Many homes have an outside deck / patio over a living space, and so far, the solution to waterproof such roof decks was to install a rubber membrane roof and a wooden deck on slippers over the rubber. On some older roofs, instead of a rubber roof, a Tar / Built-up roofing material is used for waterproofing. The main problem with this assembly is roof leaks, which often occur within a few years of the roof deck’s installation.

Often the seams on the roofing membrane pop open, or water starts to pool under the deck, and the only way for this water to drain is into your home. If you need to repair such a roof deck, you will have to take the deck apart completely to seal the seams or to redo the roof flashing, and then put the wooden deck back together.

Another issue is the cost of such a roof deck (even without the high costs associated with roof repairs) – the rubber roof by itself is somewhat not expensive, but when you add the cost of a pressure treated wood deck (a fiber decking, mahogany or some other premium deck is rather rare, and most people do choose to go with PT wood), your roof deck ends up costing you a small fortune. Then you also have to install and seal the railing posts.

On a rubber roof, pieces of uncured flashing must be glued to the rubber roof and the post to make the post penetration watertight, and on a Tar / BUR roof, liquid tar or roof cement is used to seal around the post. Both rubber roof flashing and tar flashing around the post will begin to fail after 5-7 years, so once again to stop the roof leaks, you will have to disassemble the deck and repair the flashing.

IB Deck Shield – the long lasting, beautiful and cost effective solution for roof decks

IB Roof Systems recognized the need for a long-lasting waterproofing membrane for roof decks, patios and balconies, and based on their excellent PVC roofing membrane, created a Deck Roofing product, which will last for decades, is easy to repair (if such need arises), and has a special, slip-resistant, beautiful surface. This makes it possible to walk on this membrane, eliminating the need for a wooden deck over the membrane, and making the whole roof seamless and watertight.

IB Deck Shield was created based on IB Roofs’ proven PVC roofing membrane, designed for flat roofs, and featuring hot air welded seams, which make membrane overlaps sealed permanently, ensuring a long-lasting watertight roof. An IB roofing membrane can withstand ponding water, and is an excellent choice for any flat roof. IB roofs also have a complete line of flashing accessories – inside and outside corner flashings, pipe flashing ranging in size from 1/4″ to over 12 inches, for extra wide exhaust pipes and furnace stacks. Because of fast and easy installation in all tight spots, any roof penetration can be flashed quickly and any installation defects are eliminated.

IB took it’s existing it’s existing PVC roof product (IB Flat Roof), and added a special surface to it, making it slip resistant, even when wet, and added a beautiful texture, which resembles small pebbles, often used as a swimming pool deck. All components of IB Deck Shield roof are color matching and will produce a uniform, great-looking final product.

IB Deck Shield roof installation:

Because an IB Deck Shield is exposed to constant foot traffic, deck furniture, outside BBQ grills, etc., it must withstand all this abuse and last for many years without any leaks. To be able to do so, an IB deck Shield is installed over a dense, moisture resistant substrate – DensDeck, which is attached to the roof deck.

Once DensDeck substrate is installed, all seams are taped and “plastered” with a special joint compound to provide a universal, smooth surface, to which the Deck Shield membrane is glued using either a water-based or solvent based adhesive (we use water based glue, as it is environmentally “safer” than a solvent based product).

When a a joint compound cures, we apply a layer of IB water-based adhesive and lay down the IB Deck Shield membrane, which was previously aligned to be wrinkle free and to have exactly a 2″ overlap with the previous sheet of membrane. Once adhesive is applied and membrane is laid down, it is mechanically fastened at all roof to wall connections, but never in field.

After a few minutes, when adhesive cures, all seams are welded and it’s time to install roof to wall flashing as well as all pre-fabbed inside / outside corners, as well as flash all post penetrations. IB Roof manufactures special post flashings, which can either be pre-welded or split, and it is the choice of a contractor which one to use.

We prefer to use split post flashings – although the split post flashing requires more welding, it is actually easier to install split flashing rather then a welded flashing, because when we order them, we specify the post size – usually 3 5/8″ x 3 5/8″ (a standard 4×4′ railing post), and a welded flashing sits pretty tight around the post so it is rather difficult to pull it all the way down.

