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Copper roofs can last 100 years or more with proper maintenance. Maintenance is minimal—you don't need to seal it—and you can rinse the roof with clean water occasionally to protect it from acidic moisture. To ensure safety, hire a local roof cleaning professional to maintain your copper roof and keep it lasting well into the future.

Maintaining copper roofs is not expensive at all; owning a house with a copper roof requires very little cleaning, maintenance, and repair work. That said, cleaning a roof costs homeowners an average of $460. The typical price range for sealing a roof is $3 per square foot, though this is optional with copper roofs. Keep in mind that repairs on a copper roof can be significant; on average, a copper roof repair costs about $6,500.

Exposing copper to the elements results in chemical reactions. These produce a rustic, green patina that protects the metal underneath. This process doesn’t happen overnight, however: The natural patina might start to appear within five to seven years in coastal regions or 10 to 14 years in drier regions. If you would prefer to retain the copper’s original color, you can seal the roof to prevent a chemical reaction.

Though most homeowners get copper roofs because they like the rustic charm of the copper color and/or the eventual green patina, it is possible to paint your copper roof—it’s just not a common task and might reduce the ROI of the original copper roof cost. Like sealant, paint will delay the chemical reaction that turns copper roofs green.