The United States has 5.9 million commercial buildings covering 96.4 billion square feet of floorspace, and a separate stock of roughly 39.6 million multifamily housing units. Most of that commercial floorspace sits under low-slope membrane and built-up roofs, not the metal and shingle roofs that dominate by building count. This report sizes the commercial and multifamily roofing market using primary government building-stock data and published industry market studies, and separates what is verified from what is estimated.
Executive summary
- The 2018 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) counted 5.9 million commercial buildings in the United States, totaling 96.4 billion square feet of floorspace. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, CBECS 2018.
- Measured by floorspace, synthetic or rubber membranes (31.6 billion sq ft) and built-up roofs (19.3 billion sq ft) cover about 52.8 percent of all US commercial floorspace, a Roofing Brief calculation from EIA data.
- Measured by building count, metal surfacing (2.2 million buildings) and shingles (1.3 million buildings) are the most common commercial roof types, because they sit on smaller buildings.
- The Freedonia Group forecasts US low-slope roofing demand at about 78 million squares, valued near 6.5 billion dollars, in 2026. One roofing square equals 100 square feet.
- Mordor Intelligence estimates the total US roofing market at 34.66 billion dollars in 2026, with reroofing and replacement making up 63.5 percent of activity in 2025.
- Single-ply membranes lead the low-slope systems mix. In a 2025 national contractor survey, thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) was the chief single-ply product for 37 percent of respondents, PVC for 28 percent, and EPDM for 24 percent.
- The US had 146.7 million total housing units in 2024, of which about 28.6 million sat in structures with 5 or more units, a Roofing Brief calculation from Census data.
- Structures with 50 or more units held 10.2 million housing units in 2024, the largest single multifamily category and the segment most associated with low-slope roofs.
Key findings
- The US had 5.9 million commercial buildings in 2018. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey, 2018.
- US commercial floorspace totaled 96.4 billion square feet in 2018. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, CBECS 2018.
- Synthetic or rubber membrane was the predominant roof material on buildings holding 31.6 billion square feet of commercial floorspace in 2018, the single largest share by area. Source: EIA, CBECS 2018, floorspace by roof material.
- Built-up roofing was predominant on 19.3 billion square feet of commercial floorspace in 2018. Source: EIA, CBECS 2018.
- Metal surfacing was the most common commercial roof material by building count, on 2.2 million buildings in 2018, but covered 20.9 billion square feet. Source: EIA, CBECS 2018.
- Asphalt, fiberglass, or other shingles were predominant on 1.3 million commercial buildings covering 14.1 billion square feet in 2018. Source: EIA, CBECS 2018.
- US low-slope roofing demand is forecast at about 78 million squares (7.8 billion square feet) in 2026, valued near 6.5 billion dollars, a decline of about 1.0 percent per year. Source: The Freedonia Group, US Low-Slope Roofing study.
- US commercial roofing demand in area terms is projected near 96.3 million squares in 2027. Source: The Freedonia Group, US Commercial Roofing study.
- The total US roofing market was estimated at 34.66 billion dollars in 2026, projected to reach 46.67 billion dollars by 2031 at a 6.01 percent compound annual growth rate. Source: Mordor Intelligence, United States Roofing Market, 2026.
- Reroofing and replacement accounted for 63.5 percent of the US roofing market in 2025, with new construction the smaller share. Source: Mordor Intelligence, 2025.
- In a 2025 national survey of commercial roofing contractors, 80 percent worked with single-ply systems, which represented about 28 percent of average contractor revenue. Source: myCLEARopinion Insights Hub, 2025 Roofing Contractor Commercial Roofing Report.
- Among single-ply installers in 2025, TPO was the chief product for 37 percent of respondents, PVC for 28 percent, and EPDM for 24 percent. Source: myCLEARopinion Insights Hub, 2025.
- The US had 146.7 million total housing units in 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, Table B25024.
- Housing units in structures with 50 or more units numbered 10.2 million in 2024, the largest multifamily size category. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year, Table B25024.
- Housing units in structures with 5 or more units totaled about 28.6 million in 2024, a Roofing Brief calculation summing the 5-to-9, 10-to-19, 20-to-49, and 50-or-more categories from Census data.
Commercial building stock: the roofing base
The most authoritative national count of commercial buildings comes from the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey, run by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The 2018 CBECS, released in 2021 and revised in 2022, is the most recent complete cycle. It estimates 5.9 million commercial buildings and 96.4 billion square feet of floorspace. To qualify, a building must be at least 1,000 square feet and use more than half its floorspace for commercial activity, which excludes houses, apartment buildings, and industrial plants.
