1. Why Go Custom? Market Data 2025
- Google Trends shows “custom color metal roof tiles” up 73 % YoY in US & Canada.
- Home-builders report 18 % higher sale price when roof colour matches corporate brand.
- Stock colours = 6-8 weeks landed; custom OEM = 4-5 weeks with air-oven colour matching.
- Private-label packaging lifts distributor margin by 11 % (NAHB 2025 survey).
2. SKW Roof Capabilities at a Glance
| Item | Spec |
|---|---|
| Year founded | 2009 |
| Plant area | 48 000 m² |
| Production lines | 6 automatic stone-coated lines |
| Monthly capacity | 600 000 pcs (≈288 000 m²) |
| MOQ custom colour | 500 pcs (≈240 m²) |
| Colour matching | Spectrophotometer ΔE ≤ 1.0 |
| Profiles | 10 existing + custom roll-forming |
| Steel substrate | AZ150 galvalume 0.30-0.55 mm |
| Stone chips | French CARLAC + Chinese CG Rock |
| Certificates | ISO 9001, CE, ASTM A792, SONCAP, SGS |
| Warranty | 50 years transferable |
3. Available Profiles & Sizes
- Bond (7 waves) 1290 × 370 mm eff. 0.48 m²/pc
- Shingle 1290 × 370 mm eff. 0.48 m²/pc
- Milano (horizontal) 1340 × 420 mm eff. 0.52 m²/pc
- Classic 1340 × 420 mm eff. 0.52 m²/pc
- Wood-shake 1340 × 420 mm eff. 0.52 m²/pc
- Roman 1290 × 370 mm eff. 0.48 m²/pc
- Inter-locking 510 × 370 mm eff. 0.19 m²/pc
- Flat-Modern custom width 50-100 cm
- Corrugated-custom wave pitch 76-200 mm
- Trim-only profile ridge, hip, valley, verge
Custom roll-forming tooling cost: 1 800 USD amortised after 5 000 pcs (refundable).
4. 48-Hour Colour Matching Workflow
- Client sends target: RAL, Pantone, or 5 × 5 cm physical chip.
- Lab scans X-Rite Ci64 spectrophotometer → L*a*b* values.
- Stone-chip blend 4-6 grain sizes (0.6-1.2 mm) dyed in 180 °C oven.
- Test spray 30 × 30 cm tile, cured 220 °C 90 s.
- ΔE check: target ≤ 1.0; if > 1.0 re-blend within 4 h.
- Client approves photo or courier physical sample.
- Batch produce: 48 h from target receipt to approved sample.
“We matched a Florida developer’s corporate orange (Pantone 165 C) in 36 hours. Air-freighted sample landed Miami Friday, big-batch production started Monday.”
—Lucy Zhang, SKW Roof Colour Lab Manager
5. Step-by-Step OEM Process (500 pcs → 40 000 pcs)
| Step | Timeline | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Enquiry | Day 0 | RFQ with profile drawing, colour ref, quantity, port. |
| 2. Quotation | Day 1 | FOB, CFR or DDP price, tooling amortisation, payment term. |
| 3. Sample | Day 2-3 | Free 2 pcs express courier (DHL 3-4 days). |
| 4. PO & Deposit | Day 4 | 30 % T/T or LC at sight; tooling cost if any. |
| 5. Production | Day 5-12 | 500-5 000 pcs 7 days; 40-ft HQ 12 days. |
| 6. Inspection | Day 13 | SGS/BV on-line or client self-inspection. |
| 7. Balance | Day 14 | 70 % against BL copy or LC documents. |
| 8. Shipment | Day 15 | Bill of lading, certificate of origin, packing list, warranty letter. |
6. Private-Label Packaging & Palletising
- Inner box: 3 mm white cardboard, 6 pcs/box, your logo 4-colour printed.
- Pallet: fumigated timber, 480-600 pcs/pallet, 20 pallets/40-ft HQ.
- Stretch film: 25 μm UV-resistant, custom printing available.
- Strapping: PET strap 16 mm × 0.8 mm, 3 straps vertical + 2 horizontal.
- Corner board: 5-layer kraft, prevents strap bite.
