Low-Slope Commercial Roof Replacement in Narragansett, RI

Like most Pinnacle projects, the work was completed efficiently — minimizing disruption for the property owner.

Pinnacle makes every project affordable with monthly financing options, including 0% interest for 18 months.

Not every roof is a steep residential slope — this Narragansett property is topped by a broad low-slope section that needs a fundamentally different system to stay watertight. Pinnacle Roofing & Skylights rebuilt it from the deck up: new plank wood decking, a modified-bitumen membrane engineered for flat and low-pitch roofs, fresh metal drip edge and coping, a re-flashed brick chimney, and a clean skylight curb detail. The finished roof drains properly and seals tight at every edge and penetration. Explore our other projects in Narragansett.

Scope of Work

Low-slope roofing lives and dies at the seams, edges, and penetrations, so that is where our attention went. The crew tore off the failing roof, laid down new plank wood decking to create a sound, uniform substrate, and installed a modified-bitumen membrane sealed into a fully bonded, watertight surface across the field. We then wrapped the perimeter in new metal drip edge and coping to lock down the edges, re-flashed the brick chimney so that masonry-to-membrane transition stays sealed, and built a proper curb detail around the skylight. Everything was pitched to move water toward drainage rather than letting it pond. Learn more about our full Commercial Roofing systems.

What We Installed (And Why)

Because this is a low-slope commercial roof, there is no shingle here — instead the waterproofing is a continuous modified-bitumen membrane, the right tool for a roof where water moves slowly and needs a fully sealed surface rather than shingles that shed it fast. The membrane goes down over new plank decking, which gives it a flat, solid base and eliminates the soft spots and dips that let water pond. New metal coping and drip edge cap the perimeter, protecting the most exposed part of any flat roof from wind uplift and edge leaks.

The penetrations get the same rigor as the field. The brick chimney was re-flashed so the joint between masonry and membrane is fully sealed, and the skylight sits on a properly built curb that lifts it above the water plane and flashes cleanly into the roof. On a low-slope roof, drainage is everything, so the whole assembly was pitched to carry water off the roof instead of letting it sit — the single biggest factor in how long a flat roof lasts.

Project Photo Gallery

Finished low-slope commercial roof membrane

Clean seam and flashing detail

Completed commercial roof with proper drainage

Good To Know: Why do flat and low-slope roofs need a membrane instead of shingles?

Shingles rely on gravity — they overlap so water runs quickly down a steep slope and off the eave. On a flat or low-slope roof, water moves slowly and can sit for a while, so a shingle system would leak at every lap. A membrane like modified bitumen solves this by creating one continuous, fully sealed waterproof surface with no reliance on steep pitch. Combined with correct drainage and sealed edges and penetrations, it is what keeps a low-slope commercial roof dry year after year.

Why This Approach Works

Flat and low-slope roofs fail for predictable reasons: ponding water over a sagging deck, wind-lifted edges, and unsealed penetrations. This rebuild answers all three. New plank decking removes the dips that cause ponding and gives the membrane a stable base. Locked-down metal coping and drip edge defend the perimeter against uplift. And meticulously flashing the chimney and skylight curb closes off the exact spots where leaks begin. Add deliberate pitch toward drainage, and you have a roof engineered to keep a commercial building dry and protected for the long term.

Why Pinnacle

Commercial roofs demand credentials that match the systems they use, and Pinnacle Roofing & Skylights carries them: we are a Mule-Hide and Gaco Licensed Applicator and Firestone Building Envelope Certified, so the manufacturers themselves stand behind our low-slope installations. We have served Rhode Island since 2012, and our work is backed by more than 100 five-star Google reviews and an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. From membrane selection to flashing detail, we build commercial roofs to perform. Financing is available for projects like this, including 0% interest for 18 months.

Narragansett, RI

Narragansett is classic coastal Rhode Island — a working shoreline town where salt air, wind, and hard weather test every building envelope. Flat and low-slope roofs here have to stand up to conditions that would find any weak seam, which is exactly why the details matter so much. Pinnacle is proud to serve commercial and residential property owners across Narragansett and the surrounding South County coast.