Commercial Roof Inspection
Find the small problems on your roof before they turn into leaks.
A commercial roof inspection is a close check of a business building’s roof for the early signs of a leak: open seams, worn membrane, loose flashing, blocked drains and damage around rooftop units. GoGreen Roofing (CA Lic. #980023) inspects flat and pitched commercial roofs for property managers and building owners from its base in Santa Clara, across California and the Western U.S.
What Does a Commercial Roof Inspection Check?
Leaks on a flat roof usually start at a seam, an edge or a piece of equipment, so that is where an inspection spends its time. On a commercial roof we check:
- The membrane and its seams, for splits, punctures, blisters, cracking and sheets pulling apart.
- The flashing at parapet walls, curbs, vents and skylights, where the roof meets something else and flashing tends to fail first.
- The drains and scuppers, and any low area where water is still standing after rain. Water held on a flat roof for more than 48 hours wears the surface faster and raises the risk of a leak.
- The roof around rooftop HVAC units, one of the most common and most overlooked sources of roof damage. Their weight, vibration and exhaust heat work on the membrane and flashing at the curb year after year.
When Should You Schedule a Roof Inspection?
NRCA recommends inspecting roofs at least twice a year, typically in spring and fall, and again after severe weather. In the Bay Area that means a fall inspection before the winter storms, a spring inspection after them, and a look at the roof after any storm that leaves water inside. Our guide to why regular commercial roof inspections are necessary goes into the schedule in more detail.
Inspections are worth booking at other points too: before you buy or lease a building, before a roof warranty runs out, and when new equipment is going on the roof.
What Should a Roof Inspection Report Tell You?
A useful report records the roof type and age, rates the condition of each area of the roof, and shows each defect in a photo with its location. It covers the drains, the flashing and the equipment on the roof, and sorts what needs a repair now from what can wait for the next season. Kept on file, the reports become the roof’s maintenance history, which supports a manufacturer warranty claim and an insurance claim after storm damage. Our guide on reading a commercial roof inspection report walks through each section.
How Do Inspections Help Keep a Roof Warranty Valid?
Manufacturer warranties on commercial roofs expect the owner to look after the roof. GAF’s commercial guarantees, for example, exclude leaks caused by inadequate maintenance. Some manufacturers also reward a documented inspection record: GAF’s WellRoof program extends a Diamond Pledge guarantee by 25% when the roof is inspected and maintained every year by a GAF Certified Maintenance Professional, and Carlisle’s Continu-Care program extends a Total System Warranty by five years with regular inspection and maintenance. Check your own warranty’s terms for what it asks of you.
A roof maintenance program puts the inspections on a schedule and records the repairs they lead to.
What Happens After the Inspection?
Most findings on a roof in reasonable shape are small: a seam to reseal, flashing to refasten, a drain to clear. Those become a commercial roof repair. When the inspection finds wet insulation across wide areas, or a roof near the end of its life, the conversation turns to a commercial reroof or a full replacement, and the report gives you the evidence to plan and budget for it.
Schedule a Commercial Roof Inspection
Book an inspection before the next storm finds the weak spot. Schedule a consultation and tell us about the building, the roof and anything you have noticed inside.
