The HOA Board Quarterly Winter 2013 Issue #8 | Page 14

8 Things all HOA Board of Directors should know before making a roofing decision by James Adames There are a lot of Home Owners Associations out there that are managed by Property Management Companies, but ultimately, the Board of Directors are the ones that make the budgeting decisions. Often times roofing is a big part of that equation. With the roofs most likely being the largest investment throughout the property, it is vital that the roofing decisions that are made are the right decisions. We’ve compiled a list of important points that works not only for the Board of Directors, but also for the Property Management Companies that are in the process of making a roofing decision. 1. First, find out who the current manufacturer is of your roof/s to see if there is any remaining warranty. 2. Secondly, find a roofing contractor that you can trust. The best place to look is your local trade associations. For HOA specific associations, try Community Associations Institute (CAI), California Association of Community Managers (CACM), or if you are a property manager try Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) or Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM). Often times the websites will have an online directory if you are pressed for time. 3. Make sure the roofing contractor has the proper Liability Insurance and workers comp (with no HOA exclusions). 4. Safety is a big one. Ask the roofing contractor about their safety program, to see the program in writing, and make sure they are up to date and conform to all OSHA safety requirements/standards. You don’t want to be liable if an accident were to occur. 5. Make sure the roofing contractor has the ability and resources to get the job done right and on time. Ask for references of similar 14 | The HOA Board Quarterly | Issue #8 | Winter 2013 jobs and call them! 6. When the roofing contractor does perform the roof inspection, don’t be surprised to see unapproved satellite dishes, solar or other damage in the inspection report. Constantly remind your owners of your policies, this will save you $ on roof leaks/repairs! 7. When you do receive bids, it’s very important to compare apples to apples. It’s very common for bids to be thousands of dollars apart. That’s because there are so many variables on the roof. The best way to do this is to invite the contractors to a board meeting and discuss the details. This is also a good way to see if the company is a good fit. 8. Finally, learn about the company and their reputation. Visit their yard and offices. Many roofing contractors are barely holding on by a thread due to the recession. There are many documented cases where roofing contractors have pulled off a job because of financial instability. Contributed by James Adames, RSI Roofing 858-278-7200 [email protected] or visit them online at www.thinkrsi.com