CBECS records the predominant roof material for each building, and the picture changes depending on whether you count buildings or floorspace. By building count, metal and shingle roofs lead. By floorspace, membrane and built-up roofs lead, because they sit on larger buildings such as warehouses, big-box retail, schools, and offices.
Table 1. Predominant commercial roof material, by building count and floorspace (CBECS 2018)
| Roof material | Buildings (thousands) | Share of buildings | Floorspace (million sq ft) | Share of floorspace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic or rubber (single-ply) | 940 | 15.9% | 31,563 | 32.7% |
| Metal surfacing | 2,198 | 37.1% | 20,936 | 21.7% |
| Built-up | 708 | 12.0% | 19,308 | 20.0% |
| Asphalt, fiberglass, or other shingles | 1,311 | 22.2% | 14,058 | 14.6% |
| Slate or tile shingles | 376 | 6.4% | 3,997 | 4.1% |
| Concrete | 83 | 1.4% | 1,968 | 2.0% |
| Wooden materials | 166 | 2.8% | 1,568 | 1.6% |
| Other | 136 | 2.3% | 3,026 | 3.1% |
| Total | 5,918 | 100% | 96,423 | 100% |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey, 2018 (building counts and floorspace are EIA published figures; the share columns are Roofing Brief calculations dividing each category by the total).
The split matters for anyone sizing the roofing market. A metal or shingle roof on a small commercial building represents far less material and labor than a membrane roof on a distribution center. Counting buildings overweights small structures. Counting floorspace, which tracks roof area more closely, shows why low-slope membrane systems drive commercial roofing spend. For a systems-level comparison of these materials, see our low-slope roof systems overview and our TPO vs EPDM comparison.
Market size: dollars and squares
Two independent framings of market size are worth separating. One measures physical demand in roofing squares. The other measures dollar value. They are not interchangeable, because material and labor prices vary widely across systems.
The Freedonia Group, a market research firm, sizes the US low-slope roofing market at about 78 million squares in 2026, valued near 6.5 billion dollars, and forecasts a slight decline of roughly 1.0 percent per year through that year. A roofing square is 100 square feet, so 78 million squares equals 7.8 billion square feet of low-slope roofing demand in a single year. Freedonia separately projects total US commercial roofing demand near 96.3 million squares in 2027.
Mordor Intelligence sizes the entire US roofing market, residential and commercial combined, at 34.66 billion dollars in 2026, with a forecast of 46.67 billion dollars by 2031 at a 6.01 percent compound annual growth rate. Mordor reports that residential roofing held about 58 percent of market share in 2025 and that reroofing and replacement made up 63.5 percent of activity, with the commercial segment growing faster than residential.
Table 2. US roofing market size, selected published estimates
| Scope | Metric | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total US roofing (all segments) | Market value | $34.66 billion | 2026 | Mordor Intelligence |
| Total US roofing (all segments) | Forecast value | $46.67 billion | 2031 | Mordor Intelligence |
| US low-slope roofing | Demand (squares) | ~78 million | 2026 | The Freedonia Group |
| US low-slope roofing | Market value | ~$6.5 billion | 2026 | The Freedonia Group |
| US commercial roofing | Demand (squares) | ~96.3 million | 2027 | The Freedonia Group |
These figures come from different firms using different scopes and definitions, so they should be read side by side rather than added together. Where they agree is direction: commercial and low-slope volume is flat to slightly declining in squares, while dollar value rises with prices.
Systems mix: what is actually installed on low-slope roofs
Low-slope commercial roofs use a different set of materials than steep-slope residential roofs. The main categories are single-ply membranes (TPO, EPDM, and PVC), modified bitumen, built-up roofing, metal, and spray polyurethane foam, often paired with liquid-applied coatings. Two 2025 contractor surveys give a consistent read on the leaders, though each has a limited sample frame.
In the 2025 Roofing Contractor Commercial Roofing Report, produced by the myCLEARopinion Insights Hub, 80 percent of surveyed commercial contractors worked with single-ply systems, which accounted for about 28 percent of average contractor revenue. Within single-ply, TPO was named the chief product by 37 percent of respondents, PVC by 28 percent, and EPDM by 24 percent. Metal roofing had 75 percent contractor involvement and about 15 percent of revenue, and roof coatings had 59 percent involvement.
A separate 2025 survey compiled by Western Roofing Magazine, covering the Western US commercial market, put combined single-ply membranes at 51.1 percent of the low-slope market, with TPO at 36.7 percent and all modified bitumen products at 20.6 percent. This is a regional survey and should not be read as a national share.
