Miami Shores · Miami-Dade County

Metal Roof Replacement in Miami Shores

In Miami Shores, a metal roof is not simply a material choice.

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Section 523.1 of the village zoning code allows metal on a house only if the house is the right style, the roof is standing seam, the color and reflectance pass specific limits, the panels carry a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, and the planning director approves it. A metal sample and color chart go in with the permit application. Some popular choices fail these tests, including a bright white "cool roof" finish and metal made to look like barrel or Spanish-S tile. Check eligibility before you collect quotes; this page walks through each test and the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone rules the roof must also meet.

Does your house qualify? The style test

Metal is allowed on residences subject to the planning director's review and approval, and the first condition is the house itself. It must be built in the high modern, post-war modern, ranch or Key West architectural style, or a variation of one of them. The details, color and manner of installation must also be consistent with the design, style and composition of the house and the character of the surrounding neighborhood.

That leaves out much of the village's original housing. Miami Shores was planned in the 1920s around Mediterranean-inspired homes, and a Mediterranean Revival house does not appear on the list. If your house is a ranch or a mid-century modern, you are in the group the code was written for. If you are unsure how your house would be classified, ask the village before you order a sample.^1,2

Panel, color and finish rules

The roof must be standing seam, and the code specifically excludes metal made to replicate barrel tile or Spanish-S tile. It must be one solid color over the whole roof. That color must be a non-reflective neutral that does not make the roof stand out. Primary colors and white are prohibited, and so are bright, electric or fluorescent colors.

The finish has a number attached: an initial solar reflectance of 0.50 or less, or a solar reflectance index (SRI) of 60 or less. Check the manufacturer's data sheet for that figure before you choose a color. A light "cool roof" finish picked for high reflectance can go over this cap. Painted panels must be finished at the factory with a baked or similar process that resists cracking and chipping. Unfinished metal is prohibited, and so is painting the roof in the field.¹

Miami-Dade NOA and what goes in with the permit

Here the village is stricter than the building code. In the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, the Florida Building Code asks for a product approval, and a statewide Florida approval marked for HVHZ use can qualify. Miami Shores' zoning code asks for more on a metal roof: a factory finish, a Miami-Dade County Notice of Acceptance, and a label reading "Miami-Dade County Product Control Approved." You can look up an NOA on Miami-Dade's Product Control Search by its file number.

With the roof permit application, you submit a metal sample and a color chart to the Building Department. Remember the broader rules in Sections 523 and 523.1 as well: buildings must be harmonious with the neighborhood, including exterior color, and any substantial change from existing materials, such as tile to metal, needs village staff approval for aesthetics.^1,3,4

Other metal the code allows, and the HVHZ install

The code has three other metal provisions. A hybrid of metal pan tiles with clay cap tiles is allowed on homes with Planning and Zoning Board approval. Metal or fabric roofs may cover porches, patios and carports at the rear of the house, between the prolongations of its side lines, if they are colored at the factory, harmonious in color with the house, and cover no more than 15 percent of the main building's ground area or 300 square feet, whichever is greater. Metal shingles are allowed in commercial zones only.

The installation follows the HVHZ chapters of the Florida Building Code at Miami-Dade's 175 mph design wind speed for houses. A metal system approved for the HVHZ must pass the TAS 100 wind-driven rain test. The underlayment follows one of three code methods: full self-adhered membrane, taped deck joints under a full layer, or two lapped layers. Edge metal and flashing meet RAS 111.^1,3,5

Questions

Can I put a white metal roof on my house to keep it cooler?

Not in Miami Shores. White is prohibited, and the finish must have an initial solar reflectance of 0.50 or less or an SRI of 60 or less. Pick a non-reflective neutral color that meets those numbers.

My house is Mediterranean style. Can I switch to metal?

The code allows metal only on high modern, post-war modern, ranch or Key West style houses, or variations of them, with the planning director's approval. A Mediterranean house is not on that list.

Is a Florida product approval enough, or do I need a Miami-Dade NOA?

For a metal roof in Miami Shores, the village code calls for a Miami-Dade County Notice of Acceptance and the label "Miami-Dade County Product Control Approved." Confirm the NOA before you order panels.

Sources

Facts on this page come from these public sources. Last checked September 2026.