Commercial Flat Roofing · Savannah GA
TPO, PVC, EPDM, modified bitumen, and BUR systems for commercial flat and low-slope roofs across Coastal Georgia. Installed, maintained, and repaired by Coastal Roofing of Georgia.
Quick Answer
Commercial flat roofing in Savannah covers warehouses, retail centers, offices, restaurants, and industrial buildings. The five most common flat-roof systems installed by Coastal Roofing of Georgia are TPO, PVC, EPDM, modified bitumen, and built-up roof (BUR). A properly installed and maintained flat roof in Coastal Georgia lasts 18 to 30 years depending on system. Drainage and maintenance matter more on flat roofs than any other type. Call (912) 312-0507 for a flat roof assessment.
Why Flat
Commercial buildings use flat (or low-slope) roofs for four reasons: lower construction cost than a pitched roof, usable rooftop space for HVAC and equipment, easier access for maintenance, and visual concealment of mechanical units from street view. Most warehouses, retail centers, offices, and industrial buildings in Savannah have flat or near-flat roofs at 1:12 to 4:12 slope.
The trade-off: flat roofs are harder to keep watertight. Water doesn't shed off a flat roof on its own — it has to flow to drains, scuppers, or gutters by deliberate slope built into the roof system. When drainage fails, water sits (ponds), accelerating membrane and seam failure. The longest-lived commercial flat roofs are the ones where drainage was designed correctly from day one and maintained on a regular cycle.
Materials
TPO is the most common new commercial flat roof installed in Savannah today. Heat-weldable single-ply membrane in white or light gray, $5.50-$8.50 per square foot installed, 18-25 year life. Reflects ~80% of solar radiation. See our 3D TPO install.
PVC is the choice for restaurants and grease-exposure buildings — TPO degrades under animal fats, PVC doesn't. $7.00-$11.00 per square foot, 25-30 year life. See our 3D PVC install.
EPDM rubber single-ply, available in black (lower cost) or white (reflective). $5.50-$9.00 per square foot, 20-30 year life. Good puncture resistance, lower reflectivity than TPO. See our 3D EPDM install.
Modified bitumen is asphalt-based sheet roofing in 2-3 plies, torch-applied or self-adhered. $6.00-$11.00 per square foot, 15-20 year life. Good puncture resistance.
Built-up roof (BUR) is the traditional asphalt-and-gravel commercial flat roof. $7.00-$11.00 per square foot, 20-30 year life. Heavy, no reflectivity from the gravel ballast.
For a side-by-side comparison of all commercial roofing materials, see our commercial roofing materials guide.
Drainage
Coastal Georgia gets 50+ inches of rain a year, often in heavy short bursts during summer thunderstorm season and tropical events. A 20,000 square foot commercial flat roof has to move that water somewhere — usually to internal drains, scuppers, or gutters. When drainage paths fail or undersized, water ponds.
Ponding (water sitting more than 48 hours after rain) is the single biggest cause of premature commercial flat-roof failure in Coastal Georgia. Standing water accelerates UV degradation of the membrane, freezes and thaws in winter, attracts algae and biological growth, and adds dead-load weight to the structure. Most commercial roofs we replace early are failing because of ponding, not material defects.
Solutions: tapered insulation to build positive slope on dead-flat decks, additional drains or scuppers where required, sumps at drain locations, and a maintenance schedule that catches clogged drains before they cause ponding. Every commercial flat roof we install gets a documented drainage layout.
Maintenance
A maintained commercial flat roof in Coastal Georgia lasts 30-50% longer than an unmaintained one. The math is straightforward: a $1,500 annual maintenance visit catches small seam separations, flashing pulls, and drain clogs before they become leaks or ponding zones. The cost of one ignored leak — interior damage, equipment loss, business interruption — is multiples of a decade of maintenance visits.
Coastal Roofing of Georgia runs CoastalCare, our commercial roof maintenance program. Twice-yearly inspections, drain cleaning, seam reseal where needed, written report with photos, and budget planning for upcoming repairs. We also keep manufacturer warranties in force — most single-ply warranties require documented annual or semi-annual inspections.
Learn more on our commercial roof maintenance page or call (912) 312-0507.
Repair vs Replace
Commercial flat roof repair makes sense when the existing system has 5+ years of life left and damage is localized — a punctured area, failed seam, leaking penetration. Repair cost typically runs $450-$4,500. We patch, reseal, or section-replace and the roof keeps performing.
