Local weather advisory
The National Weather Service has issued a coastal flood advisory covering Berkeley. Heavy rain and drainage loading can expose roof leaks, blocked drains, and ponding water. This is a weather exposure advisory; it does not establish damage to a specific roof.
Do not access a roof during hazardous weather. Protect people first, avoid water near electrical equipment, and request roofing help when conditions permit.
National Weather Service · Updated Oct 28, 2026, 7:20 AM UTC
Commercial roofing in Hercules from our Berkeley crew: infrared moisture scans confirmed with core cuts, so you only replace the wet insulation that is really there.
Service Areas  | Berkeley, CA
An infrared scan of a commercial roof can show warm and cool areas that suggest wet insulation. It is a useful tool, but a thermal image alone does not prove which layers are wet or how far the damage goes. We inspect and repair commercial roofs in Hercules from our base in Berkeley, CA, and we use scans to decide where to cut cores. Then we look at the actual insulation before anyone decides how much roof to tear out.
Commercial buildings around Civic Drive, near the Hercules Library, and out in the North Shore Business Park each get their own assessment. We confirm how the roof is built, where we can safely take cores, and what is going on in the rooms below so any opening is protected. Our infrared moisture survey work ties the scan to that follow-up. A colorful picture is only worth paying for if it helps decide the repair.
Infrared scans work best on a clear evening after a sunny day, when wet insulation holds heat longer than dry insulation. Wind, recent rain, reflective coatings and rooftop equipment can all throw off the readings. We check conditions before scanning, and the report says when and where the scan was done. If the conditions were not good enough for useful readings, we tell you and come back rather than handing over images that mean little.
We pair the scan with a walk of the roof. Our roof inspection notes things like raised patches, extra layers of coating or different membranes, all of which can show up as false warm or cool spots. We mark those on the roof plan next to the scan results. The report says what the scan suggests and what still needs to be confirmed, so you can decide on core cuts rather than tearing off roof based on color alone.
A core cut is a small, round sample through the roof layers. Before we take one, we explain why that spot was picked. We photograph what comes out: membrane, cover board, insulation and sometimes the deck. Wet insulation, crushed cover board and a spot that only looked odd on the scan are three different findings, and the report keeps them separate. Every core is patched and sealed the same day.
Our roof insulation and cover board work relies on what we actually pulled out of the roof. One dry core does not prove the whole area is dry, and one wet core does not prove the whole roof is wet. If the cores do not agree with the scan, we may recommend another one or two. The estimate lists anything still uncertain, so you can choose between a focused repair now or a bit more testing first.
A wet core tells us the insulation is wet at that spot, not how far the wet area reaches. We take more cores outward until we find dry, solid material. The repair edge has to land on good insulation that the new materials can bond and fasten to. Stopping short leaves wet material under the new roof. Nearby curbs and drains can limit working room, and we show you that before setting the repair size.
Our commercial roof repair estimates tie each tear-out area to the cores that justify it. You see which materials are being replaced and which are staying. If we find more damage once the roof is open, we stop, send photos and explain the extra area and price before going further. That keeps a scan-based repair tied to what we actually found.
When several areas come back wet, the question shifts from repair to whether the roof should be recovered or replaced. We compare how much wet insulation there is with how much good roof is left. A scan and a handful of cores still leave some unknowns, and we say so before you make a big spending decision. Sometimes a few more cores are worth it before choosing.
Our roof capital planning lays out the options with the reasons behind each. A local repair can handle wet spots in an otherwise sound roof. A larger tear-off makes sense when the wet areas are widespread. A recover over the old roof only works if what stays is dry, well attached, and the curbs and edges can take the extra height. Each option shows what problem it actually solves.
Core cuts and repairs can happen right over occupied rooms. We find out what is below each spot and agree with the facility manager on how to protect it. We plan how tools and debris move through the building and only open as much roof as we can close up the same day.
A building on Civic Drive gets its own entrance and staging plan, and the roof hatch or ladder location decides how equipment reaches the test spots. Our reroofing over occupied buildings work includes protecting the rooms below. If you also have buildings in Pinole or El Sobrante, we can schedule the visits together, but each building gets its own testing plan and protection.
The final report connects every core to its spot on the scan and on the roof plan. Wide photos with fixed landmarks like drains or units help the next inspector find the same place. Close-ups show the layers we pulled out, and a photo of each patched core shows the roof sealed back up. You can tell at a glance which areas are confirmed wet and which are only suspected.
A future scan may look different if coatings, equipment or insulation have changed. We check for those changes before saying a warm spot is the same old problem. If there is a real question, a new core settles it. Dated records like this keep a scan useful for years instead of just the week it was taken.
The North Shore Business Park has a lot of industrial and research buildings, but each roof still needs its own plan. We confirm the tenant contact, working hours and any labs or equipment rooms under the work area. Buildings near the bay can see more wind and salt air, so we check metal edges after storms, but we only recommend repairs for corrosion or loose metal we actually find. Drains and penetrations are mapped to the right tenant space, and neighboring roof sections outside the job are clearly marked.
Let us check the scan results with core cuts. You get plain photos and a clear explanation of which areas need repair and which are fine.
Request a Roof Assessment
