EPDM Roofing in Centreville, VA: Where Old Town Has Flat Roofs
Nothing we opened says what covers any Centreville roof. What the county does print, in its January 2026 design guidelines for the old town, is which buildings there are gabled and which are flat. EPDM is a sheet for flat and low-slope roofs, so only the second group raises the question.
A walk through the district
Which kinds of building in Old Centreville could ever take an EPDM sheet?
We read the county's Centreville Historic Overlay District Design Guidelines, which replace a 2010 version. Its building descriptions sort the district into three kinds of roof.
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Gabled houses and churchesThe norm, per the guidelines
The guidelines say most buildings are simple in form with gable roofs, and list standing seam metal and wood shingle as the roof shapes and coverings of the district, adding that asphalt shingle replacement roofs are now common.
For EPDM: not a candidate. A sheet made for low-slope roofs does not belong on a pitched gable. See roof replacement instead.
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One-story commercial buildings of the 1940sThe flat-roof group
The guidelines label the Centreville Restaurant (a frame building, flat roof and parapet) and Payne's Restaurant (concrete block, flat roof) as contributing, and describe Merchants Tire Store, built in 1946, as one story with a metal-clad front.
For EPDM: the only group where a membrane is a fair question. The text says how each building was built, not what covers it now, so the first job is finding out.
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Newer or altered buildingsNon-contributing
The guidelines separate these from the character-defining buildings and allow more non-conformity for them, though changes can still affect the district.
For EPDM: depends on the building, not on any district rule we could find. Ask the county to confirm how your parcel is classified.
What the guidelines ask for
If a flat roof in the district needs work, does the county tell you what to put on it?
Not in so many words. The guidelines recommend that damaged features be replaced in-kind or in a way that matches the historic material and appearance, and they repeat the federal standard that deteriorated features are repaired rather than replaced. There is no roofing section, and no page names a membrane, a coping or a roof covering.
That silence cuts both ways. We cannot say EPDM is allowed, and we cannot say it is not. A parapet roof is seen mostly from above, which is our reading, not the county's.
Who reviews it
Who decides: the architectural review board, the permit office, or both?
| Source | What it says | What it leaves silent |
|---|---|---|
| Design guidelines, page 5 | Review by the Architectural Review Board is required only for exterior work that requires a permit. | Roofs appear on neither its list of reviewed projects nor its list of exempt ones. Fences, gutters and residential window and door replacements are on the exempt list. |
| Land Development Services list | The commercial no-permit list includes replacing less than 100 square feet of roof covering, and roof repairs sit among permit work. | No mention of EPDM, membrane or flat roofs, and no statement of which list a full re-cover belongs on. |
| Board FAQ | A subdivision's own design committee does not replace the board. | Whether a like-for-like re-cover counts as an alteration needing review. |
Because each page leaves a gap, the answer comes from a call to Land Development Services at 703-222-0801 with the exact scope in writing. The Centreville page has the rest of the permit picture.
If a sheet does apply
What should be on paper before an EPDM quote on a Centreville flat roof?
Whatever the building, three things belong in a written scope. First, the slope: the model code text sets a minimum design slope for single-ply sheets, and the flat roof guide explains how drainage is judged. Second, how the seams are made and checked, since EPDM laps are joined with adhesive or tape and have long been a focus of failure studies. Third, the sheet named exactly as its data sheet names it, which for EPDM is listed under ASTM D4637. Colour alone will not tell you what a roof is.
Is it flat at all?
Many roofs that look flat from the street carry a slight pitch, and some that look pitched have a flat deck behind a parapet. Our materials page compares the choices once the shape is known.
Questions
EPDM questions from Old Centreville owners and managers
Does any county document say Old Centreville roofs are EPDM?
None that we opened. The guidelines describe shapes and, for a few buildings, the original construction, never the current covering.
Is the old town the same as my Centreville neighborhood?
The guidelines put the district at 84 acres, far smaller than the town. The county can check a parcel, and the board's own FAQ says an association committee does not stand in for it.
Which Centreville buildings does the county call flat-roofed?
In its building descriptions, the Centreville Restaurant and Payne's Restaurant, each marked contributing. Merchants Tire Store is described as one story, with no roof shape given.
Could EPDM go on a pitched roof in the district?
That is not what the sheet is for. The guidelines name standing seam metal and wood shingle for pitched roofs there, so ask about those coverings.
Is a re-cover of a flat roof reviewed by the board?
The guidelines say review applies to exterior work that requires a permit, and do not say whether a re-cover does. Ask Land Development Services how your scope is classified.
What if the building is outside the district?
Then the guidelines do not apply, and an association or condo board may be the first approval. Our Centreville page covers that side.
How should the sheet be named in a contract?
By its data sheet, copied exactly, rather than by colour or a guess from the ground.
Keep reading
Where to read on, and which pages we read
Start from the Centreville roofing page, then the flat roof guide and roofing materials. Nearby places with their own EPDM pages: Chantilly and Fairfax.
Official pages used, checked October 14, 2026: Centreville HOD design guidelines (PDF), historic overlay districts FAQs and county list of work needing a permit.
Talk through the next step
Tell us what shape the Centreville roof is
Say whether the top is flat or pitched, whether the building is inside the old town district, and what covers it today. That decides whether EPDM is worth discussing.
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