Replacement & Installation
Flat and Low-Slope roofs rebuilt for Memphis homes
A low-slope roof cannot shed water the way a pitched one does, so shingles on it fail early. We replace flat and low-slope roofs on homes, porches and additions with membranes built for water that drains slowly.
We answer 24/7 across Memphis and Shelby County
The job
Why Low-Slope roofs need a different system
Quick answer
Flat roofing on Memphis homes covers any roof under about 2 in 12 pitch: porches, additions, carports and whole flat-roof houses. Shingles are not rated for slopes that low, so these roofs need a membrane such as modified bitumen, TPO or EPDM, with every seam sealed and water led to a drain or edge.
Shingles work by overlap: water runs down and over each course. On a porch roof with barely any pitch, water slows, backs up under the laps and finds the nails. That is why so many shingled porch roofs leak at the wall line within a few years.
A membrane roof works by being continuous. Sheets are welded, torched or adhered at the seams so water can sit briefly without getting in, and edges, walls and drains are detailed to lead it off.
Cost
What sets the price of a flat roof
Flat roofs are priced by area, membrane and what the deck and drainage need.
- Roof area
Porch roofs and whole-house flat roofs price very differently.
- Membrane type
Modified bitumen, TPO and EPDM differ in material and labor.
- Old layers
Built-up roofs with gravel take longer to remove.
- Deck repair
Soft sheathing under ponding areas is replaced.
- Tapered insulation
Added where water needs a push toward the drain.
- Wall and transition flashing
Where the flat roof meets walls and shingles.
- Drains and scuppers
Reset, replaced or added as needed.
Published 2026 figures put a flat roof replacement in Memphis at $5,050 to $14,650 depending on the membrane, or roughly $3 to $11 per square foot. Planning ranges only, not a quote.
What is included
What a flat roof replacement includes
- Tear-off
Old membrane, gravel or shingles removed.
- Deck check
Soft or ponding-damaged sheathing replaced.
- Tapered insulation
Where water needs help to the drain.
- Membrane
Base and cap sheets or single-ply, per system.
- Wall flashing
Membrane run up walls under counterflashing.
- Shingle transition
Upper-roof water lands on the membrane.
- Drains and edges
Drip edge, scuppers or drains sealed.
- Water test
Drains flooded and checked before we leave.
- Photo record
Each stage photographed.
Residential flat roof replacement
Whole-house flat roofs show up on mid-century and modern homes, and they get the same care as a commercial roof at a smaller scale. We tear off to the deck, check it for soft spots, add tapered insulation where water needs help reaching a drain, and install a two-ply modified bitumen or single-ply membrane with flashing up every wall and curb. Self-adhering systems such as GAF Liberty and CertainTeed Flintlastic suit homes well because they go on without an open flame near wood trim.
Low-Slope porch and addition roofs
The most common flat roof on a home here is not the house at all: it is the porch, sunroom or addition tied into the main roof. These fail where the low slope meets the house wall and where it meets the shingles above. We rebuild the membrane, run it up the wall behind proper counterflashing, and step the transition to the shingled slope so water from the main roof lands on the membrane, not under it. Where a porch was shingled at too low a pitch, switching to membrane is usually the permanent fix.
Ponding and drain corrections
Water that stands on a flat roof for more than two days after rain is ponding, and it ages any membrane faster, adds weight and finds every weak seam. We look at why it happens: a sagging deck, a clogged or undersized drain, or a scupper set too high. Fixes range from clearing and resetting drains to tapered insulation crickets that push water toward the outlet. Carlisle SynTec and other membrane makers publish drainage requirements for their systems, and we build to them rather than coat over a pond.
Local conditions
Flat roofs on East Memphis Mid-Century homes
East Memphis has some of the city's best mid-century houses, including a 1949 Art Deco and International Style home that the AIA's Memphis chapter singles out, built on a steel frame with a flat third-floor roof terrace. Houses of that era often carry flat or near-flat roofs that need membrane rather than shingles, and old built-up layers can hide decking damage until they come off. In Shelby County, replacing that decking is what triggers a permit on a single-family reroof, so we price and plan it before tear-off.
How it runs
How we replace a flat roof
- 01
Survey
Ponding spots, drains, walls and deck checked.
- 02
Written scope
Membrane, insulation and drainage fixes listed.
- 03
Tear-off
Old roof removed and deck repaired.
- 04
Drainage first
Tapered insulation and drains set before membrane.
- 05
Membrane and flashing
Sheets installed, seams sealed, walls flashed.
- 06
Flood test
Water run to the drains and seams checked.
Porch roof leaking at the wall?
Call any hour. We answer 24/7 and can seal it temporarily until the new membrane goes on.
Call (901) 459-6395Brands we install and service
Shingles, membranes, metal and skylights from GAF, CertainTeed, Carlisle SynTec and the other makers below.
FAQ
Flat roof questions from Memphis homeowners
Not below the pitch the shingle maker allows, usually 2 in 12. Below that, a membrane is the lasting option.
Self-adhered modified bitumen suits most porches and additions; larger flat roofs often get TPO or EPDM. We choose by size, drainage and wall details.
A little that dries within two days is. Water that lingers longer is ponding, and it shortens the roof's life.
If it is dry and sound, a coating can extend it. Wet insulation or failed seams need repair or replacement first.
Usually a day. Whole-house flat roofs take longer, depending on area and drainage work.