The HOA Board Quarterly Winter 2015 Issue #12 | Page 13

Eleven Steps: Roofing Made Simple by James Adams A fter years of repairs on that ole roof, the rains have come and the Board of Directors have no choice but to re-roof in 2015. Where to begin? Do I just hire the same contractor that has been doing the repairs or the contractor that re-roofed last? It’s not that simple. Re-roofing can be complex (no pun intended) and not all contractors are qualified. Here’s a great step-by-step guide to help you move forward with making the right decisions when re-roofing your community’s roofs. Step 1: Referrals are your friend. Ask around, the board and/or property management company and see if they know or have had good experience with a Commercial Re-Roofing contractor. Step 2: No referrals? Check with your local trade associations like CAI (Community Association Institute) or CACM (California Association of Community Managers). The roofing contractors that are active and support those institutions are likely to be qualified. Step 3: Make sure the roofing contractor carries insurance with no HOA exclusions and that they are licensed. You can verify licensing at: https://www2. cslb.ca.gov/OnlineServices/CheckLicenseII/checklicense.aspx). Step 4: Once you’ve picked out two or three contractors, be sure to check out their online reviews (google/yelp). With online reputations holding a lot of merit these days, there’s a good chance you’ll see some reviews from HOA tenants and/or property managers to give you a good feel of their experiences with that contractor. Step 5: Call up and schedule free appointments with the contractors for inspections of the building(s). *Tip - When speaking with the estimator, mention that the board is ready to re-roof and not just interested in budget numbers. Give them a timeline of when you’d like to see work start and completed by. be sure to compare apples to apples. It’s very common for bids to be thousands of dollars away from each other. Roofing has so many variables, products and solutions so it’s important that each bid is comparable. Step 8: Ask for references and testimonials from HOA’s similar in size. Getting in contact with a board member or property manager/owner could give you great insight on how the roofing contractor operates from a sales, production and administrative standpoint. Step 9: Pick the roofing contractor that carries the most value, NOT the lowest price. Like buying a car, you never buy the car that is in the junk yard, barely runs but still gets you from point A to Z. That car is eventually going to break down a lot sooner than the one that really fits your needs. Pick the contractor that you trust, provides quality work, has a great reputation and brings the most value to your association. Step 10: Time to inform the tenants. Team up with your new roofing contractor and come up with a plan to minimize noise and distraction to your tenants. Step 11: Once the roof is completed, be sure to set up regular annual roof maintenance. Verifiable annual roof maintenance is required to validate your warranty. Picking the right contractor and bid is a very important decision to make and is not to be taken lightly. I hope this guide will make the hiring process easier once it’s time for a re-roof. HOA If you have any questions regarding this article, feel free to contact RSI Roofing at 858-278-7200 or visit them online at www.thinkrsi.com Article by James Adams, Director of Sales & Marketing Cell: 858-926-6320 [email protected] Step 6: Once all of the inspections are completed, ask the estimator to come in during a board meeting to present their solutions. This is a great chance to meet each of the estimators and see what kind of person and company you’re potentially hiring. Step 7: Once you have received all of the proposals, Winter 2015 | Issue #12 | The HOA Board Quarterly | 13