Commercial roofing contractor in Miami

Many commercial roofs in Miami are flat or low-slope, and all of them sit in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone. Sun, salt air, summer storms and rooftop equipment wear them out. The work usually starts with a question: can this roof be repaired or restored, or has it reached the point where it needs to come off? We answer that from a documented inspection, then write a scope your board, property manager or owner can compare against other bids.

Commercial roofing covers a lot of ground. A strip-mall owner with a leak over one tenant, a condominium board planning a re-roof around its reserve study, and a warehouse manager with ponding water across a large roof all need different scopes. The sections below cover the services we provide in Miami, the roof systems we work with, the code and permit rules that apply here, and the Miami-Dade projects we have documented.

Miami-Dade and Broward are the two counties in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone defined by the Florida Building Code. In the HVHZ, roofing products carry a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA), and the building department reviews the roof assembly, including how the insulation and membrane are attached at the field, perimeter and corners. The roof is permitted and inspected as a specific approved assembly, so a substitute product is not a small change. It has to be approved as well. Search the NOA for any product on a proposal in Miami-Dade’s product approval database.

The permit comes from the building department for the property’s municipality (the City of Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables and so on), or from Miami-Dade County for unincorporated areas. Perkins prepares and pulls the permit for every roof we install. Whether a partial repair forces a full replacement depends on the roof’s permit history under the Florida Building Code’s 25 percent rule and the 2007-code exception in section 553.844(5), Florida Statutes. Commercial roof repair vs. replacement walks through it.

Older buildings also have the county’s recertification program (Section 8-11(f) of the county code). Once the county sends its notice, the owner has 90 days to file an engineer’s or architect’s report, and roof leaks and deteriorated roof decks are among the conditions the county tells inspectors to look for. Our recertification and milestone guide covers the deadlines.

It starts on the roof. We look at the field, perimeter, penetrations, drains and equipment curbs, go through your leak history, and check the insulation for moisture where the roof’s condition calls for it. You get a written recommendation to repair, restore or replace, and the reasons behind it. A free estimate follows.

For a re-roof, the proposal names the complete assembly: membrane, insulation, cover board, attachment, flashings, edge metal and drains, with the product approvals behind them. It also covers deck-repair allowances, exclusions and the phasing plan for an occupied building. Every bidder should price the same assembly. If they don’t, the totals can’t be compared.

During the work, sections are torn off only as fast as they can be dried in the same day, rooftop equipment is protected or coordinated with your mechanical contractor, and the building department inspects at the stages the permit requires. At closeout you should receive the permit record, the product list and maintenance instructions. That paperwork is the start of the roof’s maintenance history.

The most expensive mistake in commercial roofing is not vetting the contractor. Owners in a hurry, tempted by a low bid or reassured by a polished website skip the checks, then pay for leaks, downtime and a second roof. This used to be a longer article. These are the checks that matter.

Look up the license yourself

Florida roofing contractors must hold a state license. Search the number in the DBPR license lookup and check that the name matches the company on the contract. Perkins Roofing holds license CCC1331944.

Get the insurance certificates

Ask for proof of general liability and workers’ compensation coverage. An uninsured crew on your roof can make an accident your liability.

Ask for commercial work you can check

Get addresses or case studies of comparable commercial roofs, and references you can call. Residential experience does not transfer to a four-story condominium or a warehouse roof.

Insist on an itemized, written scope

The proposal should list the assembly, the details, deck allowances, exclusions and the schedule. A bid far below the others usually leaves something out.

Read the reviews, then the warranty terms

Recent reviews on Google and elsewhere show how a company handles problems. Get any manufacturer and workmanship warranty terms in writing before you sign, and read what they exclude.

The original article, “Commercial Roofing in Miami: Common Mistakes When Hiring a Roofer” (December 2024), is archived on Perkins Updates. Read the original.

Send the property address, the building type and what you are seeing (a leak, a coating question, a re-roof budget) and we will set up a commercial roof assessment. The Miami office is at 575 NW 152nd St, Miami, FL 33169.

Miami office 305-642-7663

Related: commercial roofing across South Florida, Roofing company in Miami, the annual commercial roof maintenance walkthrough and commercial roof repair vs. replacement.