Roof Replacement in Phoenix

We don't recommend a roof based on appearance alone. We look at the slope of the roof, what's already installed, how many existing layers there are, the condition of the deck, drainage, structural weight, penetrations, insulation needs, and budget.

On flat and low-slope roofs, foam is usually our first choice. On pitched roofs, shingles or an existing tile system may make more sense.

If a home doesn't already have tile, we generally don't recommend adding a heavy tile system without first verifying that the structure was designed for the additional weight.

On an existing tile roof, we often remove and reset the original tiles while replacing the underlayment underneath. Before starting, we also verify that replacement tiles are available in case some break or need to be matched.

Plenty of Phoenix buildings still carry older flat-roof systems. We work on all of them, and in most cases we can replace them with foam without a full tear-off:

• Built-up roofing (tar and gravel): layers of felt and asphalt topped with rock. Common on mid-century Phoenix homes. The asphalt goes brittle in the heat and the gravel hides problems until a leak shows up inside.
• Modified bitumen / torch-down: rolled sheets heat-welded at the seams. The membrane itself often holds up; the seams and flashings are what fail after 15–20 years of thermal cycling.
• TPO and single-ply: mechanically fastened or adhered sheets. UV eventually chalks the surface and the seams and fastener plates become the weak points.
• Rolled asphalt roofing: the cheapest flat-roof option and the shortest-lived in this climate. Usually well past saving by the time we see it.
• Metal roofing: panels and standing seam. Fastener gaskets dry out and leak, and expansion and contraction opens up the seams.

Foaming over an existing roof. This is the part most homeowners don't know is an option. Spray foam is fully adhered, so on many built-up, torch-down, TPO, and metal roofs we can clean and prep the existing surface and spray directly over it — no tear-off, no dumpster, no exposed deck. What has to come off first: loose gravel, wet or saturated insulation, failed rolled roofing, and any structurally compromised decking. We confirm all of that during the inspection before anything is quoted. When a roof is a candidate, foaming over it typically costs less than a tear-off, adds insulation the old roof never had, and gives you a surface that's recoatable instead of replaceable.

Sometimes we take a core sample. On older flat roofs, we may cut a small sample to see exactly how many roofing layers are underneath and what materials were previously installed. That helps us evaluate weight, moisture, tear-off costs and — most importantly — whether the existing roof is a good enough foundation to foam over.