On July 1, Carlisle SynTec raised prices on TPO membranes and accessories by 6 to 8%, and on PVC, EPDM, and polyiso insulation by 5 to 7%. The April price letter to distributors blamed “broad-based disruption to global energy and petrochemical supply chains,” and added a $750-per-shipment freight surcharge on top.
That is one manufacturer, one letter. But if you bid a 40,000-square-foot TPO tear-off in the spring and the claim is still open this fall, your material cost moved while the carrier’s estimate did not.
Price is the easy part of commercial roof claims, though. The harder parts are the policy forms that change what gets paid, and the long list of low-slope scope items that never make it onto the first estimate. This post covers all three.
What moved in commercial roofing prices this year
Low-slope roofing is a petrochemical and metal business, and both inputs got more expensive.
- Membranes and insulation. The Carlisle increase above hit TPO, PVC, EPDM, polyiso, adhesives, and low-rise foam at the same time. When one major manufacturer moves this broadly, the others usually are not far behind, so check your own supplier’s notices.
- Metal. The White House raised Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25% to 50%, effective June 4, 2025. On a commercial roof, that touches edge metal, coping, gutters, fasteners, plates, and any metal panel work.
- A caution on headline numbers. RoofVista’s 2026 roofing tariff guide makes a fair point: “The federal tariff rate is not the percentage increase on an installed roof.” A 50% tariff on steel does not mean a 50% jump on your bid.
What this means for a claim: the price list on the carrier’s estimate has to match the market and the date of loss for that area. If it does not, that is a pricing issue to document with supplier invoices and quotes, not a feeling. Materials that are specified by the manufacturer’s system (a specific membrane thickness, a specific adhesive) should be priced as specified, not swapped for a generic line.
The CP 10 36 roof-surfacing endorsement
Residential roofers have spent three years learning about cosmetic damage exclusions. Commercial policies have their own version, and it is often more precise.
The ISO form is CP 10 36, Limitations on Coverage for Roof Surfacing. According to Frontera Claims’ field guide, it has two parts that can be selected separately in the schedule:
- Paragraph A changes roof surfacing from replacement cost to actual cash value.
- Paragraph B excludes cosmetic damage to roof surfacing caused by wind or hail. The form defines cosmetic damage as “marring, pitting, or other superficial damage that changes the roof surfacing’s appearance but does not prevent it from continuing to function as a barrier to the elements to the same extent as before the damage.”
The practical trap: a policy can apply A, B, or both, and the guide notes that finding CP 10 36 in the forms list “is therefore not enough; the completed schedule must also be read.” A roof with only Paragraph A is still covered for hail damage, just at depreciated value. A roof with Paragraph B may see the carrier argue that surface marks are not damage at all.
Bill Wilson, writing in Insurance Journal this month, called the question of what counts as cosmetic “likely a more debatable issue,” partly because functional problems can take time to show up.
Here is where you need to stay in your lane. Whether damage is cosmetic under the policy is a coverage decision, and it belongs to the carrier. If the building owner wants to contest that decision, that is a job for a licensed public adjuster or an attorney, not the roofer. (We cover where that line sits in roofer vs public adjuster by state.) Your job is facts: what the membrane looks like, what is under it, and what the repair requires. For the residential side of this problem, see the policy endorsements that kill a supplement.
Other policy terms that shape the check
Two more commercial policy features change the math before anyone argues a single line item.
Percentage wind/hail deductibles. ISO’s CP 03 21 endorsement sets a wind or hail deductible as a percentage (commonly 1%, 2%, or 5%) of the property’s value, calculated separately for each building. Say a warehouse in Wichita is valued at $2,000,000 with a 2% wind/hail deductible. The first $40,000 of any hail loss is the owner’s. On a partial roof repair, that can swallow the claim. Know this before you promise the owner anything.
Coinsurance. Many commercial policies require the building to be insured to a stated percentage of its value. If the owner is underinsured, the payment can be reduced in proportion. That is between the owner, the agent, and the carrier, but it explains why an estimate that looks right can still produce a smaller check.
Code upgrades on commercial claims generally run through Ordinance or Law coverage, and limits vary widely. Read the declarations.
The line items carrier estimates commonly miss on low-slope roofs
This is where most of the money lives. The items below are common gaps on commercial carrier estimates in general, not a statement about any one carrier. Many overlap with the residential items in code items adjusters miss most, but the dollar amounts on a commercial roof are larger.
What’s under the membrane
- Wet or crushed insulation. Hail that fractures a membrane lets water into the insulation. Hail that does not fracture it can still crush insulation and cover board. Vertex Engineering notes that EPDM hail damage often shows up as “indentations within the underlying insulation boards,” and that EPDM fractures “can be difficult to see with the naked eye.” If the estimate replaces membrane only, and the insulation is wet or crushed, the scope is short.
- Cover board. If the system had one, the replacement needs one. It is frequently left off.
- Tapered insulation and crickets. Drainage slope built into the insulation has to be rebuilt. Tapered systems are priced differently from flat stock.
- Energy code insulation. Under the IECC (Section C503.3.1), a roof replacement on a building with insulation entirely above the deck generally has to meet current insulation requirements, as Building Enclosure explains. Recovers and some replacements can be exempt, and states adopt different editions (some use ASHRAE 90.1 instead). Check the local code before you add it, and cite it when you do.
Tear-off vs recover
- Multiple layers. The International Building Code does not allow a recover where the existing roof has two or more applications of roofing, or where the existing roof is water-soaked or deteriorated to the point it is not an adequate base. If the carrier scoped a recover and a core cut shows two roofs, the scope needs a full tear-off of every layer.
- Disposal. Tear-off of a multi-layer commercial roof means dumpsters, haul-off, and dump fees at a scale residential estimates never see.
