Commercial · Project playbook
Keeping tenants open: a retail center roof recover
An aging modified bitumen roof on an occupied strip center, recurring leak tickets, and an owner who needed a plan that kept every tenant open.
Illustrative walkthrough of a typical project — not a record of a specific RoofMaster job. Photos are licensed stock.
- Property
- Single-story retail center, 8 tenant spaces
- Existing roof
- Modified bitumen, one layer, ~20 years old
- Survey
- Infrared scan + core cuts: ~12% wet
- Solution
- Remove wet areas, cover board, mechanically attached TPO recover
- Phasing
- Four zones, two tenants per zone
The situation
Property management was fielding leak tickets from four tenants and patching the same areas each season. Ownership wanted to know whether to keep patching or budget for a full tear-off.
An infrared survey after sunset, confirmed with core samples, showed wet insulation concentrated around rooftop units and two interior drains.
Challenges
Occupied building
A restaurant and a medical office meant no odor-producing work during business hours and no interruptions to HVAC.
Drainage
Two drains sat high relative to the surrounding roof, causing ponding that had aged the membrane.
Budget
Ownership needed to compare a full tear-off against a recover with real numbers.
How it ran
- Weeks 1–2
Survey & options
Infrared scan, cores, drainage review. Written comparison of tear-off vs. recover.
- Weeks 3–4
Specification & phasing
Zone plan, crane day, tenant notices, and HVAC coordination with the building’s mechanical contractor.
- Per zone
Install by zone
Wet areas removed and replaced, tapered insulation added at drains, cover board and TPO installed. Each zone weather-tight daily.
- Final
Close-out
Final inspection, as-built roof plan, and a maintenance schedule to keep warranty records current.
Key decisions
- Tear-off or recover?
- With one existing layer and wet area limited to about 12%, a recover with wet-area replacement was allowed by code and was the more economical path.
- Fix the drains now?
- Yes. Tapered insulation crickets around the high drains were added during the recover, removing the cause of ponding instead of just covering it.
What drove the cost
- Percentage of wet insulation
- Tapered insulation at drains
- Crane and staging
- After-hours work for sensitive tenants
- Rooftop unit curbs and flashings
The takeaway
Survey before you budget. The moisture map decides which options exist — and often saves the cost of a full tear-off.
More walkthroughs: From hailstorm to finished roof: a two-story shingle replacement · The leak that didn’t need a new roof: chimney flashing rebuild
Next step
Facing a similar decision?
Start with an inspection and a photo report. You’ll see the same kind of reasoning applied to your roof.