Coating a wet flat roof turns a $3/sqft restoration into a $15/sqft tear-off in three years. I verify substrate dryness with an IR scan, score silicone vs acrylic vs urethane for your specific roof, and document the mil-thickness spec so your applicator quotes to the manufacturer warranty tier you actually want.
IR moisture pre-check — never coat a wet substrate
Silicone vs acrylic vs urethane scoring for your roof
Mil-thickness warranty tier documentation
Prep-work scope (power wash, seam reinforcement, primer)
Ponding-water zones mapped for extra-thickness spec
Restoration-vs-recoat-vs-replace honest comparison
Full flat-roof walk with coating-candidacy focus. IR thermal scan after sundown to verify substrate is dry. Seam, T-joint, and penetration condition audit. Ponding-water zone mapping. Coating-system scoring: silicone, acrylic, or urethane matched to substrate. Mil-thickness spec documentation for the warranty tier you want. Prep-work scope (power wash, primer, seam tape, terminations). Written report with restoration-vs-recoat-vs-replace cost comparison.
NM commercial and residential owners with flat or low-slope roofs. Property managers evaluating restoration to defer capital replacement. Owners quoted for a coating wanting third-party moisture verification. Buyers under contract on buildings with recently-coated roofs (verify prep). Owners whose coating failed early and want to document what went wrong.
IR Moisture Pre-Check Only — $649 Standard Coating Candidacy Report — $549 Detailed w/ Cores + Warranty Prep — $1,200 Commercial >10,000 sqft — $0.05–$0.10/sqft Most residential and small-commercial coating reports are $549–$1,200. Typically pays for itself the first time it prevents a coat-over-wet failure.
Most flat and low-slope NM roofs are — if the substrate is dry, the seams are intact, and the surface can be prepped clean. I verify all three. Coating a wet roof traps moisture, accelerates deck rot, and voids most manufacturer warranties. That's why the moisture pre-check is non-negotiable.
Silicone wins in NM about 70% of the time: UV-stable, ponding-water-tolerant, 15–20 year warranty. Acrylic is cheaper but breaks down in ponding water. Urethane is tougher but pricier. I score by substrate, climate, and warranty need — not by whoever sponsored the last trade show.
Manufacturer NDL (No Dollar Limit) warranties in NM run 10–20 years depending on coating thickness (mils applied) and prep quality. I document mil-thickness spec and prep requirements so your applicator quotes to the warranty tier you actually want.
Hail/wind + NOAA event correlation.
Map wet insulation before you recoat.
IRC / IBC / NMCID cited per finding.
Per-door pricing + rolled-up capex plan.
I've watched too many neighbors sign contracts they didn't understand for roofs they didn't need. That stops with a written report they own.