Both are white thermoplastic membranes, both are heat-welded, both reflect the Arizona sun. They are not interchangeable.
TPO
The default commercial roof. Less expensive, widely available, 20-plus years when installed and maintained well. Good for office, retail, warehouse, school, multifamily: most buildings.
PVC
More expensive by roughly 15–25% installed. Resists grease, oils and chemicals that degrade TPO; handles ponding water better; welds a little more forgivingly. Three building types where it earns the price: restaurants and food processing (grease from exhaust), buildings with chemical exhaust, and roofs with drainage that cannot be fixed.
What fails on each
TPO fails around kitchen exhaust when grease is present, and at seams when the welding was wrong. PVC fails mostly at details and plasticizer loss after many years. Neither fails in the field when installed right.
What we recommend
TPO unless the building has grease, chemicals or ponding. Then PVC, and we show you the exhaust detail that caused the last TPO roof to fail.
Tear off or recover: how to decide on a commercial roof
A recover costs a third less than a tear-off. Sometimes it is the right call and sometimes it is a mistake that fails in five years. Here is how we decide.
Why commercial roof warranty claims get denied
A twenty-year NDL warranty is only worth something if the claim is paid. Four reasons they are not, and three are the owner's to control.
What an infrared moisture scan finds that a roof walk does not
Wet insulation does not show from the top. A two-hour scan at night shows exactly where it is and how much, before anyone signs a contract.
Tell us about the roof. We will walk it, scan it and send a scope with photos.
A Ridgeline estimator replies the same business day. Program clients reach a foreman on the 24-hour line, any time.