Livonia has one of the largest concentrations of low-slope industrial roof area in western Wayne County. The corridor bounded by I-96, I-275, Plymouth Road and Schoolcraft is wall-to-wall plants, warehouses, distribution and light manufacturing, most of it built between the 1950s and the 1980s with roof assemblies that were never meant to insulate anything. When one of those roofs reaches end of life, the choice is a tear-off or an installation over the top. We do the second one.
How a Foam Roof Installation Runs
- Inspection and core cuts. We find out what is under the surface and how much of the insulation is wet. That determines the scope before anyone quotes a number.
- Prep. The existing roof is power-cleaned. Wet or crushed insulation is cut out and replaced. Loose gravel is removed or spudded on built-up roofs. Bad drains and rusted flashings are corrected.
- Foam application. Polyurethane is sprayed across the full roof and up every curb, parapet and penetration. Thickness is varied to fill ponding areas so water is directed to the drains.
- Coating. Base and top coats of elastomeric or silicone go over the cured foam, with granules embedded in walkways and service areas.
- Walk-through and warranty. Final inspection with you, then the manufacturer warranty documentation.
Your building keeps running the whole time. At no point is the deck open to the sky.
Why Livonia Buildings Get the Most Out of Foam
A 1960s Livonia plant roof frequently has an inch or less of usable insulation left. The building is heating and cooling straight through the ceiling. Because SPF is both the waterproofing and the insulation, a roof installation here is effectively an energy retrofit — you are adding R-value across the largest exposed surface the building has, at the same time you are fixing the leaks.
Add the seamless geometry — no laps, no fasteners, self-flashed curbs — and you remove the failure points that cause most industrial roof leaks in the first place. Full system detail is on our polyurethane roofing systems page, and coating-only options are covered under commercial roof coatings.
Where We Work in Livonia
The industrial corridor along Plymouth Road, Schoolcraft, Amrhein and Levan; the retail and office property along Seven Mile, Middlebelt and Farmington Road; and schools, churches and municipal buildings throughout the city. Nearby we cover Redford, Westland, Garden City, Plymouth, Canton, Northville and Farmington. For residential insulation in Livonia, see our Livonia spray foam insulation page.
Livonia Flat Roofing FAQs
What does a flat roof installation in Livonia involve?
For a spray foam roof: we clean the existing surface, cut and replace any wet or deteriorated insulation, prime where the substrate requires it, then spray polyurethane foam to the specified thickness across the entire roof including all curbs and parapets. Once the foam is cured we apply the base and top coats of elastomeric or silicone with embedded granules in traffic areas. On a typical Livonia industrial roof that sequence runs several days and the building operates normally throughout.
Can you install a flat roof over the existing one?
That is the standard approach and it is the main reason building owners choose foam. As long as the deck is sound and the roof does not already carry two systems, we install over the top. No tear-off means no exposed deck, no overnight weather risk, no dumpster staging in your parking lot, and no landfill charges.
Do you install flat roofs on the industrial buildings along Plymouth and Schoolcraft?
Yes — that corridor is a large part of our Wayne County work. The plants and warehouses between I-96, Plymouth Road, Schoolcraft and Middlebelt have very large single-ply and built-up roofs, often with minimal insulation under them. Foam adds R-value directly into the assembly, which on a 100,000 sq ft building changes the heating and cooling numbers meaningfully.
How much does flat roof installation cost in Livonia?
It is driven by square footage, foam thickness, coating system and warranty term, how much wet insulation has to come out, and how crowded the roof is with equipment. We price after inspecting it. The comparison worth running is not foam versus patching — it is foam versus a full tear-off and replacement, and restoration is normally a substantial fraction of that cost.