Restaurant roofs take a beating from the kitchen below. Exhaust fans push grease-laden air onto the roof, and over time that grease softens and breaks down many membranes, especially EPDM and some modified bitumen. The result is soft, swollen roofing around the exhaust fan, split flashing at the curb corners and leaks over the line or the dish area. Add makeup-air units, walk-in cooler condensers and gas lines, and a small restaurant roof can be crowded with penetrations. We look at each one and figure out which is actually causing the drip before anyone starts patching.
For restaurants near Ventura Harbor and Downtown Ventura, we also plan around service times, deliveries and the back door, since that is often the only path to a ladder or hatch. At the exhaust curbs, we check the corners and the wood under the flashing before deciding whether to reseal or rebuild. It helps to know where the leaks show up inside, how often the hood system is cleaned and whether you have any record of past roof repairs. The exhaust fan itself and its grease containment belong to the hood service company; we handle the curb, flashing and roof around it.
Exhaust fans and other rooftop equipment
Our rooftop curb and support work checks the exhaust fan curb, its height, the wood nailer and the flashing on all four sides. Grease that has leaked from a fan without a working containment box often ruins the membrane around it. Replacing that roofing without fixing the grease problem just starts the clock again, so we tell you when the hood company needs to add or service a grease trap on the fan. We also check that the fan hinges open properly, since the hood company needs that access for cleaning and a fan that cannot tilt often gets pried up in ways that tear the flashing.
Other penetrations get the same look. Gas lines, condensate lines, vent pipes and any skylight over the dining room are covered in our skylight and penetration flashing work. Pipe boots crack in the sun, pitch pans dry out and gas line supports wear through the membrane where they sit loose. Each one gets checked, and the estimate lists them one by one. Loose gas lines are a common one: they should sit on proper roof supports, not on blocks of wood that grind into the membrane every time someone walks past.
Grease, wet insulation and what can stay
Grease damage is easy to spot on top: the roofing turns soft, sticky or blistered. What sits under it is harder to see. An infrared moisture survey shows wet insulation around the curbs and along leak paths, and we confirm it with small core cuts. Membrane that is grease-soaked or wet underneath comes out. Clean, dry roofing farther away can usually stay and be tied into. The core holes are patched the same day, and we mark on a sketch where the wet area starts and stops so the estimate matches what is actually under the membrane.
For the replacement section, we often recommend a grease-resistant membrane such as PVC or KEE around the kitchen exhaust, even when the rest of the roof is another system. The tie-in between the two needs a compatible detail, which we spell out in the estimate. We also suggest a sacrificial walk pad or a containment tray under the fan so future grease does not reach the new roof. Those small additions cost far less than replacing the same patch of roofing every few years.
Keeping the kitchen running
Most restaurants cannot close for roof work, so we plan around them. Our occupied-building reroofing approach keeps openings small and closed before service starts. Noisy tear-off and strong-smelling adhesives are best done early in the morning or on a closed day. We avoid blocking the back door during deliveries and keep debris away from dumpsters, grease bins and walk-in coolers. Material deliveries are timed so they do not compete with the food trucks for the same parking spaces behind the building.
If we need to open the roof over the kitchen or dining room, we coordinate with the manager to cover equipment, prep surfaces and seating below. Health and food safety matter here: no debris or dust falling onto prep areas. We seal the roof before the dinner rush, and if the old curb is worse than it looked, the owner hears about it before we widen the cut. The exhaust fan may also need to be shut down for a short time, which the hood company coordinates with the kitchen.
Related Roofing Work
Rooftop Equipment Curbs and Supports
Skylight and Penetration Flashing
Infrared Moisture Survey
Occupied Building Reroofing
Bigger repairs and equipment clearances
If grease and old leaks have damaged a large part of the roof, a section replacement may make more sense than spot repairs. New insulation raises the roof surface, and exhaust fans need a certain clearance above the roof to work safely. Curbs may need to be raised, which means the hood company and sometimes a mechanical contractor have to reset the fan. Makeup-air units and condensers may need the same treatment. Gas and electrical lines that run across the roof may also have to be lifted onto new supports.
We check all of those heights before recommending a larger job, and our estimate shows which work is ours and which belongs to other trades. That way the owner can compare a local repair around the exhaust with a larger replacement and understand the full cost, including equipment work. Drains and scuppers get a look too, since grease can slow them down and leave water standing near the curbs. If the budget only covers the kitchen end this year, we can replace that section first and plan the rest for later.
Closeout and upkeep
At closeout the owner gets photos of the rebuilt exhaust curb, the new flashing and any section of roof we replaced. Work still waiting on the hood company, such as adding a grease containment box, is listed separately. So is any temporary patch, with a note on why it is temporary. That makes it easier to keep the roof in good shape between hood cleanings, and to show the landlord or insurer what was done. We recommend a quick roof check after each hood cleaning, since that is when grease spills and damage from the cleaning crew are most likely to show up.
For a restaurant near Ventura Harbor, salt air also wears on fan housings, fasteners and metal flashing, so we note any rust we see. Other food-service buildings have their own priorities: grocery store roofing centers on refrigeration curbs and stocked aisles, while hotel roofing works around guest rooms and parapet walls. Your price reflects your kitchen, your fans and the actual condition of your roof rather than a rate borrowed from another job.
Common Questions
Will new flashing at the exhaust fan fix the problem for good?
Not if grease keeps reaching the roof. We rebuild the curb and flashing, but the hood company also needs to add or service a grease containment box on the fan.
How do you decide which roofing can stay near the grease?
We check how soft or swollen the membrane is and take core samples. Grease-soaked or wet roofing comes out; clean, dry material farther away can usually stay.
What gets protected in the kitchen if the opening gets bigger?
We cover equipment, prep surfaces and seating below the work area and keep debris away from food. Any larger opening is agreed on with the manager first.
What should the closeout photos show besides the finished exhaust curb?
They show any work still owed by the hood company, any temporary patches and the areas we replaced, so the owner knows exactly what remains.
Schedule a restaurant roof inspection
Let us know which part of the kitchen or dining room drips and what time of day the kitchen is quietest. We will inspect the exhaust curbs and roof, then give you an estimate that separates roofing from hood or equipment work and fits around your service hours.