- Barcode: Code-128 or QR linking to your warranty registration page.
Tooling cost for custom print: 280 USD/colour (one-time, refunded after 3 containers).
7. Cost Breakdown 2025 (Custom vs Stock)
| Component | Stock $/m² | Custom $/m² |
|---|---|---|
| AZ150 steel coil 0.40 mm | 1.35 | 1.35 |
| Stone-chip + resin | 0.42 | 0.45 |
| Custom colour set-up | — | 0.08 |
| Private-label box | — | 0.06 |
| Overheads & profit | 0.53 | 0.55 |
| Total FOB Qingdao | 2.30 | 2.49 |
Only 0.19 $/m² (8 %) premium for your colour + your logo on 2 000 m² order.
8. Quality Control & 50-Year Warranty
- Incoming coil: AZ150 coating mass 150 g/m² ± 10 % (SGS slice test).
- Adhesion: cross-hatch 6 × 6 mm, 0 % stone loss after 3 M tape pull.
- Salt spray: 1 000 h ASTM B117, ≤ 5 mm creep from scribe.
- UV exposure: 2 000 h ISO 11341, ΔE ≤ 1.5.
- Thermal cycle: -40 °C × 1 h ↔ +85 °C × 1 h, 30 cycles, no crack.
- Warranty letter: 50 years transferable, PICC underwritten, claims handled within 72 h.
9. Shipping & Incoterms
- FOB Qingdao/Ningbo: recommended for experienced importers.
- CFR/CIF: we contract MSC/COSCO 40-ft HC, 21-25 days to LA, 28 days to Valparaíso, 35 days to Lagos.
- DDP: available to US Amazon FTW1, CLT2, ABE8 warehouses; duty 0 % under HS 7308.90.
- Transit insurance: 0.15 % of CIF value, covers total loss & condensation rust.
10. Case Studies
10.1 Kenya – 8 200 m² Estate Project
- Profile: Milano 0.45 mm charcoal grey (RAL 7016)
- Quantity: 15 800 pcs + accessories
- Delivery: Mombasa CIF 38 days, 0.17 $/m² sea freight
- Result: developer sold 3 weeks faster, 11 % price premium vs concrete tile.
10.2 Chile – Private-Label Copper Patina
- Colour matched to Pantone 7522 C, ΔE 0.6
- Box printed Spanish “Cobre Natural™”
- Annual repeat 4 containers, exclusivity in Santiago region.
10.3 Australia – BAL-40 Bushfire Rating
- Custom inter-locking profile, 0.55 mm G550 steel
- Passes AS 1530.8.1-2025 BAL-40 test, ≤ 2 kW/m² heat flux
- Now listed on NSW Rural Fire Service “Compliant Products” page.
FAQ – People Also Ask
- Q1. What is the minimum order for custom colour?
- A: 500 pcs (≈240 m²) per colour. Tooling amortisation refunded after 5 000 pcs.
- Q2. How long does colour matching take?
- A: 48 hours from receiving your RAL or Pantone reference. Physical sample courier 3-4 days.
- Q3. Can you manufacture my own profile shape?
- A: Yes, custom roll-forming tooling ready in 14 days. Cost 1 800 USD, refundable after 5 000 pcs.
- Q4. Is private-label packaging included?
- A: Yes, 6-pc carton with your logo at 0.06 $/m². Pallet stretch film also printable.
- Q5. What files do you need for OEM?
- A: Vector logo (AI or PDF), colour reference, profile drawing (CAD or PDF), packaging artwork die-line.
- Q6. Do you supply matching accessories?
- A: Yes, ridge, hip, valley, verge, snow guard, gutter coil in same colour.
- Q7. How do I know my design won’t be sold to others?
- A: We sign NDA before drawing release and register your tooling under exclusive code in ERP.
- Q8. What if I receive colour deviation?
- A: ΔE > 1.5: free re-production or credit note at 100 % FOB value.
Ready to launch your own brand of metal roofing tiles?
Email business@skywalkerchina.com or WhatsApp +86 13153460330 with your target colour and quantity. We will return a delivered price + mock-up box in 6 hours.