Because of the big differences in commercial flat roofing and residential flat roofing as it pertains to insurance requirements/costs, bonding, more direct involvement in many cases by the manufacturer, and the sheer size of the job....

it's highly unlikely you'll "bump" into someone through this board who's in a position to give you accurate "inside" info.

I suggest you continue to "pound the web", making direct inquiries to large commercial flat roof companies. Keep in mind that many might be leary of offering such info as they might tend to think you're a competitor looking to get a competitive "one up" on them. After all, jobs are sent out for bidding, and if you obtain their "secrets", they could be used against them in any potential bidding proccess.

You may need to PROVE to them you're legit, a student, rather than ACME ROOFING.

A roof CAN be your friend

A roof CAN be your friend

I think you've hit the nail on the head with respect to roofing companies thinking I am a competitor. Working sideline in a bidding tender environment myself, I see the connection.

I have however gained some info with additional research I have done over the past few days. Rehashed some old contacts in the construction field which have proven insightful, and found a few sites that provide approximate numbers. Slowly but surely, it's all coming together.

Eitherway, thanks very much for your response.

Good luck {hard work} with your schooling. Plus, a little hands-on experience with certain aspects of construction might be a good thing.

Have worked with and around Engineers and Architects over the years on occasion, and I've always thought the ones with some practical hands-on experience seem to be "better" at it....well, at least they are easier to deal with when little problems arise during construction.

A roof CAN be your friend

A commercial BUR can be speced as anywhere from a two ply to a six ply, so comparative costs are too open ended to be accurate withyout th especs. Of course, you, as archy someday will be the one writing the specs.

A two ply is a cheap ten to fifteen year job in sunny Florida. To handle your weather, you should be specing a four ply at leasst, IMO. Costs will also vary according to local insurtance requirements. I know ther is a different workers comp situation in canada with the medical being subsidised too.

Anmd you can't forget that a one story clionic building will cost far less than a thirteen story hospital for the same area of coverage.

it has been almost twenty yearss since I was in that trade and sold my kettle. At that time, EPDM was just coming on the North American market and it has taken over a lot of the structures under roof since then. Back then, the EPDM was in the same price range as a decent BUR roof, but material was a higher percentage.

With the recent increase3s in pertol costs, I would expect that EPODM will take an even larger share of the market. It can also reduce insurance costs because of the inherent danger of the hot asphalt, though it seems a good speculation that we don't yet know what all the hazards might be for long term exposure to the chemicals and glues used for EPDM application. IMO, the EPDM is the superior product and is easier to repair than BUR.

Hope this was helpfull

Excellence is its own reward!