A new benchmark study from APOC and Cotney Consulting Group is highlighting the growing business advantages of commercial roof restoration compared to traditional reroofing. Analyzing 118 commercial roofing projects, the report found that restoration projects generated nearly twice the gross profit per crew day while requiring smaller crews, less labor intensity and significantly faster completion times. 

Key Findings from the APOC Roof Restoration Index Include:

• Significantly higher profit productivity: Restoration projects generated approximately 85% higher gross profit per crew day—due to smaller crew sizes and fewer days needed to complete a job—compared to reroofing benchmarks, with average returns of ~$8,000 per crew day versus ~$4,300.
• Major time savings: Restoration projects averaged ~8 crew days for a 30,000 SF roof, compared to 13 for recovery and up to 30 for tear-off, enabling faster project turnover and increased annual capacity.
• Improved labor efficiency: Restoration required up to 85% less labor intensity than tear-off methods and could be completed with crews approximately one-third smaller.
• Stronger, more consistent margins: Restoration delivered average gross margins around 43%, with typical ranges between 30%–60%, outperforming many reroofing scenarios.

Access the full report for free!

In this CoatingsCoffeeShop™ Coffee Conversations, host Megan Ellsworth is joined by John Kenney from Cotney Consulting Group and Johnny Walker from APOC to examine market research into the profitability, challenges and opportunities shaping commercial roof restoration today. Drawing on insights from the APOC Roof Restoration Index and years of industry experience, the discussion examines how restoration is helping contractors address labor shortages, improve efficiency, create new business opportunities and deliver greater value to building owners. Watch this episode for some surprising numbers!

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By Emma Peterson. 

By analyzing more than 100 commercial roofing projects, APOC and Cotney Consulting Group uncovered compelling data showing how restoration can improve labor efficiency and increase profit potential. 

Earlier this year, APOC and Cotney Consulting Group released a Roof Restoration Index that showcased market research relating to the profitability, challenges and opportunities of roof restoration. To learn more about this study, we brought Johnny Walker of APOC and John Kenney of Cotney Consulting Group together for a Coffee Conversation®.  

The inspiration behind the creation of the Roof Restoration Index ties back to the Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association (RCMA). Johnny explained:  

We were talking with RCMA and realized we’ve all been out there promoting fluid applied growth restorations based on colloquial experience but we didn’t have the data and research to back up that experience...So we did this study with the goal of getting that hard data to make sure that we’re leading people the right way by recommending restoration.  

APOC brought John and Cotney Consulting Group into the study to help them manage their data and respondents. John described his team’s role, sharing, “Anybody that knows me throughout my years knows I live and die off of data. So, I was really excited to join and use my resources and databases to help get participants and information.”  

The final index was able to analyze 118 different commercial projects. John offered a high-level overview on what they were specifically comparing between these projects, sharing, “It was 118 projects of pure data that allowed us to compare restoration against both recovery and tear-off projects.” He went on, “We focused on the profitability, labor efficiency, time efficiency and return on investment by margin performance.”  

Looking at all that data together, a pattern emerged – that restorations are a valuable roof solution. Johnny explained, “I’ve always assumed that the value of restoration came from it being more productive and that by using less time on the job, you'll get more productivity elsewhere and overall higher profitability. And, overall, this study showed that we were right to think that.” John added some details, “Specifically, when we looked at performance related to crew time, there were big arguments for restoration... Take the 300 square projects. Modeled restoration growth profit was about $8,000 per crew day versus roughly $4,300 for the re-roofing option. So, almost double the profit per crew day for restoration as opposed to reroofing.”  

What does all of this mean for contractors in the field? In a world where labor is limited and margins are tight, having the capacity to not only tear off and reroof but also to restore systems is a powerful card to have up your sleeve.  

Listen to the whole Coffee Conversation or Watch the recording to learn more. 

CCS Influencer Johnny Walker says that successful roof restoration begins with a thorough evaluation of the roof’s condition, maintenance history, moisture levels and the building owner’s goals to determine whether restoration is truly the right solution.

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Johnny Walker of ICP APOC. You can read the interview below, listen to the podcast or watch the recording.

Emma: Hi everyone, I'm Emma Richardson. I'm here with CoatingsCoffeeShop.com and our Coatings Influencer Johnny Walker of ICP APOC. Johnny, how are you?

Johnny Walker: I'm good. Emma, how are you today?

Emma: I'm doing just fine, thank you. Well our topic for August is knowing when restoration is the right option for a roof. Do you have any thoughts you'd like to share?

Johnny Walker: Man, lots of thoughts. You know, restorations are great, but they're not meant for every roof. So you you need to start with evaluation, knowing the roof condition, the age of the roof, moisture content in the system, and also understanding what the building owner's looking for. What's their long term, short term goals on this? You know, sometimes they're just looking to sell the building and maybe they're going to be tearing the building down. So knowing what their objective is is important, but then also knowing the roof condition. Is there moisture in the roof? What's the makeup of the roof? Can we have what systems on it now and can we properly bond to it? Is there a lot of ponding water? So all of those types of things are going to come into determining if this is a viable option for that particular roof.

