Roofing maintenance contracts are essential to commercial roofing contractors, and owners will not have to worry about costly repairs if a roof undergoes structural damage. The agreements detail the time and frequency in which the contractor needs to maintain and inspect the roof. Roofing maintenance is necessary to ensure that a roof has a long lifespan, and it can be expensive to maintain them. Further, roofing maintenance not only requires upgrades but periodic inspections.

Maintenance strategies ensure that the roof lasts its entire lifespan, and studies demonstrate roofs that are not inspected and maintained only last a third to half of its life expectancy. This is where service agreements and roof construction play vital roles.

Other details of a service contract include:

  • Thorough inspection of the roof
  • Degree to which the contract remedies roofing issues
  • Project timelines
  • Contractor terms for projects, inspections, and maintenance schedules

Roofing Program Benefits

In some ways, it is a legal parameter on which a building owner can have a roofing maintenance program. Many building owners do not believe that their roofs are ongoing expenses and only think about their roofs when problems occur.

A commercial roof maintenance program is the better option because such a program is not as expensive as actual replacement or repairs.

PRI Program

A PRI Preventive Roof Maintenance (PRM) provides roofing owners a better option than roofing system warranties, which do not offer protection against factors that could lead to interior leakage. Additionally, such warranties do not come with various roof assemblies for maintenance purposes.

Roof warranties that are offered by manufacturers have drawbacks such as:

  • The policy only becomes active when the roof leaks, which can be tricky because owners do not anticipate a leakage.
  • There are no clauses detailing corrective measures to assembly components that could be affected by the leakage.

A seasoned roof auditor walks through the roof areas covered under the PRM and conducts a visual audit, followed by an informal survey of the roof’s condition. After, the auditor provides a report and photos of the roof’s current condition. Routine maintenance measures will be noted in reports so corrective measures can be taken.

Roofing assemblies damaged by the elements in the form of wind or lighting will be included in a written report itemizing the costs. In addition, damage done to roofing assemblies could happen due to human error on the part of a crew member or maintenance personnel. Roofing assemblies include:

  • Pitch pans
  • Drain strainers
  • Repairs to membrane flashings
  • Securing loose accessory metals

After the audit, a PRI maintenance member will be sent to the location to commence maintenance duties to the roofing assembly. If the repair proposal from the PRI is satisfactory to the facility representative, the crew will finish the repairs during the prescribed maintenance schedules.

Benefits

A roofing maintenance contract can benefit you in the following ways:

  • Contractors will identify major issues before tremendous damage occurs.
  • Maintenance and inspections can increase a roof’s overall lifespan by up to 50 percent.
  • A contract can increase a property’s value.
  • Contracts allow for roof customization.
  • Contractors will provide owners with quotes regarding any repairs needed.
  • Contracts can reduce roofing costs in the short and long-term.

The average owner will spend more than $125,000 on a roof in a single lifetime, and many owners could pay more. Further, spotting issues early will protect an owner’s wallet and mitigate long-term damage that could end up in costly repairs.

Contractor Benefits

Roofing contracts are a great way for new contractors to get steady work and attract new customers. Maintenance contracts allow roofing contractors to be introduced to new customers and gain additional clientele in the future. In addition, such an opportunity allows newer contractors to sharpen their presentation skills while enhancing credibility with the new customers.

The key to a successful maintenance contract is trust between the contractor and owner. The contractor demonstrates that he or she offers the owner value, and the owner may give the contractor additional maintenance requests and recommendations to friends or colleagues.

Note: Some roofing owners may be skeptical of contractors due to bad experiences, and larger companies may require experience or past demonstrations before hiring the services of a maintenance contractor.

To learn more about roofing maintenance contracts, post your legal need to our UpCounsel marketplace. UpCounel will help owners or contractors establish sound roofing maintenance contracts that all parties can agree to. Moreover, our lawyers will be by your side if any roofing or contract disputes arise and will defend you vigorously if any conflict ends up in the courtroom.