Commercial Roof Replacement in Texas: Tear-Off, Recover, GAF GoldElite

Most property managers inherit a roof they didn't pick and a decision they can't put off. Pick the guide closest to your situation and land on the page that answers it in full. Roof replacement is one part of ARP's commercial roofing services.

Not sure which conversation you're in? Start with a site assessment. We measure the roof, cut a core or two, and tell you honestly whether you're replacing, recovering, or nowhere near either yet.

A commercial roof replacement in Texas runs $14–$20 per square foot for a full tear-off and new system, or $9–$15 per square foot to recover over one existing layer. Final price depends on deck condition, drainage, and roof access.

Here's the honest range before you scroll for it. A full tear-off and replace (strip the old system, inspect the deck, install a new one) runs $14–$20 per square foot all-in. A lay-over / recover over one existing layer runs $9–$15 per square foot all-in. The International Building Code caps you at two total layers, so a recover only works when a single layer is down and the deck under it is dry.

Updated September 2026, Texas commercial market pricing. Your final number depends on the existing roof's condition, the deck substrate, drainage and slope corrections, and how hard the roof is to reach. Per-system membrane pricing (TPO, PVC, EPDM, metal, and coatings each carry their own bands) lives on each system's page, and the full breakdown by building size sits on the commercial roof replacement cost guide.

A recover is faster, cheaper, and less disruptive, when it's honest. A tear-off is the right call when the deck is wet, when two layers are already stacked up there, or when you want a fresh manufacturer warranty on a substrate nobody has to make excuses for. The deciding factor isn't the contractor's preference. It's a core sample and a deck wet-test that show what's actually under the membrane.

Get that call wrong and you pay twice: once for a recover that traps moisture, and again for the tear-off you should have done the first time. Get it right and you can add a decade to a roof for a fraction of replacement cost.

Built-up roofing, the gravel-and-asphalt system you may know as tar-and-gravel, is still a legitimate replacement on low-slope commercial roofs that take foot traffic and need redundancy. It stacks multiple plies for a thick, forgiving membrane, and it's a strong fit where a building already runs BUR and the owner wants the same proven system rebuilt right.

It isn't the answer for every roof. Single-ply systems win on weight and reflectivity; coatings win on restoration budgets. Where BUR is the honest recommendation, we'll say so, and where it isn't, we'll point you to the system that fits.

A commercial roof replacement is rarely just a roofing problem. It's a capital request you have to justify, a timeline ownership will hold you to, and a document trail the board expects you to produce. That's the part a lot of contractors never account for, and it's exactly the part we build the whole engagement around.

Commercial property managers have one thing residential homeowners don't — a boss. When something goes wrong with a roof on their watch, they're the one in the meeting explaining it. We take that seriously. Our job isn't just to fix the roof. It's to make sure you never have to explain a roofing failure to anybody.

You get a documented process, not a mystery. Here's how a replacement moves from first call to final walkthrough:

1. Assessment and scope. We walk the roof, cut cores where needed, and hand you a written scope (system, square footage, tear-off or recover, flashing details, drainage corrections, permit handling, and warranty terms) before you sign anything.
2. Scheduled, phased install. The crew we deploy and supervise works your building in phases, keeps the parking lot clear, and coordinates around your tenants' hours. Your project manager runs daily check-ins and photo-documents each stage.
3. Warranty and closeout. We complete a final walkthrough with you or your facility manager, register the manufacturer warranty in the building's name, and hand over the full photo record for your files.

A commercial roof replacement that disrupts tenants isn't a successful project. It's a project that finished. Those are different things. The crew discipline — phasing, after-hours work, the magnetic sweep at the end of every day — is what separates the two. That part never shows up on the bid sheet.

Every claim below survives a document request: a certification, a project count, or a person who signs the work.

• GAF GoldElite Commercial Contractor. ARP holds GAF's top commercial designation, the single umbrella credential covering GAF's commercial line: EverGuard TPO and PVC single-ply. We're also an Elevate Red Shield Licensed Contractor and a UNIFLEX Premier Elite Contractor.
• Written scope before anyone touches the roof. You approve the system, square footage, and details on paper first; the scope is how we keep ourselves honest, not a sales tool.
• 5,000+ completed projects. A decade of Texas commercial and residential work, backed by $2M in general liability coverage and A+ BBB accreditation with zero unresolved complaints.
• Registered with all municipalities across our service areas. Texas doesn't issue a state roofing license; we're properly registered everywhere we work and pull the permit on every job.

When you sign a commercial roof contract, you're not hiring a logo. You're hiring the people who show up and the company standing behind the warranty.

• Your estimator and inspector. They walk the roof, cut the cores, photograph every finding, and write the scope you'll review, not a commissioned door-knocker.
• Your project manager. One point of contact from contract through warranty registration. They schedule the phased install, pull the permit, run daily check-ins, and answer for the building.
• The crew on your roof. Field work is performed by vetted installation partners we deploy and supervise, with an ARP project manager inspecting the work at each stage, never a rotating cast nobody vetted.
• The Williams family. Randal Williams, COO, is a former commercial high-rise field engineer and Xactimate expert with 15+ years in roofing and construction. He has scoped and documented more than $7 million in insurance claim work across Texas, including single commercial claims above $2 million, supporting property managers and building owners through the claims process as the contractor of record. His son Preston Williams, President, signs the warranties and still answers the phone in year ten.

We're a strong fit for some property managers and an honest mismatch for others. Here's the straight version.

We're a great fit if you:

• Want a written scope of work before anyone touches the roof, every time
• Need photo documentation you can hand to ownership or the board
• Want one contractor for repair, replacement, maintenance, and storm response
• Are holding the property long-term and want a partner, not a one-time vendor

We're probably not the right fit if you:

• Need the lowest bid in the market, a respected call, but not one we can match
• Need work to begin within 24 hours with no inspection or documentation
• Manage a building under 1,000 square feet; our minimum scope makes it uneconomical
• Have been quoted a price that doesn't allow for proper installation

Whether you hire ARP or someone else, ask every contractor who quotes your building these three. The answers tell you more than any star rating.

1. "Show me the written scope before I sign anything." A real contractor hands you a scope with the system spec, square footage, tear-off-vs-recover call, flashing and drainage detail, permit handling, and warranty terms, before any deposit. If they can't produce one, the verbal-promise quote is where the project goes sideways.

2. "Who's my single point of contact, and will I get photo documentation at each stage?" The company on the invoice should give you one project manager from contract through warranty, plus a photo record at tear-off, mid-install, and final. A contractor who can't name your contact or show how they document the work is telling you how the job will actually run.

3. "What manufacturer warranty do you register in the building's name, and what certification unlocks it?" Commercial manufacturer warranties require the contractor to hold a current certification and to register the warranty within a defined window. Ask which certification level they hold, what warranty term it unlocks, and when registration happens. Vague answers usually mean the warranty isn't real.

• GAF GoldElite Commercial Contractor, umbrella cert for GAF EverGuard TPO/PVC single-ply
• Elevate Red Shield Licensed Contractor
• UNIFLEX Premier Elite Contractor

Industry Membership:

• BBB A+ Accredited, zero unresolved complaints
• CTRCA (Central Texas Roofing Contractors Association) Member