Commercial Roof Maintenance Costs


Sam HostetlerToday’s blog post will be of interest to building owners who are interested in learning about the cost of commercial roof maintenance.

Roofing experts say a robust roof maintenance program is imperative for ensuring a roof lasts for its entire life expectancy. One study says the cost of a routine maintenance program, over 15 years, is on average 14¢ per square foot. However, the true cost of a roof maintenance program will vary based on how extensive a program is in its coverage. Other fees a roofing company may charge will also come into play, such as travel time fees, mileage fees, or services fees.

Another way roof maintenance costs can be of interest is how they stack up against expenses incurred by a building owner as he or she deals with roof problems when they arise. There are some studies available that can shed light on the subject. Let’s take a look at them below.

The Cost Difference

In one study, the Roofing Alliance for Progress compared roofs that had frequent inspections and repairs done to roofs that were maintenanced when they had problems. Data was gathered over a 15-year period. At its completion, the study reported some interesting findings:

  • For roofs with “reactive” maintenance programs, building owners and facility managers paid an average of 25¢ per square foot.
  • On roofs with “proactive” maintenance programs, building owners and facility managers paid an average of 14¢ per square foot.
  • The study examined low slope roof systems and found they have an average life span of 17 years.
  • On average, roofs with a robust maintenance program last for 21 years. In contrast, on average roofs that were reactively maintenanced only lasted for 13 years.

On a 10,000-square foot roof, those cost differences are quite wide-ranging. A reactively maintenanced 10,000-square foot roof would cost on average $2,500, and an actively maintenanced 10,000-square foot roof on average $1,400. That is a $900 cost difference overall.

Another study provides further valuable insights. It reinforces the trustworthiness of an old chestnut in commercial roofing—when a commercial roof is actively maintenanced, its need to be replaced with a new roof is delayed for years.

This study produced the following insights:

  • The average building owner spends $127,500+ on a roof over a building’s lifecycle.
  • With average roof dimensions of 10,000 square feet, a new commercial roof on average costs $42,500+.
  • Generally speaking, roof maintenance programs cost 1-3 percent per year of what a complete roof replacement is projected to cost.
  • Over 80 percent of all roofs are replaced before they need be so.
  • A roof maintenance program can save a building owner up to 50 percent over a 30-year roof’s life compared to the roof being replaced every 15 to 20 years.

Aside from these obvious cost differences, there are a number of other ways a roof maintenance program can have a heavy hand in keeping expense burdens low or eliminating them all-together. These factors include:

  • Keeping the roof warranty valid, which helps pay for defects or other conditions that are under warranty coverage
  • Documenting the roof’s history, which can be invaluable for insurance claim filings
  • Keeping any unneeded “repairs” or patch jobs from being done, as the roof’s history will show when the roof was serviced and the correct products to use

In those cases, a maintenance program keeps money from being thrown away with an invalidated warranty, saves tremendous amounts of time by providing a documented roof history, and guards against highly-expensive “fix-up” jobs to cover any unnecessary or improper repair or patch-up jobs made.

It is clear that commercial roof maintenance and inspection definitely offers great cost-effectiveness over the long term.

What Should a Commercial Roof Maintenance Program Have?

Here are the minimal requirements a commercial maintenance program should meet:

  • An in-depth, on-site visual examination of the roof and interior space
  • Photographic, digital, or written documentation of the roof’s current condition, but the report can be a mix of two or three
  • Price quotes for roofing work that needs to be done
  • Repairs made on parts of the roof that are not up to performance standards
  • Roof maintenance work where it is needed

An in-depth look at all that is involved with commercial roof inspections can be found at one of our earlier blog posts.

National Roofing Company for Your Needs

Choice Roof Contractor Group represents a nationwide network of commercial roofing contractors who specialize in commercial roof repair, restoration, and replacement services. Our members must commit to excellence and professional ethics before they can join. 

Our members exclusively use Conklin roofing products for commercial jobs. These high-performance, energy-efficient roof systems stand out for many reasons:

  • Backed by non-prorated warranties on all labor and materials for up to 20 years
  • Reflect up to 85 percent of the sun’s deteriorating UV rays
  • Generate up to 30 percent savings in annual cooling costs
  • Form a completely seamless, waterproof, and fully-adhered roof membrane
  • Can be applied to virtually any existing commercial roof system
  • No cost-heavy roof replacement costs involved
  • Applied on 2+ billion square feet of roofing across the United States
  • 35-year reputation for being a leading product brand
  • Resist hurricane-force winds, bad hailstorms, fire, and more

Should you be interested in learning more about how Conklin roof systems stand out, please call us at 800-670-5583. We will be happy to give you a free local roof estimate.

 

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Written by: Ian Myers
Ian Myers
Ian was the very first team member brought on by the original co-founders of the Choice Roof Contractor Group to assist with nationwide growth. Since then he has written 120+ blog posts and provided excellent support to the roofing contractors in the group. Through his multiple roles in the commercial roofing industry, he has gained tremendous knowledge in the sector.