EPDM is a cured rubber sheet, usually 45 or 60 mil, that arrives in wide rolls and covers a roof with far fewer seams than a built-up roof. We set it in contact adhesive or fasten it with plates and screws, then hand-seal every lap and edge.
We buy roofing materials from Carlisle SynTec, Firestone, GAF EverGuard, Johns Manville, and Versico, and we price TPO or a PVC membrane where a roof takes heavy foot traffic. Commercial warranty terms commonly run 15 to 30 years, non-prorated.
Modern waterfront condominiums and residential towers bring tenant coordination into the schedule, so we stage the work to keep rooftop access open. Cost turns on square footage, wet insulation, parapet and scupper details, and whether we can recover instead of tear off.
- Asphalt shingle, architectural shingle, and three-tab shingle surfaces fail differently from rubber, so we check the field where each meets the flat roof.
- Wood shake and cedar shake need a ridge vent that breathes, or moisture wicks into the sheathing and starts rot underneath.
- Slate, clay tile, and concrete tile sit heavy, so we look at the truss and rafter framing before we add any load.
- A metal panel, standing-seam panel, or corrugated panel expands and contracts with the weather, which opens seams at the apron flashing.
- Old roofing felt and tar paper belong under pitched sections, and we upgrade to a synthetic underlayment when we replace them.
- Aluminum drip edge and flashing last longer near the Hudson than steel, which pits and stains a facade within a few seasons.
- Gutters, downspouts, soffit, and fascia take the first hit from wind-driven rain, so we clear them and check the wood behind.
- Chimney flashing, a skylight curb, or a dormer wall is usually where a flat roof leaks first, and each one needs new counter-flashing.
- Residential roofing on a two-family rowhouse and commercial work on a warehouse deck use the same rubber, just different details.
What's Included
We inspect the full roof deck, membrane, flashing, gutters, and drains, and photograph every defect before work starts.
We tear off failed EPDM, modified bitumen, or built-up roof layers down to sound substrate and haul the debris in a dumpster.
We replace wet insulation and any rotted plywood or OSB sheathing so the new sheet has a flat, dry base.
We install 45 or 60 mil EPDM, fully adhered with contact adhesive or fastened with plates and screws; a roofing square covers 100 square feet, so we order to measurement.
We hand-seal every lap, prefabricated corner, and detail at parapets, scuppers, and coping.
We replace drip edge, pipe boot, sealant, caulk, mastic, and roof cement at every penetration and transition.
We close out with a written roof estimate summary, a maintenance walk-through, and your warranty paperwork.
Signs You Need EPDM Roofing
Ponding water that lingers a day after rain, which means the roof deck has settled or a scupper is clogged with debris.
Seams that have peeled apart or lifted at the edge, where wind uplift gets under the membrane.
Blisters, wrinkles, or alligatoring across the field, the classic picture of a sheet at end-of-life wear.
Rust streaks and corroded fasteners on a metal panel, or a buckled roofline just above the parapet coping.
Stained ceiling tiles under a pipe flashing or vent boot, where water seeps through and never shows on the roof surface.
Algae-stained, cracked shingles with visible granule loss on the adjoining pitch, which tells us both sections are aging together.
Our EPDM Roofing Process
Roof inspection first: we climb with a ladder and safety harness, walk the field on a scaffold where the edge is tight, and mark each leak and soft spot.
Written roof estimate: we price the scope line by line, name the membrane thickness, and flag the building code items your parapet or roof pitch triggers.
Scheduling: we stage materials, set the dumpster, and work around tenants so doors and rooftop access stay open.
Deck prep: pry bars and roofing shovels strip the old layers, we pull every nail and screw we find, and we check rafters, joists, and truss members for rot.
Install: the crew rolls out the sheet, uses a nail gun and air compressor only where plates are specified, and a torch or adhesive at the perimeter.
Detail and close-out: chimney, skylight, and scupper details get hand-sealed, we sweep debris, and we note any waterproofing or weatherproofing concerns in writing.
Follow-up: a second inspection after the first hard rain confirms the roof is dry and the laps are holding.
