Commercial roof restoration means repairing your existing roof and sealing it under a liquid-applied coating, with no tear-off. Midwest Roofing coats metal, TPO, EPDM, and mod-bit roofs across Missouri, and in most cases your business stays open while we work. Below, our commercial division answers the questions building owners ask most about cost, coating types, and lifespan.

Not sure your roof can be coated? Get a free commercial roof assessment or call (417) 744-5670.

What Is a Commercial Roof Coating or Roof Restoration?

A commercial roof coating is a liquid-applied roofing system that goes straight onto your existing roof, with no tear-off. Roof restoration is the full process: wash the roof, repair problem spots, then apply the coating as one seamless layer. The result is a new waterproof surface over the roof you already have.

It’s not paint. Coatings go on in two or three coats that dry to about 20 to 40 mil together, while most single-ply membranes, like TPO and EPDM, are installed at 45 or 60 mil. Shane Waters, who runs our commercial roofing division, calls it “an actual liquid applied roofing system” that covers the whole roof in one continuous layer.

Is Your Commercial Roof a Candidate for Coating?

In most cases, yes. Metal, TPO, EPDM, and modified bitumen (mod-bit) roofs can all be coated, with an acrylic or silicone product engineered for each one. What decides it is condition: the roof has to be sound enough, and clean enough after pressure washing, for the coating to bond. That’s why we test first.

A coating stops being an option once the roof has deteriorated past the point where the coating can stick. On metal roofs, rust is the main threat, because it can weaken both adhesion and the panels themselves. “The sooner you get to it, the better when it comes to a coating system,” Shane says. See which roof types can be coated.

How a Commercial Roof Restoration Works

1. Clean and wash. The whole roof gets pressure washed. A clean surface is what lets the coating bond.

2. Repair and prep. Problem spots get fixed before any coating goes down. On our Monett job, that meant re-driving loose fasteners, priming rusted seams, and sealing seams and details with acrylic mastic. If your roof only needs a fix, our roof repair team can handle that on its own.

3. Apply the coating. The coating goes on at the thickness the manufacturer specifies for your roof system.

Which Roof Coating Type Fits Your Roof?

No single coating is best for every roof. It comes down to slope and standing water. Elastomeric describes a coating that stretches and recovers. Acrylic coatings are the common elastomeric choice for sloped roofs, like most metal roofs, that shed water and need to flex with the building. Silicone, also elastomeric, fits low-slope roofs where water ponds.

Coating type	Best for	Slope and ponding	Notes
Acrylic (elastomeric)	Sloped roofs, including most metal roofs	Enough slope to shed water	Stretches to move with the building. Used on our Monett factory roof.
Silicone	Low-slope roofs	Handles roofs with lots of ponding water	Also elastomeric. Chosen when water sits on the roof instead of draining off.

For the full breakdown, see silicone vs. acrylic vs. elastomeric roof coating.

Monett Job at a Glance

On a recent job in Monett, Missouri, we coated a 68,000 sq ft metal factory roof with an acrylic (elastomeric) system for an estimated under $600,000, versus an estimated $6 to $7 million to replace it. For the full walkthrough with Shane, read metal roof coating vs. replacement.

Who Does Commercial Roof Coatings Near Me?

Midwest Roofing’s commercial division serves building owners from offices in Eldon, Springfield, Columbia, and Kansas City. We start with a free commercial roof assessment and test your roof before recommending a coating. Because we’re local, we can come back and service your warranty when you need us.

Our commercial crews also cover Jefferson City, Lake of the Ozarks, and Rolla. See our commercial roofing services for everything we do, or local details for commercial roofing in Springfield, MO, commercial roofing in Columbia, MO, and commercial roofing in Rolla, MO. Shane’s advice for picking any coating contractor: look for “somebody who’s doing the proper test work before the coating,” and someone local enough to back the warranty.

Before you sign with any contractor, check that:

• Your roof was tested before a coating type was recommended.
• The product and thickness follow the manufacturer’s specs for your roof system.
• Repairs, like fasteners, seams, and details, are listed in the scope before coating.
• The warranty is in writing, with clear coverage and length.
• There’s a nearby office that can service that warranty.

Want to check your own roof first? Download our free Coat-or-Replace Checklist (PDF).

How Much Does a Commercial Roof Coating Cost?

It depends on your roof’s size, condition, and what’s on it, so we price every job in writing after an assessment. As a rule of thumb from our jobs, coatings cost about half of a full replacement. For context, commercial replacements typically run $25,000 to $100,000 or more, and most commercial repairs run $1,500 to $5,000.

On some buildings, the gap is much wider. On the Monett factory, a replacement would have meant removing all of the heavy rooftop piping first, putting it at an estimated $6 to $7 million. The warrantable coating system came in under $600,000. Those were estimates for that one building, not a quote.

Will a Roof Coating Stop Leaks and Ponding Water?

A coating can stop leaks and handle ponding water when the repairs come first. We fix the leak sources, like loose fasteners, open seams, and worn details, then apply the coating as one seamless layer. On low-slope roofs where water ponds, silicone is usually the right fit. Your written warranty spells out exactly what’s covered.

Skipping the repair step is where coatings go wrong. A coating is only as good as the roof it’s bonded to, which is why repair and prep is its own phase.

Coat or Replace: Is a Roof Coating Worth It, and How Long Does It Last?

If your roof is still sound enough for a coating to bond, a coating is worth pricing, since it typically costs about half of a replacement. On our Monett job, Shane expects the coating to last 10 to 15 years, with a manufacturer warranty of up to 10 years. A badly deteriorated roof needs replacement instead.

Timing matters. “You want to coat before the existing roofing system has deteriorated and gone past the adhesion for a coating,” Shane says. Wait too long and replacement becomes the only option.

Planning your budget before year-end? Many owners set next year’s building budget in the fourth quarter. A free assessment gives you a written number to plan around. Ask your CPA how a coating is treated for taxes.

How Long Does a Roof Coating Take, and What About Rain and Tenants?

Project length depends on your roof’s size, the repairs it needs, and the weather, and we’ll lay out the schedule in writing. Each coat needs about 8 hours with no rain, dew or freezing temperatures in the forecast, so we schedule the work around the weather. Because the roof is never opened up, your tenants can stay inside and, in most cases, your business stays open.

With no tear-off, Shane says, your tenants and your business stay “safe inside while the process is happening.”

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Sources

• On-camera interview with Shane Waters, Commercial Roofing Division, Midwest Roofing, recorded on a commercial job in Monett, Missouri, November 2026.
• Acrylic Brush-Grade 220 Product Data Sheet — American WeatherStar. The acrylic sealant our crew used on seams, fasteners and penetrations on the Monett job.
• Midwest Roofing job records for the Monett roof coating project (scope, estimates, and warranty).
• About Roof Coatings — Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association. What roof coatings are, common types and the roofs they go over.
• Roof Coatings FAQs — Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association. Which roofs can be coated, rust treatment, ponding water and how long coatings extend roof life.
• ASTM D6083/D6083M-24, Liquid-Applied Acrylic Coating Used in Roofing — ASTM International. The standard for acrylic elastomeric roof coatings.
• Acrylic Quick Spec: Metal — GAF. Metal roof prep, coating rates and dry thickness by warranty length, and the 8-hour dry-weather window.
• High Solids Silicone Roof Coating — GAF. Silicone coating built to resist ponding water.
• EverGuard TPO Data Sheet — GAF. TPO membrane thicknesses of 45, 60 and 80 mil.