Roof Inspections?

1

Anybody offer just roof inspections?

Lot of money in them this time of year in Arizona anyway, we get some rain now and then in the summer…I have had quite a few calls for just roof inspections lately.

Good thing about doing them is the fact their easy, you can charge about the same as an entire home inspection and there is always something wrong with a roof here, I don’t know about other parts of the country, but the sun destroys everything here.

People don’t do any preventative maintenance, when it rains the phone rings like crazy.

Take a bunch of pictures of the defects and tell them to call three licensed companies for estimates…simple.

2

Yep, res, comm & IR verification for investors, homeowners, lenders and QA for builders. They do turn a quick buck and the comm IR night work frees me up for daytime activities…100,000 sf roof brings in a lot more $$$ than I can get doing HI

3

Dale, are you just referring to commercial? What do you do if the client has a very tall two story that you can’t get on to the roof? I inspected a two story last month with only access in the attic to an air handler (couldn’t get to any other section)and the outside was so tall I couldn’t view it with my 24’ ladder.

I always write these up to have them evaluated by a roofer but I don’t know what I would say if it was just a roof inspection.

4

Rent a manlift and add it to the cost of the inspection.

5

A manlift will work on a commercial inspection but not a residential. Most of the tall two story houses here are too close together to get a manlift in to.

6

Hi Gary,

Residential & Commercial…I just got an entire Condo complex…40 buildings, two story flat roofs, four units in each building, but one roof naturally on each building.

BIG BUCKS for this simple inspection.

If the roof is so high I need my 30 ft. ladder I charge more, because I need someone to hold it and help me set it up…I’m old, tired, and weak–::)))

7

Easy reports too…huh Bear–:))))

8

I went to the Condo’s I have the contract to inspect the 40 roofs…I also found some other tid-bits of information they might be concerned about while I inspected one roof on my way back from this mornings two REO inspections.

Here is the roof of one building, pretty good shape.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i247/badstucco1/8108BComierPotter075-1.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i247/badstucco1/8108BComierPotter076.jpg

Now at the front portion I found Cement Tiles not attached, so I pulled a couple off to see the underlayment…oh oh…just 15lb. torn Felt Paper, they forgot the 30lb.

They will be happy this was discovered, the torn felt is allowing rain to run down the OSB (when it does rain here–::))))

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i247/badstucco1/8108BComierPotter085.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i247/badstucco1/8108BComierPotter083.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i247/badstucco1/8108BComierPotter081.jpg

Now at the back of these Condo’s, they have the Heat Pump condensation drains sticking through a scupper and landing on one of the patio roofs below then ponding on the roof, which will destroy the covering (torch-down) shortly…they should be happy about this tid-bit of information also–::))

And I also found by accident because my contract states roof only…BUT, when I looked down at the wood trim above one window I noticed a large gap rain has been getting in the wall…so I knocked on the door and some lady answered, I explained what I was doing and wanted to know if I could look at her front window from inside, she allowed me…I did not see any moisture stains but I think I will run it by the board of directors of the Homeowners Association to IR Scan every window with wood trim above it to see if water has been coming into the Condo’s…

The only window in every building with wood trim at the header is in the front, all the other windows in every building have stucco, except the one…very weird design…but anyway…I think for another $9,779.00 I will ask to scan every window from the interior where there is wood trim warping allowing rain to come in…I’m sure they will go for it, and I will get a free Cam out of the deal—::)))

Here is the Warped Wood Trim above the one window in every building.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i247/badstucco1/8108BComierPotter111.jpg

And the Condensation Drain Lines terminating through a scupper and dropping onto a rear patio roof.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i247/badstucco1/8108BComierPotter080.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i247/badstucco1/8108BComierPotter078.jpg

I think when I show them this one report for “Building #1”; this $12,379.00 ($309.00 per roof) inspection will turn into a $22,558.00 Job----!!!

Gotta love roof inspections “Only” with one window per building Infrared Scanned from the interior (if they go for it, and I bet they will)-----!!!

This builder will not like me…this Condo Communities two year builder warranty----oh oh…$hit will be hitting the fan AGAIN----:lol:

Another builder threatening to sue me----:lol:

9

Dale,

What IR camera did you purchase? :shock:

10

I didn’t buy one yet, if they want me to scan the windows in this complex I will, other wise I don’t need one now, and I would rather someone else buy the Cam when I include it in the cost of the inspection because WAY TOO many people here are using their Cams like a screw driver in their pouch (free)…if I cannot charge for the use of it, I will not buy one. I don’t want to offer Infrared Scanning as another service, I’m to busy.

No time for all the schooling, etc, etc.

The guys I know who have them charge so little, it is easier calling one of them and doubling the price for the service, making money without doing anything…that’s much better.

11

Sweeeeeet Dale.

12

Dale,

Have camera, Will travel :smiley: also edjumacated! :wink: where’s my plane ticket? :cool:

Seriously it’s a little more then point and shoot especially when tracking latent moisture in your climate.

hth

13

This statement is scary.

14

Yeah, Joe. The statement is scary, but the action is ignorant or naive.

Provide a service? Then charge appropriately.

Using a $10,000 tool for free is NOT good business sense.

Those of you who include it in your inspection AND charge appropriately for it are NOT included in the above.

Who can give us an idea of how much you’d charge for JUST a scan of the house??

15

Dale,
Good post and terrific pictures!

Quote:
Here is the Warped Wood Trim above the one window in every building.
End Quote:

The warped wood above the windows appears to be “interior grade” wood that would be highly absorbent to rainwater. Plus… I do not see any type of “Vapor Barrier” or flashing.

Also I do not see how it was nailed / fastened to the exterior wall.

Looks to me like you might have a “Gold Mine” on your hands!:stuck_out_tongue:

If you go into the attics look for the lack of “Fire wall” separations between the units.

PS:
On the last two pics the “seams” look worn and like they are ready to “fail / split”.

Also… the “Drain Water” is ponding… I would recommend building up that small section so that the water drains off of the roof.

16

They all have flat low-sloped roofs, there is no attic.

I did not see any moist-stop or vapor barrier either around this window

If they didn’t forget to nail that trim above the window I would of never found the construction defect, so the owners will be happy with my findings when I present them at the HOA Meeting to come…!!

Yes, the patio roofs have issues also, they always use the wrong type of drip edge flashing here which is designed for built-up roofs, where more than one layer of roofing material would be used, thus, bringing the roof covering surface to the top of the drip edge, but too late now, add more torch-down or the water will pond until it finds an exit through the roof covering when it finally fails—:smiley:

17

I charge $150 an hour. Minimum charge is $150 even if I find an issue in 15 minutes. I recently started working with a remodeling contractor who thought he had a flashing problem and it turned out to be the window weeps and installation issues. He had re-sided the entire side of a home and still had problems. It took 20 minutes and I found his problem. 2 days later (today) I got a call from him to do a 40 unit condo complex. Sweeeet!!! :wink:

18

Linas,

What were the other installation issue’s?

If you do not mind sharing.

19

They are vinly windows and since the weeps were not draining properly the water was entering the framing and working it’s way downward through through cracks around the sill attachment points.

20

Door and window lawsuits here