This paper presents an analysis of the effect of heat transfer in metals on the parameters of their thermal stresses caused by pulsed laser impact. The dynamic problem of thermoelasticity is regarded as a two-stage process. The first stage of the process is determined by the time of action of the radiation pulse; the second stage depends on the dynamics of the heat transfer process after the end of action of the laser pulse. It is shown that the analysis of stresses at the heat transfer stage based on the traditional system of thermoelasticity equations allows an adequate description of experimental results. The tensile stresses formed at the heat transfer stage lead to the possibility for metallic objects to move toward the heat source.