Define each panel family
Record panel profile, seam type, attachment method, fastener exposure and stated roof-slope limits from current product documents.
Panel-system matrix
Compare Attachment, Seams and Maintenance Evidence
A side-by-side record for panel attachment, seams, movement, geometry, penetrations, finish, maintenance and submittals.
Decision file
Build a clearer project record
Map geometry constraints
Compare how each proposal treats hips, valleys, transitions, low-slope areas, walls and complex roof planes.
Detail penetrations
List plumbing vents, chimneys, skylights, mechanical penetrations and future equipment. Ask for compatible flashing details.
Check movement and finish evidence
Ask how thermal movement is accommodated and record coating, substrate and corrosion-environment documentation without inventing lifespan.
Normalize maintenance statements
Ask which fasteners, seams, sealants, flashings and debris zones require inspection, by whom, and at what documented interval.
Collect submittals
Compare panel data, tested or listed assemblies where relevant, installation instructions, samples, details and warranty terms tied to the specification.
Compare attachment at every roof zone
Mark field panels, eaves, ridges, valleys, hips, walls and perimeter zones on one roof plan. Require each proposal to identify clip or fastener spacing, substrate requirements and movement details for those locations instead of supplying only a panel-profile brochure.
- Reference current installation documents
- Label high-consequence transitions
- Record unresolved substrate assumptions
Build a maintenance access plan
Identify safe access assumptions, debris collection areas, sealants, exposed fasteners, seams and flashings that a proposed system expects someone to inspect. Ask who performs each task, what evidence defines the interval and whether replacement parts remain identifiable from closeout records.
- Avoid unsupported lifespan claims
- Link tasks to exact components
- Keep colour and coating records
Level system submittals
Compare the named panel, metal substrate, coating, clips, fasteners, closures, underlayment interfaces and flashing details as one package. Note tested or listed assembly references only when the submitted documents match the proposed build-up, slope and attachment.
- Record document dates
- Reject unnamed substitutions
- Preserve accepted samples and details
Complete a panel-system evidence matrix
Use one row for field panels, perimeter zones, valleys, ridges, walls, penetrations and snow-management attachments. For each proposed system, record exact panel, seam or fastener exposure, substrate, attachment spacing basis, movement detail, finish documentation and compatible accessories. Add manufacturer detail numbers and proposal drawing references rather than general brochures. The completed matrix should expose where one proposal has resolved a roof zone and another has left it to field judgment, while avoiding claims that either panel family automatically delivers a fixed lifespan, maintenance interval, wind result or leak outcome.
- Match models to submitted samples
- Reference current installation manuals
- List field-fabricated details
- Record coating and substrate evidence
- Flag unsupported compatibility claims
Primary references
Verify current rules at the source
Links checked in the approved research packet on August 26, 2026. Applicability still depends on the property and proposed scope.