Clear scope. Clean execution.
Warehouse and industrial roofing in San Antonio is concentrated along two corridors: IH-, and the Port San Antonio campus on the former Kelly Air Force Base property at Old Lackland Road. The IH-35 South corridor is the regional freight spine - buildings here run 150,000 to 600,000 sq ft, concrete tilt-up or metal-frame construction, metal deck, and large-format flat roofs that were built fast and are not always built with the next reroof cycle in mind.
Port San Antonio adds a different layer. The FlightOps complex on the port campus - home to Lockheed Martin, Chromallion, StandardAero, and other aerospace tenants - runs aircraft maintenance facilities with clearance heights, crane rails, and exhaust configurations that create roofing challenges you do not see on conventional warehouse stock. EOP (engine overhaul and parts) shops have aggressive chemical exposure at penetrations from fuel and hydraulic fluid. HVAC exhaust locations on these buildings need penetration details that can handle chemical splash, not just weather.
Our project managers have scoped work in both corridors. We know which IH-35 South buildings are on original early-2000s modified bitumen and are overdue for replacement, and which Port SA hangars have been recovered with TPO systems that need seam inspection before the next major storm season.
What Warehouse Roofs Actually Demand
Warehouse roofs are almost always large-footprint, low-slope, mechanically attached single-ply or BUR systems on metal deck. The challenge is not the membrane selection - TPO 60-mil or EPDM 60-mil handles the San Antonio heat and the occasional hard freeze. The challenge is scale and scheduling. A 200,000 sq ft warehouse roof replacement requires crane staging that does not conflict with loading dock operations, tear-off staging that does not expose more than the crew can dry-in the same day, and a production schedule keyed to the building's operational calendar. Warehouses that ship overnight - especially fulfillment and third-party logistics tenants on the IH-35 corridor - cannot absorb crane conflicts at dock approaches.
Roof load is the second constraint. Metal deck on pre-2000 warehouse construction was not always designed to support a second recover layer plus tapered insulation. We pull the original structural drawings on older buildings before specifying insulation thickness - and if drawings are unavailable, we core-drill and field-verify deck gauge and span. A recover that puts a system over the allowable load is a liability the owner carries, not the contractor.
Mechanical penetrations on industrial buildings are denser than on typical commercial buildings. Large HVAC units, exhaust fans, process ventilation stacks, and data/electrical conduit bundles are standard on warehouse roofs in the Port SA and IH-35 South zones. Every penetration needs a compliant flashing detail - and on aerospace and manufacturing buildings, the chemical resistance of the flashing sealants matters. We specify sealants rated for fuel, hydraulic fluid, and coolant exposure on any building where those chemicals are present.
Systems We Install on San Antonio Warehouse Buildings
TPO 60-mil mechanically attached is the volume system on IH-35 South warehouse stock. Reflective surface reduces the radiant load on the building envelope - relevant for buildings without full HVAC coverage where roof surface temperature directly affects interior temperatures and therefore forklift operator conditions. 20-year manufacturer NDL warranty path from GAF, Carlisle, Johns Manville, or Sika Sarnafil.
EPDM 60-mil is common on older industrial buildings at Port San Antonio and on the former Kelly AFB structures where recover over an existing BUR makes sense. EPDM handles chemical splash better than TPO in some configurations, and it is the preferred membrane on buildings where the roof surface sees frequent maintenance traffic - aerospace and manufacturing roofs where techs are routinely up for HVAC or exhaust work.
Standing-seam metal panels are installed on clear-span industrial buildings where the existing roof structure is designed for it. Metal roofing on warehouse buildings at Port San Antonio is common on the newer construction phases. We install concealed-fastener standing-seam with proper eave and ridge flashings on metal-frame buildings where the structural design supports it.
Modified bitumen is still present on the older pre-2000 warehouse stock. We recover or replace it - recover where insulation is dry and deck is sound, replacement where moisture cores confirm saturation. BUR-to-TPO replacement is the typical path on IH-35 South buildings scheduled for their first full reroof.
Scheduling Around Warehouse Operations
Production hours on warehouse roofing are 6 AM to noon from late June through mid-September - the same heat-management schedule we run on all large-format SA commercial work. For 24-hour distribution and logistics facilities on the IH-35 South corridor, we coordinate crane placement with the facility manager and set dock-clear windows for crane swing. We do not schedule crane lifts across active dock doors.
Same-day dry-in is non-negotiable. No warehouse section goes home unsecured overnight. We stage tear-off in 10,000 to 20,000 sq ft sections depending on crew size and coordinate the staging plan with the facility manager before mobilization. Debris handling - especially on Port SA buildings with active flight operations nearby - is planned before the project starts, not on the fly.
Permit: City of San Antonio Development Services Department for buildings inside city limits. Bexar County for those outside. Port San Antonio has additional base-access and contractor-credentialing requirements - we have navigated those requirements and carry the required credentials for Port SA work.
Frequently asked questions
How do you handle roofing on a warehouse that runs 24/7?
We plan the production schedule with the facility manager before mobilization. That means setting crane staging zones that do not block dock doors, sequencing tear-off so no section is exposed overnight, and establishing clear communication channels for weather holds. Facilities running overnight shifts get a daily status report so the night operations team knows what sections are active. We have run production on 24-hour logistics buildings on the IH-35 South corridor without shutting down warehouse operations.
Can you work on Port San Antonio buildings that require base access and contractor credentials?
Yes. Port San Antonio requires base access registration and, for some tenants, additional facility access credentials. Our project managers and crew leads have completed the Port SA contractor registration process. We coordinate the credentialing requirements for each project with the tenant's facilities contact before mobilization.
What should I look for on a warehouse roof before calling for an inspection?
Interior water stains on ceiling deck or the underside of metal deck panels. Standing water on the roof surface 48 hours after a rain event. Visible membrane blistering, open seams at drains or curbs, and any area where the insulation has lost its profile - which usually means moisture intrusion. IH-35 South corridor warehouses built in the 1990s to early 2000s are now at the age where insulation moisture is common and full replacement is often more cost-effective than repair.
Scoping warehouse roofing in San Antonio?
Our project managers will walk the roof, pull moisture cores where needed, and produce a written scope - replacement, recover, or repair - with a production schedule fit to your facility's operations.
Request a Roof Scope