Can a flat roof be coated instead of replaced?

Only if the membrane below is sound and dry. A silicone or acrylic restoration over wet insulation seals the water in and buys you a very expensive problem later. We check for trapped moisture first. Where the roof passes, a coating is a genuine way to add ten to fifteen years for a fraction of a replacement.

Does hail damage a flat roof?

It does, and it is easy to miss because nobody looks at a flat roof from the street. Hail bruises modified bitumen cap sheets, fractures aged single ply at the seams and crushes metal edge and equipment housings. Rooftop units, vents and condenser fins usually carry the clearest dents, which matters if you are filing a claim.

Will you have to close my business?

Almost never. We section the work so the roof is watertight at the end of every day, and we stage material away from your entrance and parking. Early starts before opening, weekend work and phased areas are all normal on occupied buildings. Noise over an occupied office is the part worth planning around.

What about ponding water?

Water standing more than about forty eight hours after rain shortens the life of any membrane and is often a drainage problem rather than a roof problem. Sometimes the fix is clearing and resetting the drains. Sometimes it means tapered insulation to build a slope toward them. We will tell you which one you have.

Do you work on churches and older masonry buildings?

Yes. Older Tulsa buildings, including the brick storefronts around the Rose District in Broken Arrow and downtown Sand Springs, usually have a low slope roof behind a parapet wall. The parapet coping and the counter flashing into the masonry are where those buildings leak, and they need mortar work done properly rather than a smear of mastic.

Commercial Flat Roofing in Tulsa, OK

A TPO or modified bitumen replacement on a small Tulsa commercial building runs roughly $7 to $13 per square foot installed, and a restoration coating over a sound existing membrane runs $3 to $7. We survey the roof, core or probe where we need to, and put the options in writing with the expected service life of each.

Signs you need this

Ponded water still sitting on the roof two days after rain

Ceiling tiles staining in the same spot every storm

Seams lifting, shrinking or splitting across the membrane

Blisters, ridging or soft spots underfoot on the field of the roof

Rusted or crushed metal edge, coping or counter flashing

Hail bruising across a modified bitumen cap sheet

A roof at or past twenty years with recurring patch bills

Small commercial is a different job from a house

A steep asphalt roof sheds water fast and forgives small mistakes. A flat roof holds water and forgives nothing. Everything depends on the details: how the membrane turns up a wall, how a pipe penetration is sealed, whether the drains actually sit at the low point. We treat small commercial work as a detailing job with a big field in the middle, and we survey properly before quoting because what is under the surface changes the price more than the square footage does.

The systems we install

TPO single ply is the common choice on Tulsa shops, offices and light industrial buildings. It is a white heat welded membrane, which reflects a lot of summer heat off the building and welds into a continuous sheet at the seams. Modified bitumen suits buildings with heavy foot traffic, lots of rooftop equipment or an existing asphalt based roof, and the granulated cap sheet takes abuse well. Restoration coatings, silicone or acrylic, are for roofs that are aged but still sound, where the owner wants service life without the disruption and capital cost of a tear off.

What a survey covers

We measure the roof, map every drain, scupper, curb, hatch and unit, and check the perimeter edge and the parapet coping. Where we suspect trapped water we probe or cut a small test patch and repair it the same day. Wet insulation is the reason so many coated roofs fail early, and it is far cheaper to find it with a core cut than to discover it two winters after you paid for a coating.

Rooftop units and the trades that cause leaks

On a lot of buildings the leak has nothing to do with the roofer. HVAC contractors, sign fitters and telecoms crews all walk flat roofs and all of them can cut a membrane or leave a curb open. When we survey we photograph every unit and penetration so there is a record of the condition before anyone else goes up there. If you own multiple rental units around Tulsa, that record is worth having.

Storm damage on commercial buildings

Hail and wind claims on commercial property follow the same track as residential ones. The carrier assigns an adjuster, the adjuster inspects, and the scope reflects what they see. The decision is theirs. What we do is get on the roof, document the membrane, the metal edge, the equipment housings and the rooftop condenser fins with dated photos, and meet the adjuster on site. Wind uplift at the perimeter and corners is worth checking closely after any big line of storms, because that is where the pressure is highest and where a mechanically attached membrane starts to let go.

Planning around the building

Access drives the schedule. Downtown Tulsa and the Rose District in Broken Arrow have tight alleys and shared parking, so crane or conveyor time gets booked ahead. On churches and schools we work around services and term dates. Nothing about it is complicated, but it goes better when the sequencing is agreed before the first truck arrives.

How the work runs

Roof survey and moisture check

We measure the roof, map the drains, scuppers and curbs and check for trapped moisture in the insulation before recommending anything.

Options in writing

Repair, restoration coating and full replacement are priced side by side with the realistic service life of each, so you can match the spend to how long you hold the building.

Schedule around your trading hours

Tear off and dry in are planned in sections so the building stays watertight and open. Early starts, weekends and phased work are all normal for us.

Detail work and handover

Curbs, pipe penetrations, drains and the perimeter edge are where flat roofs fail. Those get finished properly, photographed and handed over with the warranty paperwork.

What it typically costs

Job	Typical range
TPO single ply replacement Mechanically attached over new insulation. Tear off and deck repairs priced separately	$7 to $13 per square foot
Modified bitumen replacement Two ply torch or cold applied system with a granulated cap sheet	$8 to $14 per square foot
Silicone or acrylic restoration coating Only over a sound, dry membrane. A moisture survey comes first	$3 to $7 per square foot
Flat roof leak repair Seam, curb, drain or penetration work on an otherwise serviceable roof	$450 to $1,800
Tear off and disposal Rises with each existing layer and with limited street access	$1.50 to $3.50 per square foot

Typical ranges for Tulsa and the surrounding area , reviewed September 2026. Every quote is written and fixed before work starts.