At a dealership, the leak that gets everyone's attention usually shows up over the showroom floor or a service bay, and it very often starts at a rooftop unit curb. Curbs are where the membrane turns up, gets flashed and meets sheet metal that the HVAC contractor may have opened and resealed several times over the years. In Ventura, coastal sun dries out sealant and salt air rusts curb caps, so the flashing gives up long before the rest of the roof does. Laying more membrane over the crack won't fix a curb that's too short, rusted or sitting on wet insulation. We look at the whole curb, the unit on it and how the roof meets it, then tell you which parts are roofing work and which need your mechanical contractor.
The dealerships along the Ventura Auto Center and in Camarillo all juggle the same things: cars on display, customers walking the lot and service lanes that can't shut down. Send us the address, where the leaks show up inside and any roof records you have. We'll inspect that specific building instead of guessing from another one, and we'll plan the work so it stays clear of sales and service traffic.
Checking rooftop unit curbs
Most dealership roofs have a row of rooftop units over the showroom and offices, plus exhaust fans over the service bays. On our rooftop curb and equipment support inspection we check the flashing height on each curb, the corners where splits usually start, the curb cap and counterflashing, and whether the unit sits level. A curb that has settled, or was cut down during a unit swap, may not leave enough height for proper flashing. Raising or moving a unit is your HVAC contractor's job, and if the curb or its framing has to change, an engineer may need to look at it. We explain what the roofing repair needs once that's sorted out.
This is also why two bids for curb repair can be far apart. One might just patch the flashing; another includes cutting out wet material around the curb and reflashing it from scratch. We'll show you which one we're pricing and why.
Flashing that bonds to the existing roof
New flashing has to bond to the roof around it. On a TPO or PVC roof that means the old membrane must be clean and still weldable; aged or dirty sheet sometimes won't take a weld and has to be cut back to fresh material. Built-up and modified bitumen roofs need their own compatible flashing and primers. Our penetration and skylight flashing work starts by testing what's there, so the estimate reflects the real prep, not just a few square feet at the visible split.
Dealership roofs are crowded. A curb often sits a foot or two from a pipe boot, a gas line, a skylight or a seam. If the repair runs into one of those, we carry it out to solid roof on every side instead of stopping in the middle of another detail. Anything that touches the equipment itself stays with the mechanical contractor.
What's under the curb
Water that gets in at a curb travels. The membrane next to it can look perfect while the insulation underneath is soaked and the steel deck is starting to rust. An infrared moisture survey helps map where the water has spread, but a scan isn't proof on its own, so we confirm with a core cut before deciding what stays. Each core gets patched the same day, and we check with your team about what's below before cutting over a showroom or office.
A small wet patch around one curb is a local repair. Wet insulation running down the whole row of units is a different conversation, and that's when we'll lay out a repair option next to a broader recover or replacement. If the new roof would be thicker, curb heights and drain levels have to work with it, and we sort that out with the right designer or mechanical contractor before pricing it.
Related Roofing Work
Rooftop Equipment Curbs and Supports
Skylight and Penetration Flashing
Infrared Moisture Survey
Occupied Building Reroofing
Keeping the showroom and service lanes open
Dealerships keep selling and servicing cars while we work, so we plan the roof job around the business. We map where the crane or material lift will set up, which lot rows need to be cleared of inventory, how debris gets to the bin and which service doors stay open. Our reroofing for occupied buildings uses the same approach everywhere: small work areas, protected ground below and a watertight roof at the end of each day. Your general manager or facilities contact decides on parking, customer routes and work hours. We don't assume early mornings or a closed lot are available.
If we open the roof and the damage runs farther, say over the parts department or a detail bay, we stop and review the new area with you before continuing. For urgent leaks we can respond at night, on weekends and over holidays, with access set up through your property contact.
Photos, punch list and nearby work
At the end of the job you get photos of each curb we reflashed, the core cuts and how they were patched, and the condition of the deck wherever we opened it. Anything still waiting on another trade, like a unit the HVAC contractor needs to reset, is listed separately, along with any temporary patches and what they're waiting on. That keeps the next round of work honest about what's actually finished.
We plan customer parking and delivery routes before removing any edge metal or gutters. We also work on commercial roofs in Downtown Ventura, where storefront buildings share walls and alley access is tight. Flex-industrial buildings often mix shop and office space under one roof with similar curb and exhaust issues, and office building roofing brings its own rooftop equipment and tenant concerns. Each one gets scoped from its own roof.
Showroom glass, service-bay doors and constant vehicle movement mean the work zone has to be clearly marked. Before we start, we agree on how customer parking, deliveries, the service-bay lifts and HVAC access stay separate from the roofing work. Replacing a curb or moving an exhaust fan may need the equipment contractor on site before the final flashing goes in. If we can't finish a section in one day, we seal it watertight and tell your contact which bay or entrance is still affected.
Common Questions
Should the HVAC work be sorted out before the roof repair is priced?
Ideally, yes. If a unit needs to be raised, moved or replaced, that changes the curb and the flashing around it. We price the roofing part and note exactly what the mechanical contractor needs to do first, so each trade knows where its work starts and stops.
Can new membrane fix a curb that's sitting on wet insulation?
No. Burying wet insulation under new membrane traps the water, and the leak comes back. We confirm what's wet with a scan and core cuts, cut out the bad material, then reflash the curb on sound roof. Each test cut is patched the same day, and we check what's underneath before cutting.
What if the repair grows into another part of the building?
We stop and show you the new area before going further. A bigger opening may sit over the parts counter, a service bay or offices, so your team decides how that space is protected and when we can work there. We price the added roofing and the protection together.
How do we know which repairs are permanent and which are temporary?
Our closeout lists them separately, with photos. Permanent curb flashing and patched core cuts are marked as done; temporary patches are listed with what they're waiting on, such as an equipment reset. The next estimate then starts from what's actually finished, not from a guess about the whole roof.
Book a dealership roof inspection
Tell us where the leaks show up, send any roof records and let us know who can walk us onto the roof. We'll check the curbs and flashing, plan around your showroom and service lanes, and give you a clear estimate.