Metal Roof Snow Guards vs. Snow Rails for Your Roof

If you live in an area that sees heavy snowfall and you don’t have snow guards or snow rails on your roof, you might already know the benefits they provide. They prevent heavy snow from sliding off of your roof, potentially damaging cars and other personal property, or even putting you and your family in danger. Understanding the differences between metal roof snow guards and snow rails is crucial for adequately protecting your home and your family from damage and injury.

Snow Guards vs. Snow Rails: Key Differences

Snow guards are small brackets attached to your roof, so they retain less snow than snow rails. They’re more affordable to install due to lower material costs, and they aren’t as visible from the street, making them a more appealing option. Snow rails are long and span your roof slopes, so they hold far more snow and offer more protection. However, they’re more expensive, and they tend to detract more from your home’s curb appeal.

What Are Snow Guards?

Snow guards are short brackets that attach to your roof with a lip that extends upward to catch snow. Professionals often install them in a staggered pattern in two or more rows to offer the best protection.

Best for:

• Areas that don’t see very heavy snowfall

• Roofs with a less intense slope

• Homeowners who don’t like the look of snow rails

Pros of Snow Guards

Snow guards are usually only a few inches long and extend just a few inches above your roof, so they’re not as noticeable as snow rails. Their small size makes them unobtrusive, and if they match the color of your roof, you may not even notice them at all from the street, which often means greater curb appeal for your property.

Snow guards use less material than snow rails, so they’re more affordable to install. The cost to install snow guards is around $10 to $15 per linear foot of roof slope, significantly lower than rails, which can cost more than twice as much.

Cons of Snow Guards

The small size of snow guards makes them less of an eyesore, but it also means less protection from snow. With heavy snow accumulation on your roof, especially on steep roof pitches, you could still experience some snow falling off your roof. As such, they aren’t ideal in areas where heavy snowfall is common, and you may need to consider the added cost to install roof heating cables for adequate protection in those areas.

Since they offer less protection than rails, you’ll also likely need two or more rows of snow guards. If your professional is using mechanical fasteners to install them, that means more roof penetrations, which can increase your risk of roof leaks.

What Are Snow Rails?

Snow rails are long, continuous bars or fences that span the entire length of your roof slope. You often only need a single bar or rail, and the design will still offer more protection, making them the best type of snow guards for metal roofs with a steep pitch and in areas that see excessive snowfall.

Best for: 

• Installation on steep roofs that need more protection

• Areas that see heavy snowfall

Pros of Snow Rails

Snow rails provide continuous support for snow across your entire roof, so they can hold back much more snow than snow guards. They provide greater peace of mind that your personal property and your family will remain better protected from heavy snow falling off of your roof. As such, they’re a better option where heavy snow accumulation is common.

Snow rails, especially fence-style rails, often only require a single row to hold back the snow on your roof. That means you’ll need fewer brackets to install snow rails, which means fewer roof penetrations if your professional uses mechanical fasteners. Your expert will still need to seal the penetrations, but having fewer holes in your roof means a lower risk of roof leaks.

Cons of Snow Rails

Snow rails sit several inches above your roof, sometimes 6 inches or more for fence-style rails, and they span the entire roof slope. They’ll be much more visible from the ground than snow guards, so they’re less visually appealing. You can often get them in colors to match your roof, but you’ll still notice them more readily from the street.

Snow rails come with increased installation costs because the materials are more expensive. You can expect to pay between $12 and $35 per linear foot for bar-style rails or between $25 and $40 per linear foot for fence-style rails for maximum protection. Both options are more costly than snow guards, which fall between $10 and $15 per linear foot.

Metal Roof Snow Guards vs. Snow Rails

When it comes to choosing snow guards versus snow rails, there are a few key factors to consider to make sure you get what’s best for your home.

Appearance: Snow Guards

Snow guards are less obvious from the ground, so most homeowners prefer the appearance of the small brackets. You can buy both guards and rails that match your roof color, but rails will always be more noticeable than guards.

Snow Retention: Snow Rails

Snow rails sit across the entire length of your roof slope and usually sit higher above the roof, especially if you buy fence-style rails. The larger surface area will hold back more snow than guards, which sit several feet apart and offer far less protection.

Cost: Snow Guards

The installation process for guards and rails is about the same and will come with similar labor costs, but snow rails have higher material costs because they’re larger and longer. Expect to pay twice as much for rails as you would for guards, and sometimes even more in the case of fence-style rails.

Ease of Installation: Tie

Snow guards and snow rails are both relatively easy to install, and both come with the option of using adhesive strips to avoid roof penetrations or mechanical fasteners for the greatest durability and strength. It’s possible to DIY either option if you know how to install snow guards properly, but make sure you hire a local roof cleaning specialist beforehand, if necessary, to clear snow from your roof for an easier installation process.

Risk of Roof Leaks: Snow Rails

If your professional uses fasteners to secure your equipment to the roof, you’ll always have a risk of roof leaks through the roof penetrations. Snow rails only require a single row of material, though, so you’ll have fewer roof penetrations and a lower overall risk of leaks forming.

Ease of Repair: Tie

Snow guards and snow rails require minimal maintenance and rarely require repairs. If you do need repair work or a replacement, call in a local metal roof specialist to help. Both guards and rails require routine inspections to ensure they remain affixed properly.

Durability: Tie

Both snow rails and snow guards should last for 20 years or more so they offer the same durability and longevity.