Commercial Roofing in Troy, MI
A low-slope office or retail roof in Troy, MI works through the same winter as the other flat roofs around Detroit: snow in November, a hard freeze in January, a thaw that sends water across the membrane in February, and a refreeze at night. The detail that controls what happens next is almost always drainage. A drain bowl choked with leaves, a scupper iced shut or a roof that slopes slightly away from its outlets will hold water against seams and flashing for days.
We inspect, repair, recover and replace commercial roofs in Troy and the surrounding suburbs. Each visit ends in written findings with photographs, a ranked list of what needs action and an estimate of remaining service life, so the owner or property manager can decide what to do now and what to schedule.
What We Check First on an Office or Retail Roof
We begin at the drains and work outward. Bowls, strainers, overflow scuppers and the slope of the roof toward them tell us whether the building can shed a thaw. Next we walk the membrane field, looking at lap seams, corners, fastener lines and any area that feels soft underfoot. Then we check curb transitions, pipe boots and the base flashing around rooftop units, because most leaks start where one material meets another.
Inside, we compare what we found with ceiling stains and wall marks. Water often travels along a deck flute or a pipe before it drips, so the stain and the entry point rarely line up. An inspection that traces water from inside to outside saves the owner from paying for a patch in the wrong place.
Rooftop equipment gets its own look. Condensate lines that drain onto the membrane, refrigerant lines resting on the surface and disconnects without a pad all wear the sheet in ways that do not show on a map. We list each unit, note how it sits on its curb or rails and flag walkway pads that are missing where technicians cross the field. A small pad is inexpensive protection for a membrane that otherwise takes every footstep.
How Freeze and Thaw Open a Flat Roof
The closest long-term record to our market, the Dearborn weather station, lists 30.8 inches of annual snow, most of it falling November through April. Precipitation of every kind reaches 35.05 inches across about nine to twelve days a month. Detroit's winter peaks are about 14 inches of January snow and 12.5 inches in February. Together they describe the cycle a roof in southeast Michigan lives through, and a Troy building's snow load is an engineer's question.
Each freeze expands water in a seam, a crack or a crevice behind flashing. Each thaw lets in more. Over several winters, a hairline gap becomes a leak path, and insulation below begins to hold water. A seam failure repair in autumn costs a fraction of what a wet-insulation replacement costs two winters later.
Patch, Section Repair or Recover
With dry insulation and a sound sheet, a patch or a localized repair is the right answer. We cut out the failed area, clean the substrate, and install new membrane or flashing with a lap wide enough to hold. When the damage covers a wide area but the deck is sound, a recover may be an option, provided moisture scans show dry insulation. If scans show wet insulation across a large portion, replacement is the better long-term choice.
The repair boundary is drawn from evidence: infrared scans, core cuts, moisture probes and visual inspection. Written findings state where the boundary lies and why. Owners who want the lowest cost per year of service often choose a combination, repairing now and scheduling replacement of the worst section within the next budget cycle.
Edges deserve a line of their own. Coping and edge metal lift in wind, and an open joint lets water behind the wall flashing. We re-fasten, re-seal or replace the metal depending on how far the damage runs, and we check the substrate behind it, since a corroded nailer or soft wood blocking will not hold a new fastener.
Code and Energy Rules That Touch a Replacement
Two 2021 Michigan codes frame a Troy replacement: the Building Code (April 9, 2025) and the Commercial Energy Code (April 22, 2025). A full replacement may bring insulation requirements into the scope, depending on the extent of work and the local enforcing authority's reading. We write our assumptions into the proposal, confirm them with the owner and let the authority have the final say before a price is fixed.
A replacement is also the best time to add tapered insulation and cover board so that water reaches drains instead of standing on the roof. Tapered insulation costs more up front but reduces ponding for the life of the roof. An owner can decide whether to buy that improvement once or keep paying for ponding repairs.
Roof Work Around Offices and Tenants
Offices and retail centers each have a rhythm that a roofing crew must respect. In an office building, the sound of equipment on the deck, the smell of adhesives and the location of the lift are all issues for tenants. We provide a work plan that names the section being worked each day, the hours of noisy work, the staging area and the entrance that will be closed, if any.
Every open section is dried in each evening and photographed. For owners with other buildings, including in Southfield, Royal Oak or Detroit, we can use the same report layout and schedule format, which allows a multi-site roof program to compare buildings directly.
Commercial Roofing Questions
Why do flat roofs leak most in February and March?
That is when thaw water meets frozen drains. Midwinter normals for Detroit run near 14 inches in January and a little over 12 in February, and all of that snow has to melt somewhere. If an outlet is iced or blocked, water backs up behind parapets and finds seams and flashing. A drain check after the first thaw catches it.
How do I know if my insulation is wet?
An infrared scan at dusk, after a sunny day, shows warm wet areas as the roof cools. We confirm with a moisture meter or a core cut. Wet insulation does not dry on its own under a membrane, and it will keep a repair from lasting, so we map its edges before pricing the work.
What does tapered insulation do for a Michigan roof?
It creates a slope toward the drains, so water does not stand after a thaw or a heavy rain. Standing water adds weight, speeds up membrane aging and gives freeze-thaw cycles a place to work. Adding tapered boards at replacement is far cheaper than rebuilding drainage later.
Should a tenant call us or the landlord when a ceiling stains?
The landlord or property manager usually holds the roof, so the first call goes to them. If they ask for help, we can inspect and write up the findings, and the report can go to the owner, the insurer or the lender. Photographs of the stain with the date are useful.
What changed after the September 2026 storms in Southeast Michigan?
That month brought damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes to the region, as the Weather Service confirmed, with confirmed tornadoes in Detroit (EF-2) and Lincoln Park (EF-0). Owners should look for lifted edge metal, bruised membrane and new interior stains. We document damage with photographs and measurements for any insurance claim.
Schedule a Troy roof inspection
Tell us the building, how it is used and where water has shown up. We will document drains, membrane, flashing and equipment curbs in writing with photographs, and the record will support your choice among repair, recover and replacement. Emergency response is available at any hour.
