Recovering Your Commercial Roof Saves Thousands: Why Tear-Off Isn’t Always Required in Texas

Recover vs. Tear-Off in Texas: Why a Roof Recover Saves Thousands and Delivers the Best ROI

Most commercial building owners in Tyler, Longview, Canton, and across East Texas assume they must tear off their old roof to get a new one. But in many cases, a tear-off isn’t required — and choosing a recover can save $3–$6 per square foot, avoid triggering insulation code, and give your building more efficiency than it’s ever had.

If the existing roof is dry and stable, recovering it with SPF + coating is often the smartest financial and energy-efficient choice.

🧱 Why Tear-Off Triggers R-25 Code Requirements

When you remove the existing roof down to the deck, Texas follows the IECC R-25 insulation requirement for commercial roofs. That means you must insulate up to R-25 (usually with 4 inches of SPF).

Tear-off = Required to meet R-25

Recover = No insulation requirement (as long as the roof is dry)

Many building owners don’t know this — and they spend tens of thousands more because their roofer never explained the options.

🧰 When a Recover Is Allowed

A roof recover can be installed if:

• The roof has no trapped moisture

• The structure is sound

• There are no more than two existing roof layers

• Code does not mandate a tear-off for repairs

This is why your professional infrared moisture scan is such a powerful tool.If it’s dry → you save money.If it’s wet → tear-off may be required.

☑️ Efficiency Gains Without Triggering R-25

Before and after: A commercial roof recover using 1.5” SPF and high-tensile acrylic coating. The system sealed leaks, boosted efficiency, and avoided the cost of a full tear-off.

One of the biggest misconceptions is:

“If we don’t tear it off, we won’t get the energy benefit.”

Wrong.

Spray foam insulation heat-flow reduction chart showing 92 to 97 percent energy savings based on foam thickness, used to compare recover vs tear-off efficiency for commercial roofs in Texas.

1.5″ of SPF already gives ~92% heat-flow reduction.

That’s more than the building has EVER had — especially older structures.

Adding more foam increases efficiency slightly, but the big jump happens at 1.5″.

SPF Thickness	Approx Heat Flow Reduction	Real-World Benefit
1.5″	≈ 92%	Huge cooling cost drop — biggest change
2.5″	≈ 94%	Small additional gain
4″	≈ 97%	Required for code if tearing off

This is why:

Recover = Best ROI

You get huge efficiency gains without being forced to buy all the extra inches of foam.

🧱 Why SPF Is Perfect for 50–100+ Year Old Buildings

Most old buildings in East Texas were never designed for today’s roofing loads.

SPF is:

• Extremely lightweight

• Self-flashing

• Fully adhered

• Adds strength without weight

A recover protects the building, adds insulation, waterproofs seamlessly — and avoids weighing down old wood decking or structural systems.

💰 Pricing: Recover vs Tear-Off

Here’s where property owners get the biggest surprise.

Tear-Off (triggers R-25 code)

Add:

• Removal labor

• Debris disposal

• 4 inches of foam (minimum)

• Premium coating

• Deck prep or repair

Tear-off jobs typically run: $9–$14+ per sq ft depending on the roof.

Recover (No R-25 requirement)

• No tear-off

• 1.5″ foam (standard)

• Choose coating tier

• Optionally add more foam for extra efficiency

Recover jobs typically run: $5.50–$12 per sq ft depending on coating tier.

📍 Real Pricing Examples in East Texas (Recover)

City	Size	System	Est. Range
Canton, TX	25,000 sq ft	1.5″ Foam + High-Tensile Acrylic (GOOD)	$137k – $175k
Tyler, TX	18,000 sq ft	1.5″ Foam + Fiberseal System (BETTER)	$135k – $165k
Longview, TX	40,000 sq ft	1.5–2″ Foam + Polyurea System (BEST)	$360k – $480k

These examples exclude tear-off or sub-deck repairs.

⭐ Good / Better / Best Options for a Recover

GOOD — High-Tensile Acrylic

• Stronger than cheap acrylic

• 1.5″ SPF

• 10-year warranty

• $5.50–$7.50/sq ftGreat for budget-minded owners who still want quality and efficiency.

BETTER — Fiberseal Base + Premium Topcoat (MOST CHOSEN)

• Full-grade premium coating system

• Superior elongation + tensile strength

• 15–20 year warranty

• $7.50–$9.50/sq ftThis is the highest-grade coating system offered in East Texas — far beyond the “premium silicone” competitors sell.

BEST — Polyurea Base + Premium Topcoat (ULTRA-ELITE)

• Hail-rated up to 2″

• Used by Texas A&M on millions of sq ft

• Installed by only a few applicators in Texas

• 20-year+ performance

• $9–$12+/sq ftUnmatched impact resistance and service life.

🏢 Case Study: 100-Year-Old Building in East Texas

Downtown Gladewater, TX — Before and after a commercial roof recover using 1.5” spray foam and high-tensile acrylic coating.

A downtown building over a century old had 0% moisture during our infrared scan.Instead of tearing off, we installed:

• 1.5″ SPF

• Fiberseal premium system

Results:

• 92% heat-flow reduction

• Cooler interior

• Seamless leak-free finish

• Zero added structural load

• HUGE cost savings by avoiding tear-off + R-25 code

This building is now more energy-efficient than at ANY point in its 100+ year life.

🧱 When Tear-Off Makes Sense

There ARE times when a tear-off is truly needed:

• Moisture saturation

• Multiple roof layers

• Deck damage or structural rot

• Major substrate incompatibility

• Code enforcement requiring removal

In those cases, SPF is still the best way to meet R-25 without adding weight.

💡 So Which Should You Choose?

Here’s the simplest way to decide:

If the roof is dry → Recover.

Biggest savings + fastest ROI + huge efficiency boost.

If the roof is wet → Tear-Off + SPF.

Meets R-25 + adds durability + fixes problems at the deck.

All Star Roofing LLC offers:

• Infrared moisture scans

• Detailed recover/tear-off recommendations

• Full Good/Better/Best pricing

• Energy modeling to show payback

📞 Schedule Your Free Roof Evaluation

Accelerate decisions with clear, honest data.

Call Now — 903-368-8684orVisit: www.ASR.LLC/free-inspection

✔ Infrared moisture scan✔ Energy efficiency analysis✔ Recover vs tear-off pricing comparison✔ Sample warranties and coating specs