A leak you keep chasing
Interior water that returns after two or three repairs usually means the entry point was never actually found. The stain is where water exits, not where it got in.
Infrared roof inspections
Find the wet sections. Keep the dry ones.
An infrared roof inspection is a non-destructive survey that uses a thermal camera to locate water trapped inside the roofing assembly. Wet insulation holds heat longer than dry insulation, so after sunset the saturated areas stay warm while the rest of the roof cools — and they appear on the thermal image as sharply defined shapes. We map them, verify them with cores, and give you a documented picture of which portions of the roof actually need work.
Certified Infrared ThermographerInfraspection Institute · FLIR E96 & T865
How it works
The roof tells you where the water is, a few hours after sunset.
Through the day, a low-slope roof absorbs solar energy. Dry insulation has low thermal mass and gives that heat up quickly once the sun is off it. Insulation saturated with water holds far more energy and releases it slowly.
That lag is the whole basis of the survey. In the hours after sunset the wet areas are measurably warmer than everything around them, and on a 640 × 480 detector the boundary between wet and dry resolves clearly enough to mark on a plan.
The scan is only the first half. Every flagged area is checked with a moisture meter, and a limited number of verification cores confirm that the anomaly is water rather than a mechanical penetration, a warm space below, or retained heat from an earlier repair. Cores are patched the same night.
What a roof scan looks like
Three frames from a membrane roof survey.
Wet insulation holds the day's heat and releases it slowly, so after sunset saturated areas glow against a field that has already cooled. What the camera shows is a temperature difference — the moisture is confirmed afterward with a meter and, where permitted, a verification core.
Where the building permits it, findings are marked on the roof itself so the roofing contractor works to the same locations that appear in the report. Every image is captured radiometrically, so full temperature data is retained for later analysis or comparison against a future scan.
When to scan
Six situations where a survey pays for itself immediately.
A replacement bid you want verified
Before committing to a tear-off, a survey establishes how much of the field is genuinely wet. Sectional repair is often defensible.
A purchase or refinance
Roof condition is one of the largest unknowns in a building's capital picture. A survey converts it into a documented number.
A storm damage claim
A scan taken after an event distinguishes new saturation from pre-existing wet areas — the distinction that determines coverage.
A warranty about to expire
Finding saturation before the warranty period closes is the difference between a manufacturer's obligation and your expense.
A planned solar array
Mounting panels over wet insulation means removing them to repair it later. Scan the field before anything is anchored.
Roof types we scan
- Built-up roofing (BUR)
- Modified bitumen
- EPDM single-ply
- TPO single-ply
- PVC single-ply
- Spray polyurethane foam
- Insulated low-slope decks
- Some ballasted systems, subject to review
Membrane roofs are the strongest candidates. Some ballasted roofs can be surveyed and some cannot, depending on the depth and evenness of the ballast. Vegetated roofs and assemblies with a significant air gap below the deck are poor candidates. We will tell you which category yours falls into before scheduling rather than after.
What you receive
A map, not an opinion.
Findings are only useful if a contractor, a board, or an adjuster can act on them without taking your word for it. Every survey is issued as a document that stands on its own.
- Thermal and visual images of every flagged area
- A marked roof plan showing location and extent of suspected moisture
- Verification core results, including depth of saturation
- Estimated percentage of the roof field affected
- Written summary of findings and recommended next steps
- Radiometric image files retained for comparison against future scans
Who this is for
Commercial and multifamily properties across the metro area.
Low-slope roofs on larger buildings are where infrared earns the most, because the cost gap between a sectional repair and a full replacement is measured in tens of thousands of dollars — and because the interior symptoms almost never indicate the real extent.
Multifamily buildings
Warehouses
Shopping centers
Schools
Hotels
Industrial buildings
Commercial properties
Institutional facilities
Roof inspection FAQ
Questions we get before scheduling a scan.
Straight answers on timing, roof types, verification, and what the survey can and can't establish.
What is an infrared roof inspection?
An infrared roof inspection is a non-destructive survey that uses a thermal imaging camera to locate water trapped inside a roof assembly. Wet insulation stores more heat than dry insulation and releases it more slowly, so after sunset the saturated areas stay warm while the rest of the roof cools. Those areas appear on the thermal image as clearly defined shapes, which are then marked, verified, and mapped.
Why are infrared roof scans done at night?
The survey relies on the roof releasing heat it absorbed during the day. That difference between wet and dry areas is largest in the hours after sunset, once the surface has begun to cool but the trapped moisture is still radiating. Scanning in direct midday sun shows the temperature of the sunlight on the membrane rather than the condition of the insulation underneath.
Which roof types can be scanned with infrared?
Infrared works on most low-slope commercial assemblies, including built-up roofing (BUR), modified bitumen, EPDM, TPO, and PVC single-ply. It works best where insulation sits directly beneath the membrane. Ballasted roofs, heavily vegetated roofs, and roofs with a significant air gap under the deck are poor candidates, and we will tell you before scheduling if yours falls into that category.
