By The Roofing Brief Team. Last reviewed: October 2026.
Corrugated metal roof colors split into two camps: bare metallic finishes like Galvalume and galvanized, and painted panels sold in about 18 to 22 factory colors per maker chart. Metal Sales’ September 2026 29-gauge Eastern color guide lists 18 painted MS Colorfast45 colors plus unpainted Galvalume, and McElroy Metal’s color selector lists 23 finishes for its M-Cor corrugated panel, including Galvalume Plus and a printed COR-TEN AZP Raw. Painted corrugated covers neutrals (charcoal, gray, stone, black), earth tones (tan, bronze, brown), reds (red, Patriot Red, burgundy), greens (forest, evergreen), plus blues and white.
Colored corrugated tin, the name most buyers search for painted corrugated metal roofing, is in practice steel: Metal Sales’ paint spec calls for a Galvalume substrate per ASTM A792 or galvanized steel per ASTM A653 under the paint. HomeGuide’s corrugated cost guide pairs 26- and 29-gauge panels with SMP paint or an unfinished face and lists PVDF (Kynar 500) at 24 and 22 gauge, which is why premium colors on corrugated are often an upcharge or a special order.
What colors do corrugated metal roofs come in?
Corrugated panels come in bare metallic finishes and painted colors. Bare options are Galvalume (an aluminum-zinc coating, AZ50 on the Metal Sales sheets) and galvanized (a zinc coating with visible spangle). Painted panels on the two charts below run 18 colors (Metal Sales MS Colorfast45, 29 gauge) and 22 painted finishes (McElroy M-Cor): white, stone, tan, bronze, brown, gray, charcoal, black, red, burgundy, green and blue. Availability narrows on corrugated compared with standing seam because the value profile is stocked in fewer premium colors.
Color names are maker-specific. Burnished Slate (code 49) and Patriot Red (code 73) are Metal Sales colors, and Metal Sales marks Patriot Red and Native Copper (190) as upcharge colors. McElroy’s M-Cor names include Patrician Bronze, Terratone, Brite Red, Brandywine, Hartford Green and Copper Penny. Best Buy Metals notes that its tan is also sold as Sahara Tan or Sierra Tan. Union Corrugating publishes its own chart. A red from one mill will not match another mill’s red by pigment, so order chips by maker name and code.
| Maker and corrugated line | Paint system | Finishes listed | Example names | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal Sales, 29 gauge (Eastern branches) | MS Colorfast45 (siliconized modified polyester) | 18 painted + Galvalume (41) | Bright White (39), Light Stone (63), Burnished Slate (49), Charcoal (17), Black (06), Forest Green (26), Patriot Red (73) | Metal Sales color guide, 9/2026 |
| McElroy Metal M-Cor | Per color; see McElroy chart | 23, incl. Galvalume Plus, Camo Panel, COR-TEN AZP Raw | Regal White, Lightstone, Patrician Bronze, Matte Black, Charcoal, Evergreen, Brite Red, Copper Penny | McElroy color selector, checked Oct 2026 |
| Best Buy Metals | Painted, 40-year paint and 30-year fade/chalk typical per maker | Not stated as a count | Burnished Slate/Bronze, Charcoal, Burgundy, Sahara or Sierra Tan, Gallery or Ocean Blue | Best Buy Metals colors page |
Painted versus bare: the core corrugated color decision
The first color choice on a corrugated roof is not which hue, it is painted versus bare. HomeGuide lists Galvalume corrugated at $1 to $3 per square foot for material and $5 to $10 installed, and 29-gauge SMP or unfinished panels at $1.00 to $1.50 per square foot. Painted panels give you the full color range, higher solar reflectance in light tones, and a written fade and chalk warranty.
Bare Galvalume carries a perforation warranty but no fade warranty, because there is no pigment to fade: Metal Sales warrants unpainted acrylic-coated Galvalume against rupture or perforation for 45 years from shipment, per its Galvalume warranty. Galvanized shows a visible spangle and is mostly used on utility jobs. If you want a specific color to match a house, you are choosing a painted panel. For a deeper look at the unpainted option, see the Galvalume metal roofing guide.
Corrugated color and finish tiers, compared
Corrugated panels are sold in three finish tiers that differ in color range, warranty terms and material price. The warranty columns below come from Metal Sales’ published documents, and the price column from HomeGuide’s gauge table (materials only, April 2023 guide).