Edges, walls, and penetrations
- Perimeter edge metal and coping. IBC Section 1504.5 requires low-slope membrane roof edge securement (except gutters) to be designed for wind loads and tested to ANSI/SPRI ES-1. A generic “drip edge” line does not cover a tested edge system or wall coping.
- Parapet wall flashing. Base flashings and wall membrane run up and often over the parapet. Measure them; they are not in the field square footage.
- Curbs, drains, and scuppers. Curb flashing, drain rings and clamping, and overflow scuppers each have their own labor.
- Walkway pads. If they were there, or the manufacturer requires them, they belong on the estimate.
- Lightning protection. Detach and reset is typically done by a specialty sub.
Rooftop equipment and access
- HVAC. Disconnect and reconnect by a licensed HVAC tech, plus a crane or lift to raise units off the curbs, is one of the largest and most commonly missed items.
- Crane and hoisting. Getting material onto a three-story roof is not free.
- Fall protection. OSHA’s warning line rule requires lines at least 6 feet from the roof edge (more where mechanical equipment is used), and a safety monitor must have no other duties. That labor and equipment is a real cost.
Soft costs
- Permits and engineering. Commercial permits cost more, and some jobs need a design professional for wind uplift calculations.
- Manufacturer warranty requirements. If the owner had a manufacturer warranty, the replacement system typically needs an approved installer, the specified components, and the manufacturer’s inspection fee.
A documentation checklist for commercial claims
Commercial carriers frequently bring in their own engineer. Your file should be ready for that conversation. Before the adjuster meeting:
- Pull the policy forms and schedules, including CP 10 36 and the deductible endorsement, if the owner will share them.
- Get a moisture survey. Professional Roofing’s guide to roof moisture surveys notes that “infrared imagers do not see moisture; they see temperature differences,” and that nuclear and capacitance readings are relative. Core cuts confirm them.
- Take core cuts that show layer count, insulation type and thickness, cover board, and deck type.
- Photograph hail marks at close range with a scale reference. On TPO and PVC, look for circular or star-shaped fractures in the top ply.
- Measure the details: perimeter, parapet heights, curb count and sizes, drains, scuppers, and walkway pads. Follow a photo requirements checklist so nothing gets missed.
- Collect current supplier quotes for membrane, insulation, and edge metal.
- Get quotes from subs: HVAC, crane, lightning protection, and any engineering.
- Document manufacturer requirements in writing if a warranty is involved.
Then build the supplement line by line, with a reason for every added item. Our guide to writing a roofing supplement walks through the structure.
Quick answers
What is ISO CP 10 36?
It is a commercial property endorsement titled Limitations on Coverage for Roof Surfacing. It can switch roof surfacing to actual cash value (Paragraph A), exclude cosmetic wind or hail damage to roof surfacing (Paragraph B), or both, depending on the schedule.
Does a cosmetic damage exclusion mean a commercial roof isn’t covered?
Not necessarily. It depends on which paragraphs apply and whether the damage affects the roof’s function. That is the carrier’s coverage call. Roofers document the facts; coverage disputes go to a public adjuster or attorney.
Why do commercial carrier estimates come in low?
Common reasons include missing insulation and cover board, a recover scoped where tear-off is required, generic edge metal, and missing HVAC, crane, and safety costs. Outdated material pricing adds to the gap.
Can EOD write commercial supplements in Symbility?
Yes. EOD writes commercial roof supplements in Xactimate or in Symbility / Cotality Claims Connect, whichever the carrier uses.
Does EOD inspect commercial roofs?
No. EOD does not perform inspections or damage assessments. We write the estimate and supplement from your photos, measurements, moisture data, and core cuts.
The short version
Commercial roof claims pay on details. Membrane and insulation prices moved this summer, CP 10 36 can change what the policy pays before anyone reads your estimate, and the most expensive items on a low-slope roof (insulation, tear-off layers, edge systems, HVAC lifts) are the ones most often missing from the first estimate.
You cannot control the policy. You can control the file. When the moisture survey, core cuts, measurements, and sub quotes are in hand, the supplement is a list of facts. If you want a team of former field adjusters to turn those facts into a line-by-line supplement, see how our commercial roof supplement service works. EOD’s historical average increase is about 28.6%, with supplements returned within 24 hours; results vary by claim and are never guaranteed.
Sources: Carlisle SynTec Systems, “Price Increase Letter” (Apr. 23, 2026); The White House, “Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Increases Section 232 Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum” (Jun. 3, 2025); RoofVista, “2026 Roofing Tariff Price Guide” (updated Sep. 6, 2026); Frontera Claims, “Cosmetic Damage Exclusion Guide” (updated Sep. 2, 2026); Insurance Journal, Bill Wilson, “Beware These Commercial Property Endorsements!” (Sep. 7, 2026); InsuranceXDate, “Windstorm or Hail Percentage Deductible, Form CP 03 21”; Building Enclosure, “Roofing Code: Roof Replacement and the IECC” (Mar. 14, 2018) and “Roofing Code: Section 1504.5 Edge Securement” (Dec. 5, 2011); Vertex Engineering, “Test Your Claims Knowledge: Hail Damage to Roofing Membranes” (Aug. 8, 2017); Professional Roofing, Michael T. Williams, “Surveying roof moisture” (Dec. 1, 2025); OSHA, 29 CFR 1926.502. This post is general information for roofers, not legal advice; the policy in front of you and your local code official control.
Got a commercial claim where the carrier’s estimate stops at the membrane? EOD’s roofing supplement services cover low-slope and commercial roofs in Xactimate or Symbility, for 10% of the increase, no increase, no fee, no minimums. Send us a claim.
