Before the rain: turn a roof check into a repair plan

Your roof maintenance review should leave you with more than a folder of pictures. It should tell you what needs attention, who is handling it and what is still unresolved before the next storm.

For a commercial property manager, the useful question is simple: what happens after someone finds a problem?

Start with a qualified maintenance review

Have qualified personnel review the roof using the requirements for the actual roof system and site. GAF's commercial maintenance guidance identifies debris, standing water, drainage issues and loose flashing among the conditions to look for. GAF roof maintenance guidance

This is a coordination checklist for property managers, not a guide to accessing a roof or making repairs. Keep roof access and technical work with trained, authorized personnel.

Turn each finding into a work item

Ask for a report that separates observations from confirmed causes. A ceiling stain is useful information, but the report should say whether the source has actually been identified.

A simple working record can include:

• The location and date of the observation.
• Photos that show the condition and enough context to find it again.
• The reviewer's recommended next step.
• Who is responsible for that step.
• Whether access, an estimate or another trade is needed.
• The next review date and the evidence needed to close the item.

You do not need a complicated system. A shared work-order record can be enough if everyone uses the same current information.

Separate a maintenance review from authorization to repair

Before arranging work, ask the contractor to explain the scope, access requirements and any effect on the roof's warranty or guarantee. Keep the proposal with the maintenance review record so the next person can see why the work was requested.

For unresolved items, record the decision rather than letting the issue disappear into email. An item waiting for a quote should not look the same as an item that has been repaired and checked.

Close the loop

When work is complete, ask for closeout notes and photos. If further observation is recommended, give that follow-up an owner and a date. The goal is a record someone else can understand without recreating the whole conversation.

Planning a commercial-property maintenance review? Explore M5’s Facility Solutions and discuss what support your property needs.