Indiana & Chicago Area Commercial Roofing

Estimating commercial roofs the way crews actually build them.

Paul Cadena · North Star Roofing Systems LLC

I lead commercial roofing estimating and business operations at North Star Roofing Systems LLC — building takeoffs, scopes, and budgets that hold up once the trucks roll and the membrane comes off the trailer.

15+ yrs

In construction & trades

TPO · EPDM · Mod-Bit

Systems estimated

IN · IL

Primary service region

Aerial view of a commercial flat roof under construction at sunset, with crew installing TPO single-ply membrane over a large warehouse. — Field · TPO Install N 41° 35' W 87° 20'

01 — Practice

Commercial roofing estimating

Numbers that survive contact with the roof.

A good commercial roofing estimate isn't a spreadsheet exercise — it's a translation. You're taking a stack of architectural drawings, a walk on a hot deck, a tear-off sample, a manufacturer spec, and a crew's real cycle time, and turning all of it into a number a building owner can plan around and a foreman can actually build to.

That's the work I focus on at North Star Roofing Systems LLC. I think about commercial roofs as complete systems: deck, insulation, cover board, membrane, flashings, terminations, drainage, and maintenance. My goal is to coordinate those parts in the estimate, identify open questions, and give the owner and crew a clear plan.

I work primarily on flat and low-slope roofs across Indiana and the Chicago area — distribution, light industrial, retail, multi-tenant, and institutional buildings. The job mix is varied, but the discipline is the same: measure honestly, scope completely, and price what you can defend in front of an owner, an architect, and a roofer at the same table.

/ 01

Quantity takeoffs

Membrane, insulation, cover board, fasteners, flashings, edge metal, drains, walk pad — line by line, with waste factors that match the field.

/ 02

System selection

TPO, EPDM, modified bitumen, and recover vs. tear-off decisions matched to building use, deck, code, and warranty length.

/ 03

Scope & exclusions

Clear scopes that name the system, the manufacturer warranty, the flashing details, and what is intentionally not included.

/ 04

Budget & schedule

Pricing tied to real labor cycle times, current material costs, and a schedule that accounts for weather windows and lead times.

/ 05

Site & condition surveys

Roof walks, core cuts, drainage checks, and photo-documented condition reports that justify the recommendation.

/ 06

Owner-side translation

Plain-English summaries for property managers and owners who need to understand the bid, not just sign it.

Experience & estimating examples

The experience behind a clear scope.

Selected projects from my professional background, plus an EDGE-to-Excel estimating example and a sample roofing proposal. Project photos illustrate experience, not North Star contract ownership.

View project experience See a sample estimate →

Specialty ribbed roofing from Paul's portfolio

02 — Field Notes

Roofing education & resources

Understand your roof. Plan the right repair.

Practical roofing education for owners, property managers, and crews. Start with leak repairs, flat-roof basics, and the details worth doing right.

Roofing education·47 sec

Flat-roof decisions start with an inspection.

A lighthearted corgi reminder to start with an inspection, a clear plan, and the details your building needs. The focus is proper workmanship, not shortcuts.

Commercial low-slope roof with roofing work in progress.

Leak repairs·Field note

A lasting repair starts with finding the leak.

My first question is what is letting water in, not which patch to apply. I want the investigation, the temporary protection, and the final repair clearly documented.

Read the field note

Roof leaks need a proper investigation to verify the water-entry path and repair location; patching without that investigation may not solve the problem. The NRCA library's leak-investigation bulletin explains this approach for low-slope roofs.

I recommend asking the roofer to separate emergency protection from the permanent repair in writing. Ask what was found, what materials and details are proposed, and how the completed work will be checked; NRCA repair training likewise distinguishes temporary and permanent repair procedures.

Close-up of a TPO single-ply roofing seam being heat-welded with hot-air welder.

Systems · Field note

TPO or EPDM: start with the building.

I compare the complete roof assembly, not just the membrane name. My review starts with the building's use, existing conditions, project requirements, and maintenance plan.

Read the field note

Before recommending a system, I want the deck, insulation, drainage, flashings, attachment, and warranty requirements on the same page. I would ask for a written explanation of why the proposed assembly fits this particular building.

For an owner comparing bids, my recommendation is to ask each contractor to identify the proposed manufacturer, assembly, exclusions, and maintenance responsibilities. That makes the decision about the whole scope rather than a product label.

Wide view of low warehouse and distribution buildings with flat roofs at dawn.

For owners·Field note

How to read a roof condition report.

Look for documented observations, clearly marked locations, and an explanation of what still needs investigation. I want the recommendation tied to the conditions, not just a price.

Read the field note

I look for dated photos, a roof plan showing the areas discussed, and a clear distinction between what was observed and what was tested. If a report does not establish the condition of concealed materials, I want that limitation stated.

