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Commercial roofing in Denver, CO
Downtown Denver is about 15 miles north of our Centennial office up I-25, and the city's southeast edge around Belleview and Hampden is only a few minutes away. We serve commercial, association and multifamily buildings across the city.
One city, very different roofs
Denver has the widest spread of commercial building types in the metro, from 1890s brick warehouses to distribution buildings near the airport. The right repair or replacement often depends as much on the neighborhood as on the roof system.
Downtown, LoDo and the Union Station area
Older brick warehouses converted to offices, lofts and restaurants sit next to newer towers. The older buildings usually have built-up or modified bitumen roofs behind masonry parapets, sometimes several layers deep, draining to interior drains or through-wall scuppers. The towers carry large mechanical areas and window-washing equipment. Staging is the hard part: narrow streets and alleys mean crane picks, hoists and, when equipment has to sit in the street, a separate right-of-way permit.
RiNo, Globeville, Elyria-Swansea and the I-25/I-70 industrial corridor
Older industrial and warehouse buildings, many being adapted for breweries, creative offices and event space. Expect metal and built-up roofs, old skylights, roofs with additions at different heights, and new rooftop equipment cut into decks that were never planned for it.
Cherry Creek and the Colorado Boulevard corridor
Mid-rise office, retail, hotels and condominium buildings where appearance, noise and tenant access all matter. Work is often scheduled around business hours and building rules.
Central Park, Montbello and the airport area
Newer office, flex and distribution buildings with large low-slope single-ply roofs. Big roof areas make drain maintenance and seam inspections the main defense against leaks.
Southeast Denver and Belleview Station
Denver's share of the Tech Center: office buildings and newer multifamily near light rail, closest to our office.
Across all of these are apartment communities and condo associations, from Capitol Hill mid-rises to garden-style complexes in southeast Denver.
Permits with Denver Community Planning and Development
Denver is a consolidated city and county, so permits come from the city's Community Planning and Development department, not a county office. Some roofing work qualifies for a quick permit issued without plan review; larger or more complex projects go through commercial plan review. Roofing contractors working in Denver need the appropriate Denver contractor license. We pull the permit, schedule the inspections and include the cost in our proposal. See Denver's plan review, permits and inspections page for the city's process.
Larger buildings: check the Green Buildings Ordinance. When an existing Denver building over 25,000 square feet replaces more than a small share of its roof, the ordinance generally calls for a cool (reflective) roof on the replaced area plus one additional compliance option, with exemptions for some building types. We check whether it applies before we price the job, so it doesn't surface at permit review.
If your building is a designated Denver landmark or sits in a historic district, visible exterior changes such as new parapet caps, rooftop equipment or roof color can need design review. Most low-slope roof work behind a parapet isn't visible from the street, but we confirm before work starts.
Denver weather on a city roof
Hail season runs roughly mid-April to mid-August, and storms rolling off the foothills can cross the city on many early-summer afternoons. Downtown adds its own problems. Dark roofs absorb heat and age faster under high-altitude UV. Taller buildings see higher wind pressure at corners and edges, especially in chinook events, so perimeter attachment and edge metal matter more. Freeze-thaw works on old brick parapets, and many "roof leaks" in older buildings turn out to be failed coping or counterflashing in the wall above the roof.
Services for Denver properties
- Repairs and replacements in TPO, EPDM, built-up roofing, metal and spray foam
- Infrared moisture surveys and drone inspections to find wet insulation before a re-roof
- S.M.a.R.T. maintenance for single buildings and portfolios
- Condo, HOA and apartment roofing and support for property managers
- Pre-qualified roofing subcontract work for general contractors
Not sure what a Denver re-roof involves cost-wise? Our guide to commercial roof cost factors covers access, tear-off, insulation and code items.
Denver commercial roofing FAQs
Does Denver require a permit to replace a commercial roof?
Yes. Denver Community Planning and Development issues roofing permits. Some work qualifies for a quick permit without plan review, while larger projects need commercial plan review. We handle the application and inspections.
Does the Green Buildings Ordinance apply to our re-roof?
It can if your building is over 25,000 square feet and you're replacing more than a small portion of the roof. Some building types are exempt. We review the ordinance against your building during estimating and price the compliant option.
Can you work on an occupied downtown building without disrupting tenants?
Yes. We plan crane picks and noisy tear-off around building rules and business hours, protect entries and keep a single point of contact with your property manager.
Our older brick building leaks along the walls. Is it the roof?
Often it's the parapet: worn coping, loose counterflashing or open mortar joints letting water into the wall above the roof line. We inspect the roof and parapets together and tell you which one is the source.
Do you work as a roofing subcontractor on Denver projects?
Yes. Truman is a pre-qualified roofing subcontractor for Front Range general contractors and holds Denver and regional MBE, DBE, EBE and SBE certifications. See our general contractor page.