Commercial metal roof repair in Houston
Commercial metal roof repair in Houston, TX: backed-out fasteners, open laps, rusted-through panels, curbs and gutters. Priced off the damage, in writing.
On this page
01
Commercial metal roof repair in Houston
Most metal roofs that leak do not need a new roof. They need the places that failed fixed properly: the fasteners, the laps, the trim, the curbs and the gutters. When the damage is in a few places and the rest of the roof is sound, a repair fixes those places and leaves the rest alone.
We repair R-panel and standing seam roofs on warehouses and distribution centers, pre-engineered metal buildings, manufacturing and fabrication shops, self-storage, churches and retail across the Houston metro and Galveston County.
The two fail differently. R-panel is screwed through the face of the panel, so every fastener is a hole with a washer on it. Standing seam is held by hidden clips, so its trouble is usually at the seams, the ridge, the panel ends and the curbs.
02
Where metal roofs leak, and the proper fix
Metal roofs give up at the details first. These are the places we find leaks, and how each one gets fixed.
- Fasteners
- Backed out, stripped or missing their washers. Tightening a stripped screw does nothing, so a larger-diameter fastener goes in with a new washer.
- Side laps and end laps
- Where panels overlap along the ribs, and where one run of panels meets the next down the slope. Sealant dries out, stitch screws loosen and the joint opens. The lap is cleaned out, refastened and resealed, and on an older roof reinforced with fabric.
- Ridge cap and trim
- Wind gets under loose trim first, and failed closures let wind-driven rain in under the ridge. Loose trim is refastened or replaced, and failed closures are replaced.
- Flashing, curbs and penetrations
- At rooftop units, exhaust fans, skylights, pipes and walls, cut into ribbed panels and easy to get wrong. Cracked pipe boots get replaced and curb flashing rebuilt. Wall flashing gets new closures and is fastened and sealed under the counterflashing, not smeared with sealant.
- Gutters and valleys
- Gutters that have pulled away or rusted at the seams, and valleys where debris collects. Seams get resealed and reinforced, rusted sections replaced and hangers refastened.
- Rusted-through panels
- Often at the laps, the panel ends and around penetrations. The rusted section is cut out, and new panel of the same profile is lapped and fastened in. Sealant over a hole is not a repair.
- Old repairs
- Tar, roof cement and caulk from past patching, each marking a place the roof failed before. It gets cleaned off so the detail underneath can be fixed.
03
Finding the leak
On a long metal roof, water can get in at one bay and show up several bays away. So we walk the whole roof, not just the corner above the complaint.
We check the fasteners and laps by hand, and look at the panels and framing from inside the building. We check whether the rust is on the surface or through, and whether the roof has been coated before, and with what. Everything we find gets photographed.
You get the photos, the scope and the price in writing before any work starts.
04
Sealing the screws is not always the fix
Metal roof sealing usually means sealant over the screw heads and laps. On an otherwise sound roof, that can be the right repair.
Sealant over a loose fastener leaves a loose fastener, though, and sealant over a rusted-through hole is not a repair. So the fasteners and the metal come first, and the sealant goes on a detail that is already tight.
05
What metal roof repair costs
Metal repairs are priced off the damage, not per square foot. A standard commercial roof repair generally runs $1,500 to $3,500, with the photos, the scope and the price in writing before any work starts.
The price rises with how many details failed, how much panel has to be replaced, how far the water has traveled and how hard the roof is to reach. For an active leak, the emergency visit and any temporary protection are billed separately.
Every price we publish, from repair to replacement, is side by side in our commercial roof cost guide.
Metal roof leaking?
Tell us the building and whether it is R-panel or standing seam. We walk the whole roof, photograph what failed and put the scope and the price in writing before any work starts.
06
When repair stops making sense
When the same failures show up all over the roof, a repair turns into a string of repairs. That is when a bigger answer is the better spend.
- Restore with a coating
- Sound panels and framing, surface rust but no widespread rust-through, and leaks at the fasteners, laps and details. A metal roof restoration runs $3.75 to $5.00 per square foot.
- Retrofit
- Sound panels and framing on a roof that needs more than a new surface, or a building that needs insulation or a membrane roof. A TPO retrofit runs $6.50 to $8.00 per square foot and PVC $9 to $12.
- Replace
- Rust-through across the panels, or panels failing across the whole field. A metal roof replacement runs $7 to $12 per square foot.
How restoration and retrofits are done, and when we won't coat a roof, is on our metal roof coating and restoration page.
07
Leaking right now?
Water coming into the building right now? Start with emergency roof repair: same-day emergency response, with temporary protection on the roof first.
In Harris County east of State Highway 146, and in Galveston and Brazoria counties, commercial roof repairs and re-roofs can need Texas windstorm certification (WPI-8) to keep TWIA wind coverage. We do WPI-8 certified work.
For single-ply, modified bitumen and built-up roofs, the same approach is on our commercial roof repair page.
Who you are dealing with
Coons Roofing is a commercial-only roofing contractor working across the Houston metro. It is owned and run by Wade Coons, who is on every project from the first roof walk to the final walkthrough. There is no salesman between you and the person who looked at your roof.
Certified applicator for Carlisle SynTec, Versico, FiberTite, Duro-Last, Elevate, GAF, Karnak, IPC, Gaco and Western Colloid. Fully insured with general liability and workers compensation coverage.
08
Commercial metal roof repair FAQs
How much does commercial metal roof repair cost in Houston?
Metal repairs are priced off the damage, not per square foot. A standard commercial roof repair in Houston generally runs $1,500 to $3,500. The price rises with how many details failed, how much panel has to be replaced, how far the water has traveled and access. You get the price in writing, with photos, before any work starts.
Why does my metal roof only leak in heavy rain?
Often because wind-driven rain is getting in where a light rain doesn't reach: under loose ridge cap and failed closures, at laps where the sealant has dried out, and at fasteners whose washers have failed. Those are the places we check first.
Can you just seal the screws on a metal roof?
On an otherwise sound roof, sealant over the screw heads and laps can be the right repair. But sealant over a loose fastener leaves a loose fastener, so loose ones get tightened, stripped ones get a larger-diameter fastener with a new washer, and the sealant goes on after.
Can a rusted metal panel be replaced without replacing the roof?
Yes, when the rust-through is in a few places. The rusted section is cut out, and new panel of the same profile is lapped and fastened in. When rust-through runs across the whole roof, a replacement is the better answer.
Do you repair standing seam metal roofs?
Yes. We repair R-panel and standing seam roofs. Standing seam is held by hidden clips, so its trouble is usually at the seams, the ridge, the panel ends and the curbs rather than at exposed screws.
How do I know if my metal roof needs a repair or a coating?
Damage in a few places on an otherwise sound roof is a repair. Leaks at the fasteners and laps across the whole roof, with sound panels and only surface rust, point to a restoration with a coating. We walk the roof and put the options side by side in writing.
Not sure if it is a repair or a bigger job?
We walk the whole roof, check the fasteners, laps and rust, and look at the underside from inside the building. If a repair will do it, that is what we will recommend.
09
Where we work across the metro
We cover Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery, Galveston, Brazoria, and Waller counties. Pick your city for local detail on what we see on roofs there.
Related services
Schedule a free roof assessment
We'll walk your roof, take photos, and give you straight answers. The assessment is free when we are quoting the work.
We reply within 24 hours, usually the same day. No pressure, no sales visit you did not ask for, and we never sell your information.