Kim T.
Fantastic customer service. Kenneth was great. Very professional. Found problem within minutes and fixed. Would recommend for repairs and full roof replacement.
Aug 10, 2022Verified customer
4.6/5 on Google · 1,200+ reviews online
Northeast FloridaCommercial Roofing in Jacksonville
We've worked Northeast Florida roofs for more than 25 years, from the office on Philips Highway, running metal, stone-coated steel, tile, shingle and flat. On the commercial side that range matters — a port warehouse and a Beaches hospitality building need very different answers.
$0 Inspectionfree
Low-slope specialists
Jacksonville office
Free Roof Inspection
What does your roof need? Pick one to start.
Get a Free Roof InspectionSchedule Free InspectionGet My Free InspectionBook Free InspectionNo obligation. We'll tell you if your roof doesn't need work.
Brian G.
Jim and Tracy and their whole crew are exceptional. Roofing is one of those jobs that 99% of all consumers have no clue. One must trust what they are told. So many of the roofers are full of you know what and sell you more than you need. Universal is the opposite. They tell you what you need and even suggest options that save money. They tell you the pros and cons of each alternative. I could go on and on however suffice it to say that Universal is the best.
Jun 8, 2024Verified customer
Constance O.
Having a re-roof is a stressful time but I knew to call Universal Roofing Inc from my previous experience with them from my old address. It's a step-by-step process (weather permitting) which Tracy (V.P.) walked me through. From customer service, explanation of roof products, to permits and completion was less stressful having an experienced company... and roof looks great! Thank you Universal Roofing Inc.
Aug 8, 2024Verified customer
1 of 1
The local market
Commercial roofs on the Atlantic side
Northeast Florida's commercial stock spans port logistics inland and hospitality on the coast, and the two fail in completely different ways.
Inland Duval is distribution and light industrial — large low-slope membrane areas with heavy rooftop equipment loads. Those roofs fail at penetrations and drains, and because nobody goes up there between services, the failure is usually well advanced before anyone notices water inside.
On the coast, from Atlantic Beach through Ponte Vedra to Fernandina, salt changes the failure order entirely. On commercial metal it attacks fasteners, flashing and drip edge years before it touches the panels themselves — so a coastal roof can pass a surface inspection while it is already failing at the hardware.
September is one of the two wettest months of the Northeast Florida year and the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season at the same time. A membrane that got through a 90-plus-degree summer with a marginal seam is the one that lets go when that much rain arrives at once.
On Jacksonville commercial roofs
What we actually find up there
Four things our crews write up most often on commercial buildings in this metro — and all four are repairable if they are caught before the insulation underneath is soaked.
01
Penetration leaks under rooftop equipment
On inland Duval distribution and light-industrial roofs, the leak is nearly always at an HVAC curb, conduit run or drain rather than in the open membrane field.
02
Fastener corrosion on coastal metal
Salt reaches screws, flashing and drip edge across the Beaches and up to Fernandina. Caught early it's a hardware swap; ignored it becomes a leak at every penetration.
03
September seam failures
One of the two wettest months and peak storm season land together. Marginal welded seams that held all summer are the ones that open when the volume arrives.
04
Saturated insulation under sound membrane
A small entry point plus Northeast Florida humidity soaks insulation while the surface still looks fine — which is why we probe rather than just look.
The honest dividing line between repair and replacement is never the membrane — it is what sits under it. Dry deck and localised failures mean repair. Saturated insulation across a wide area means patching the surface only traps the water.
The systems
What we install on Jacksonville buildings
There is no single best commercial roof — there is the right system for your building, your budget, and how long you intend to hold the asset.
TPO, PVC & modified bitumen
The low-slope workhorses. Single-ply welds into a continuous surface, and white reflective membrane is a cool roof that cuts the heat the roof passes into the building; the EPA says cool roofs can reduce peak cooling demand by 11–27% in air-conditioned buildings.
Standing-seam metal
Built to last for decades with minimal maintenance. The right answer on a building you intend to hold rather than flip.
Owens Corning shingle
Multi-family and pitched new construction. We install as a Platinum Preferred contractor — a tier Owens Corning says is held by less than 1% of roofing contractors.
Restoration coatings
Where a membrane is aged but the deck beneath is genuinely sound. We'll tell you plainly when it isn't.
The decision
Repair, restore, or replace?
Three genuinely different jobs at three very different price points, and the wrong one costs far more than the right one. What decides it is the condition of the deck and insulation under the membrane — never the age of the roof on its own.
Repair
Failures are localised — a few seams, a penetration, a section of perimeter — and the insulation and deck beneath are dry.
- Isolated seam or flashing failure
- Dry insulation on probing
- Membrane still has service life
- Leak traced to one identifiable source
Restore
The membrane is aged and tired across the whole field, but what sits underneath it is genuinely sound. A coating buys years for a fraction of a tear-off.
