How do you inspect this roof?
Do you only count the roof over the units head?
Or the whole roof?
This is a 8 tenant building with 4 on the 1st floor and 4 on the second.
How do you account for that little flat roof with the gable section?
Thanks!
I inspect only the areas over the subject unit. If the unit does not have a roof directly overhead (such as a middle floor unit), then it is not included in the inspection. My report has verbiage which details these limitations.
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Go out the window…if the roof needs replacing, it will cost the association some $.
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Coat tailing off Brian’s post, are you inspecting all 8 units, or just one? And if just one, top or bottom floor although it may not matter if the roof falls under the CA for maintenance and repair.
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As Brian mnentioned, if there is a unit above the unit I’m inspecting, I don’t inspect the roof, but if the unit has a roof directly over it then I inspect only the roof surface over that specific unit.
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Condo inspection: Association maintained items (roof, siding, sometimes HVAC, etc) are typically excluded. However, some buyers want these inspected, so they know of potential upcoming association maintenance costs. Typically the interior components are what’s inspected, along with HVAC, appliances, fireplace, etc. I always include the window/door exteriors, window/door operation and condition, along with decks for structure and safety. Exterior water management can be an issue, and I’ll note issues with grade, gutters, and so forth when applicable.
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Great point…
A condominium’s roof is considered as a shared common area. If it is shot and in immediate need of replacement, the owners will be assessed a fee to replace it without any regard to how “perfect” the roof above the unit you inspected might be. If your contract with your client excludes the common areas from your inspection, this would not be a problem for you; however, it will be for them. For example, an insurance company denied a claim for hail damage to a condo unit for which we are presently suing for $1.5M. The suit is about a year old and will probably take another year to settle; however, in the interim the condo association has assessed the owner of the units (about 70 of them) the $1.5M repair bill to replace the damaged roof.
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Thanks everyone.
So i just found out the owner purchased impact rated windows and doors so im supposed to inspect them.
This is a coastal property in central florida.
The unit is the top floor the corner in the picture.
Is this a hip roof with the inset windows?
She’ll get the impact discount as well as a new roof discount.
I guess thats it unless its a hip roof.
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I inspect everything connected/touching the unit such as cladding, windows, doors, balconies and even the roof. I exclude common areas such as corridors, walkways, parking, work-out rooms etc.
It is better to say what you will inspect vs what you do not inspect.
Are you asking specifically about “Wind Mitigation” inspection?
condo association has assessed the owner of the units (about 70 of them) the $1.5M repair bill to
What??
Yep. When you own a condominium, you inherit the costs of maintaining the common areas. When there is damage that the insurance company does not pay for, the unit owners must cover it. This is one of the hidden costs of owning a condo that not too many are prepared for.
If I were thinking of buying a condominium, I would want to know the condition of the entire roof and the exterior since both require replacement at certain intervals. After I knew their condition, I would inquire as to the association’s financials to see if they have the money on-hand to cover the expected costs. If they have the money in the bank to cover replacement, I might take the risk. If not, I’d walk - no matter what the condition was of the unit I was looking to buy.
It is possible for unit owners to purchase insurance coverage for assessments; however, there are exclusions in those policies as well. No guarantees.
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Yes…What he said. ^^^^^^^^^^
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yikes, good to know, TY
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The roof may be maintained by the home-owners association. Client is advised to contact the association for confirmation or information.
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Who knew? I sure didn’t.
I was always under the impression that the HOA fee paid for the roof, parking lot, etc…
Thanks for posting Jim.
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Personal story. A family member in FL owned inherited a condo and put it up for sale. Unknown to her, the balconies were evaluated and determined to need replacement. Consequently, a massive special assessment was planned to be applied to all the owners because the HOA did not have the reserves.
She learned of upcoming assessment because a buyer actually did their due diligence and backed out of the deal because of the upcoming increase in HOA fees.
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You are correct. Typically, the HOA fees will cover all the normal and routine maintenance items known to the HOA and anticipated for the coming months and years; however, unanticipated expenses and mismanagement can reduce the reserves to nothing. Remember, the only credential or qualification necessary for membership on an HOA Board is an address within the complex. In the example I gave, the HOA had zero funds on hand when their roofs were destroyed by hail and their insurance provider dodged their claim.
This is why I would want to know the condition of the expensive roof(s) and exterior and the amount of money in the treasury to cover them before I invested in a unit.
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This whole discussion seems to beg the question, where do you draw the line? Some condos are high rises, some low rise garden units, some townhouses. If you inspect a unit in a 16 story high rise should you be inspecting the condition of the roof? What about other building systems that may trigger a special assessment such as elevators and HVAC?
Here the standard for a “condo inspection” seems to be inspecting “from the paint in,” looking at systems and components directly owned by the potential buyer, not the association. In an ever litigious world claiming, or insinuating, to inspect beyond that seems like a big potential risk. If a client wants the structure and systems of a multi unit building inspected then they can hire an engineer or other firm for a commercial inspection.
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