Property Types We Roof
Auto Dealership Roofing in Federal Way, WA
On a dealership job the superintendent starts at the service drive. He finds out where customers drop off, where the bays take deliveries and which part of the lot holds new inventory under the building's edge. Then he walks the deck, because the order of the roof work depends on those answers.
A dealership roof is three roofs in one: a showroom with large glass below, a service area with exhaust and make-up air above, and a parts or office wing. Pacific Highway South (SR 99) is the city's main commercial strip, and Fife's economy includes car dealerships alongside warehousing and highway-side businesses. We plan the roof so a customer walking into the showroom never sees the job.
What does the first walk of a dealership roof turn up?
We start with the showroom roof because a leak there lands on cars and customers. Cores at the low corners, the drains and the rooftop units give us the layers, and pull tests on the fasteners tell us if a recover can work. The superintendent notes every parapet, every canopy and every curb.
The service roof gets a separate look. Exhaust fans, paint-booth stacks and shop heaters are on curbs that take heat and vibration. A rooftop equipment curb with cracked flashing leaks into a bay where a car is up on a lift. The marked plan ranks each roof area by what sits below it. A parts warehouse or a storage wing behind the service area follows the sequence for a warehouse roof, with long seams and a few drains deciding how the surface performs.
How are tear-off limits set above a showroom and bays?
Each morning the crew paints the limit line, placed so the exposed area can be dried in before the lot lights come on. Above the showroom, the sections are small, with interior protection over the floor, the vehicles and the sales desks before tear-off begins.
Above the service bays, the sequence follows the shop's workflow. We ask which bays are busiest and which are down for the day, and start over the quiet ones. When the forecast changes, the crew seals the open edge temporarily and tests that seal before leaving. No bay or showroom sits under an open roof overnight. At day's end the crew leader and the service manager walk the open edge and agree the seal is tight. If a section runs long, the manager is called before dark, not the next morning.
Where do the crane and lay-down yard go on a dealership lot?
A dealership lot is full of inventory, and every parking space is worth money. We choose the lay-down yard in a corner of the service lot or in a rented spot nearby, and we ask the sales manager to shift cars before the crane arrives.
The crane pick is scheduled for an early morning, before customers arrive, with fencing around the swing radius. Delivery trucks come in small loads. Sites on SR 99 or near the I-5 exits at 348th, 320th and 272nd Streets sit in heavy traffic, so truck arrival times are fixed in advance and the flagger stays at the driveway until each unload finishes. Customers who arrive for service find a marked path to the drive and a sign at the entrance, so they are never walking under a crane pick or across a delivery lane.
What is the dry-in sequence on a dealership roof?
Each section goes through strip-out, deck check, substrate repair, insulation, membrane and edge seal, in that order, before the crew leaves. Cover board goes in where service traffic will walk to the rooftop equipment.
Exhaust from paint booths and shop vents can attack some membranes, so the roof system choice matters. A PVC roof resists many oils and chemicals and is a common pick near exhaust. Temporary covers protect the showroom until the section is closed. Thickness of insulation and cover board is set against the state's adopted 2021 International Building Code and its commercial energy code, the 2021 IECC. A puncture from a dropped tool gets a membrane puncture repair on the same day.
How are parapets, canopies and edges tied in?
Dealerships have parapets, entry canopies and delivery overhangs, each with a flashing. We draw each tie-in on the plan, with the counterflashing height, the termination bar and the sealant specified. Edge metal and coping get fastened to the nailer and the wall at the manufacturer's spacing.
Enumclaw hit 74 mph in the November 2024 bomb cyclone, the highest wind in Washington, so edge securement belongs in the walkthrough. Showroom roofs also carry signs and brand panels, and each attachment through the roof gets its own flashing or is rebuilt in the same shift. We photograph each one before it is covered, so a sign contractor who returns next year can see exactly where the bolts and the sealant sit.
How do sales and service stay open?
Sales and service both keep running. Tear-off and fastening are loud, so they stay away from test drives and delivery handoffs, and the service manager gets the week's schedule. Showroom protection goes in at night or early morning.
Staff badges, parking and break areas stay as they are. A dealership next to a flex industrial building may share a drive, and the plan names a contact on each side. The method matches an occupied building reroofing, with extra care for paint and glass below. Dust is the other concern: a fine layer of grit on a new car is a claim. We cover vehicles under the building edge and keep a sweeper on the lot during tear-off.
What goes into the closeout walk?
The general manager or facilities lead and our crew leader walk the finished roof together. Curbs, drains, edges and canopies are checked in turn, and what remains open is painted on the deck. The file adds photos of concealed layers, fastener patterns, product data and warranty forms.
Dealer groups with several rooftops can use the same format at each store. A dealership in Fife and one near the Federal Way city center end up with files that read alike, which helps when a lender or a manufacturer asks for roof records.
Commercial Roofing Questions
Can the showroom stay open during a reroof?
Yes. Small sections, protection over the floor and vehicles, and loud steps kept clear of delivery handoffs let the showroom stay open. The sales manager approves the week's plan, and we adjust if a launch or event changes the calendar.
How do you protect inventory on the lot?
We choose a lay-down yard away from the display rows, ask the team to move cars before a crane pick and fence the swing radius. Debris is chuted or hoisted into a covered bin. Tarps and poly go over anything that must stay under the edge.
What roof system works near paint booth exhaust?
A membrane that resists oils and chemicals, such as PVC, is a common choice near exhaust. We check the manufacturer's data against the actual exposure, and we raise the curb or add a splash guard where the plume lands on the sheet.
Do signs and brand panels complicate the work?
Yes, because each attachment is a penetration. We list them on the plan, flash each one and coordinate with the sign contractor when a panel must be removed. Reinstallation is scheduled for the same week so the building keeps its image.
When is the best time to replace a dealership roof?
Summer is easiest, because Auburn's July gets 0.9 inches of rain and November 6.1. Large sections go faster in the dry months. A roof that cannot wait is worked in smaller daily areas, with every edge sealed for the night.
Send the roof plan and the service schedule
Send the roof plan, the service-bay schedule and the delivery days. We will walk the sequence, staging and tie-ins with your general manager before a number goes on paper.
