RV Roof Soft Spots and Rotten Plywood Repair
A soft spot means water has reached the plywood deck under the TPO. The damaged deck has to be cut out and replaced; coating over rot fails. Soft-spot zones start around $350 per zone; a full 4×8 sheet during replacement is about $400.
Soft deck opened up. Wet wood and debris out, new plywood in. Coating this as-is would have failed in a season.
Deck rebuilt the full length, then the membrane goes down. Sheet price in the catalog is this kind of work, not a smear of coating.
What a soft spot is
You feel it before you always see it: the roof gives underfoot, or the ceiling below looks stained or sagging. That is wet wood, not “just the rubber.”
We work on TPO / membrane roofs for Class A, Class C, fifth wheels, travel trailers, and similar coaches. Mobile service within about 70–80 miles of Rancho Santa Margarita, California.
Zone repair vs a full sheet
Plywood Soft-Spot Repair: Full soft-spot repair with coating integration: remove damaged section, install new plywood, apply reinforced fabric, seal all seams and edges, then finish with silicone coating layers on top.
During a full 60 mil TPO replacement, simple sheet replacement is ~$400 per sheet.
Joist or truss damage under the deck is a different job and is only quoted after we see it from the roof and, often, from inside.
What we do
- Remove damaged decking and inspect substrate
- Install new plywood sheet(s)
- Apply reinforced fabric over repair area
- Seal all seams, edges, and transitions
- Finish with coating layers (matches your selected service)
Questions
Can you coat over a soft RV roof?
No. The rotten plywood has to come out. Coating over rot fails.
How much is a soft-spot repair?
Integrated zone repairs start from $350 per zone. A 4×8 sheet during full TPO replacement is ~$400 per sheet. Final size is confirmed on site. Inspection is $85.
Is a soft spot the same as a leak?
A soft spot means the leak already reached the deck. Fix the wood and the entry, not only the interior stain.
On-site inspection $85. Photo estimate free.