Durability of IB DeckShield flat roof decks:

Once all DensDeck is installed, all DeckShield is glued down, seams welded and all flashings are installed, the roof is complete, and now you have a durable, completely water-tight roof deck, where you can spend nice summer days, invite your friends over for BBQ, and not worry about roof leaks any more. IB DeckShield is VERY durable, and very resistant to puncture damage. Because it is glued to the DensDeck substrate, the surface under it is very hard and most sharp objects that fall on this roof will bounce off leaving very little or no damage – we accidentally dropped sharp tin snips; they just bounced off and did not cause any damage.

Of course you want to be careful with your new roof and not drop any sharp objects purposely, but small accidents do happen, and you can be confident that IB DeckShield will withstand all normal wear and tear – foot traffic and most accidental drops, which would usually puncture a flat roof such as rubber roofs.

If your roof is damaged – in most cases it should be leaking for a long time, as the membrane is glued to the substrate and even if some water gets in, it won’t be able to spread and leak inside your home. It is also very easy to repair an IB Deck Shield roof – a small patch of color-matching membrane will be welded over the damaged area, making the repair virtually invisible, unless looked at from close distance. An IB DeckShield roof will remain weldable for decades, just like other IB Flat roofing products.

Roof deck prices – how much does IB DeckShield cost to install?

IB DeckShield is a premium flat roofing product and it is rather expensive by itself. However, when you consider the alternative of a rubber roof with a PT wooden deck over it, IB DeckShield will usually be less expensive, as PT wood deck will add a significant amount to the total roof deck cost.

Because IB DeckShield installation is rather complicated and involved, it will cost more than the flat roof prices provided by our roofing calculator. IB Deck Shield takes considerably longer to install than regular IB flat roofs, and costs a lot more than a standard 50-mil or even 80-mil IB roofing membrane. Therefore installation prices per sq. ft. of your roof deck will be higher than those of an 80 mil roof deck option (eg. flat roof deck in Wellesley, MA)

Price of IB Deck Shield installation will also depend or roof difficulty, number of roof penetrations and whether the existing roof needs to be removed. In case of a roof removal, the roof deck must be installed in sections, and sealed at the end of each work day, to prevent roof leaks from overnight rains.

IB Roof Deck prices:

A basic price to install IB DeckShield starts at $13-14 per sq. ft. (assuming that your roof deck is approximately 200-300 sq. ft., which is what most roof decks are), and includes a 1/4″ DensDeck Substrate, with all joints sealed using joint compound, and up to 5 post flashing penetrations. All other flashing and penetration details will be priced considering other aspects of your roof, and the project as a whole.

Roof tear-off will be priced in a range of $300+ per 100 sq. ft. of roof area, plus cost of the dumpster. The reason for this price structure is as follows: Roof decks are usually rather small, but the tear off greatly intensifies the installation difficulty and slows down the overall process. Also, we separate dumpster fees, as on a small roof we would still need the smallest (10 or 15 yards) dumpster which costs about $300.

To give you an example – it took us about 5 days to complete the roof in the first picture on this page, with 4-5 guys working 8-10 hours per day. The roof size there is approximately 1200 sq. ft. So assume that 4-5 guys removed and installed about 240 sq. ft. of roof in 1 day.

The pricing above is approximate and reflects a general price stricture that we use for deck roofs installation in Massachusetts and the rest of New England states (Roofs in CT, RI, NH, ME and VT).

We will price each roof deck separately, but this will provide you with pretty accurate pricing guide-lines, so you would know how much to expect to pay for an IB DeckShield roof.

As a comparison, a rubber roof would cost you $8-10 per sq. ft. plus the cost of PT wooden deck, which can range from $13-20 per sq. ft., often without the material costs.

Additional roof decks and flat roofing resources:

Roof deck installation using 80-mil IB PVC roof with a wooden deck over it.

RoofDecks.org – general information about roofing materials, roof deck prices and installation methods of waterproofing products for roof decks, balconies and patios.

Flat Roofing – informational resource about flat roofing materials – Learn about EPDM Rubber roofing, PVC and TPO roofs and Tar & Gravel, Modified Bitumen and other Built-Up roofs.

Roof calculator – estimate roofing prices in your state for different roofing materials – asphalt shingles, metal roofs, and various flat roofing membranes. Learn how contractors price their roofs, as well as pros & cons of different roofing materials. Find out how to measure and estimate a roof using extensive step-by-step roof estimating guide and roofing calculator software.

Installation price from every roofing company also includes that company’s overhead or cost of running the business. For example, an established roofing company should be fully insured. This includes adequate Liability and Worker’s Comp Insurance. If for example you get a very low bid, consider that the bidder might not be adequately insured or have no insurance at all. If that is the case and you hire such a contractor, you will be responsible for any damages or injury claims that may occur.

