Full Roof Replacement for West Covina
Complete membrane and decking replacement including rafter repair and component re bedding, done in shop over a multi week schedule.
Short answer. Full roof replacement means stripping every component, peeling the old membrane, cutting out wet luan or azdel decking, repairing rotted rafters, then laying a new EPDM or TPO sheet in adhesive and re bedding everything. OCRV Center performs complete roof replacements in shop in Yorba Linda for West Covina owners.
OCRV Center works in shop at 23281 La Palma Ave in Yorba Linda, about 22 miles and 30 to 45 minutes from West Covina.
Request a quote
Tell us about the vehicle and the damage. Insurance walk ins are welcome.
Symptoms that point to this repair
If you recognize two or more of these, the vehicle is worth putting on a lift before the damage spreads.
Multiple soft spots underfoot across different areas of the roof
Membrane that cracks or tears when you press or flex it
Ceiling panels sagging or separating along the seams inside
Moisture meter reading wet across a large portion of the ceiling
Front or rear cap seam separated along most of its width
Previous patches and coatings layered over one another with new leaks between them
Rafter line visible as a ridge because the decking between rafters has collapsed
Persistent musty odor that returns no matter how much the unit is aired out
What pushes a roof past repair
A roof gets replaced when repairing it stops making financial sense, and that line is usually crossed by the substrate rather than the membrane. Rubber roofing is durable. Luan decking is not. Once water has been traveling under the membrane long enough to soften decking in several places, patching individual entry points leaves you with a sound raincoat over ruined structure, and the ceiling sags anyway.
The second trigger is membrane condition itself. A sheet that has lost its plasticizers cracks when flexed, will not accept a patch reliably, and produces a new leak somewhere else every season. At that point each repair buys a few months and the total spent over three years exceeds the replacement that would have solved it.
The third is accumulated history. Roofs that have passed through several owners often carry layers of mismatched coatings, silicone smeared around penetrations, tape over tape, and patches bonded with the wrong chemistry. Those layers trap water between them and hide the substrate condition entirely. Stripping back to a known baseline is the only way to know what you actually own.
Stripping the roof down to structure
The teardown is methodical. The air conditioner comes off, then the vents, fans, skylights, antenna bases, solar panels and their brackets, the ladder, any racks, and all of the edge trim on both sides plus the front and rear cap terminations. Every fastener location is documented so components go back exactly where the framing supports them rather than an inch off into unsupported decking.
Then the membrane comes up. On adhered roofs that means peeling and scraping residual adhesive, which is the slow part. Once the sheet is off, the decking is exposed and the real condition becomes visible: dark staining that traces the water path, delaminated plies, crumbling edges around openings, and the specific rafters that took the moisture.
This is the point where the estimate either holds or gets supplemented. No one can see under a membrane before it comes off, and any shop that promises an exact final number on a full replacement before teardown is guessing. We photograph the exposed structure, walk you through what we found, and get authorization for the additional scope before continuing.
Decking, rafters and structural repair
Wet luan comes out in sections back to sound material, and the replacement panel goes in at matching thickness so the roof plane stays flat. Cut lines are placed over rafters wherever possible so the new panel has support at its edges rather than floating between members. On units built with azdel substrate the panel does not rot, but the wood around it usually did, and the fasteners and adhesive bond need attention regardless.
Rafters get evaluated individually. Wood trusses that read wet but are still solid can often be dried and reinforced. Trusses that have gone punky lose fastener holding power and have to be replaced or sistered, which means opening more of the deck to reach them. Aluminum tube framing does not rot, but corrosion at the joints and at fastener locations is real, especially where dissimilar metals were in contact.
Sagging between rafters is worth correcting during a replacement even when it is not strictly a failure, because a low spot is a place for water to stand and stand is how the next roof fails. Adding a rafter, shimming, or building the plane up during decking installation costs very little while everything is already open and is nearly impossible to address afterward.
Laying new membrane and re bedding components
New membrane goes down over a clean, dry, flat substrate. The sheet is positioned and relaxed before any adhesive goes under it, since a membrane installed with tension built into it pulls at its terminations for the rest of its life. Adhesive is applied at the specified coverage rate and given its correct open time, then the sheet is worked out from the center with a broom and a roller so no air is trapped underneath.