Replacement makes sense when the membrane is end-of-life, multiple leaks indicate field-wide failure, or wet insulation has spread beyond a single zone. Coastal Roofing of Georgia runs an IR moisture survey on every roof in this gray zone — the survey shows exactly where wet insulation lives, which determines whether targeted section repair or full replacement is the right call.
A third option: coating restoration. If the membrane is intact but UV-faded and the underlying insulation is dry, an acrylic, silicone, or elastomeric coating adds 10-15 years of life at 30-50% of replacement cost. See our coating vs replacement page.
Frequently Asked
Commercial buildings use flat (or low-slope) roofs for four reasons: lower construction cost than a pitched roof, usable rooftop space for HVAC and equipment, easier access for maintenance, and visual concealment of mechanical units from street view. Most warehouses, retail centers, offices, and industrial buildings in Savannah have flat or near-flat roofs between 1:12 and 4:12 slope. The trade-off is that flat roofs require deliberate drainage design and regular maintenance to stay watertight.
The best material for a commercial flat roof in Savannah depends on building use. TPO single-ply is the most common new install for warehouses and retail at $5.50-$8.50 per square foot (18-25 year life). PVC is required for restaurants and grease-exposure buildings at $7.00-$11.00 per square foot. EPDM works well for warehouses where puncture resistance matters more than reflectivity. Standing-seam metal lasts longest at 40-50 years but costs $11.00-$18.00 per square foot. Coastal Roofing of Georgia recommends the right material based on building type, slope, and ownership horizon.
A commercial flat roof in Coastal Georgia lasts 18-30 years depending on material and maintenance. TPO 18-25 years, PVC 25-30 years, EPDM 20-30 years, modified bitumen 15-20 years, built-up roof (BUR) 20-30 years. Maintained roofs reach the high end of these ranges; unmaintained roofs fail at the low end. The single biggest factor that shortens flat-roof life in Savannah is ponding water from inadequate drainage.
Commercial flat roof installation in Savannah runs $5.50-$11.00 per square foot installed for most single-ply systems. TPO $5.50-$8.50, EPDM $5.50-$9.00, PVC $7.00-$11.00, modified bitumen $6.00-$11.00, BUR $7.00-$11.00. A 20,000 square foot commercial flat roof installation typically costs $110,000-$220,000 depending on system. Coastal Roofing of Georgia provides free written quotes with line-item pricing covering tear-off, insulation, membrane, edge metal, and warranty.
Commercial flat roof repair in Savannah typically runs $450-$4,500 depending on damage type and size. Localized seam repairs and pipe boot replacements are at the low end. Multi-leak diagnosis with IR moisture survey, drain repair, and flashing reseal is at the high end. Coastal Roofing of Georgia inspects every leak before quoting — many 'leaks' are actually condensation, drainage failure, or HVAC issues we identify and refer rather than charging for a roof repair that wouldn't solve the problem.
Commercial flat roof leaks in Coastal Georgia come from five common causes: failed flashing at penetrations (curbs, pipes, drains), open or split seams in the membrane, clogged drains causing ponding water, deck movement that cracks the membrane, and storm damage from wind-driven debris or hail. The leak you see inside is usually not where the water entered the roof — water travels laterally between insulation layers before showing up. We use moisture probes and infrared scanning to find the actual entry point.
A commercial flat roof in Coastal Georgia should be inspected twice a year — once in spring and once in fall. Spring inspections catch any winter freeze-thaw damage and confirm drains are clear before hurricane season. Fall inspections catch hurricane-season damage and prepare the roof for winter. Most manufacturer warranties require documented annual inspections to stay in force. Coastal Roofing of Georgia's CoastalCare program runs the twice-yearly cycle automatically and keeps your warranty documentation current.
Coastal Roofing of Georgia (CRG) is a commercial flat roofing contractor based in Richmond Hill, GA, serving Savannah, the Coastal Georgia region, and the South Carolina Lowcountry. We install and repair TPO, PVC, EPDM, modified bitumen, and built-up roof systems on warehouses, retail centers, offices, restaurants, schools, churches, and industrial buildings. Call (912) 312-0507 for a free flat roof assessment with written quote.
More Commercial Roofing Resources
Our flagship commercial roofing page for Savannah and Coastal Georgia.
2026 pricing per system, per square foot, with real build-out examples.
Interactive 3D models of TPO, PVC, EPDM, metal, and acrylic systems.
Coverage page for the Savannah / Pooler / Garden City corridor.
How we plan, install, and stand behind every commercial roof.