Introducing IB PVC Roof – the longest lasting flat roofing system.

Over the last 30 years, IB Roofs, once a small family-owned company importer and installer of German-developed PVC flat roofing systems, has become a household name in the flat roofing industry. There is a reason for IB’s success – it is the ultimate quality of their products and unparalleled customer service. IB’s original roofs from 30 years ago are still in service and performing well, and when it comes to working with customers, IB will go out of their way yo give you the product you are looking for – be it a color of the membrane, a thickness, or special application requirements.

Quality of IB Flat Roofs:

IB Roofs has not changed the formulation of their PVC membrane since its early days in the late 1970′. Today’s IB membrane is the same great proven product that they were importing from Germany 30+ years ago. IB did not try to make the product cheaper by using less expensive components and fillers. On the contrary, IB has chosen to use the more expensive non-wicking scrim to prevent the membrane from splitting in the center due to water penetration, as is often the case with cheaper TPO roofs.

At some point, there comes a time when flat roof patches stop working and it is time for a replacement.

Here we will review flat roofing cost structure and factors affecting your price, IB Roof prices in Massachusetts and surrounding states ( CT, RI, NH, ME and VT). We’ll also reveal insights into choosing your flat roofing contractor, and what you should expect to pay for your particular roof, as well as your specific roofing product choice.

Flat Roof Replacement Cost: Residential and Commercial

Our general pricing for flat roof replacement works in the following manner:

Residential flat roofs are priced at $675 per square for a simple roof, with no existing roof removal. This includes 50-mil IB Roof membrane, 1/2 inch foam insulation with 2 r-value, perimeter pressure-treated wood nailer and half-roll membrane around the roof edges for wind-uplift prevention. Roof attachment using heavy-duty screws and barbed plates, 6 inches O.C. along the perimeter and 12 inches O.C. in-field. All required roofing parts and accessories are included.

Generally, for a 1000 sq. ft. residential home, your cost should be around $6750 for an average (simple) roof. If you would like to upgrade the membrane type or add more insulation, this will slightly increase your price. Please note: For all residential installations, all IB roofing membranes come with a lifetime residential warranty, therefore there is no need to upgrade from 50 to 80-mil product, as both will perform the same in protecting your roof from the elements and will remain water-tight throughout its life and beyond.





Commercial flat roofs are priced at $600 per square for roofs over 25 squares (2500 sq. ft.) The price difference from residential roofs is due to ‘economy-of-scale’ factors and lower per-square ‘setup’ and insurance costs.

If your commercial roof is around 50 squares you can expect a $30000 price range.

Use our interactive roof price calculator to estimate the cost of you roofing project. You can choose different roof options difficulty level, and will get ‘quotes’ for an IB roof, as well as other roofing products and approximate energy-savings derived from using an IB roof.

Please Note: All prices described above are assuming an ‘average’ roofing project and may/will change depending on your roof’s condition and scope of work required. The price may change in either direction, and will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

We are a premium roofing contractor and do not compete with other roofing companies solely on price. Our roof packages are priced accordingly to the quality, warranty and customer service we provide.

IB Roof packages and prices in New England

All packages described below include roof installation in accordance with manufacturer’s specifications and state/local building codes. They also include the cost of building permits, material warranty and our labor warranty. Prices below do not include tear-off of the existing roof, as that usually varies a lot from one flat roof to another. The cost of a tear-off is determined on a case-by-case basis when we perform a roof inspection. Please refer to our Residential roofing and/or Commercial roofing sections to see the available material / color / membrane thickness options available for your particular roof.

Package 1 – 50-mil white residential IB Roof with Lifetime warranty:

Our basic and most common roof package, includes 50-mil white IB Roofing membrane with all necessary trim, flashings and accessories such as drip edge, air-vents, inside/outside corner flashings, drains, etc., and 1/2 inch fan-fold Styrofoam insulation.

Cost of this package starts at around $675 per square (100 sq. ft.) of roof area.

Package 2 – IB Traditions flat Roof – Architectural Shingles Pattern imprinted onto the membrane:

IB Traditions was created specifically for low-slope roofs with aesthetics in mind. They offer the beautiful look of architectural shingle combined with proven reliability of an IB roofing membrane to give you decades of leak-free performance and curb-appeal. IB Traditions come in three color options: Sierra Vista ( beige / brown ), Stony Ridge (grey) and Mountain Spruce (green). To maintain a consistent shingles look, all IB Traditions installation feature hand-welding of all seams, and use special accessories / flashings designed to match the aesthetics of IB Traditions.

