An owner for a project under construction is asking that we have an independent roof inspector come in to inspect the roof. Has anyone else done this before? Willing to share names and contact information?
Thanks!
There are companies all over the contry that will do that. I would reccomend a member of RCI. Here is there member locator web page. http://www.rci-online.org/member-directory.cfm
Tracy,
Typically, these are the same organizations that are the owner’s waterproofing inspectors, or ‘envelope’ inspectors (for air barriers, flashings, etc.).
If you have had involvement with any of those, that would be them.
A lot of these are local or regional, and the national ones have not been the best in my experience. So, don’t have a recommendation based on your locality.
William
Bob Dye is a Registered Roof Consultant. You might try contacting him. (He’s a CSI Fellow, too, and up for election)
many moons ago I worked as a roof inspector for a roof consultant, for that period of time I learned that having a set of eyes on a roof while it was being installed guaranteed a better installation, no matter how much experience I had. I tell my clients if there is no budget for a roof inspector, put an intern on the roof, he/she will get great experience and you will get a better roof…money well spent.
http://www.rci-online.org/
Look for a RRC (Registered Roof Consultant) or RRO (Registered Roof Observer). When you find a consultant that you think you (the Owner or Architect) would like, see if you can get a reference from the roofer. You don’t want an inspector/observer who is a jerk, you want someone who will have a non adversarial relationship with the roofer. Also, don’t have the consultant work directly for the roofer - you want non-biased assessments.
My company provides this service; we believe it adds value to the installation.
Get a quotation for commencement, interim, and final inspections. Frequency of interim inspections depends on the size and type of roof; get recommendations from your selected inspector. I agree with the above sentiments - the inspections are worth more than the upcharge for an extended manufacturer warranty.
IMHO, having a on-site roofing inspector will result in a better end product than the hassle of a mfrs warranty. I use this tactic regularly when owners are reluctant to accept the inspection costs. When I suggest that they eliminate the warranty and keep the inspection services, they usually agree to keep both.
I have recently suggested on several projects that the cost of an extended warranty (20 years rather than, say, ten) be applied to the cost of a roof inspection program. Even without full-time observation, I think that observations provide more assurance of a leak-free roof leak than a warranty ever can.
I was, once upon a time, that lowly ‘intern’ on the roof, consigned there aka ‘the russian front’.
Even at my low level of knowledge, I exceeded the corporate intelligence of the dynamic duo from the roofing contractor brought on-site to bring up a roof to spec’d weight when I, with all my college and educational might read the label which said:
“Do not dilute”
I prompty told nimrod and partner that diluting and thus allowing for labor saving pumping of the viscuous brew would NOT be allowed.
Thus ended my roofing consultancy career - on a win, I might add . . .
PS, ruined a pair of perfectly good boots . . .
Looks like I am joining the consensus opinion. I agree that having a roof observer is money well spent. Considering the size of the installation and the potential cost of failure, an observer working for the designer is an excellent idea.