Emma: Awesome. Thank you so much. That's a great answer. And what would you say people are looking for when they do a roof inspection that might flag it for being good or bad?

Johnny Walker: Yeah, so one of the biggest flags is when we block these roofs and they're just horribly maintained. Every roof system, I don't care what it is, needs to be inspected twice a year. After every major storm, somebody should be looking at that, cleaning drains, removing debris and doing minor repair and touch up. Doesn't matter whether that's a modified built-up roof, a single ply roof or a metal roof. They have to maintain those roofs. Poorly maintained roofs are going to have more internal problems. They have leaks that have occurred. You could have potentially more wet insulation in there. So the big red flag for us is on day one we're going to walk that roof, look at the maintenance, we're going to walk on the inside. How many active leaks do they have? Those types of things are going to give us a real idea of what the internal structure of the roof is.

Emma: Awesome. Thank you so much, Johnny. And we will catch you next month for September.

Johnny Walker: Sounds great, Emma. Thanks for having me on.

By Emma Peterson. 

A slower hurricane season offers contractors and property owners an opportunity to improve roof performance with products like APOC’s Polyset AH-160 tile adhesive system. 

This Atlantic hurricane season has been unusually quiet so far. As Alex Schneider reported at the beginning of September, “Historically, about ⅔ of all Atlantic hurricane activity occurs between August 20 and October 10. This is only the eighth time in the satellite era that we've started September with no hurricanes in the Atlantic.” But the current quiet we are experiencing is not a reason to let our guards down. In fact, a Yale Climate Connections article stated that “recent research suggests climate change could supercharge swings between quiet years and hyperactive seasons packed with dangerous storms.” 

So, how do we prepare for this? Use the time we have when it’s quieter to prepare for the busier, more dangerous seasons. An example of what this might look like is roofers proactively installing APOC’s Polyset AH-160 onto their clients’ roofs.  

What is Polyset? It is roof adhesive that adheres concrete or clay tiles more strongly than nails, screws, mortar or wire tie system. How? Polyset utilizes a two-component, low-pressure polyurethane foam formula to adhere each individual tile in place. Not only does this provide improved wind resistance and stronger holding power, it also virtually eliminates the creation for roof deck penetrations to hold tile in place, reducing potential pathways for water intrusion. 

Polyset has been approved by Miami-Dade, the Florida Building Code and the Texas Department of insurance, as well as certified by NEMO. Overall, if you are looking to build stronger roofs that are ready to face whatever the next storm season has in store, APOC’s Polyset is a crucial addition to your toolbox. 

Prepare for storm season with Polyset.

In this CoatingsCoffeeShop™ Coffee Conversations, host Megan Ellsworth is joined by John Kenney from Cotney Consulting Group and Johnny Walker from APOC to examine market research into the profitability, challenges and opportunities shaping commercial roof restoration today. Drawing on insights from the APOC Roof Restoration Index and years of industry experience, the discussion examines how restoration is helping contractors address labor shortages, improve efficiency, create new business opportunities and deliver greater value to building owners. Watch this episode for some surprising numbers!

Register now!

A new benchmark study from APOC and Cotney Consulting Group is highlighting the growing business advantages of commercial roof restoration compared to traditional reroofing. Analyzing 118 commercial roofing projects, the report found that restoration projects generated nearly twice the gross profit per crew day while requiring smaller crews, less labor intensity and significantly faster completion times. 

Key Findings from the APOC Roof Restoration Index Include:

• Significantly higher profit productivity: Restoration projects generated approximately 85% higher gross profit per crew day—due to smaller crew sizes and fewer days needed to complete a job—compared to reroofing benchmarks, with average returns of ~$8,000 per crew day versus ~$4,300.
• Major time savings: Restoration projects averaged ~8 crew days for a 30,000 SF roof, compared to 13 for recovery and up to 30 for tear-off, enabling faster project turnover and increased annual capacity.
• Improved labor efficiency: Restoration required up to 85% less labor intensity than tear-off methods and could be completed with crews approximately one-third smaller.
• Stronger, more consistent margins: Restoration delivered average gross margins around 43%, with typical ranges between 30%–60%, outperforming many reroofing scenarios.

Access the full report for free!

By Emma Peterson. 

Johnny Walker explains how contractors can guide clients through the decision between roof replacement and restoration coatings. 

Coatings can be a reliable and convenient way to improve a roof. But they’re not necessarily right for every situation. To learn how you determine whether to suggest coatings to a client, Megan Ellsworth sat down for a special episode of CoatingsCast™ featuring Johnny Walker from APOC/ICP Group.  

Over the course of his career, Johnny has had around four decades of experience with coating systems. Over the decades, he has found that many building owners instinctively lean towards tear offs and replacements over coatings. He explained, “They think, ‘If I tear it all off, I'm getting a brand-new roof and that's the way I want to go.’”  

