+1 608-594-7071
flat roof repair completed by a local contractor at a painted-white-brick two-story home in Madison, WI, under bright midday cloud.

Flat Roof Repair in Madison, WI

We repair flat roofs in Madison, on homes and on commercial buildings, and out as far as Sun Prairie. The median home here was built in 1979, and a flat roof on a building that age has usually been patched more than once. Our job is finding where water actually gets in, fixing that, and leaving the rest of the roof alone. Sometimes it is a seam. More often it is flashing at a wall, a drain or a rooftop unit.

A repair starts on the roof, not on the phone. We walk the whole surface, check every penetration and edge, and probe soft spots to see how far water has traveled under the membrane. Then we tell you what we found in plain terms: what is failing, what is holding, and what can wait. A lot of repairs get done in a single visit with materials from the truck. Bigger ones get a written scope first, so you know what we are opening up and why before anyone cuts into the roof.

Flat roofs fail differently from pitched ones. Water does not run off. It sits, finds the low spot, and works at every seam and flashing until one gives, and the leak usually shows up inside well away from where it started. Patching the membrane directly above the drip fixes nothing. We trace the water back to its source, open the membrane where it has let go, dry the substrate and rebuild the detail with materials matched to the roofing system already on the building. Done wrong, a repair hides the problem until the deck goes soft.

Call +1 608-594-7071

Licensed, Bonded, and Insured ยท A combined 15 years of experience

Request an Estimate

We warranty all of our work because we believe in what we do.

What Flat Roof Repair Involves

Image slot Roof Repair Near Me 680px · 16:9 · no image declared for this subject

Roof Repair Near Me

Most flat roof calls start with water inside the building, not a visible hole. We trace the leak back to its source: split seams on modified bitumen, a punctured EPDM membrane, cracked flashing at parapets and curbs, or a drain that clogged and left water ponding for weeks. Then we cut out the wet substrate, dry in the deck, and patch with matching material. A small repair done right beats a tear-off nobody needed.

roof inspection completed by a local contractor at a red-brick ranch home in Madison, WI, in late afternoon light.

Roof Inspection

A flat roof inspection covers the whole surface, not just the spot that dripped. We probe every seam, check each penetration, lift loose flashing, and look for blisters, alligatoring, and standing water after a rain. The median home in Madison was built in 1979, so we also look for older layers and past patches under the current membrane. You get a plain report on what is holding and what is not.

roof replacement completed by a local contractor at a charcoal farmhouse-modern home in Madison, WI, after a rain shower.

Roof Replacement

When more than a third of the membrane has failed, patching stops making sense. We strip to the deck, replace rotten sheathing, add tapered insulation to move water toward the drains, and install a new system: 60 mil TPO or EPDM, or two-ply modified bitumen with a granulated cap sheet. Permits go through the City of Madison, and we pull them before the first dumpster shows up.

roof installation completed by a local contractor at a buff-brick ranch home in Madison, WI, under bright midday cloud.

Install Roofing

New roofing on an addition, a detached garage, or a commercial building in Middleton follows the same steps as a replacement without the tear-off. We fasten cover board over the insulation, run the membrane with full overlap at the seams, heat-weld or tape every joint, and terminate at walls with metal edge and counterflashing. Low-slope roofs live or die at the details, so that is where we spend the time.

Our Warranty and Guarantee

A flat roof repair is only as good as the paper behind it. On any job we quote, we spell out in writing what we are fixing, what materials go in, and what the manufacturer says about those materials. Read that page before you sign. A membrane patch, new flashing, and a full replacement each carry different terms, and a homeowner should know which one applies to their roof before the crew shows up.

Materials come with their own documentation, and workmanship is a separate matter. Membrane, adhesive, and metal edge are made by companies that publish their own coverage, and we hand you that literature with the invoice. What we install, we install to the manufacturer's specifications, because coverage on the material means nothing if the installation voids it. Ask us which product is going on your roof and what its maker says about it. We will show you.

Most disputes over a flat roof start with vague terms. "Fully covered" means nothing until someone writes down what is covered, for how long, and who to call when water shows up inside. So we keep it plain: a written scope, the material's published documentation, and a clear statement of what our repair does and does not address. If a leak sits outside that scope, you knew it before we started. A homeowner in Middleton gets the same paper as one in Madison.