My suggested questions are simple: What needs attention now? What can be maintained? What additional investigation is needed before choosing a repair, recover, or replacement?

Wide view of crews working on a large commercial flat roof at golden hour.

Decisions·Field note

Recover or tear-off? Evaluate the existing roof first.

I want moisture conditions, deck condition, drainage, code requirements, and warranty goals reviewed before comparing options. My preference is to resolve those questions before treating either option as a firm scope.

Read the field note

A recover evaluation should address deck integrity, load capacity, system compatibility, moisture, drainage, wind uplift, and building-code requirements. The NRCA drainage guidance describes these considerations and the importance of correcting drainage deficiencies.

I recommend asking the project team to explain which conditions support its recommendation and which findings could change the scope. I would keep unknowns visible as investigation items or clearly stated allowances.

Worn wooden clipboard with grid notepad, mechanical pencil, tape measure, and TPO membrane sample.

Workmanship·Field note

Why I do not cut corners on the scope.

My approach is to price the details that the crew is expected to build. I want preparation, flashings, drainage, protection, and closeout identified alongside the main roof system.

Read the field note

I recommend asking for a scope that names the proposed assembly, preparation, flashing work, attachment, drainage work, warranty, cleanup, and exclusions. I also want a clear process for documenting concealed conditions before additional work is authorized.

A lower price is not, by itself, evidence of poor work. I compare quantities, materials, details, and responsibilities before deciding whether two proposals cover the same job.

Estimator's hands reviewing architectural blueprints on a job-site table.

Flat-roof basics·Field note

What a flat roof is, and why drainage matters.

A “flat” roof is a low-slope roof, not a roof intended to hold standing water. Membrane roof assemblies should be designed for positive drainage, as explained in NRCA's slope and drainage guidance.

Read the field note

Slope can be provided by the structure, tapered insulation, or a combination of methods, with drains and scuppers coordinated to the layout. The NRCA drainage guidance discusses these approaches and the effects of rooftop equipment on drainage paths.

When I review a proposal, I ask where the water is supposed to go and how existing drainage concerns will be addressed. I recommend having the project team review primary and overflow drainage rather than treating the membrane as the whole roof.

03 — Notebook

Roofing & project lessons

Do the basics well. Follow through.

The principles I bring to an estimate and a roof review. Understand the conditions, explain the work, and plan for proper completion.

/ 01

Verify conditions before you price the work.

I use drawings and aerial measurements as starting points, with a safe site assessment by qualified personnel where needed. I want observed conditions, access limitations, and unanswered questions recorded before finalizing the scope.

/ 02

Make the scope clear.

I want the owner and crew working from the same description of the job. My recommendation is to spell out the assembly, details, inclusions, exclusions, and how changes will be reviewed.

/ 03

Plan safe access and enough time.

I want safety planning, site protection, material handling, and realistic production time included before work begins. Those are parts of the job to plan, not corners to cut.

/ 04

Compare the work, not just the total.

I do not judge a proposal by its price difference alone. I recommend comparing quantities, preparation, materials, flashings, drainage, warranty terms, and exclusions, then asking about any differences.

/ 05

Document the condition you found, in writing.

I recommend dated photos and clear locations before, during, and after the work. Keep the findings, approved scope, and completion records together so the next review starts with useful information.

/ 06

Finish with a maintenance plan.

I want closeout to include the applicable warranty documents, maintenance responsibilities, and a clear contact for follow-up. My recommendation is to agree on those expectations before the project is complete.

04 — Off the Roof

The ride

Two wheels, flat horizon, no email.

A black touring motorcycle in the style of a 2021 Street Glide parked on a rural Indiana road at golden hour.

Outside of work, most of my best thinking happens on my black 2021 Street Glide. There's a particular kind of stillness on a midwestern two-lane at sunset — corn on both sides, an open sky, no notifications — that you can't get any other way.

I ride for the same reason I like commercial roofing: it's honest. The road tells you the truth about the bike. The bike tells you the truth about how you're paying attention. There's no faking it, and there's no shortcut. A long ride is a kind of audit on yourself.

A few hundred miles out and back through Indiana farm country, a stop for coffee, a slow walk around the bike. I come home with a quieter head and, usually, an idea I needed.

“The roof, the road, and the run of a small business all reward the same thing — paying attention to the boring stuff long enough that nothing breaks.”

05 — Contact

Let's talk roofs

Got a building? Get a straight answer.

Whether you're a property manager weighing recover vs. tear-off, an owner building your first commercial property, or a GC trying to get a credible roofing number on a tight deadline — I'm happy to talk it through.

The fastest way to reach me is email or a call at 224-301-7714. Tell me a little about the building, the deck if you know it, the square footage, and what's prompting the call. I'll come back with what I'd want to know next, what I'd recommend looking at on the roof, and whether North Star Roofing Systems LLC is the right fit.

Email Paul Call 224-301-7714 Project budget calculator