| Finish tier | Colors available | Fade and chalk warranty (Metal Sales example) | Material price per sq ft | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bare Galvalume / galvanized | Metallic silver / spangle only | None; Galvalume perforation warranty 45 years | Galvalume $1 to $3; 29 ga unfinished $1.00 to $1.50 | Metal Sales Galvalume warranty; HomeGuide |
| SMP painted (MS Colorfast45) | 18 stock colors on 29 ga Eastern chart | Fade no more than 5 NBS units vertical, 6 non-vertical, and chalk no worse than #8 vertical / #7 non-vertical, for 30 years | 26 ga $1.00 to $2.50; 29 ga $1.00 to $1.50 | MS Colorfast45 warranty; HomeGuide |
| PVDF / Kynar 500 (premium) | Often special order on corrugated | Fade no more than 5 Hunter units and chalk no worse than #8, for 35 years | 24 ga $2.00 to $3.50; 22 ga $3.50 to $5.00 | Metal Sales PVDF warranty; HomeGuide |
Supplier quotes move with region, mill and order size, so use HomeGuide’s ranges for planning and confirm with a written quote. The pattern on the documents is consistent: bare is cheapest, SMP is the 26- and 29-gauge default, and PVDF is the 22- and 24-gauge upgrade. For brown and bronze metal roof shades, see our brown and bronze metal roof shades guide. For how finish plays into the total, see metal roof cost by profile.
SMP versus PVDF (Kynar 500) on corrugated panels
On corrugated, SMP is the common painted finish and PVDF is the premium one you often have to request. Metal Sales’ paint specs show why the price differs: both systems run 0.90 to 1.10 mils total topside dry film, but the PVDF spec contains 70% Kynar 500 or Hylar 5000 resin and passes 65 plus or minus 5 liters per mil of falling sand (ASTM D968), against 30 liters per mil for the MS Colorfast45 SMP spec. The PVDF fade warranty runs 35 years against 30 for SMP.
If your corrugated roof is a strong red, deep blue or dark green in full sun and you want the color held past year 30, PVDF is the finish with the longer fade term. For grays, tans and stone tones on a barn or shed, SMP’s 30-year fade term usually covers the building’s planned life. Coastal sites change the math: Metal Sales’ SMP fade and chalk terms apply only more than 1,100 yards from salt water, its PVDF terms only more than 1,500 feet away. For fade warranties and SRI for green metal roofs, see our green metal roof guide.
The Cor-Ten weathering steel (rust) look
Cor-Ten, or weathering steel (ASTM A606 Type 4 is a common spec), is a finish that intentionally rusts to a stable orange-brown patina. It suits modern farmhouse, agricultural and design-led builds where the raw rust look is the point. Unlike painted rust-look panels, real weathering steel changes color as the patina develops in its first period of exposure, and runoff can stain adjacent concrete or siding while that happens.
There are two ways to get the look: true weathering steel that actually oxidizes, or a printed rust finish on coated steel that never bleeds. McElroy describes its COR-TEN AZP Raw as a PVDF fluoropolymer coating with cool pigments applied over Galvalume, and it appears on the M-Cor corrugated color list. The printed version protects gutters and walls from staining but lacks the real texture.
Most common corrugated metal roof colors across maker charts
None of the makers cited on this page publishes a sales ranking of corrugated colors, so this section sticks to what the charts show. Galvalume, white, a light stone, gray, charcoal, black, a brown or bronze, red, burgundy, forest or evergreen green and a blue appear on both the Metal Sales 29-gauge chart and the McElroy M-Cor list. Charcoal and black read modern on homes, while bronze and green suit wooded settings. Red is a long-standing barn color; for barn red metal roof colors, see our red metal roof guide.
Darker colors show dust and chalk more than mid grays. For a black-specific breakdown of styles and finishes, see black metal roof panels.
Which corrugated colors are most energy efficient?
White and light stone painted panels score highest on the Solar Reflectance Index, not bare Galvalume. On the Metal Sales 29-gauge chart, unpainted Galvalume has the highest initial solar reflectance (0.67) but a thermal emittance of only 0.14, which pulls its SRI down to 56. White (30) scores SRI 79 and Bright White (39) scores 76 because painted surfaces shed absorbed heat with an emittance of 0.85 to 0.86. Black (06) scores 34 and Burgundy (15) scores 24.
| Metal Sales color (code) | Solar reflectance (ASTM C1549) | Thermal emittance (ASTM C1371) | SRI (ASTM E1980) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (30) | 0.66 | 0.86 | 79 | Metal Sales 29 ga Eastern color guide, 9/2026 |
| Bright White (39) | 0.64 | 0.85 | 76 | |
| Light Stone (63) | 0.58 | 0.86 | 68 | |
| Galvalume (41), unpainted | 0.67 | 0.14 | 56 | |
| Ash Grey (25) | 0.49 | 0.86 | 56 | |
| Zinc Grey (29) | 0.42 | 0.86 | 46 | |
| Red (24) | 0.37 | 0.86 | 39 | |
| Charcoal (17) | 0.35 | 0.86 | 37 | |
| Black (06) | 0.33 | 0.85 | 34 | |
| Patriot Red (73) | 0.32 | 0.86 | 33 | |
| Forest Green (26) | 0.27 | 0.85 | 26 | |
| Burgundy (15) | 0.25 | 0.86 | 24 |
If summer cooling load matters, choose a white or light stone, or a cool-pigment dark color, and look up that exact product in the Cool Roof Rating Council directory. For white metal roof panels, see our white metal roof guide. For bare Galvalume versus painted gray heat, see our gray metal roof guide.
