Metal roofs, insurance discounts and the 2026 federal credit question

Impact ratings: UL 2218 and Class 4

Roof coverings can be tested for hail resistance under UL 2218, the steel ball impact test. The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety describes it directly: 'For hail resistance, metal roofs are tested to UL 2218, the Steel Ball Impact Test' (IBHS Roof 101). Products that pass are classified Class 1 through Class 4, with Class 4 the highest, tested with a 2.00 inch steel ball.

The test drops the ball twice on the same spot from the height that gives it the kinetic energy of a hailstone of that size. Passing means no crack visible on the back of the material. It is a laboratory classification, not a guarantee your roof will survive a given storm, and cosmetic denting is a separate question from a breach.

What a Class 4 rating is worth on your premium

In hail-exposed states this is where the money is. Texas is the clearest example: the Texas Department of Insurance publishes a list of products qualifying for impact-resistant roofing credits and states that materials passing the test criteria 'are classified as either Class 1, 2, 3 or 4' and that 'a Class 4 roof covering would receive the highest premium credit' (TDI). Crucially, TDI also says 'the amount of discount for each class of roofing material is established by the insurance company on a company-by-company basis', so there is no single statewide percentage to quote.

• The discount is never automatic. You have to tell your carrier and evidence the product.
• Keep the paperwork. In Texas, contractors complete TDI form PC068, the impact-resistant roofing installation form, which the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association requires for a credit.
• Ask your own carrier before you buy. Rules and credits differ by state and by insurer, and some policies handle cosmetic hail damage on metal roofs with a separate exclusion or endorsement. Read that clause specifically.
• Get the class in writing. The rating belongs to a specific product and assembly, not to 'metal' in general.

The federal tax credit: the honest answer is no

For years, roofing salespeople quoted a federal energy credit. Two separate things ended that. First, roofing is not on the IRS list of qualifying property for the energy efficient home improvement credit: the qualifying building envelope components are exterior doors, exterior windows and skylights, and insulation and air sealing materials. Roofing appears nowhere. Second, the IRS states that the credit 'is allowed for qualifying property placed in service on or after Jan. 1, 2023, and before December 31, 2025' (irs.gov).

So for a metal roof installed in 2026, there is no federal energy credit to claim on either count. The separate residential clean energy credit covers solar and battery property, not roofing, and it was itself ended early by 2025 legislation for expenditures after December 31, 2025. If a quote contains a federal credit line, ask the salesperson to name the statute and the IRS page that applies to your install date, in writing, and check it yourself before you sign.

Where money genuinely can come back

• Insurance credits for an impact-rated roof, where your state and carrier offer them. This is the biggest and most reliable one.
• State and utility programs for cool or reflective roofing exist in some places and change often. Check your own utility rather than a national list.
• Insurance claims. If the old roof was storm damaged, that is a claim conversation, and it is separate from any upgrade you choose to pay for on top.
• Resale. Not a credit, but in hail and wildfire markets an impact-rated roof is a genuine selling point.

Nothing here is tax advice. It states the position as of this page's updated date, taken from the IRS pages linked above, and we correct it in place when the law or IRS guidance changes. Confirm your own position with a tax professional.