And this decision isn’t technically wrong. Some building owners prefer starting fresh, whether it’s because they received the building from someone else and don’t know the pre-existing roof state or just prefer to stay in their comfort zone. But, for a lot of building owners, a contractor who asks the right questions and has the right information to share can shift their decision towards coatings.  

What type of things do you need to ask? Johnny explained:  

The first step is always determining a roof’s physical eligibility. And if it is something you could coat, you then need to think about what the building owner’s priorities are. Because if they want to save on the cost of labor and materials, coatings are going to be a great option. Same with sustainability, if they’re trying to reduce waste and build something that can be perpetually restored rather than replaced, coatings are a great choice. 

Further, roof restorations are less invasive than tear-offs, which can make them a good solution for crucial buildings like hospitals that cannot be closed for the course of project. Overall, it is key for every roofer to take the time to work with their client to understand their motivations. Because by understanding their motivations, you will be better equipped to talk to them about restoring their roof with a coating and the benefits that come with that. 

Listen to the whole episode or Watch the recording to learn more about advising clients making the choice between restoration and replacement. 

By Emma Peterson. 

APOC’s sloping compound makes it easier to fill low spots, improve water flow and protect roofing systems from long-term damage. 

Ponding water is standing water on flat or low-lying parts of a roof and, as every commercial contractor knows all too well, can cause a series of issues including but not limited to moisture intrusion, roof system deterioration and mold growth. Ponding water can also be a frustrating problem to solve, as fixing it often entails changing the slope of the entire roof.  

To help make this problem easier to solve, the team at APOC developed a cost-effective, acrylic-modified, cementitious sloping compound specifically engineered to address ponding water issues. This product, RoofSlope®, provides “a way to fill in low spots on flat roofs and achieve positive slope to aid in proper drainage.” RoofSlope is perfect for both new construction and retrofit work as the patented technology behind the product allows it to create a durable finish that attaches to a wide variety of substrates and matches existing roof compositions. 

The best part? Application in the field is as simple as five steps that can be completed in one trip to the job site: 

1. Clean and prepare: As with any low-slope roofing application, the first step is to clean your roof and ensure that the membrane you’re installing on top of is sound. 
2. Mix, mix, mix: RoofSlope is designed to be mixed with water for application. APOC guidelines dictate that one pail of RoofSlope needs to be thoroughly mixed with 1 ¼ gallons of water. 
3. Application: Once the roof is prepared and the mixture of RoofSlope and water is smooth, contractors should apply it to the roof using a screed board and a trowel. A wet paintbrush is also recommended in order to slope the product flush to the membrane without any lips or raised edges.  
4. Broadcast: This product is fast drying, so you want to immediately broadcast roof granules or sand of similar size (16 grit) onto the product after application while it is still wet. 
5. Clean up: Warm soapy water should be used to clean both tools and hands, with a thorough rinse to ensure product has been removed. 

And with just those five steps, contractors can achieve positive slope on roofs, achieve proper drainage and resolve any ponding issues before they lead to roof system failures.  

Learn more about RoofSlope!

CCS Influencer Johnny Walker says hybrid roof systems increase longevity. 

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with John Walker of APOC. You can read the interview below, listen to the podcast or watch the recording.

Lauren White: Hello everyone, my name is Lauren White with CoatingsCoffeeShop.com, and I am here with Johnny Walker. It's great to see you.

Johnny Walker: Hey, good to see you.

Lauren White: And we are here for our July influencer question. And our topic for this month is hybrid roofing systems in practice, and maybe specifically more about where hybrid solutions outperform traditional systems. So, what do you have to share with us?

Johnny Walker: Yeah, absolutely. I am a huge fan of the hybrid systems. This is something that's fairly new. A lot of coatings manufacturers are starting to look at these systems, because really you're using a self-adhered membrane down to either concrete, to plywood, to dense deck, to some sort of substrate and then putting a fluid applied system over the top of that. So when you think about it being, you're sort of building it up. We think of old built up roofs; you're building that up. You're starting with that self-adhered and then building it up. How is that beneficial over a traditional system? When you think about the restorability, the renewability of it, there's a wide range in warranties everywhere from a seven-year to a 25 year durability, just depending on what you're doing. You can go acrylics, you can go silicones, thermoplastics, emulsions, systems. So you can really design these systems and dial into what the need of that building owner is, what the need of the building is and what the longevity and renewability is. Because unlike traditional systems, which you have to put a restoration over the top of it to renew them or replace them, this system itself is renewable. So you're cleaning it, applying some top coats of your coatings, and then prolonging that life. So it really does have that green roof system to it. That's going to be long term, not just going to be a 20 year, could potentially be a 30, 40, 50 year, depending on how well you maintain it and how long you're looking for.

Lauren White: Yeah, amazing. Well, awesome. Well, thank you so much for your time. And for those of you listening, make sure that you check out John Walker's influencer profile and check out APOC's directory on coatingscoffeeshop.com. And we will see you next month for our August topic.

Johnny Walker: Fantastic, thank you.