A flat roof does not shed water, it manages it, and that is why flat roofs fail in a way pitched roofs never do. Water sits where the slope was lost, works into a seam that opened over a cold winter, and shows up inside as a stain nobody can trace. A patch goes on, then another next spring, and three seasons later the insulation is soaked and the patching bill has outgrown the roof. That cycle is what Blake and Craig built Loon Roofing & Construction to break. Blake walks the roof himself, finds the low spots, checks seams, drains and flashings, and probes whether the insulation is dry. Then he tells you which of four things it needs: a repair, a coating, a recover, or a tear-off. Flat roofing in Traverse City must survive months of snow load and meltwater backing up at the drains, so we correct drainage while the roof is open instead of laying a new membrane over the same standing water, under Michigan license #262300660 and our 10-year workmanship warranty.
On a flat roof, everything that matters is invisible from the ground: a low spot, a split seam, soft insulation. That is why so many low-slope roofing quotes here are guesses dressed up as numbers. Blake inspects the roof and writes the scope himself, so nothing is measured off satellite imagery. You get the photographs — why a seam failed, where the water sits — and you get told when a roof still has good years left.
Most flat roofing searches start with a system name, so here is the comparison. Each fails, lasts and prices differently.
Heat-welded seams rather than glued laps, which keeps water out where it sits longest, plus a white surface that reflects summer heat. Suits large open roofs on retail, offices and warehouses, and is the most common new low-slope roofing choice here.
Also heat-welded, and resistant to grease and rooftop exhaust, which makes it the choice over restaurant kitchens.
A rubber membrane that handles cold as well as anything on the market. Seams are adhered rather than welded, so seam detailing decides its service life.
Asphalt in reinforced layers, tough underfoot. On a small flat roof with many penetrations, or one walked often, mod-bit takes the abuse better than a thin membrane.
Metal sheds our snow load and lasts decades. Where an older metal roof leaks at fasteners and seams, a retrofit goes over the existing panels, keeping the building dry through the work.
The option most contractors skip because it is the smaller invoice. Where the membrane is worn but the deck and insulation are dry, a fluid-applied coating adds years without a tear-off.
Not sure which system is on your building? Most owners aren’t. That is the first thing Blake identifies, with the life left in it.
If water still sits on your roof 48 hours after the rain stops, the membrane is not at fault. The slope is. Ponding adds weight, holds dirt and ice, and eventually finds the seam beneath it, so a new flat roof over the same low spot fails the way the old one did. A proper flat roofing job corrects the water’s path first:
Two or more together means the roof needs a plan, not another patch. See commercial roof replacement signs.
Water standing 48 hours after rain.
Ponding, the leading cause of early flat-roof failure.
Open, lifting or split seams.
Where nearly every single-ply failure begins.
Blisters, bubbles or ridges.
Moisture or air trapped between layers.
Cracking or alligatoring on mod-bit.
The top layer has weathered through.
Stained ceiling tiles or damp walls.
Water has been tracking the deck a while.
Clogged drains, or energy bills climbing.
A blocked drain turns the next thaw into weight, and wet insulation stops insulating long before a leak appears.
A pitched roof gives two choices. A flat roof gives four, and knowing which you are looking at is worth more than any quote.
All four depend on whether the insulation is dry, which is why the inspection comes first. Our guide on how long a commercial roof lasts covers what each system gives you here.
Flat roofing is priced by the square foot, but the square footage is the least interesting part of the number. What moves it:
System choice.
Mod-bit and EPDM sit lower, welded single-ply mid, metal at the top, each buying a different service life.
Tear-off or recover.
Stripping the old system is a real line item, and a second layer doubles it.
Wet insulation.
Anything saturated has to come out, and no honest quote predicts how much beforehand.
Drainage work.
Tapered insulation, drains and scuppers cost now and save the roof later.
Penetrations and access.
A small roof with fifteen curbs costs more than a bigger clean one.
For the arithmetic, see commercial roof cost per square foot.
Relative System Price
Itemized separately, so nothing is added later.
Seams, flashings, drains, penetrations, low spots, deck and insulation.
Every line separate, with photos behind each decision.
Old system off, wet insulation with it, deck repaired.
Slope, crickets, drains and scuppers put right while the roof is open.
Membrane, seams, edge metal and flashings to manufacturer specification.
Site cleared, lot magnet-swept, roof walked with you.
Your building stays open. Staging goes where it interferes least, the roof is dried in every night, and the schedule comes in writing for tenants.
A flat roof here carries lake-effect snow for months, and that weight sits where drainage is weakest. Meltwater refreezes at the drain outlet, so the drain becomes a dam and the roof a pond, and wind off Grand Traverse Bay lifts edge metal that was not fastened properly. That is why ice and meltwater damage drives most of our February and March calls, and why a flat roof repair in Traverse City that ignores drainage is one you pay for again next spring.
Read reviews from homeowners and property owners who have trusted our Flat Roofing Services in Traverse City for quality workmanship, clear communication, and dependable results.
We install low-slope roofing on retail and strip centers, restaurants, offices and medical practices, churches, apartment buildings, warehouses, and the flat porch, garage and addition sections of homes.
Business property? See commercial roofing. Pitched roof elsewhere? See residential roofing and roof replacement.
From Traverse City we work across eight counties: Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Benzie, Kalkaska, Antrim, Manistee, Wexford and Missaukee, including Traverse City, Interlochen, Acme, Elk Rapids and Lake Ann.
Anything else? Call Blake at (231) 392-1512.
Welded single-ply membranes, EPDM rubber, modified bitumen, low-slope metal and retrofits, and fluid-applied coatings on roofs that qualify. Standing water can sometimes be corrected with added drains or a tapered section instead of a replacement.
Metal outlives the membranes, and a welded single-ply or well-detailed EPDM over proper drainage outlasts either laid over standing water. Slope and installation decide service life more than the brochure does. A coating is a real alternative to replacement only where the membrane is sound and the insulation dry; over trapped moisture it seals the water in and you pay twice.
No, and be careful with anyone who does. System, tear-off, insulation condition and penetrations all move the price, and none are visible from the ground. Inspection and estimate are free.
Call and we will tell you honestly. Some systems allow cold-weather work, some do not. In hard winter we prioritize repairs that stop water getting in, then schedule the full job for the first workable window.
Yes, on every flat roof we install, covering seam, flashing and fastening problems caused by our installation. Michigan builder license #262300660.
A free inspection, photographs of what we find, and an itemized scope with no pressure attached. Call Blake at (231) 392-1512 or book an inspection.
Response within 24 hours · Inspection within 1 week
