Many roof contractors will give you a free or low-cost inspection report and provide recommendations for repairs and replacements. With 30 years of experience in managing large portfolios of commercial real estate, I eventually became convinced having a consultant led approach is typically best.
Sure – there are many circumstances where you are lucky enough to have a local or even regional contractor that does good work and treats you fairly. In my opinion, for medium to large size portfolios there is a tipping point at which the consultant led process makes more sense.
A well-designed roof management program will have routine inspections (typically annual) by qualified roof consultants (not contractors) that will outline specific recommendations for immediate action and provide a budget figure for the anticipated cost. It should also provide a five-year forecast of anticipated capital expenditures as well as a estimated year the roof will need to be replaced and the anticipated replacement cost.
With actionable information and the benefit of long-term forecasts, roof spend can be effectively prioritized and managed.