How to choose a corrugated roof color for your house
Pick a corrugated color by matching it to your siding, your climate and your finish tier. Order a physical chip by maker name and color code, because Metal Sales states that its printed swatches are limited by printing and viewing conditions and offers actual samples on request. View the chip outdoors in direct sun and in shade.
| If your situation is | Choose | Threshold or reason |
|---|---|---|
| Barn, shed or pole building, no color match needed | Bare Galvalume, 29 ga | Lowest material price ($1.00 to $1.50 per sq ft at 29 ga, HomeGuide); 45-year perforation warranty at Metal Sales |
| Hot climate, cooling load is the priority | White, Bright White or Light Stone | SRI 68 to 79 vs 56 for bare Galvalume (Metal Sales chart) |
| Strong red, blue or deep green in full sun | PVDF / Kynar 500 | 35-year fade term vs 30 for SMP (Metal Sales warranties) |
| Site between 1,500 feet and 1,100 yards from salt water | PVDF, or get coastal terms in writing | Metal Sales SMP fade and chalk terms need more than 1,100 yards; PVDF terms need more than 1,500 feet |
| Livestock housed under or against the panels | Read the warranty exclusions before paying for a premium color | Metal Sales excludes panels in contact with animals or animal waste |
| Rust look wanted, no staining of concrete or siding | Printed rust finish (e.g. McElroy COR-TEN AZP Raw) | PVDF over Galvalume; does not oxidize |
| Planning snow guards or solar on the roof | Confirm attachment method with the panel maker first | Metal Sales voids paint coverage for damage from snow retention or solar attachments |
- Set the tier first: bare Galvalume, SMP, or Kynar. This caps your color list and your budget.
- Match to the fixed elements of the house: brick, stone, and window trim are harder to change than a roof.
- Factor climate: light colors in hot regions, and confirm a cool-roof rating if cooling load matters.
- Order sample chips of your top two colors and view them outdoors at different times of day.
- Confirm the color is stocked in your exact panel profile and gauge before ordering.
Gauge affects availability too. For the panel sizing and material side of the decision, see the corrugated roof panels guide. For the color decision across every metal profile, the broader metal roof colors guide compares standing seam and exposed-fastener palettes side by side.
Does color availability change by gauge or region?
Yes. Metal Sales publishes separate 24-, 26- and 29-gauge color guides, with separate Eastern and Western charts for 26 and 29 gauge, and notes that not all colors are stocked at all branches. HomeGuide’s table ties 29- and 26-gauge corrugated to SMP or unfinished steel and 24- and 22-gauge to PVDF, so a heavier gauge is usually where premium colors appear.
Confirm three things on every quote: the exact color name and code, the coating system (bare, SMP, or PVDF), and the gauge. A color in the catalog is not guaranteed in the profile, gauge and branch you actually order from.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular corrugated metal roof color?
None of the makers cited here publishes a sales ranking, so treat any “most popular” list as opinion. Bare Galvalume is the lowest-cost corrugated finish, at $1 to $3 per square foot for material per HomeGuide, and charcoal, black, gray, bronze, red, burgundy, green, blue and white appear on both the Metal Sales 29-gauge chart and the McElroy M-Cor list.
Do corrugated metal roofs come in colors or just silver?
Corrugated roofs come in colors, not just silver. Silver is the bare Galvalume finish, which is the cheapest option. Metal Sales lists 18 painted colors on its 29-gauge chart and McElroy lists 22 painted finishes for M-Cor, including charcoal, gray, black, tan, bronze, red, green, blue and white.
What is the cheapest corrugated metal roof color?
Bare Galvalume is the cheapest corrugated finish because it has no paint. HomeGuide lists Galvalume corrugated at $1 to $3 per square foot for material and 29-gauge SMP or unfinished panels at $1.00 to $1.50. Galvalume weathers to a matte gray, carries no fade warranty, and Metal Sales warrants it against perforation for 45 years.
Does the color of a corrugated metal roof affect temperature?
Yes. On Metal Sales’ 29-gauge chart, White scores SRI 79 and Black scores 34. Bare Galvalume reflects 0.67 of sunlight when new but has a thermal emittance of 0.14, so its SRI is 56, the same as Ash Grey paint. Check the exact product in the Cool Roof Rating Council directory.
How long does the color last on a corrugated metal roof?
It depends on the paint warranty. Metal Sales’ MS Colorfast45 (SMP) warranty limits fade to 5 NBS units on walls and 6 on roofs for 30 years, and its PVDF (Kynar 500) warranty limits fade to 5 Hunter units for 35 years. Both apply only away from salt water: more than 1,100 yards for SMP and 1,500 feet for PVDF.
Can you get a rusted (Cor-Ten) corrugated metal roof?
Yes. True weathering steel oxidizes to a stable orange-brown patina and can stain adjacent concrete or siding while the patina develops. A printed rust finish such as McElroy’s COR-TEN AZP Raw, a PVDF coating over Galvalume, gives a similar look without the staining and is listed for the M-Cor corrugated panel.