Terminations are the part that determines longevity. Edges are wrapped, secured under the trim with the fastener spacing the design calls for, and sealed with non sag material on vertical faces. The front and rear cap transitions get particular attention because that seam sees the most flex and the most direct water flow of anywhere on the vehicle.
Then the components come back. Every one is re bedded in fresh butyl, never dropped onto old material, with fasteners drawn evenly and self leveling lap sealant over the flange perimeters and fastener heads. Air conditioner gaskets are replaced rather than reused, since a crushed gasket that is put back on a new roof will leak onto new decking and undo the entire job.
Interior repairs that come with a roof replacement
By the time a roof needs replacing, the ceiling almost always needs attention too. Stained ceiling panels, sagging vinyl, delaminated luan ceiling board, and swollen cabinet stiles at the top of upper cabinets are all part of the same water event. Some owners choose to replace the roof only and live with the cosmetic damage, which is a reasonable choice. Others do both at once while access is open.
Doing the interior at the same time saves real labor. Ceiling panels are far easier to address when the roof is open from above, and wall panel repair at the top plate is straightforward while the edge trim is already off. If wiring or plumbing runs through a damaged area, that is also the moment to correct it rather than discovering it later behind a finished panel.
We scope interior work separately so you can see what it adds and decide. Ceiling and wall panel work runs through the interior department, and larger jobs move into remodel territory with new panels, trim and finishes. What we will not do is close a new roof over wet insulation or rotted ceiling framing just to hit a lower number on the estimate.
Timeline and logistics for a West Covina roof replacement
Plan on weeks, not days. A straightforward replacement with limited decking work occupies a bay for a substantial stretch, and a replacement that turns into rafter repair and interior work runs considerably longer. Teardown, drying, structural repair, membrane installation and cure each take their own time and none of them compress well.
The unit stays with us in Yorba Linda for the duration. All work is in shop and we do not offer mobile service, which for a job like this is not a limitation but the entire reason it can be done properly: an open roof with the decking exposed cannot be left to weather, dew or wind at any point in the process.
West Covina owners typically drive the 10 or the 60 west to the 57 south, then the 91 east to Imperial Highway, roughly 22 miles and 30 to 45 minutes, with Carbon Canyon Road to the 71 as the afternoon alternate. Shop hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Saturday 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Call (949) 799-3387 to schedule an inspection, and expect the written estimate to distinguish clearly between known scope and the areas that can only be assessed after teardown.
Questions we get asked
How long does a full RV roof replacement take
Weeks rather than days. Teardown of every component and the old membrane, drying, decking and rafter repair, membrane installation, component re bedding and cure all take their own time. A replacement with limited substrate work moves faster than one that turns into structural repair. We give a firm schedule after teardown, when we can actually see the condition under the old sheet, and we update you if the scope changes.
Should I replace an RV roof with EPDM or TPO
Both are good choices and the decision usually comes down to what the unit was built with, how the terminations are detailed, and how you store it. TPO resists punctures and stays whiter. EPDM stays more flexible with age and is easier to repair later in the field. If the coach is stored uncovered in full sun year round, either one needs the same maintenance attention at the penetrations. We will make a recommendation for your specific roof at inspection.
Can you give me an exact price for a roof replacement before you start
We can give you a written estimate covering everything visible, and a clearly stated scope for what cannot be seen until the membrane comes off. Nobody can see the condition of decking and rafters under an intact roof. What we do is document the exposed structure with photographs at teardown, call you with what we found, and get authorization before any additional work proceeds. No surprises at pickup.
Will my insurance pay for a full roof replacement
If the cause is a covered sudden event such as hail, a falling limb or an impact, replacement is often approved when the damage is extensive enough that patching is not viable. If the cause is long term water intrusion through failed sealant, carriers generally treat it as wear and decline. Documentation of the damage pattern is what separates the two, which is why we assess and photograph before writing anything.
Do I need to repair the ceiling at the same time as the roof
Not necessarily, but it is usually the cheapest moment to do it. Stained and sagging ceiling panels are the interior half of the same water damage, and they are far easier to reach while the roof is open from above. Some owners do the structure now and the cosmetics later, which is fine. What is not fine is closing a new roof over wet insulation or soft ceiling framing, and we will not do that.
Ready to get a written estimate
We write estimates at the shop and bill your carrier direct. 30 to 45 minutes from West Covina on the 57 and the 91.