For roofing contractors, GCs and builders
Metal Panels for Contractors: How Ordering Works at the Forney Shop
This page covers how we supply metal panels for contractors: sending a takeoff or plans, what goes into a submittal package, how shop drawings and color charts are handled, how a quote is itemized, and how the ship date gets set. It is written for the estimators, project managers and foremen who buy roof panels, wall panels and trim for Dallas-Fort Worth jobs.
- 26+ years working metal
- Fast lead times, no minimum order
- Pickup or job-site delivery
What do you send, and what comes back?
The short version is in the table. Everything that follows explains one row of it.
| You send | The shop sends back |
|---|---|
| Plans, a takeoff or a cut list | Questions about gaps, then an itemized quote |
| Profile, gauge, metal and paint line | Profile data sheets and color charts |
| A request for a submittal package | The package, assembled from the approved plans |
| Trim details or sections | Shop drawings to approve before anything is bent |
| A ship-to address or a pickup note | A confirmed ship date and the pickup or delivery plan |
How do you send a job for pricing?
By email or through the quote form. A finished takeoff gets priced fastest, but plans on their own work too.
Sending a takeoff
If your estimator already ran one, send it as a spreadsheet or a PDF. List each roof plane or elevation with its run lengths and panel counts, then each trim profile with its linear feet. When the plans come along, we check the takeoff against them.
Sending plans without a takeoff
We work the quantities out from the drawings. Any assumption we had to make, such as an overhang, an end lap or a detail we read one way, is written on the quote so you can confirm it or correct it.
Sending a cut list
For repeat work or a small job, a list of lengths and counts is enough, as long as the profile, gauge and color are written on it.
What goes into a submittal package?
Whatever the spec section asks for, built from the approved plans. A package from the shop can include the items below.
- Profile data for each panel: coverage width, rib height, gauge and substrate
- Finish data for the paint system, Kynar 500 (PVDF) or SMP, with the paint or coil maker’s warranty terms
- A color chart, or the selected color called out by name
- Shop drawings of coping, flashing and other trim, with each profile dimensioned
- Panel layouts where the design calls for them
Our article on what belongs in a panel submittal package goes through the format piece by piece.
How are shop drawings handled?
Drawn from the approved plans, sent out for sign-off, then bent. A piece shown on a drawing is not fabricated until that drawing comes back approved.
- Every trim piece is drawn in section, with each leg, hem and bend angle dimensioned.
- Panel layouts, when the job needs them, show run lengths against the elevations.
- A revision after approval goes back through the drawing before the part is made.
- A field change starts with a photo and the new dimensions; the revised piece is drawn and folded in Forney.
How do color charts and color selection work?
Pick the paint line first, then the color. Kynar 500 (PVDF) is the standard on 24-gauge steel, and SMP is the value line on 26 gauge.
Color charts for both lines come with any quote. Panels, trim, coping and gutters for one job are cut from the same color line whenever stock allows, so the edges match the field. If a design calls for a color that is not on the charts, ask before it goes into the spec.
The finish warranty on Kynar 500 comes from the paint or coil maker and typically runs 30 to 35 years for chalk and fade. Include the maker’s terms in the submittal when the spec asks for them; our warranties page explains how that coverage works.
Are panels cut to length, with trim to match?
Yes. Every panel is roll-formed to a run length from your takeoff, so nobody laps short sheets up a slope to make the distance.
- Standing seam: snap-lock with a concealed clip, typically a 1- to 1.75-inch rib on 12- to 18-inch widths at 3:12 and up, or mechanical seam with a single or double lock, typically a 2-inch rib, for low slopes with sealant.
- Exposed-fastener sheets: R-panel, PBR, 7/8-inch corrugated and the AMP 7.2 Rib, with 26 and 29 gauge typical on farm and shop buildings.
- Wall panels: AMP Wave 16-4 and 12-3, the PBR wall panel, both 2.67 profiles and ACM.
- Trim and edge metal: drip edge, gravel stop, coping, fascia cladding and the flashing each detail needs.
- Drainage: gutters in half-round or a shape drawn to your detail, the downspouts that serve them, and lined box gutters.
Panels formed in the shop ship or are picked up at lengths up to 40 feet. Longer runs can be formed on site, up to 200 feet, so flag your longest run when you send the job.
How is a contractor quote itemized?
Line by line, in the order the job goes together, so you can check it against your takeoff and carry it straight into your own bid.
| Line | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Roof or wall panels | Profile, gauge, finish, color, each length with its count, total square feet |
| Trim | Each profile by drawing number, its flat width, piece length and count |
| Coping and edge metal | Wall width, metal and gauge, total length |
| Gutters and downspouts | Shape, size, lengths and pieces |
| Alternates | Other gauges or paint lines, each priced on its own line |
| Documents | Submittal package or shop drawings, when requested |
| Pickup or delivery | The arrangement agreed for this order |
| Ship date | Confirmed in writing with the quote |
Budgeting before the plans are final? The published materials rates are $9 per square foot of roof for 24-gauge Kynar standing seam and $8 for the 26-gauge SMP version, as of October 2026. The pricing page explains what they cover.
How is the ship date confirmed?
In writing, with the quote. The date depends on the profile, the color, and whether drawings have to come back approved first.
- Lead times are fast, and the quote carries a ship date based on the shop schedule on the day it is written.
- When submittals or shop drawings need sign-off, the date is confirmed again once they come back approved.
- A change to lengths or colors after approval can move the date, and the shop tells you when it does.
- Pickup in Forney and job-site delivery are both available and are set at the same time; the delivery area page explains how.
Contractor Ordering Questions
Will you price a takeoff that another estimator prepared?
Yes. A takeoff is a takeoff, whoever ran it. Attach the plans too if you have them; the shop checks the numbers against the drawings and notes anything that does not line up on the quote.
Which file formats work for plans and cut lists?
PDF drawings, spreadsheet takeoffs and clear photos of a dimensioned sketch all work. Email them to info@architecturalmetalpanels.com or attach them to the quote request.
Can the paperwork go straight to the architect?
Yes. Give us the architect’s or owner’s contact and the spec section that applies, and the submittal package or shop drawings can go to whoever signs off, with a copy to you.
Will the shop bend a trim piece from a detail I sketched?
Yes, as long as every leg and bend is dimensioned. On jobs that need approval, the sketch comes back as a clean shop drawing for you to confirm before the metal is folded.
How do I keep standing seam pans from oil canning?
Ask for striations or pencil ribs rolled into the pan; they break up the flat surface and reduce visible waviness. Heavier steel helps too, which is one reason 24 gauge is the shop standard over 26.
What if a run length changes after I approve the order?
Call the shop right away. A panel that has not been formed yet can usually be changed, and the quote and ship date are updated to match. A part that is already made gets quoted again as a new piece.
Put the Next Bid on the Shop’s Desk
Send the takeoff or the plans with the profile, gauge and color; there is no minimum order. An itemized quote with a confirmed ship date comes back.
Request a Written Quote
Describe the panels, trim or sheet metal you need, or attach your takeoff. Expect to hear from Architectural Metal Panels by the next business day.
You can also text roof or wall photos to (972) 332-2809
Rather talk it through? Call (972) 332-2809. Insured in full.