Table 3. Low-slope systems mix, 2025 contractor surveys
| Metric | Value | Scope | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contractors working with single-ply | 80% | National | myCLEARopinion, 2025 |
| Single-ply share of contractor revenue | ~28% | National | myCLEARopinion, 2025 |
| TPO as chief single-ply product | 37% | National | myCLEARopinion, 2025 |
| PVC as chief single-ply product | 28% | National | myCLEARopinion, 2025 |
| EPDM as chief single-ply product | 24% | National | myCLEARopinion, 2025 |
| Combined single-ply share of low-slope market | 51.1% | Western US | Western Roofing Magazine, 2025 |
| TPO share of low-slope market | 36.7% | Western US | Western Roofing Magazine, 2025 |
| Modified bitumen share of low-slope market | 20.6% | Western US | Western Roofing Magazine, 2025 |
The two surveys agree that TPO leads the low-slope market and that single-ply as a group is dominant. They disagree on exact percentages because one is a national contractor-involvement survey and the other is a regional market-share survey. For how these membranes compare on cost and lifespan, see our spray foam vs single-ply comparison.
Multifamily housing stock: a separate roofing market
Apartment and condominium buildings are excluded from CBECS because they are residential. They form their own roofing market, and the best national count comes from the Census Bureau American Community Survey, Table B25024, Units in Structure. The 2024 1-year estimates count 146.7 million total US housing units.
Roofing demand from multifamily depends on building size, not unit count, because one roof covers many units. Larger structures concentrate more units under a single low-slope roof. Buildings with 50 or more units held 10.2 million housing units in 2024, the largest single category, and these are the flat-roofed apartment and condo buildings most likely to carry membrane or built-up systems.
Table 4. US housing units by structure size (ACS 2024 1-year, Table B25024)
| Units in structure | Housing units | Share of total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 unit (detached and attached) | 98,962,859 | 67.4% |
| 2 units | 4,724,007 | 3.2% |
| 3 or 4 units | 6,335,116 | 4.3% |
| 5 to 9 units | 6,505,738 | 4.4% |
| 10 to 19 units | 6,278,389 | 4.3% |
| 20 to 49 units | 5,625,736 | 3.8% |
| 50 or more units | 10,169,614 | 6.9% |
| Mobile home | 7,939,191 | 5.4% |
| Boat, RV, van, etc. | 200,311 | 0.1% |
| Total | 146,740,960 | 100% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, Table B25024 (unit counts are Census published figures; the share column is a Roofing Brief calculation). Summing the four categories of 5 or more units gives about 28.6 million units, and adding the 2-to-4 unit categories brings all multifamily to about 39.6 million housing units, or 27.0 percent of the stock. For how new residential construction drives roofing demand, see our housing starts and roofing demand report.
Roofing Brief calculations: original synthesis
The following figures are derived by The Roofing Brief from the primary sources cited. They are original calculations, not published statistics, and each carries the stated limitations.
1. Low-slope membrane share of commercial floorspace: 52.8 percent
Adding the synthetic or rubber category (31,563 million sq ft) to the built-up category (19,308 million sq ft) gives 50,871 million square feet, which is 52.8 percent of the 96,423 million square feet of total commercial floorspace. Inputs: EIA CBECS 2018 floorspace by roof material. Logic: both categories are low-slope membrane or bitumen systems. Limitation: CBECS records only the predominant roof material per building, so mixed roofs are simplified, and floorspace is not a perfect proxy for roof area on multistory buildings.
2. Membrane roofs are concentrated on large buildings
Buildings with synthetic, rubber, or built-up roofs number about 1.65 million, which is 27.8 percent of all commercial buildings, yet they hold 52.8 percent of commercial floorspace. Inputs: EIA CBECS 2018 building counts and floorspace. Logic: dividing each group by its respective total. Limitation: predominant-material coding and the floorspace-versus-roof-area caveat above.
3. Average floorspace per building by roof material
Dividing each material’s floorspace by its building count shows how building scale drives the systems mix. Single-ply buildings average about 33,600 square feet and built-up buildings about 27,300 square feet, roughly three times the 9,500 square feet of the average metal-roofed building and the 10,700 square feet of the average shingle-roofed building. Inputs: EIA CBECS 2018. Logic: floorspace divided by building count per material. Limitation: this is floorspace per building, not measured roof area; multistory buildings inflate floorspace relative to their footprint, so treat these as relative indicators of building scale rather than exact roof sizes.
Table 5. Average floorspace per commercial building by roof material (Roofing Brief calculation)
| Roof material | Floorspace per building (sq ft) |
|---|---|
| Synthetic or rubber (single-ply) | ~33,600 |
| Built-up | ~27,300 |
| Concrete | ~23,700 |
| Shingles | ~10,700 |
| Slate or tile | ~10,600 |
| Metal surfacing | ~9,500 |
| All commercial buildings | ~16,300 |
Inputs: EIA CBECS 2018 floorspace and building counts. This table is a Roofing Brief calculation, not an EIA statistic.
