Flat Roofing in Queens, NY

REVMA Roofing replaces low-slope and flat roofs on Queens and Bronx homes: the rear roofs on attached rowhouses, porch and extension roofs, and garage roofs. We install EPDM, TPO and modified bitumen. I'm Stavros Latos, the owner, and on a flat roof the first thing I look at is where the water goes, because that's what decides whether the new roof lasts.

When a Queens Flat Roof Actually Needs Replacement

Flat roofs fail from the water that sits on them. Ponding after a rain, blisters and bubbles in the membrane, seams opening up, cracks at the parapet, and a ceiling stain that keeps growing are the signs. On a lot of rowhouse roofs we find layer on top of layer of tar and roll roofing, each one put on to stop a leak the last one didn't.

Let's say there are three layers up there and the leak is back. Another coat isn't going to fix it, because the problem is the drainage and the deck underneath. That's when it's a replacement.

What's Included in a Queens Flat Roof Replacement

A REVMA flat roof replacement covers:

• Tear-off to the deck. All the old layers come off.
• Deck repair. Three to five sheets of plywood included.
• Tapered insulation or crickets where needed so water runs to the drain or scupper instead of sitting.
• New membrane: EPDM, TPO or modified bitumen.
• Flashing up the parapet walls and at every opening: vents, skylights, hatches.
• New drains, scuppers or gutters as the roof needs.
• Metal edge and coping to finish the perimeter.
• Cleanup and a magnet sweep.

Most residential flat roofs take one to two days. If any part of the system is torch-applied, FDNY requires a Certificate of Fitness holder on site.

EPDM vs TPO vs Modified Bitumen in Queens

EPDM is a rubber membrane: proven, flexible in cold, and easy to patch. TPO is a white, heat-welded membrane that reflects summer sun and keeps the top floor cooler. Modified bitumen is a layered asphalt system that takes foot traffic well, which matters if you use the roof for the AC unit or a deck.

All three last 20 to 30 years when the drainage is right. I'll recommend one based on how your roof drains and how you use it, not on what I have in the truck.

Cost Range for a Queens Flat Roof

Flat roofs run $900–$1,400 a square installed in Queens. A typical rowhouse rear roof of 8 to 12 squares lands around $8,000–$16,000. Tapered insulation, new drains and parapet work move the number, and plywood past the included three to five sheets is $110 a sheet.

For flat roofs next to pitched-roof prices: How much does a new roof cost in Queens?

Insurance Claims for Storm-Driven Replacements

A storm can tear a membrane at the edge or drop a limb through it. We photograph and measure the damage, and I'll meet your adjuster on the roof. Then we repair what the carrier covers. We don't negotiate your claim or act as your adjuster.

Ponding and old seams are wear, not storm damage, and I'll tell you that before you file.

Attached, Semi-Attached and Two-Family Homes

Flat roofs on attached houses run straight into the neighbor's roof. We flash the party wall and tie in the membrane so the joint can't leak into either house, and we tell the neighbor before work starts.

Access on rowhouses is usually through the house or over the front, so we plan protection and the debris route before we quote.

Service Areas for Queens Flat Roofing

We're based in Bayside and we work Queens and the Bronx only, so the crew isn't driving in from three counties away. Area pages: Queens, Bayside and the Bronx. Neighborhood deep dive: Flat roofing in Bayside. Around northeast Queens that means Bayside, Douglaston, Little Neck, Whitestone, Auburndale and Oakland Gardens, plus Forest Hills, Jamaica Estates and Fresh Meadows further in, and Riverdale, Fieldston, Throgs Neck and Country Club in the Bronx.

Flat Roofing Questions from Queens Homeowners