Cost per square for IB Traditions is $775-825, and includes 1/2 insulation and all necessary trim and flashings.

Package 3 – 80-mil white residential IB Roof with a Lifetime warranty:

Includes 80-mil white membrane, 1/2 insulation and all necessary trim / accessories / flashings. Cost per 1 square is $800. If you are looking for an 8-mil Color IB roof, there are six standard colors available and $850 per square. For custom colors the minimum order must be 100 squares ( This is the requirement of IB Roof Systems, and we have no control over it).

One: Roof Installation Prices

Our pricing structure is based on two direct (main) variables and a number of indirect variables that affect the total price of your roof replacement project. You can expect similar pricing methods from other roofing contractors.

First cost variable: Roof Size

The most important variable is the size of your roof. The bigger the roof, the higher the roofing cost. We base our pricing on the number of Squares, where each square is equal to 100 sq. ft. For example, if your flat roof is 1900 sq. ft. it is 19 squares.

Second cost variable: Roof difficulty

The difficulty of roof installation is the second most important variable affecting the cost of your roofing project. If you have a simple roof with a minimal number of roof penetrations (such as HVAC units, sky-lights, roof drains, through-wall scuppers, vent-pipes, posts, etc.), then your roof prices will be much less than if you had a more difficult roof with multiple roof penetrations and obstacles that require more roof flashing details. These roof penetrations require a great deal of professional manual labor and time, and slow-down the entire roof installation process.

Another factor associated with roof difficulty is the roof’s present condition, and presence of gravel and/or multiple roofing layers. These layers generally require removal and consume a lot of time because it is necessary to dispose of them. At the same time, roof removal must be performed quickly to eliminate the possibility of water penetration during the removal process.

Third cost variable: Indirect costs and material upgrades

Additionally, you can expect changes in roofing cost, depending on ease of access, roof location, and material options: As far as material options go, we offer a complete line-up of IB roofing membranes for residential and commercial installations. This includes: 50, 60 and 80-mil membranes in white and custom colors, as well as specialty membranes such as ChemGuard for restaurants, and IB Traditions (Architectural shingles pattern imprinted onto the membrane) and a Slip-proof IB DeckShield for walk-on flat-roof decks. We also offer a wide range of insulation options from 2-r fan-fold foam insulation to 20-r 3.3 inch ISO board and “tapered insulation” to create a slight roof pitch for drainage purposes.

Total Cost Concept

Consider the total installation price of the new flat roof. It will include: labor, materials, warranty and other factors. Roofing materials usually carry a manufacturer’s warranty period ranging from 5 to 25 years for commercial installation. Residential warranties will range from 5-15 years, while IB has the only Residential Lifetime Warranty in the industry. However, residential warranties are more complex, as many flat roofing manufactures will not warranty residential installations, or they fill impose certain requirements before they issue that warranty.

Any roofing job should also include a Labor warranty from the roofing contractor, and usually you can also purchase additional labor warranty from the manufacturer. IB Roofs offers an ‘NDL’ or No-Dollar-Limit labor warranty, which you can purchase as an additional ‘insurance policy’ for your roof.

Flat Roofing – thinking long-term

Most roofing contractors will warranty the water-tightness of the roof they install for the minimum period required by state law or building code. In Massachusetts for example, such minimum period is 2 years. After that, you are usually on your own. We find this especially troubling when someone chooses to install an EPDM or a black-rubber roof, which is especially popular among roofing contractors for its low materials cost. However, rubber roofs usually start to leak within 5 to 8 years after they are installed, due to failing seam adhesives. By this time your labor warranty has already expired and the cost of repair is on you – the owner.

We at CoolFlatRoof warranty our jobs for the length of the material warranty! We can do so, because we exclusively use IB PVC/CPA roofs, and we know that our roofs will NOT leak due to failing seams or other flashing detail.

Two: Overheads or Cost of doing business

Insurance Costs

It is in your best interest to hire a fully insured roofing company. However, adequate insurance coverage for a roofing company is very high: Worker’s Comp is usually 40 cents for each 1 dollar of payroll, or higher if the company had some incidents in the past. Liability Insurance is cheaper, but still it is one of the most expensive in the construction industry, due to possible damages if a contractor fails do adequately protect the building from water during or after installation.