4. Multifamily 5-or-more-unit share of housing stock: 19.5 percent
Summing the 5-to-9, 10-to-19, 20-to-49, and 50-or-more categories gives 28,579,477 housing units, which is 19.5 percent of the 146,740,960 total. Inputs: US Census Bureau ACS 2024 1-year, Table B25024. Limitation: this counts housing units, not buildings or roofs, so it overstates the number of distinct roofs, because one large-building roof covers many units.
Charts worth building
- Buildings versus floorspace by roof material. A grouped bar chart comparing each material’s share of building count against its share of floorspace, using CBECS 2018. Insight: metal and shingle lead by count while membrane and built-up lead by area. Citation-worthy because it corrects the common assumption that the most common roof type is also the largest market by volume.
- Low-slope demand in squares versus market value in dollars. A dual-axis line chart pairing Freedonia square demand with dollar value over time. Insight: volume is flat to declining while dollars rise. Citation-worthy for showing price, not volume, driving market growth.
- Multifamily housing units by structure size. A bar chart from ACS 2024 Table B25024. Insight: the 50-or-more-unit category is the largest, concentrating low-slope roof area. Citation-worthy as a clean, sourced view of the multifamily roofing base.
- Single-ply product mix. A bar chart of TPO, PVC, and EPDM chief-product shares from the 2025 contractor survey. Insight: TPO leads single-ply. Citation-worthy as a current, named-source snapshot.
Methodology
Sources were selected in a strict order. Primary government building-stock data was used for the physical stock of buildings and housing units. The EIA Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey provides the national commercial building count, floorspace, and roof material distribution, and the US Census Bureau American Community Survey provides the housing-unit distribution by structure size. For market size in dollars and squares, published market research studies from the Freedonia Group and Mordor Intelligence were used, because no government source measures roofing market value directly. For the current systems mix, two 2025 contractor surveys were used.
Inclusion required that a figure be traceable to a named source retrieved during research for this report, with a clear year and geography. Where sources conflicted, both were reported with their scope rather than blended into a single number. Regional surveys were labeled as regional. Derived figures were computed only from the published inputs cited and were labeled as Roofing Brief calculations. Figures that could not be verified to a specific source, year, and geography were excluded. The last verification pass removed any statistic that a source did not directly support.
Two limitations apply broadly. First, CBECS 2018 is the most recent complete cycle, so commercial building-stock figures predate 2026 and describe the standing stock rather than current-year construction. Second, floorspace is not identical to roof area, because multistory buildings have more floorspace than footprint. Data last reviewed July 2026.
Source quality ranking
Tier 1, primary and official sources. U.S. Energy Information Administration, Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey 2018 (building counts, floorspace, roof material, and footprint report). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, Table B25024.
Tier 2, credible market research and trade data. The Freedonia Group, US Low-Slope Roofing and US Commercial Roofing studies. Mordor Intelligence, United States Roofing Market. myCLEARopinion Insights Hub, 2025 Roofing Contractor Commercial Roofing Report.
Tier 3, reputable trade commentary and regional surveys. Western Roofing Magazine, 2025 Western Commercial Roofing Market survey.
Excluded. Unsourced roundup pages, contractor blog posts without primary citations, and global single-ply market-value figures whose scope and definitions could not be reconciled to the US commercial market.
Most quotable statistics
- The US has 5.9 million commercial buildings covering 96.4 billion square feet of floorspace (EIA CBECS 2018).
- Low-slope membrane and built-up roofs cover about 52.8 percent of US commercial floorspace, even though they sit on under 28 percent of commercial buildings (Roofing Brief calculation from EIA CBECS 2018).
- US low-slope roofing demand is about 78 million squares, or 7.8 billion square feet, per year, valued near 6.5 billion dollars in 2026 (Freedonia Group).
- The total US roofing market is about 34.66 billion dollars in 2026, with reroofing making up 63.5 percent of activity (Mordor Intelligence).
- About 28.6 million US housing units sit in structures with 5 or more units, and 10.2 million sit in structures with 50 or more units (Census ACS 2024, with a Roofing Brief sum).
Data limitations
- CBECS 2018 is the latest complete cycle. Commercial building-stock figures describe 2018 and have not been superseded by a newer full survey.
- CBECS records only the predominant roof material per building, so buildings with mixed roof systems are simplified.
