(316) 927-2233This serves as the introduction to a series of articles and guides put together for property owners/managers facing an upcoming roof replacement or major repairs. This series’ primary focus is on multi-building, tenant-occupied properties, which demand the most preparation and communication to run smoothly. Our use of “multifamily” broadly reflects our team’s experience, working at residential apartment complexes, self-storage, rehab facilities, HOA communities with centralized maintenance (typically patio homes), and certain hotel/hospitality properties.
The information in these guides was initially compiled by our roofing project managers as an internal resource for sharing best practices, tips, processes, checklists, customer feedback, etc. This effort recognizes that even after 15 years as a company and many dozens of years individually serving the lower Midwest in large-scale and multifamily roofing projects, there are still many opportunities to learn, share, and constantly improve.
In that same spirit, we have published this “Mastering Multifamily Roofing Projects” series publicly as a resource that we continue to edit and add to.
Multifamily Roofing Educational Series
Roofing projects at multifamily properties demand meticulous planning and execution to ensure efficiency, tenant satisfaction, safety, and long-lasting results. In this series, we have identified nine topics critical to navigating the intricacies of overhead construction projects at tenant-occupied multifamily properties, making the process smooth, safe, and successful. In addition, we have compiled further resources below under the “Related Education” section.
This article is part of our Multifamily Roofing Comprehensive Planning Guide. Learn more about:
- Ensuring Smooth Projects
- Know Before You Start
- Common Challenge Areas
- Related Education
Planning an Effective Building Flow for a Multifamily Roofing Project
If you’re preparing for a multi-building construction project, we have found that intentional planning around building flow is one of the most important steps you can take to minimize tenant interruption and ensure a smooth overall project.
Tenant Communication Tips Ahead of and During Multifamily Roofing Projects
Our team gathered to compare notes and best practices on tenant communication, both from the contractor and from the building ownership, that we’ve seen over the years and ways to make projects go smoothly.
Safety Planning for Overhead Roofing Work on Multifamily Tenant Properties
This article is focused on sharing best practices for property managers ahead of roofing projects on multifamily tenant properties. Unlike other ongoing maintenance or construction, roofing projects are very infrequent – meaning that…
Liability Insurance Recommendations for Multifamily Roofing Projects & Contractors
By law, many states have minimum insurance requirements for roofing companies, but these “floor” guidelines are set with residential single-family projects in mind rather than commercial or multifamily properties. As a multifamily property owner or property manager, you will have to…
Parking & Traffic Management Tips for Multifamily Roofing Projects
The number one point of tension between management and tenants on large roofing projects is parking & traffic. Over the years of performing large-scale roofing projects, one thing is very clear; happy tenants = smooth projects.
What Equipment is Used During Multifamily Roofing Projects?
Multi-building complexes are very different projects than the single-family market served by most roofing companies. Our goal is to arm property managers with a working knowledge of equipment…
What to Know About Roofing Wind Warranty on 3+ Story Buildings
Roofing product manufacturer’s often treat 3+ story buildings differently regarding wind rating and warranty than typical single-family homes. For apartment buildings, stacked storage facilities, hotels…
AC & HVAC Units: Planning and Protection for Multifamily Roofing Projects
AC and HVAC units pose unique challenges during multifamily roofing projects. In this guide, we’ll discuss why these challenges exist and outline best practices for planning and protecting these critical systems.
Patios and Balconies: Best Practices for Multifamily Roofing Projects
Patios and Balconies are quasi-private spaces where tenants and construction crews overlap, making them common ‘conflict zones’ for tenant complaints. Ensuring safety and a successful roofing project requires careful planning and execution.
Selecting a Quality Roofing Contractor
Our goal is to arm property managers with a working knowledge of roofing construction to make an educated decision about selecting an appropriate contractor for multi-family and multi-unit properties. In general, the roofing industry is primarily focused on single-family residential homes. The ease and relative commoditization of serving the residential market has left the multi-unit and tenant complex market as a secondary focus for most of the industry. At best, this means that it is a challenge to find appropriate contractors – at worst, this means that many residential roofers are bidding and attempting larger commercial jobs without the proper capacity, equipment, and experience to handle the jobs safely.
Our number one advice we can give is to arm yourself with knowledge of the market and what is involved in these large-scale projects. Explore the resources in this series in detail.
With that in hand, ask lots of questions. A reputable contractor will be happy to have an informed partner in planning a project of this scale, and will have detailed answers to your questions about everything from big-picture planning to small workflow details.
This article is part of our Multifamily Roofing Comprehensive Planning Guide. Learn more about:
- Ensuring Smooth Projects
- Know Before You Start
- Common Challenge Areas
- Related Education
