When the roof over your business leaks, it’s never only a roof problem. It’s a wet floor in the stockroom, a ceiling tile over a customer’s head, a tenant calling for the third time this month. You need it fixed right, without shutting the doors for a week, and you need to know the next bid you get isn’t padded.
Commercial roofing in the Orlando area takes a beating most building owners don’t see until something goes wrong. Your roof sits in full sun nearly all year, takes heavy afternoon rain through the summer and has to hold on through hurricane season. You deserve a contractor who explains what’s happening up there in plain terms and gives you options, not a sales script.
APC Roofing is based in Clermont and works on commercial buildings across the greater Orlando area, including Orlando, Kissimmee, Sanford and Altamonte Springs. We’re GAF Certified, licensed in Florida (CCC1337030) and insured, and your inspection is free.
What Central Florida weather does to a commercial roof
Sun is constant. UV and heat dry out membranes, harden sealants and break down the seams and flashing around rooftop units. A dark roof surface gets very hot by midafternoon, and that heat ages the materials and pushes into the space below.
Summer rain comes hard and fast. On a flat or low-slope roof, water has to reach a drain, scupper or gutter to get off. If a drain is partly clogged or the roof has sagged a little, water ponds, and standing water speeds up wear on any membrane.
Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30. Wind pulls hardest at a roof’s edges and corners, so perimeter metal, loose seams and older fastening are where storm damage usually starts.
Commercial roofing in the Orlando area: the systems we work on
Commercial buildings around Central Florida don’t all have the same kind of roof. Here’s what we see and work on most.
Flat and low-slope membranes
Most commercial roofs in the area are flat or close to it, covered with a single-ply membrane like TPO or EPDM, or a multi-layer system like built-up roofing (BUR) or modified bitumen. White TPO is popular here because it reflects a lot of sunlight. EPDM is a durable rubber membrane. Built-up roofs use layers of felt and asphalt, often topped with gravel. Our flat roofing and TPO roofing pages go deeper.
Metal panel roofs
Many warehouses and shops have metal roofs. On exposed-fastener panels, the rubber washers under each screw dry out in the sun, and screws back out as the metal expands and contracts. Replacing worn fasteners and resealing laps often adds years to a metal roof that’s otherwise sound. See our metal roofing page for more.
Shingle roofs on commercial buildings
Plenty of offices, small retail buildings and other light-commercial properties have pitched roofs with architectural shingles. These get the same care a home roof does, built to Florida’s wind requirements, with flashing and edge details done right. A commercial shingle roof installation also has to meet the permit and code requirements for that building, which a good contractor handles as part of the job.
Repair, recover or full reroof
Not every leaking commercial roof needs to come off. The right answer depends on the roof’s condition, and that starts with finding out whether the insulation and deck underneath are dry.
- A repair fixes localized problems on a roof that’s otherwise in good shape: a split seam, failed flashing at a rooftop unit, a damaged drain.
- A recover adds a new membrane over the existing roof when the old one is worn but dry and code allows another layer.
- A full reroof tears off to the deck when the insulation is wet, there are already too many layers or the roof has failed across large areas.
If you have an active leak now, our commercial roof repair page covers how leaks get traced and fixed.
Working around your business
A roof job shouldn’t shut you down. Before work starts, we’ll talk through timing, access for the crew and materials, noise, and how entries and parking will be kept safe for your staff and customers. Tear-off and dry-in are planned around the weather, since an afternoon storm can roll in fast in the summer.
Keep records and check it regularly
Industry guidance is to have a commercial roof inspected twice a year and after any major storm. Keep a file with the roof’s age, the system type, any warranty paperwork and every repair. When something goes wrong, or when you sell or refinance the building, that history saves time and argument.
If storm damage leads to an insurance claim, you file the claim with your insurer and pay your deductible. We document the damage, provide the estimate and work with your adjuster.
How it works with APC Roofing
- Book your free inspection. Call 407-270-1129 or request your free estimate online.
- Get a clear, honest assessment and estimate. You’ll get photos, a plain summary of the roof’s condition, and a written estimate that spells out whether it’s a repair, a recover or a reroof.
- The work gets done and the site gets cleaned up. The crew works to the plan you agreed on and cleans up before leaving.
Small problems on a commercial roof rarely stay small. A split seam over one bay can soak the insulation across a much larger area before it shows inside.
Commercial roofing questions from Orlando-area owners
Do you work on smaller commercial buildings?
Yes. Light-commercial buildings like shops, offices and small warehouses are a big part of commercial roofing in the Orlando area, and we work on flat, metal and shingle roofs.
Can a new roof go over my existing commercial roof?
Sometimes. If the existing roof is dry, has only one layer and code allows it, a recover can work. If the insulation is wet, it has to come off.
Do you install shingle roofs on commercial buildings?
Yes. Pitched commercial roofs get the same architectural shingle systems used on homes, installed to Florida code for that building.
What should I do if my roof is leaking right now?
Move what you can away from the drip, catch the water, and call 407-270-1129 to book an inspection.
A roof you can stop thinking about
Call 407-270-1129 to book your free inspection. The goal is a dry building, a roof plan you can budget for and one less thing on your list. Serving our community with integrity starts with an honest look at the roof.