- Widespread surface ageing, no structural failure
- Insulation and deck test dry
- Drainage already works, or can be corrected
- You want more life without closing the building
Replace
The insulation is wet across a meaningful area. At that point patching or coating the surface only seals the water in, and every month of delay costs deck.
- Saturated insulation over a wide area
- Repeat leaks in multiple locations
- Deck showing deflection or deterioration
- Drainage cannot be corrected in place
You cannot tell which of these you need from the ground, and you often cannot tell from the roof surface either — wet insulation sits under membrane that still looks serviceable. That is what the inspection is for, and it is why we probe rather than simply look before quoting anything on a Jacksonville building.
On your property
Your building stays open while we work
Nobody closes a business for a re-roof. On a commercial job, sequencing, access, noise and site cleanliness stop being courtesies and become part of the scope.
- A detailed inspection first — every inch of the existing system, before anyone quotes
- An assigned Project Manager who follows every stage through to completion
- Access, staging and sequencing agreed with you before the crew arrives
- A clean, safe site daily — your staff and customers are still using the building
- Crews we manage directly rather than day-labour subcontractors
Jacksonville buildings we work on
Port and distribution warehousingLight industrial and manufacturingRetail and shopping centresCoastal hospitality and restaurantsMulti-family and HOA propertyOffices and professional buildingsNew construction for builders
Request a commercial inspection The process
Five steps. Zero surprises.
The same streamlined process on every roof — from an accurate quote to an impeccable installation.
- 1
Schedule Your Visit
Book online or call — we arrive on time, ready to listen.
- 2
Personal Consultation
Your goals, your budget, and the right materials for you.
- 3
Inspection & Quote
Photos, a written report, and a transparent quote that holds.
- 4
Convenient Scheduling
The install lands on your calendar, not ours. No surprises.
- 5
Expert Installation
A trained crew, a clean yard, and a roof installation done right.
Service area
Commercial work across Northeast Florida
Throughout Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau and Flagler counties, from our office at 9446 Philips Hwy Ste 7, Jacksonville, FL 32256.
Orange Park Ponte Vedra Beach Jacksonville Beach Palm Coast St. Augustine Atlantic Beach Fernandina Beach
Outside Northeast Florida? See commercial roofing across Florida.
From the field
Jacksonville commercial roofing guides
Jacksonville commercial roofing questions
Do you do commercial roofing across Northeast Florida?
Yes — Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau and Flagler counties, from the office on Philips Highway. We've worked this market for more than 25 years and run metal, stone-coated steel, tile, shingle and flat systems, which matters when the commercial stock ranges from port warehousing to Beaches hospitality.
What's different about a coastal commercial roof?
The failure order reverses. Inland, the roofing material generally goes first. On the coast, salt attacks the hardware — fasteners, flashing, drip edge — years before it touches the panels or membrane above. A surface-only inspection will pass a coastal roof that is already failing underneath, which is why ours starts at the hardware.
Do you bid new commercial construction?
Yes. We run a new-construction department with quick bid turnarounds and work with builders, property managers and HOA boards throughout Northeast Florida.
Why do commercial roofs here leak in September?
September is one of Northeast Florida's two wettest months (about 7.6 inches, nearly tied with June) and the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season at the same time. A membrane with a marginal seam that held through a 90-plus-degree summer is exactly the one that opens when that volume of rain arrives at once.
Can a flat commercial roof be restored instead of replaced?
Sometimes. Where the membrane is aged but the deck and insulation beneath are genuinely sound, a restoration coating can extend service life for a fraction of a tear-off. Where the insulation is wet, coating over it only seals the water in — and we'll tell you that rather than sell you the cheaper job.
How does a Jacksonville commercial project start?
With a detailed inspection of the existing system — photographed, probed where needed, and written up — before anyone quotes. You get an itemised written scope, and the inspection is free.
Find out what your Jacksonvillebuilding's roof needs
A detailed inspection of the existing system, photographs, and an itemised written scope — before anyone talks about replacing anything.
Get a Free Roof InspectionSchedule Free InspectionGet My Free InspectionBook Free Inspection(904) 274-6858
Universal Roof & Contracting · 9446 Philips Hwy Ste 7, Jacksonville, FL 32256 · Florida licences CCC057165 and CBC1258484
Sources (9)
- Tropical cyclone climatology · NOAA National Hurricane Center
- Using cool roofs to reduce heat islands · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Jacksonville International Airport (USW00013889) · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
- License CCC057165, Certified Roofing Contractor · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
- License CBC1258484, Certified Building Contractor · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
- Universal Roof & Contracting contractor profile · Owens Corning
- Owens Corning Launches National Roof Deployment Project (2016) · Owens Corning
- Universal Roof & Contracting reviews · GuildQuality
- Universal Roof & Contracting, Orlando (Google Business Profile) · Google