If you watched our August segment with Bighorn Roofing on FOX 13's The PLACE, you saw owner Bryce Rose drop a two inch steel ball on a stone coated roof panel, tear a standard asphalt shingle in half with his hands, and then hit the steel panel with an open flame. That was not a stunt. That was stone coated steel roofing doing what it does.
For most Utah homeowners, asphalt is the default. It is what your neighbor has. It is what your parents had. It works. But there is a premium tier that most people have never been shown, and for the right home, it changes the entire conversation about what a roof is supposed to do.
Bryce called it the last roof most Utah homeowners will ever buy. Here is what that means.
What Is Stone Coated Steel Roofing?
Stone coated steel is exactly what it sounds like. A steel panel with real stone chips embedded into the surface. From the ground it looks like a beautiful architectural shingle, a Spanish tile, or a wood shake. Up close it is something entirely different.
Bighorn Roofing installs Unified Steel by Westlake Royal Building Products. It is made in the USA, and it is the only stone coated steel system Bighorn puts on Utah homes. Here is how it is built, layer by layer:
1. A 26 gauge galvanized steel core, pre primed for corrosion protection.
2. An acrylic base coat that bonds the stone to the panel.
3. Real stone chips embedded into the surface for texture, color, and impact absorption.
4. A clear acrylic glaze that is baked on top to seal the whole system.
The result is a roofing product that reads like a high end architectural shingle from the curb but performs like nothing else on the market.
The Surprise Most Homeowners Miss: It Is Lightweight
The first thing Bryce did on the segment was hand the host a stone coated steel panel next to a standard asphalt shingle. The steel felt lighter.
It is not a trick. Stone coated steel comes in at about one and a half pounds per square foot. That is roughly a quarter of the weight of a concrete tile roof, and it is actually lighter than most asphalt shingle systems once you factor in underlayment.
Why that matters: because the roof is so light, it can be installed directly over a standard roof deck. No structural reinforcement. No engineering headaches. No adding truss capacity to hold the weight. For most Utah homes, the deck you have will handle it.
Why It Matters for Utah: Hail, Wildfire, and Wind
Utah is not California. Utah is not Florida. But Utah homeowners face a specific mix of weather that stone coated steel handles better than almost any other roofing product on the market.
Hail: Class 4 Impact Rated
Class 4 is the highest impact rating a roofing product can carry. Unified Steel is warranted against hail up to two and a half inches in diameter. That covers almost every hailstorm Utah sees in a given year.
On the segment, we dropped a two inch steel ball on the panel from about a foot up. That is the exact size of hail the Class 4 rating is built to handle. The panel took the hit and did not show a mark. The stone coating diffuses the impact and the steel underneath holds its shape.
Then we did the everyday durability test. Bryce picked up a standard asphalt shingle and tore a piece off it with his bare hands. That is what wind does to asphalt over time. That is what a falling tree branch does. Try that with stone coated steel and nothing happens. You cannot tear it. You cannot dent it easily. It is a completely different tier of durability.
Compare that to asphalt. After a major Utah hailstorm, roofing companies across the valley are writing up insurance claims and doing full tear offs. Stone coated steel does not need to be replaced. It handled the storm.
Wildfire: Class A Fire Rated
This is the conversation Utah is having right now. If you live anywhere on the east bench, in the foothills, or up a canyon, wildfire risk is real.
Class A is the highest fire rating a roofing system can earn. When installed with the proper underlayment, Unified Steel meets that standard. On the segment, Bryce held an open butane flame directly to a panel. No smoke. No burning. Nothing.
For homeowners in wildfire prone areas, that is not a nice to have. That is the entire reason to consider this product.
Wind: Up to 180 mph With the Engineered System
The panels lock together mechanically, so wind cannot lift individual pieces the way it can lift asphalt shingles. The standard warranty covers wind gusts up to 120 miles per hour. When Bighorn installs the full engineered system, using concealed fasteners and the specified installation methods, that number climbs to 180 miles per hour. That is High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) territory, the standard used for coastal Florida homes.
Utah does not usually see hurricane force winds. But canyon winds, downslope gusts, and the occasional microburst can absolutely damage a lesser roof. Installing the engineered system means the roof is over-built for anything Utah is going to throw at it.
The 50 Year Warranty That Follows the House
A standard asphalt roof in Utah lasts 25 to 30 years, and that is if it was installed well and has held up through freeze thaw cycles, UV exposure, and the occasional hailstorm. For most homeowners, that means replacing the roof once, maybe twice, during the time they own the house.
