This is the most expensive decision a building owner makes about a roof, and it should be made from evidence, not from whichever option the contractor happens to sell. The evidence is underneath: whether the insulation between the membrane and the deck is dry or wet, and how much of it. We establish that with an inspection and moisture evaluation — checking suspect areas directly rather than guessing from the surface — because a membrane can look tired while the roof under it is perfectly sound, and look fine over insulation that is soaked.
Repair is the answer when problems are localized — a failed seam, a puncture from a dropped tool, flashing that has pulled away at a curb — and the field of the roof is otherwise healthy. Done promptly and documented, repairs buy sound roofs years of honest service, and a maintenance program exists precisely to catch problems while they are still in this category.
Restoration — the coating route — is the answer when the surface is aging but the roof beneath is dry: the membrane is weathering, seams need attention everywhere rather than in one spot, but the insulation holds no significant moisture. Repair the details, then seal the whole field under a fluid-applied membrane. It costs meaningfully less than replacement, avoids the disruption of a tear-off entirely, and resets the roof's aging clock.
Replacement is the answer when the moisture survey says so — wet insulation across substantial areas, a deck with corrosion or rot, or a roof already carrying multiple layers of past work. Coating over a wet roof does not fix it; it hides it, and we will not do it. When replacement is the honest call, we say so, show you the evidence in the report, and plan the tear-off in phases so the building keeps operating underneath us.
