Flat & pueblo roofs

Parapet Wall Coping That Seals the Top of the Wall

The top of a parapet takes sun, freeze and every storm head on. Bare stucco cracks and soaks up water. A formed metal coping cap sheds it off both sides.

Formed to the exact width of your parapet
Color-matched to stucco and trim
Cleated and fastened for New Mexico wind

Call (505) 596-3814Free on-site measure · Written price

Installer fastening brown metal coping onto a stucco parapet wall on a flat roof, Sandia Mountains behind

Formed on siteSeamless runs cut to your roofline
Free on-site measureExact footage, no guesswork
Written priceNo surprise charges on install day
Pitched & flat roofsGutters, canales and coping

The problem

Why parapet tops leak

Parapet walls are the short walls that rise above a flat roof. Their tops face straight up into the weather. In Albuquerque that means intense UV, freezing nights in winter, and hard monsoon rain in summer.

Stucco on a parapet top cracks from all that movement. Water gets into the cracks, runs down inside the wall, and shows up as stains, bubbling stucco, or a leak at an interior ceiling that seems to have nothing to do with the roof.

Re-stuccoing the top only buys a few years. Metal coping covers it for good.

Cracked bare stucco on top of a parapet wall

The fix

How metal coping works

Coping is a formed metal cap that covers the top of the parapet and laps down over both sides. We measure the wall width, form the coping to fit, and set it on a continuous cleat so it locks in place and cannot lift in the wind.

Both edges have a drip edge that throws water away from the stucco. Joints between sections are lapped and sealed, and corners are formed to wrap cleanly.

Measured and formed to your wall width
Continuous cleats for wind resistance
Lapped, sealed joints and formed corners
Colors to match stucco, trim or roof

Coping projects

Parapet coping on Albuquerque homes

Finished dark bronze coping stepping along pueblo-style parapet walls

Installer fastening dark bronze metal coping on a stucco parapet wall

Placitas home with pitched-roof gutters and flat-roof sections, Sandia views

Galvanized metal canale pouring water clear of a pueblo-style adobe wall

Estimator measuring a roofline with a tape measure

Options

Coping materials

Material	Look	Best for
Pre-painted steel	Clean, solid colors	Most homes; matches trim and stucco
Pre-painted aluminum	Clean, lightweight	Thinner parapets, coastal-style colors
Galvanized	Bare metal, ages to gray	Rustic and utility buildings
Copper	Bright, ages to brown patina	Custom and historic homes

Pairs well with

Coping, canales and roof work together

Parapet walls, canales and the roof membrane all meet at the same edges. When we put coping on, we look at the canales on those walls and the roof seal along the parapet. Fixing all three together is the best way to stop a flat-roof leak for good.

If you also need canales replaced, see canales and scuppers. For the bigger picture, read our flat roof drainage guide.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is parapet coping?

It is a formed metal cap that covers the top of a parapet wall and laps over both sides, keeping water out of the stucco and the wall.

Will coping change the look of my home?

Coping adds a thin metal line along the top of the wall. Most homeowners choose a color close to the stucco or trim so it blends in.

Can coping go on over existing stucco?

Usually yes. We check that the top is sound, repair any loose material, and then install the coping over it.

How long does coping last?

Pre-painted metal coping typically lasts decades, much longer than a re-stuccoed parapet top.

What we do