What Decides the Price of Flat Roof Repair

No two flat roofs cost the same to repair, and the difference usually comes down to things you can see from the ground or from a ladder. Walk your own roof and property with the points below in mind before you call anyone. The more of this you already know, the easier it is to read a bid.

What changes the priceWhich wayWhy
A second or third roofing layer already on the deckcosts moreOld membrane, tar, or gravel has to come off and be hauled away before new material can go down.
Wet or soft insulation under the membranecosts moreSaturated board holds water against the deck and has to be cut out and replaced, not covered.
Rot or sagging in the deckingcosts moreStructural repair comes before roofing. A patch over a bad deck fails again.
Clear truck and dumpster access to the buildingcosts lessMaterials go up and debris comes down without hand-carrying across a yard or through a gate.
Thicker membrane or added reinforcement where the roof takes foot trafficcosts moreHeavier material and more labor, but it holds up around HVAC units and service paths.
Working drains, scuppers, and a slope that actually sheds watercosts lessPonding rots seams. If the roof drains, the repair stays a repair.
Flashing at walls, curbs, and pipes that must be rebuiltcosts moreMost flat roof leaks start at flashing. Reworking it properly takes time and metal.
Several small repairs done in one visitcosts lessSetup, tear-off, and cleanup happen once instead of three times.

When you compare bids, look past the total. Check whether each one includes tear-off and disposal, names the membrane thickness, says what happens if wet insulation or bad decking turns up, and lists which flashings get rebuilt versus resealed. Two bids that look far apart often describe two different jobs.

Frequently Asked Questions About Flat Roof Repair in Madison

What is the lifespan of a TPO vs. EPDM flat roof?

Both are single-ply membranes, and both will give you decades of service if the installation is done right and someone looks at the roof now and then. EPDM, the black rubber sheet, has the longer track record and tends to edge out TPO on total years. TPO is white, reflective and heat-welded at the seams, which makes those seams very strong. Flashing, drainage and maintenance decide more of the real lifespan than the choice of membrane does.

How do I know if my flat roof needs repair or full replacement?

Look at how much of the roof is failing, not just where the water shows up inside. A single split seam, a lifted flashing or one soft spot around a drain is a repair. Ponding across wide areas, seams letting go everywhere you step, or wet insulation under the membrane means the system is done. We pull a core sample and probe the deck before we recommend either one.

How do I know when a commercial flat roof needs to be replaced rather than repaired?

Commercial roofs are usually larger, older and carry more rooftop equipment, so the math changes. Leaks in different spots every season mean the membrane is telling you something. Saturated insulation cannot be dried in place, and patching over it traps water against the deck. Structural sag, rusted metal decking or a membrane that has already been recoated all push us toward replacement. Repair makes sense when the damage is local and the rest of the roof still tests dry.

How does a flat roof affect my home's energy bills in Madison, WI?

More than a pitched roof does, because the whole surface faces the sky. A white TPO or coated membrane reflects sunlight and keeps the deck cooler, which eases the load on air conditioning. Dark EPDM absorbs it. The bigger factor is insulation. The median home here was built in 1979, and insulation from that era rarely matches what goes in today, and wet insulation barely insulates at all. Replacement is the time to fix that.

How long does it typically take to install a flat roof?

Most residential flat roofs go on in a few days once the tear-off starts. Commercial jobs run longer and are usually done in sections so the building stays open and dry. Weather is the wild card, since adhesives and seam welds need a dry surface, so we never tear off more than we can close the same day. Roof size, deck condition and how much old material has to come off set the schedule.

How quickly can you respond to a flat roof leak, and do you offer emergency repair services?

Call us as soon as you see water anywhere in Madison. A flat roof leak rarely stays small, and the first thing you can do is catch the drip, move what is under it and stay off the roof. We handle active leaks as repairs, not just estimates, and a temporary patch to stop the water is often the first step before a permanent fix. Tell us where the water is showing and how long it has been coming in.

Related Roofing Work

Get a Free Estimate

Request an Estimate

We warranty all of our work because we believe in what we do.

Tap to call +1 608-594-7071