Advertising: Market acquisition cost

Another considerable overhead for most roofing companies are the Marketing/Advertisement costs, as well as Sales-force commissions and office expenses. For many roofing companies, ‘market acquisition cost’ often range from $500 – $1500 per job. These include ‘Yellow Pages’ and news-paper ads, direct mailing, and Internet advertisement, such as Google or Yahoo Pay-Per-Click ads. As a result, you the customer, end up paying these expenses, or as we call it ‘marketing taxes’, that are not directly related to the cost of you roofing job.

We at CoolFlatRoof, do not spend any money on advertisement, except minimal expenses to run our web-site (around $100/year), so we will not charge you the ‘marketing tax’. Instead, we will provide you with the best materials, workmanship and warranty, for less.

Three: Ongoing repair and maintenance expenses

Ponding / Standing Water

While maintenance for most flat roofs is mostly due to the location of the building and surrounding conditions, one of the most frequent maintenance/repair expenses is due to ponding water. Positive drainage is preferable for any flat roof. However, the very nature of flat roof construction makes it often impossible to avoid ponding water accumulation, or it is too expensive to fix it. Ponding water can be eliminated in two ways: Installing Tapered Insulation, or creating a pitch, which is often impossible due to building design. Both are extremely expensive and will cost more than the roof itself, so eliminating ponding water is often out of budget.

While most flat roofing manufactures will void their warranty if there is presence of ponding water for periods of more than 72 hours after the rain, IB Roofs are explicitly warranted against ponding water and it is proven that an IB roof will keep your home or building dry even if you have big puddles of standing water for long periods of time!

Roof Repairs

As we mentioned above, many flat roofing systems will start to leak with-in 5 to 8 years after installation. Most roof leaks occur as a result of ponding water, failing seams, and to a lesser degree, faulty installation. Other factors affecting performance of a flat roof are weather conditions and devastating UV rays of the Sun. This is very true in the New England. We have hot summers and cold winters, and the temperature can dramatically change in matter of hours. Refer to our flat roof repair guide for more information on how roof leaks occur, and what your repair options and costs will be.

In most cases these repairs will be an out of pocket expense for you, as the usual warranty period will be long over by that time. We on the other hand will uphold our warranty after the usual 2-year period, if the leak happens. However, we do everything right the first time so there is usually no need to repair our roofs!

Four: Energy costs/savings

Cool, energy-efficient roofing form IB

Unlike most conventional roofing systems such as Epdm black-rubber, or Asphalt/Tar based BUR roofs, which attract, store and transfer solar heat, white IB Roofs reflect as much as 90% of the solar heat, and carry a Cool Roof certification! Even if you choose one of IB’s color choices, they are also certified by the Cool Roof Council, by implementing highly reflective color pigments. This will save you tremendous amounts of money in reduced HVAC costs. IB roofs act as a complete thermal barrier and increase the R-value of your roof, thus also reducing your heating expenses in the winter. By adding more insulation you will further increase the thermal qualities of your roof.

Conclusion

An IB Roof is the best choice when it comes to flat roofs. An IB Roof has the lowest Total Cost combined with unsurpassed quality and longevity. If the need to repair your IB roof ever arises, such repairs can be performed even 20 years from the day of installation, with IB’s unique Hot-Air fusion welding. It is however highly unlikely, unless there is unforeseen physical damage to the membrane. Expect not to have to repair your IB roof, ever!
An IB Roof will eliminate your ponding water problems and you will avoid expensive pitch-change. IB will also save you money every year by reducing your energy cost, and you will be covered by the Industry’s Best warranty!

If you are looking for a sustainable, long-lasting roofing product for your home or business pitched roof, the Metal Roof will be the perfect choice for you. Known for decades of leaks and corrosion free service, Aluminum metal roofs are becoming the prime choice for quality and longevity oriented home and business owners looking for a new roof. With its Cool Roof properties and permanent design, metal roofs will outlast any conventional asphalt shingles roof. Metal roofs are light-weight, and do not require any structural modifications. In fact they are only 1/4 the weight of regular shingles and 1/10 the weight of slate, and ceramic / concrete tile. Learn more about metal roof pricing by viewing a cost – benefit analysis of common roofing materials, designs and styles.

Use our Flat Roof Calculator to estimate the installation cost of a new IB Roof, as well as compare it with other alternatives. You can also estimate your annual energy savings derived from installation of an IB roof.

Are you excited about an IB Roof? Fill out our Roofing Estimate Request form and indicate which IB product you are most interested in, as well as details about your roof. We will contact you very soon after receiving your request, and we will work with you to provide the best roofing system available!