A board member's guide to roof replacement

Who does what

A roof replacement goes smoothly when everyone knows their lane. In most Colorado associations the roles look like this:

• The board decides. It approves the scope, picks the contractor, signs the contract (or authorizes the manager to), sets the funding plan and approves any changes. The board also owns communication with owners, even when the manager sends the notices.
• The community manager runs the process day to day: gathering bids, scheduling access, sending notices, tracking invoices and keeping records. The manager is the roofer's main contact, but not a substitute for a board vote.
• The roofer inspects, recommends, prices and builds. A good roofer gives you options and trade-offs, not just a single number, and documents everything in writing.
• Others you may need: your reserve specialist (to fold the plan into the reserve study), your insurance agent (if storm damage is involved) and your association attorney (for contracts, special assessments and governing-document questions).

Before you start, check your declarations and bylaws. They say which roof components the association maintains, who approves major expenditures, and whether a special assessment needs an owner vote.

How to read a roof assessment

A roof assessment should give your board facts it can act on, building by building. A useful report includes:

• An inventory: each building, its roof system (TPO, EPDM, built-up, metal, spray foam or steep-slope), approximate size and age where known.
• A condition rating for each roof, with photos that show what the rating is based on.
• Moisture data on low-slope roofs. An infrared survey with confirming core cuts shows where insulation is wet, which decides whether a roof can be repaired, recovered or must be torn off.
• Urgent items separated from planned work, so you know what can't wait for the next budget cycle.
• Estimated remaining life as a range, with the reasoning behind it.
• Options: repair, restore, recover or replace, with the cost drivers for each.

Be wary of a report with few photos, no building-by-building detail, or a conclusion that every roof needs replacing right now. Sometimes that's true after a major hailstorm. Usually the honest answer is a mix of repairs, maintenance and a phased schedule.

Comparing bids apples to apples

The lowest number often isn't the lowest cost. Two bids can differ because one includes a full tear-off, thicker insulation and new gutters and the other doesn't. Ask every roofer to price the same scope, then line them up:

If a bid is missing a line, ask the roofer to add it in writing. Our proposals break out each of these items, so your board can use ours as the template for comparing the others. For more on what moves the number, see commercial roof cost factors.

Questions to ask every roofer

• Who will be our day-to-day contact, and who supervises the crew on site?
• Are your crews your own employees, and are they covered by workers' comp?
• Can you send certificates of insurance naming the association and our management company?
• What licenses do you hold, and who pulls the permits?
• Will you inspect for wet insulation before pricing a low-slope roof?
• What does your workmanship warranty cover, for how long, and how do we file a claim?
• Which manufacturer warranty is included, and does it require periodic maintenance?
• How do you price deck or insulation replacement found during tear-off?
• How will you notify residents, and how do you handle parking, pets and quiet hours?
• Can you give us references from other associations or managers?
• When do you expect final payment, and what has to happen first?

Approvals and owner communication

Owners don't need every detail, but they do need to hear the decision from the board before they hear hammers. A simple sequence works well:

• Share the why: a short summary of the assessment, the options considered and the reason for the choice. Photos help.
• Explain the funding: reserves, a special assessment, a loan or an insurance claim. If your documents require an owner vote, follow that process and allow time for it.
• Announce the schedule by building, with the understanding that weather moves dates.
• Send building notices a few days before work starts: what to expect, parking changes, securing items in attics or on walls that can shift from vibration, and pets.
• Give one contact for questions, usually the manager, with the roofer available to answer anything technical.

We draft resident notices for the manager to send, so the message is accurate and consistent from building to building.

Colors, products and design guidelines

Many communities have architectural or design guidelines that govern roof colors, materials and profiles. Check them before you request bids, so every roofer prices a product that's actually allowed. If you're considering a change, such as a new color or a switch to metal, the guidelines may need to be amended first.

When replacements are phased over several years, consistency matters. Product lines and colors get discontinued. Pick a product and color the manufacturer is likely to keep making, record the exact names in the board minutes, and ask the roofer to confirm availability before each phase. On low-slope roofs, a white or reflective membrane helps with summer heat at altitude, and it's rarely visible from the ground.

Contracts and Colorado's rules

Get everything in writing. A sound roofing contract names the scope by building, the products, the warranty terms, the schedule, unit prices for hidden conditions, the payment schedule and how change orders are approved. Ask for lien waivers with each payment.

We don't collect final payment until the association signs off on the completed work.

A realistic timeline

Durations vary with the community's size, the board's meeting schedule and the weather, but the stages are predictable:

1. Assessment & report

   Inspection of every building, followed by a board-ready summary. Larger communities take longer.

2. Bidding

   Allow time for roofers to inspect, price the same scope and answer questions.

3. Board decision & funding

   Usually one or two meetings, plus any owner vote your documents require.

4. Materials & permits

   Lead times and permit reviews differ by product and by city. Order early for spring and summer starts.

5. Construction

   Building by building, with notices before each one. Colorado's weather sets the pace: spring storms, summer hail and winter cold limits for some membrane adhesives.

6. Walkthrough & close-out

   A final inspection with the board or manager, punch-list fixes, then warranty documents by building.

Board guide FAQs