Does an infrared roof survey damage the roof?
The scan itself is entirely non-contact — nothing is cut, drilled, or removed to produce the thermal images. Verification cores are the exception: we take a small number of test cores at flagged areas to confirm the moisture is real and measure how deep it goes. Each core is patched the same day.
How accurate is an infrared roof moisture survey?
Accuracy depends on conditions and verification. Infrared reliably identifies anomalies, but an anomaly is not proof of moisture on its own — a warm area can also be a mechanical penetration, a heated space below, or retained heat from a repair. That is why flagged areas are confirmed with a moisture meter and verification cores before anything appears on the final map.
When should a building get an infrared roof scan?
The most common triggers are a recurring interior leak, a roof replacement bid you want to verify, a property purchase or refinance, a storm damage claim, a warranty expiring, and a planned rooftop solar installation. Many owners also scan on a set cycle — every three to five years — to catch saturation while it is still a section repair.
Can an infrared survey reduce the cost of a roof replacement?
Frequently, yes. Trapped moisture is often confined to a portion of the roof field even when the interior symptoms feel widespread. A documented moisture map shows which sections genuinely need to come out, which supports a sectional repair instead of a full tear-off, and gives you an evidence-based position when reviewing a contractor's proposed scope.
What do I receive after the inspection?
A report containing thermal and visual images of each flagged area, a marked plan of the roof showing the extent and location of suspected moisture, verification core results with depth of saturation, an estimate of the affected percentage of the roof field, and a written summary of findings. The format is suitable for contractors, boards, and insurance carriers.
How do you detect moisture under a commercial roof?
With an infrared survey run after sunset. Through the day a low-slope roof absorbs solar energy; dry insulation gives that heat up quickly once the sun is off it, while insulation saturated with water holds far more energy and releases it slowly. In the hours after sunset the wet sections are measurably warmer than the field around them and resolve clearly enough to mark on a plan. Each flagged area is then confirmed with a moisture meter and a limited number of verification cores.
Can infrared detect wet roof insulation?
Yes, and it is one of the strongest applications of building thermography. Wet insulation has far greater thermal mass than dry insulation, so it retains heat longer and appears as a distinct warm area against a cooled roof field. Infrared identifies the extent and location of saturation across an entire roof in a single survey, which is impractical by any other non-destructive method. Membrane roofs are the best candidates; some ballasted roofs can be surveyed and some cannot, depending on the depth and evenness of the ballast.
How much does an infrared roof inspection cost in New York?
Price is driven by the size of the roof field, the access arrangements, how many verification cores are taken, and whether the survey has to be scheduled around a diligence deadline. A small multifamily roof and a 100,000 square foot warehouse field are different jobs. We quote a flat inspection price after a short conversation about the building rather than an hourly rate, because hourly billing rewards a slow survey and the entire value here is an accurate one. Call (516) 234-5012 with the address and roof size for a figure.
Can infrared detect wet insulation?
Yes — wet insulation retains heat far longer than dry insulation, which makes it visible on a thermal scan.
Water raises the thermal mass of insulation dramatically, so a saturated section continues radiating heat after the dry board around it has cooled. That lag is the entire basis of a roof moisture survey, and it is why the scan is scheduled for the hours after sunset rather than the middle of the day. Saturation also destroys the insulation's R-value, so a wet roof costs money continuously through heating and cooling load, not only at the point where it eventually leaks into the space below.
Roof diagnostics
More in this service area
Locating moisture-laden insulation, planning targeted repairs, and avoiding a full replacement that the evidence does not support.
Why us and not a plumber
We write the report. We never bid the repair.
A plumber who finds your leak also sells you the repair. A roofer who inspects your roof also quotes the replacement. That isn't dishonesty — it's structure, and it quietly shapes every finding. We are an independent diagnostic company: we do not perform repairs, we do not sell materials, and we take no referral fee from any contractor. The report is the entire product, so there is nothing for us to gain by finding more than is there.
No repair revenue
We can't profit from the work we recommend, because we don't do the work. If your roof is 8% wet, the report says 8% — not "replace the field."
No referral fees
We accept nothing from contractors for sending work their way. Take our findings to your own plumber, roofer, or electrician, or put them out to bid.
Findings that carry weight
Boards, managing agents, and insurance carriers treat an independent finding differently than an estimate from the company that wants the job.
We'll tell you it's nothing
Sometimes the answer is condensation, or a warm duct, or a neighbor's roof. We're paid the same either way, so we say so.
Request an inspection in your building
Tell us what you're dealing with.
Send the details and we'll come back with a scope, a time window, and a price — including what the survey covers and what it doesn't.
Direct line
(516) 234-5012Request received.
We'll review the details and follow up within one business day.