Unified Steel carries a 50 year limited manufacturer warranty, and it is fully transferable to the next owner if you sell the home. So if you install it today and sell your home in fifteen years, the buyer gets the remaining warranty. It becomes a selling feature, not a repair cost.
Bryce's line on the segment: you install it once and you are done. That is the honest answer for most homes.
It Does Not Look Like a Metal Roof
The word metal roof still makes some homeowners picture a barn or an industrial building. Stone coated steel is a completely different visual. Unified Steel offers five distinct profiles across a range of styles including traditional shingle, Spanish tile, wood shake, and other architectural looks. From the street, it reads as a high end roof, not a metal roof.
And because the panels are stone coated, they are not loud during a rainstorm. Inside the house, it sounds like any other roof.
Is It Worth the Cost?
Stone coated steel is a premium product. It costs more than asphalt on day one. Bryce is honest about that on every consultation.
But run the math over 50 years. An asphalt roof in Utah typically needs to be replaced two times in that window. Add up the cost of the original roof plus two more full roof replacements, and stone coated steel often comes in as the cheaper option over the life of the home. That is before you factor in the insurance savings, the reduced repair calls after storms, and the resale value.
For the right homeowner, especially those in a wildfire zone or a high hail area, stone coated steel is not the expensive roof. It is the smart roof.
Who Should Consider a Stone Coated Steel Roof?
Bryce narrowed it down to two kinds of Utah homeowners on the segment. Both are worth spelling out.
The first is the homeowner who never wants to think about their roof again. They are staying in the house long term, they do not want to deal with hail claims, and they want the peace of mind that comes with knowing the roof is not going to be a problem. Stone coated steel gives them that.
The second is the homeowner in a wildfire zone or a hail prone area. Foothills, east bench, canyon homes, or neighborhoods that get hit by hail every summer. For these homes, the premium is not really a premium. It is protection that pays for itself the first time a storm rolls through.
Why Bighorn Roofing Installs Unified Steel
Bighorn Roofing has installed a lot of different roofing systems on Utah homes. When it came time to choose a stone coated steel product to stand behind, Unified Steel by Westlake Royal Building Products was the pick.
Unified Steel is made in the USA, backed by one of the most comprehensive fully transferable warranties in the industry, and delivered by a manufacturer that has been in the roofing business for decades. That combination of product quality, warranty backing, and manufacturer stability is what Bighorn looks for on every product it recommends.
Bighorn is also the only GAF 3 Star President's Club contractor in Utah, GAF Master Elite certified, FORTIFIED Roofing certified, James Hardie Preferred, and Owens Corning Preferred. The credentials matter because they mean the crews installing your roof have been trained by the manufacturers themselves. The best product in the world will not perform if it is installed wrong.
Ready to See if Stone Coated Steel Is Right for Your Home?
Whether you are building a new home, considering a wildfire zone upgrade, or just tired of replacing your roof every 25 years, Bighorn will come out and give you an honest read. If stone coated steel is the right fit, we will show you the profiles, walk you through the cost, and lay out the timeline. If asphalt makes more sense for your home and budget, we will tell you that too.
Schedule your free consultation at gobighorn.com or call 801-305-4851.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a stone coated steel roof loud during rain or hail?
No. The stone coating and the underlayment system dampen sound. Inside the house, it sounds like any other roof. The loud metal roof reputation comes from old barn style corrugated metal, which is a completely different product.
Will hail dent a stone coated steel roof?
The stone chip layer diffuses impact and the steel underneath holds its shape. Unified Steel is Class 4 rated, the highest impact rating available, and warranted against hail up to two and a half inches in diameter.
How long does a stone coated steel roof last in Utah?
Fifty year limited warranty from Unified Steel. For most Utah homeowners, that means you install this roof once and never need to replace it during your time in the home. The warranty is also fully transferable, so if you sell, the next owner inherits the remaining coverage.
Does stone coated steel rust?
The steel is galvanized and pre primed for corrosion resistance, then sealed with an acrylic base coat, stone chips, and a baked on clear glaze. The full system is engineered for coastal environments, which are far harsher than anything Utah sees.
Can I install stone coated steel over my existing roof?
In some cases yes. Bighorn evaluates the deck and existing structure during the free consultation. Because stone coated steel is so lightweight, it often works as a direct install over an existing roof, but every home is different.
What does a stone coated steel roof cost compared to asphalt?
More on day one, less over the life of the home. Stone coated steel is a premium product with a premium upfront cost. But because it typically lasts twice as long as asphalt in Utah, the lifetime cost is often lower. Bighorn provides transparent pricing during every consultation.
Bighorn Roofing
Built on Trust. Backed by Craft.
gobighorn.com|801-305-4851
