Best Snow Guards for Metal Roofs

ColorGard is a rail system that clamps to the seams with S-5! clamps, whose round-point set screws grip the seam without penetrating the panel. A 2-inch strip of actual roof panel material slides into the crossmember, so the rail matches the roof's color and finish. The components are aluminum and stainless steel, and S-5! says ColorGard 2.0 is compatible with all standing seam profiles. On exposed-fastener roofs it mounts on brackets instead of clamps.

S-5! offers a free lifetime materials warranty on all its products, and for ColorGard an optional system performance warranty. S-5! describes its term differently on different pages, and the most conservative version is 30 years or the life of the roof, whichever comes first, so ask for the current terms in writing. That warranty has conditions: the system has to be designed with S-5!'s calculator, the installing contractor applies and pays a fee, and a manufacturer's representative inspects the installation before the warranty is issued.

S-5! makes several other clamp-on systems. X-Gard 1.0 is a single octagonal aluminum pipe that spans up to 48 inches between attachments. DualGard is a two-pipe aluminum system for almost any standing seam, and for corrugated panels it mounts on S-5!'s CorruBracket instead of a seam clamp. SnoRail is a slim 3/8-inch rod system with brass parts for copper roofs, and SnoFence is its stronger two-rail version.

S-5!'s online calculator, which it says draws on a catalog of more than 500 load test results, engineers a site-specific layout and bill of materials. An optional, low-cost professional engineer's stamp is available on all its systems.

Alpine has designed and made snow guards in Vermont since 1993 and has been 100% employee-owned since 2021. Its ASG33G is a pad-style guard, in aluminum or brass, that pinches the seam with oval-point set screws; Alpine says it does so without compromising the roofing or voiding panel warranties. The PD82 is an extruded aluminum saddle that clamps onto seams up to 5/8 inch wide with two set screws.

Alpine also offers a free online SnowGuard Calculator for layouts.

SnoBlox-Snojax makes polycarbonate pad guards in adhesive and screw-down versions, SnoBar (galvanized) and ColorBar (aluminum) rails in clamp-on and screw-down versions, and SnoCleat clamp-on guards, and says its products are made in America. It publishes panel-by-panel compatibility for Central States and Metal Sales profiles, and says plainly: never screw into standing seam panels.

Adhesive pads avoid clamps entirely but need patience. The company says its SB-190 adhesive takes about 28 days at 50°F to cure fully, recommends scheduling adhesive installs in warmer months, and doesn't recommend it on copper. It also tells owners to check with the panel maker about warranty implications.

TRA manufactures its own snow guards, including a long line of clamp-on standing seam guards and the decorative DecoGuard, in aluminum, copper, stainless and Cor-Ten steel. Matching the guard metal to the roof is how you avoid galvanic corrosion.

Its layouts are free, and TRA says every system gets a specific engineering review based on ground snow load, pitch and roof construction.

Berger's #1 Snow Guard (that's the model name) is its standing seam guard, which pinches onto the top of the seam with pliers. Berger also makes the AP series of seam-mounted guards, the #20 for corrugated metal, and an aluminum snow rail system that works on both seamed and exposed-fastener roofs.

Its installation guide is a useful sanity check on any layout: first row 24 to 30 inches up from the eave, following rows 24 to 30 inches apart on alternating seams, and no guards past the bearing wall on an overhang. Berger adds that poorly insulated roofs need more guards, that local custom isn't always the best guide, and that above 50 psf of ground snow load you should call them. It offers a free calculator, and says the project's architect or engineer should approve placement.

These are the snow retention lines Central States says it offers with its roof systems: the Sno Gem Gem Clamp with MEC Bracket for standing seam, Levi's Building Components Snow Defender guards for exposed-fastener panels, and LM Curbs snow retention.

Central States says snow guards should be engineered for your part of the country, including snow load, roof design and attachment method, and invites owners to ask for engineering documentation, load calculations and performance warranties. It also notes that owners can be held responsible for injuries or damage from falling snow and ice, and that adding guards during construction costs far less than repairing damage later.

Rocky Fence is a newer two-pipe aluminum snow fence whose bracket bolts onto compatible S-5! clamps. Rocky Mountain says it should be specified with a project-specific layout, because performance depends on the panel, seam, clamp, fasteners, spacing and installation.

The company provides design and layout at no cost for every product it sells, typically in 3 to 4 business days, and warrants its products for 50 years against defects in material and workmanship when installed to the manufacturer's instructions. It also sells Blizzard guards and S-5! ColorGard.