- Floorspace is not roof area. Multistory buildings inflate floorspace relative to footprint, so floorspace-based shares approximate, not equal, roof-area shares.
- Market-size studies from Freedonia and Mordor use proprietary methods and differing scopes, so their dollar and square figures are not directly additive.
- Contractor surveys measure contractor involvement or regional share, not installed square footage nationwide, and sample frames differ between surveys.
- ACS Table B25024 counts housing units, not roofs. One large multifamily roof covers many units, so unit counts overstate roof counts.
Recommended dataset fields
A downloadable companion dataset would include: roof material category; number of buildings; floorspace in square feet; share of buildings; share of floorspace; average floorspace per building; data year; source; geography; and a notes field for methodology caveats. A second table would include: structure-size category; housing units; share of total housing units; data year; and source.
Press summary
The US commercial and multifamily roofing market is larger by area than building counts suggest. Federal data from the 2018 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey counts 5.9 million commercial buildings and 96.4 billion square feet of floorspace. Metal and shingle roofs are the most common by building count, but low-slope membrane and built-up roofs cover about 52.8 percent of commercial floorspace, because they sit on larger buildings such as warehouses, schools, and big-box stores. Industry studies size US low-slope roofing demand near 78 million squares, worth roughly 6.5 billion dollars, in 2026, within a total US roofing market of about 34.66 billion dollars, where reroofing drives most activity. Separately, Census data counts about 28.6 million housing units in buildings with 5 or more units, a distinct multifamily roofing market led by large flat-roofed apartment buildings. TPO leads the low-slope systems mix.
Suggested headlines
- Low-Slope Membrane Covers More Than Half of US Commercial Floorspace, Federal Data Shows
- The US Roofing Market Is Worth 34.66 Billion Dollars, and Reroofing Drives Most of It
- 5.9 Million Commercial Buildings, 96.4 Billion Square Feet: Sizing the US Roofing Base
- Metal Roofs Are the Most Common on US Commercial Buildings, but Membranes Cover the Most Area
- 28.6 Million Housing Units Sit in Large Multifamily Buildings: The Overlooked Roofing Market
Frequently asked questions
How many commercial buildings are there in the United States?
The 2018 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey estimated 5.9 million commercial buildings in the United States, covering 96.4 billion square feet of floorspace. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, CBECS 2018.
What is the most common commercial roof material?
By building count, metal surfacing was the most common, on about 2.2 million commercial buildings in 2018. By floorspace, synthetic or rubber membrane led, covering 31.6 billion square feet. Source: EIA, CBECS 2018.
How big is the US commercial roofing market?
The Freedonia Group projects US commercial roofing demand near 96.3 million squares in 2027, and sizes US low-slope roofing near 78 million squares, worth about 6.5 billion dollars, in 2026. The total US roofing market, residential and commercial, is about 34.66 billion dollars in 2026 per Mordor Intelligence.
What share of commercial roofs is low-slope?
Low-slope membrane and built-up roofs cover about 52.8 percent of US commercial floorspace, a Roofing Brief calculation summing the synthetic or rubber and built-up categories in EIA CBECS 2018 floorspace data.
Which single-ply membrane is most used on commercial roofs?
TPO leads. In a 2025 national contractor survey, TPO was the chief single-ply product for 37 percent of respondents, ahead of PVC at 28 percent and EPDM at 24 percent. Source: myCLEARopinion Insights Hub, 2025.
How much of the roofing market is reroofing versus new construction?
Reroofing and replacement accounted for 63.5 percent of the US roofing market in 2025, with new construction the smaller share. Source: Mordor Intelligence, 2025.
How many multifamily housing units are in the United States?
About 39.6 million US housing units were in structures with 2 or more units in 2024, of which about 28.6 million were in buildings with 5 or more units. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year, Table B25024, with Roofing Brief sums.
How many large apartment buildings are there for roofing purposes?
Census data counts housing units, not buildings. In 2024, 10.2 million housing units were in structures with 50 or more units, the largest multifamily category and the one most associated with low-slope roofs. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year, Table B25024.
What is a roofing square?
A roofing square equals 100 square feet of roof area. Freedonia measures low-slope demand at about 78 million squares in 2026, which equals 7.8 billion square feet. Source: The Freedonia Group.
Is the commercial roofing market growing?
In dollar terms, yes. Mordor Intelligence forecasts the total US roofing market to grow at a 6.01 percent annual rate to 46.67 billion dollars by 2031, with commercial growing faster than residential. In physical squares, Freedonia forecasts low-slope demand to decline about 1.0 percent per year through 2026, so growth is driven by price rather than volume.
Reviewed by The Roofing Brief Team. Last reviewed July 2026.