The Best Time to Have a Roof Evaluation

An independent roof evaluation has numerous benefits to a building owner.  Like any other valuable asset, knowledge of the condition and remaining service life of a building’s roof is an important aspect of managing the asset.  Knowing when to expect a capital expenditure for roof replacement or the annual cost of properly maintaining the roof, creates a well organized plan for budgeting and a comfort level for the building owner, especially if dealing with multiple properties.

The benefits of a roof evaluation are obvious, but when is the best time to have a roof evaluation done and how critical is the timing?

In most instances, the timing for a roof evaluation is not critical.  Inspections are recommended annually to ensure not only general maintenance items are noted, but also deficiencies that are likely current sources of leaks or will become sources of leaks are noted for correction.  Ideally, the roof survey should be undertaken before the winter season but still early enough to allow for contractor bidding, if necessary, and completion of the recommended repairs and maintenance.

The situation where timing may become critical is during a sale or acquisition of a building or buildings.  In this case, the roof evaluation must be completed before the sale or purchase is finalized.  The roof survey, while obtaining key information about the roof, provides the remaining service life information generally required by lenders.  The timing and cost of potential roof replacements or large scale repair and maintenance budgetary information provided by the roof evaluation becomes a valuable tool in the negotiations for the sale/purchase of the property.

One other situation where timing of the roof evaluation may be critical is prior to a building tenant moving in or moving out.  In many leases, the tenant is responsible for the maintenance and sometimes the replacement of the roof membrane.  A survey of the roof before the tenant moves in provides a baseline condition from which the maintenance can be based during the tenancy.  At the other end of that spectrum is a roof survey conducted prior to the tenant vacating the property, to ensure that the tenant has completed its obligations with respect to maintaining the roof membrane.

Each property and condition of ownership or tenancy is different, so there are no hard and fast rules about timing.  In every case however, it is best to treat the roof system as an integral part of the building asset and recognize that a roof evaluation conducted by an independent party provides valuable information for planning, budgeting, and maintaining the building.