Roofing Consultants During The Time of Disaster

Roofing Consultants During Times of Disaster 

Luke Anderson - June 2007 

A common phenomenon occurs across this country every time a severe hail storm, tornado, earthquake, or hurricane hits. When Mother Nature strikes, groups of contractors called storm chasers flock to the disaster areas like pioneers to a gold rush. The reason for this is simple.

Typically, if not always, the contractor base of any town is just not large enough to deal with the overwhelming needs of the victims following these types of disasters.  The good reputable contractors are usually booked immediately and for months to come. This leaves the storm chasers in a pretty good position as customer options are usually slim. Storm chasers are quite good at marketing in these stressful situations, leaving the customer wondering who is reputable and who is not. Very often unsuspecting people are then leveraged into hiring fly-by-night contractors and they are left without any recourse when problems occur as the storm chaser contractors have moved on to the next disaster area.  

As everyone knows, major damage can be caused by hail, high winds, or flying debris. Damage may not be noticed by the building owner unless leaks occur. On most residential homes, and some businesses with steep sloped roofs, it is a bit easier to assess damage since the roofs are visible from the ground. "What about flat roofs?” you may ask, and whose opinion do you trust, that of the storm chaser or the insurance adjuster? Both opinions are based on the profit motives of the parties and almost certainly will be biased to a certain degree.  

The smart alternative is to involve a non-biased third party that can help you assess the actual damage and assist you in making smart decisions. Involving an independent roofing consultant gives you a non-biased opinion and is very affordable. In the long run a roofing consultant can help alleviate worries and problems before they occur and they are the professionals you can most often trust.  

For owners who have multiple facilities or complicated buildings like factories, schools, and malls, it is very difficult to quickly assess the damage because of the overwhelming amount of information to process. With access to sophisticated database software that stores information from site surveys, most roof consultants can quickly generate reports for their clients and give them a clear understanding of what corrective measures should be applied.  This process can be effective for a client with a single building or a client that has 300+ facilities. By prioritizing the urgency of each repair, these assessment reports allow the building owner to use a limited labor force in the most efficient manner, especially during difficult situations. Lower priority problems can be addressed once urgent priorities are secure and things slow down, which also saves the building owner money because costs of services are always greatly inflated in times immediately following disasters.  

A roofing consultant will typically charge a flat fee for a roof inspection, which is a good thing as there is no monetary reason to sway the facts. The fee is usually based on the size and complexity of the building. Facilities with multiple areas and levels are typically a bit more expensive to survey, but the good news is that a professional consulting company will be able to take this data and enter it into their database where it will be accessible for years to come.  

Typically a survey consists of an on-site interview to locate any problems or leaks, conduct a visual roof inspection, and make test cuts to verify system components. They also include roof drawings, photographs, and budget figures. This kind of planning is crucial in the event of a disaster situation occurring, but it can also be used in an on-going roof asset management program to ensure that a person or company is getting the most out of their roof. The ideal situation would be to have a full inventory of your entire roofing portfolio performed prior to a disaster striking to further reduce the time it takes to gather information.  

When thinking about your building, keep in mind that the roof is the most complicated sub-assembly of any building, a valuable asset that requires inspections, maintenance, and care to ensure a full system life is achieved.  

This article was written by Lukas Anderson, President of Building Resource Group.  Lukas has over 14 years of experience in the industry and is a professional member of the RCI, The Institute of Roofing, Waterproofing, and Building Envelope Professionals. He can be reached at (319) 365-2395 or by email at Luke.A@BuildingResourceGroup.com.