Commercial Roof Maintenance: A Proactive Approach
Think Ahead & Get Ahead of Commercial Roof Maintenance Needs
If you own or manage a commercial building, you know that roofing maintenance and repair costs are something to really keep an eye on. To start, labor and materials cost for roofing project usually rise as fast or faster than other building maintenance or improvement cost areas. Additionally, roofs are becoming more of a factor when it comes to energy consumption and efficiency, leading to more retrofits, equipment and contractor traffic. All this is to say that getting your roofing maintenance plan worked out well ahead of time and minimizing costs is becoming more important every year.
5 Items to Keep in Mind When it Comes to Managing Your Roofing Maintenance Costs
1-Plan. Plan. Plan.
As it goes with many maintenance tasks, looking ahead and proactively planning short term and long term maintenance work can yield significant dividends. According to a recent study, facility managers can expect to spend around 60-70% more on roofing costs if they take a “repair and react” approach versus “planning and maintaining.” Moreover, the average lifespan of a roof increases from 13 years to 21 years with regular inspections and upkeep. Planning has the highest ROI of just about anything you can do.
2- Consider the Tech Payoff
State of the art materials, monitoring sensors, high grade thermal materials and such all have an associated cost increase. On the other hand, they can yield significant dividends depending on your building type, location and other factors. Take the time to have a consultant run the numbers on your particular facility before spending the money.
3-Think 20 Years Out When Replacing Your Roof
Simply put…The chief factor to concern yourself with when it comes to bidding your roofing replacement contract is the longevity of the roof. Roof cycle costs dominate overall roofing costs, ongoing repair costs as well as other cost areas. If you choose your roofing contractor, materials and technology to save a buck today it will cost you 5 tomorrow.
4-Local Installers Understand
Be sure your roofing contractor has a good deal of experience working with buildings in your local area. There are so many factors that are unique to your locality that can be quite important in the long term that having a roofing contractor who can point to other projects nearby should be important to you. Everything from local ordinances to building codes, and from weather patterns to having solid local maintenance subcontractors is important.
5-Bundle Work on the Rooftop
If you have a major improvement coming up on the roof such as solar, HVAC or other such project it is wise to bundle that work together with any major maintenance projects even if you move them up a few years. Every time a contractor opens up your roof there is a risk factor involved that makes having them up there for major work as seldom as possible a smart move.