Flat Roofs Engineered for Heavy Rain, Ponding, and Hurricane Wind

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Why Flat Roofs Need a Different Kind of Contractor

Flat roofs fail for one reason more than any other: improper drainage. New Orleans averages 64 inches of rain per year—nearly double the national average. On a pitched roof, gravity handles water removal. On a flat roof, every square inch must be engineered to direct water toward drains and scuppers at a controlled slope. When that slope is wrong by even a fraction of an inch, you get ponding—standing water that accelerates membrane breakdown, adds structural weight, and eventually leaks.

This is why flat roofing requires a fundamentally different skill set than shingle or metal work. Our crews understand tapered insulation systems that create positive drainage on structurally level decks. We know how to detail flashings around rooftop HVAC units, plumbing penetrations, and parapet walls—the points where 90% of flat roof leaks originate. We spec membrane systems by application: TPO for energy efficiency and heat reflection, EPDM for large-area cost effectiveness, and modified bitumen for smaller residential flat sections.

Many flat roofs in the New Orleans metro area are on historic homes with original low-slope sections, converted porches, and additions built over decades. These create complex drainage challenges that require on-site engineering—not cookie-cutter installation. As a licensed general contractor (#889646), we also handle the structural framing repairs often needed beneath deteriorated flat roof decks, which roofing-only companies can't legally perform.

Whether your flat roof is on a Mid-City double, a Metairie commercial strip, or a modern new construction with a rooftop deck, we design and install systems built for Louisiana's punishing rain and heat. Every project includes proper slope verification, membrane integrity testing, and photo documentation at each construction stage.