Central Valley
Commercial Roof Inspection and Maintenance in Merced County
Merced County has 6 cities, a University of California campus and one of the largest farm economies in the state, built on dairy, poultry, almonds and sweet potatoes. Our scan shows which processing, storage and campus roofs are holding water, before a winter storm finds out first.
What kinds of commercial buildings are in Merced County?
Merced County flat roofs come from 4 main sources: poultry and food processing plants in Livingston and Atwater, industrial buildings at Castle Airport, dairy and agricultural processing on the west side near Los Banos, and campus, medical and retail buildings in the city of Merced.
Castle Airport, the former Castle Air Force Base, now hosts a commerce center with manufacturing, aviation and warehouse buildings.
UC Merced, opened in 2005, keeps adding campus buildings north of the city, and Merced itself carries medical offices and retail along Highway 99. Los Banos and Gustine on the west side lean on dairy and food processing.
- Castle Airport commerce center: manufacturing, aviation and warehouse buildings in Atwater
- Livingston: poultry and food processing plants along Highway 99
- Merced industrial and medical areas: light industry, medical offices and retail along Highway 99 and Highway 59
- UC Merced area: university and research buildings north of the city
- Los Banos and Gustine: dairy and food processing on the west side
| Building type | Common roof system | Typical age | What Merced County does to it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poultry or food processing plant | PVC or spray foam | 10 to 35 years | Washdown humidity and exhaust grease |
| Castle Airport hangar or warehouse | Built-up or modified bitumen | 30 to 60 years | Large old roofs with many patches |
| Dairy processing building | Spray foam or TPO | 10 to 30 years | Steam vents and refrigeration |
| University building | PVC or TPO | 1 to 20 years | Warranty upkeep and rooftop solar |
| Merced retail or medical building | Modified bitumen | 15 to 30 years | Summer heat and HVAC curbs |
What does the Merced County climate do to a flat roof?
Merced County summers routinely top 95 degrees, and winter brings tule fog and around 12 inches of rain, so roofs bake for months and then stay damp for weeks.
Heat dries and shrinks older built-up and modified bitumen roofs, and fog keeps them from drying after a storm. Processing plants add their own moisture from steam and washdown inside.
How often should commercial roofs in Merced County be inspected?
A Merced County commercial roof should be inspected 2 times a year, and food plants should have exhaust areas checked every 3 months.
Grease and moisture from exhaust fans break down membranes around the fan curbs faster than anywhere else on the roof. Our commercial roof inspection page explains what each visit covers.
What does a maintenance program cost in Merced County?
A maintenance program for a 120,000 square foot food processing plant in Merced County costs $26,400 to $30,000 a year on our Protect program, priced at $0.22 to $0.25 per square foot with a $2,500 minimum.
Protect fits most Merced County processors, since scheduled repairs protect production and food safety. Retail and medical owners often start on Monitor, and owners of old Castle Airport buildings may need Manage to plan replacements. Compare all 3 tiers for Merced County on the maintenance programs and pricing page.
Merced County figures use our published rates: Monitor $0.12 to $0.15 per square foot a year with a $1,500 annual minimum, Protect $0.22 to $0.25 per square foot a year with a $2,500 annual minimum, Manage $0.40 to $0.45 per square foot a year with a $4,500 annual minimum.
How soon can you scan a roof in Merced County?
We can scan a roof in Merced County as soon as roof access is confirmed after your request, and a 120,000 square foot food processing plant takes about 2.5 hours at roughly 50,000 square feet an hour, with the PE-stamped report delivered within 48 hours.
Food plants run long shifts, so we coordinate rooftop access with plant safety teams and work around sanitation schedules. Book your Merced County scan through our roof scan request form, or compare counties on the service areas page.
Which Merced County cities and business districts do you serve?
We serve all of Merced County, and the 7 cities and districts below are where most of its flat commercial roofs sit.
- Merced: the county seat, with medical, retail, light industrial and university buildings
- Atwater: Castle Airport manufacturing, aviation and warehouse buildings
- Livingston: poultry and food processing plants
- Los Banos: dairy processing, agricultural services and retail
- Gustine and Dos Palos: food processing and farm service buildings
- Delhi and Hilmar: unincorporated dairy, cheese and processing buildings
- Winton and Planada: unincorporated agricultural and small commercial buildings
Merced County has 6 cities with their own building departments, and unincorporated areas such as Delhi, Winton, Planada and Hilmar go through the Merced County Community and Economic Development department. Reroofs must meet Title 24 cool roof rules.
FAQs
Do grease exhaust fans damage processing plant roofs?
Yes. Grease and warm moisture soften many membranes around exhaust fans, so we map those areas closely and recommend more frequent cleaning.
Can you scan old hangars and warehouses at Castle Airport?
Yes. Large older roofs at Castle are ideal for a scan, because it shows which sections are still dry and which need replacing.
Do you inspect UC Merced area buildings?
We scan private and institutional buildings around UC Merced. Campus work follows the university access and contracting rules.
Will a scan interrupt a poultry plant in Livingston?
No. The scan is done from the roof, so production and sanitation continue below. We only plan around rooftop equipment and safety zones.
Who permits roof work in Delhi or Hilmar?
Delhi, Hilmar, Winton and Planada are unincorporated, so the Merced County Community and Economic Development department issues roof permits there.
What would Protect cost for a 120,000 square foot food plant in Merced County?
At $0.22 to $0.25 per square foot, a 120,000 square foot roof costs $26,400 to $30,000 a year on Protect.
Do you cover the west side near Los Banos?
Yes, we cover Los Banos, Gustine and Dos Palos as well as Merced, Atwater and Livingston.
How does tule fog affect a roof after a storm?
Fog keeps the roof surface damp, so water that gets in through small openings has more time to soak into the insulation.
How long does a roof scan take on a food processing plant in Merced County?
A roof scan on a 120,000 square foot food processing plant in Merced County takes about 2.5 hours at roughly 50,000 square feet an hour, and the PE-stamped report follows within 48 hours.
Which Merced County cities do you cover?
We cover flat and low-slope commercial roofs in every part of Merced County, including Merced, Atwater, Livingston, Los Banos, Gustine and Dos Palos, Delhi and Hilmar and Winton and Planada.
Schedule a non-destructive roof scan anywhere in Merced County.
Trusted since 1983 on over 20,000 commercial roofs. California License 435836.