Central Indiana sits in the Midwest hail belt, and 2026 has proven nothing different. Standing seam metal with concealed fasteners carries strong wind ratings and often a Class 4 impact rating, the highest available, which is the same rating a lot of insurers look for when offering a discount on premiums. That’s a point that basically sells itself in the real estate listing.
None of that shows up in a percentage on a report. It shows up when a buyer’s inspector doesn’t flag the roof, when the listing doesn’t need a “roof replaced within 5 years” disclaimer, and when a buyer who’s done their homework sees a standing seam roof and reads it as one less thing they’ll have to deal with for the next several decades.
Bottom Line
Realtors already treat a new roof as one of the highest-impact things a homeowner can do before selling, and the data backs that up. Choosing a roof that removes the objection for decades instead of years is how you get the most out of that impact, whether you’re selling next year or just want to stop thinking about your roof.
Want to talk through what makes sense for your home and timeline? Reach out to Bainbridge (765-657-2828) or the Indianapolis location (317-907-7777). We’d love to quote a roof that will protect your home for decades to come.
Jena Jackson, Marketing Indiana Metal Inc
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