Commercial Roof Replacement in Orlando, FL

The deliverable at closeout is the FBC-compliant permit documentation, the manufacturer warranty, the roof zone diagram with all closeout photos keyed to the zone map, the maintenance contract, and a written capital record that the next reroof cycle can build against.

Recover-versus-replace is the first decision in any aging-roof scope. We pull moisture cores in five-to-ten representative locations on roofs we suspect have insulation saturation. In Florida's high-rainfall environment, insulation saturation is more common than in drier climates — Orlando averages 54 inches of annual rainfall concentrated in the June-October rainy season, and roofs that were not properly drained carry water in their insulation for years before the interior leak that prompts the call. If more than 25% of cores read wet, replacement is the honest scope. Recovering wet insulation traps the moisture, accelerates deck corrosion, and voids the new warranty.

Deck condition is the second decision. Metal deck on older Central Florida buildings often shows corrosion at drain points and perimeter edges from years of ponded water. We pull deck inspection ports under wet cores and at obvious deflection points. Corroded metal deck means deck replacement, which moves the project into a different cost band and a different sequencing plan. Owners need to know this before the project starts — not when the crew opens up the roof.

Florida Building Code roof-to-wall connections are also assessed at replacement. Buildings constructed before the 2001 code updates may have uplift connections that do not Replacement is the right time to upgrade perimeter and corner fastening to current FBC standards — the marginal cost during a full replacement is modest; the cost of a post-hurricane blow-off is not.

Membrane: TPO 60-mil or 80-mil for most Orlando commercial buildings; EPDM 60-mil for industrial with high mechanical traffic; PVC 50-mil or 60-mil for restaurants and high-chemical exposure; modified bitumen for buildings with existing BUR systems where the recover path makes sense. We are not married to any one manufacturer — we specify based on building use, manufacturer warranty terms, and what the building's capital horizon supports.

Insulation: Florida's energy code (Florida Building Code Energy, based on IECC with state amendments) sets minimum R-values for low-slope commercial roofs. The insulation stack typically runs polyiso primary insulation plus a cover board. In Florida, we generally avoid using standard-density polyiso alone as the top layer — the high UV and heat exposure degrades polyiso facers faster than in northern climates, and a cover board (HD polyiso, gypsum, or HD wood fiber) adds a moisture and impact buffer. Tapered insulation packages are designed against the existing drain layout and the ponding patterns we documented during inspection.

Fastener pattern: Designed against Florida Building Code 2023 wind-uplift requirements for the building's exposure category and the roof zone (field, perimeter, corner). Orange County is not in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone that governs Miami-Dade and Broward, but it does carry significant design pressures — a typical 30-foot-tall commercial building in Orlando needs field fastener patterns that exceed most national standard minimums.

Pre-construction: Building permits filed with the relevant municipality (City of Orlando, Orange County, Osceola County, Seminole County), pre-job meeting with the building's facility manager to set crane and material lay-down zones, tenant notification distributed. Florida building permit requirements for roofing include a registered contractor license, proof of insurance, and a permit inspection at each phase — we manage this process without the owner having to track it.

Production: Tear-off staged in 5,000-10,000 sq ft sections with same-day dry-in on each section, so the building is never exposed to an unannounced rain event. In Orlando's June-October rainy season, this means monitoring daily afternoon convective storm forecasts and being ready to dry-in by 2 PM on days when afternoon storms are probable. We do not leave the building's interior exposed overnight during rainy season.

Closeout: Punch walk with the building's facility manager and our project manager, manufacturer warranty inspection with the manufacturer's field rep (all major manufacturers with whom we have warranted contractor credentials require this inspection), permit final inspection with the jurisdiction's building department, and the full closeout package delivered to the owner.

For a 50,000 sq ft single-story commercial building with no deck replacement and no major demo: about 3-4 weeks of production from tear-off through closeout, assuming normal weather. We build weather contingency into every schedule during the June-October rainy season. Larger buildings, deck replacement, or rooftop equipment relocation add time proportionally. We give a written production schedule before contract signing.

No. We tear off only what we can dry-in the same day. Each section gets a temporary dry-in at end of day. We monitor afternoon convective storm forecasts — Orlando's summer pattern produces afternoon storms with 2-4 hours of advance radar warning, and we coordinate production pace to the forecast. We do not leave the building's interior exposed overnight.

We schedule replacement projects outside the peak of hurricane season when possible, but most commercial building owners cannot wait 6 months for a dry-season window when their roof is failing. During active season, we build weather contingency into the schedule, use accelerated dry-in procedures, and do not start tear-off on days when named storm tracks show Central Florida within a 5-day cone.

Our project managers will walk the roof, pull moisture cores if the recover-vs-replace decision depends on it, and deliver a written scope detailed enough to bid against — including Florida Building Code wind-uplift documentation.