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Commercial roofing

Commercial and low-slope roofing services

Get help with commercial and multifamily roof leaks, membrane damage, drainage problems, flashing failures, coatings, maintenance planning, and complete low-slope roof replacement.

Low-slope roofsMembrane repairReplacementMaintenance

Commercial roofing work

  • Low-slope roof leak investigation and repair
  • EPDM, TPO, PVC, modified-bitumen, and built-up roof evaluation
  • Roof coatings and restoration-candidate assessment
  • Complete commercial roof replacement
  • Ponding water, drains, scuppers, gutters, and drainage improvements
  • Flashing around curbs, walls, parapets, penetrations, and rooftop equipment
  • Preventive inspections, maintenance, documentation, and capital planning
  • Multifamily, retail, office, industrial, municipal, and mixed-use roofs

Information that helps before the visit

  • Building use, roof access, occupied areas, and property-manager contact
  • Known roof system, approximate age, warranty information, and repair history
  • Leak locations, weather timing, interior impact, and nearby rooftop equipment
  • Plans for maintenance, restoration, replacement, solar, mechanical, or tenant work

Repair, restoration, or replacement

The decision depends on membrane and insulation condition, moisture extent, attachment, drainage, flashings, remaining service potential, warranty status, code requirements, and planned building use. A coating is not appropriate for every wet, poorly attached, or failing assembly.

Commercial proposal questions

  • Is moisture scanning, test cutting, engineering, or hazardous-material testing required?
  • How will occupants, entrances, vehicles, inventory, landscaping, and rooftop equipment be protected?
  • What insulation, cover board, membrane, fastening, flashing, drainage, and warranty system is proposed?
  • How are temporary water control, weather delays, hidden conditions, and change orders handled?

Treat the roof as an asset with a record, not an emergency

Short answerLow-slope commercial roofs reward documented periodic inspection, a leak log with locations and dates, and planned intervention, because the difference between a repairable membrane and a full replacement is usually how long a known problem was left running.

The economics of a commercial roof are different from a house. Water entering a low-slope assembly can saturate insulation across a wide area while producing very little visible interior evidence, and wet insulation does not dry — it stays wet, loses thermal value, corrodes deck, and expands the eventual replacement scope every season it remains. A leak that shows up as a stained ceiling tile in one office may sit above hundreds of square feet of compromised assembly.

The practical consequence is that record-keeping is a cost control. A dated leak log, photographs, repair invoices and roof-traffic records turn a vague argument about roof condition into a specific one, and it is what makes an intervention decision defensible to an owner, a board, or a lender.

  • A leak log recording location, date, weather conditions, and what was done
  • Records of rooftop equipment work, since HVAC traffic is a frequent source of damage
  • Drain, scupper and overflow condition checked before and after leaf fall
  • Seam, flashing, curb, and edge-metal condition documented over time
  • Warranty terms, and what activity on the roof could void them

Repair, recover, coat, or replace

These are four different decisions and they are frequently presented as though they were points on one scale. Repair addresses defined failures in an otherwise serviceable assembly. Recovery installs a new membrane over the existing one, which is limited by how many layers already exist, by the condition and moisture content of what is underneath, and often by code. A coating is a maintenance and reflectivity measure appropriate to a sound substrate — applied over wet insulation, failed attachment, or an incompatible membrane, it buys very little and conceals what it is over. Replacement removes the assembly and starts again.

A moisture survey is the instrument that usually separates them, because whether the insulation is wet is the question that decides which options remain available. Ask what method a survey used, what its limits are, how the results were interpreted, and whether findings were confirmed by test cuts — a survey is evidence, not a verdict.

  • How many membrane layers already exist, and what the code position is
  • Whether a moisture survey was performed, by what method, and whether test cuts confirmed it
  • Substrate, attachment method, insulation type and taper for any new assembly
  • Drainage design, and whether ponding is being corrected or inherited
  • Which warranty is offered — manufacturer system, material only, or contractor workmanship

Service information last reviewed August 16, 2026. Project acceptance, scheduling, and recommendations are confirmed by the roofing company.

Roofing FAQs

Commercial and low-slope roofing services questions

Can a leaking commercial roof be coated?

Sometimes, but a coating should not be used merely to cover widespread wet insulation, poor attachment, incompatible materials, or a failing assembly.

What causes ponding water?

Drainage design, clogged drains, settled insulation, structural deflection, tapered-insulation problems, or blocked scuppers can contribute.

Can commercial roof work happen while the building is occupied?

Often, with a written plan for access, noise, odors, entrances, vehicles, inventory, rooftop equipment, and emergency water protection.

How often should a commercial roof be inspected?

The appropriate frequency depends on system, age, warranty, weather, rooftop traffic, and prior problems; inspections after severe weather or rooftop work are commonly useful.

Why does water pond on my flat roof?

Low-slope roofs are drained, not flat, so ponding usually indicates blocked or undersized drains, deck deflection, settlement, insufficient or damaged taper, or a design that never drained well. Ponding is not automatically a failure, but it stresses seams and flashings and it accelerates whatever else is wrong.

Can a coating fix a leaking commercial roof?

Only where the substrate is sound. A coating over wet insulation, failed attachment, or an incompatible membrane conceals the problem while adding cost, and it can complicate the eventual replacement. Establish whether the insulation is wet before evaluating any coating proposal.

What is a roof moisture survey and do I need one?

It is a defined investigation — commonly infrared, nuclear, or capacitance — intended to identify suspected wet areas within the assembly. It is worth having before any significant investment decision, because whether the insulation is wet determines which options remain open. Ask about method, limits, interpretation, and whether test cuts confirmed the findings.

Does rooftop HVAC work affect my roof warranty?

It frequently can. Traffic, new penetrations, curb modifications, and dropped tools all cause damage, and many warranties contain conditions about who may work on the roof. Keep dated records of every trade that goes up there, and check the warranty terms before authorizing rooftop work.

What's the difference between TPO and EPDM for a commercial roof?

Both are single-ply membranes. TPO is typically heat-welded at seams and available in reflective white, which some owners choose for cooling-load reasons; EPDM is a mature rubber membrane usually black, with taped or adhered seams and a long field-performance record. Neither is universally better — the right choice depends on the building, the substrate, and the local contractor base experienced with each.

What is a warranty walk, and should I request one before the warranty expires?

It is a scheduled inspection, often performed with the manufacturer or installer, documenting roof condition before a warranty period ends. It is worth requesting, since it creates a dated record of condition and catches issues while they may still be covered rather than discovering them after coverage lapses.

Does adding rooftop solar affect a commercial roof warranty?

It can. Racking penetrations, added roof traffic, and shading from panels can all interact with warranty terms, and many manufacturers require the roofing and solar work to be coordinated or approved together. Confirm this with the roofing company and the panel installer before either is installed.

Does a commercial roof need specific wind-uplift or fire ratings?

Often yes, depending on the building's use, insurer requirements, and local code. These ratings are tied to the assembly as a whole — membrane, attachment method, insulation, and deck — not to the membrane alone, so ask what rating the complete specified assembly carries rather than just the material.

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