Services · Commercial roof replacement & installation
When the data says replace, we make it painless.
Replacement is the largest check most building owners ever write on their roof — which is exactly why it should be the most evidence-backed. At Lionstar, a replacement recommendation comes with a moisture map, condition ratings, and a scope you can independently verify. Then it’s executed by factory-certified crews with a schedule your operations can live with.
Schedule My Free Roof Assessment01 · The threshold
How we know it’s time.
We treat replacement as a data threshold, not a sales opportunity. The indicators we look for:
Verified moisture beyond economic repair
As a rule of thumb, when 25% or more of the insulation is wet, partial measures stop making financial sense.
Deck deterioration
Confirmed by core sampling or visible deflection — not guessed at from the surface.
Repair frequency trending up
When annual repair spend approaches financing cost on a new system, the math has flipped.
Membrane at end of life
Surface craze-cracking, embrittlement, and seam failure across the field — rather than at isolated points.
If your roof doesn’t cross those thresholds, we’ll tell you — and propose restoration or targeted section replacement instead. Roughly speaking, our diagnostics talk us out of full replacements as often as they confirm them. That’s the point of diagnostics.
02 · The process
The replacement process, start to closeout.
Assessment & scope
Infrared scan, core samples, and drainage review define exactly what’s being replaced and why. The scope document shows wet areas, deck condition, and code-required upgrades (insulation R-value, edge securement, wind uplift) — before you sign anything.
System design
We design for your building’s use, climate exposure, and budget horizon — membrane type, insulation package, attachment method, and warranty level — and present options with lifecycle costs, not just install prices.
Installation
Factory-certified crews, manufacturer-inspected details, daily tie-offs so the building is watertight every night, and a safety plan coordinated with your operations. Occupied buildings stay occupied — we plan noise, odor, and access around your schedule.
Closeout
Final manufacturer inspection, registered warranty, as-built documentation, and a baseline scan of the new roof — so your asset management program starts on day one, not year ten.
03 · The fork in the road
Tear-off or recover?
Not every replacement requires ripping everything to the deck. The moisture survey makes this call honestly.
Recover (overlay)
If the existing insulation is verifiably dry and the assembly has only one existing roof, a recover can save meaningful cost and landfill waste. When the data supports a recover, you save.
Full tear-off
Wet insulation, deteriorated deck, or a second existing roof means the assembly comes off. When the data rules out a recover, you’ll see exactly why — in the scan, not in a sales pitch.
Recover over wet insulation is a disaster in slow motion — and we will never spec it. The scan decides. Not the margin.
04 · The systems
The system your building needs — not the one we’re pushing.
TPO, EPDM, PVC/KEE, standing seam metal, and modified bitumen — each detailed on our roofing systems pages. We’re certified across manufacturers, which means the system we recommend is the one your building needs, not the one we’re contracted to push.
Warranty options run up to 30-year NDL (No Dollar Limit) coverage — where the manufacturer stands behind the full repair cost, not a prorated fraction.
05 · Questions
Frequently asked questions.
How much does commercial roof replacement cost?
Honest answer: it depends on system, insulation package, deck condition, access, and code requirements — single-ply systems commonly run in the range of $7.50–$13.50 per square foot installed, with metal and multi-ply systems higher. Our scopes break the number down line by line so you can see exactly where every dollar goes.
How long does a replacement take?
Most projects run two to six weeks depending on size, weather, and phasing. You’ll get a real schedule up front, and the building is made watertight at the end of every workday.
Can you replace the roof while the building stays open?
Yes — that’s the norm, not the exception. We phase work zones, schedule loud operations around your hours, manage odors and fumes at the source, and keep access routes clear. For schools we work summers; for retail we work around trading hours.
What’s an NDL warranty and is it worth it?
NDL means No Dollar Limit: the manufacturer covers the full cost of warrantable repairs for the term, without proration, provided the system was installed by a certified contractor and maintained per requirements. For most owners, the modest premium is one of the best insurance buys in the industry.
Do I have to replace the whole roof at once?
No. If the moisture map shows failure confined to specific sections, we phase replacement by section across budget years — that’s the core of CAPEX planning. Full replacement is the answer only when the data says the whole field is done.
Before you sign anything
Get a replacement scope you can verify.
Before you accept any replacement bid — including ours — get the moisture data that proves what actually needs replacing.
Schedule My Free Roof Assessment651-780-7663 · info@lionstarcommercialroofing.com